[QuickTidal]

Well this looks dope!

[Macros]

Oh hell yes

[Malankazooie]

Pump the breaks on the excitement. It looks alright. Trailer has a lot of Chris Pratt in it and he's on the cusp of being cancelled, right? So I'm guessing many tuned out right there. Also, there's rules about Thor's hammer, right? So how is that one scene possible? I've only seen the first Thor movie, so not sure if something transpired that would allow that to happen.

This post has been edited by Malankazooie: 18 April 2022 - 05:57 PM

[D'rek]

Malankazooie, on 18 April 2022 - 05:57 PM, said:

Also, there's rules about Thor's hammer, right? So how is that one scene possible?

Any version of Thor can lift the hammer. Even the version that is a moose.

Also like 100 other people.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

Did Natalie Portman really bulk up all that much? She looks buff as fuck.

If so I'm impressed, as she's been a skinny girl all her life.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

ContrarianMalazanReader, on 18 April 2022 - 06:01 PM, said:

Did Natalie Portman really bulk up all that much? She looks buff as fuck.

If so I'm impressed, as she's been a skinny girl all her life.

If so she should do another rap song before the roid rage wears off (Thor's hammer as a syringe?...). Then again IDK exactly what movie stars are taking these days---but the 'authenticity' of roid rage could certainly improve at least some performances....

[Tsundoku]

Azath Vitr (D, on 18 April 2022 - 07:47 PM, said:

Then again IDK exactly what movie stars are taking these days---but the 'authenticity' of roid rage could certainly improve at least some performances....

Will Smith?

[Macros]

Wait, what has Chris Pratt done??

[Tiste Simeon]

Macros, on 18 April 2022 - 08:02 PM, said:

Wait, what has Chris Pratt done??

He belongs to a church. That's more or less it tbh. The church has some views that many disagree with (not 100% but I think it's too do with trans rights) and Pratt has not proactively done anything (AFAIK) to speak out against these views. From what I can tell his faith is not something he speaks much about, keeping it as a private affair but as a public person many want him to, I dunno, make a statement or something.

Don't think he has outwardly said or done anything specifically objectionable, more a lack of action.

Someone else might have more up to date info though...

[Malankazooie]

Made some comment about the role of a woman in marriage, something something - subservient to husband - something something, or something like that.

[EDIT] Also, I think the buff Portman might have been cgi. Not positive though.

This post has been edited by Malankazooie: 18 April 2022 - 08:49 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Tiste Simeon, on 18 April 2022 - 08:43 PM, said:

Macros, on 18 April 2022 - 08:02 PM, said:

Wait, what has Chris Pratt done??

He belongs to a church. That's more or less it tbh. The church has some views that many disagree with (not 100% but I think it's too do with trans rights) and Pratt has not proactively done anything (AFAIK) to speak out against these views. From what I can tell his faith is not something he speaks much about, keeping it as a private affair but as a public person many want him to, I dunno, make a statement or something.

Don't think he has outwardly said or done anything specifically objectionable, more a lack of action.

Someone else might have more up to date info though...

'Chris Pratt says "it feels like an important time" for him to share religious messages with his fans. The "Jurassic World" and Marvel movie star has turned recent awards show appearances into opportunities to talk publicly about his Christian faith.'

Chris Pratt: Sharing religious messages 'fills my soul' - YouTube

... though that's from 2018. Here's something more recent:

Chris Pratt gives all glory to God after enlightening run - YouTube

Really does prattle (Christ-Prattle...) on about his faith at length in public....

[Tiste Simeon]

Huh I never saw any of them, I knew he wasn't silent about his faith but he never seemed like he was shoving it in people's faces but I guess that might be a matter of perspective.

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

Dunno. So far all of Pratt's co-workers have spoken highly of him, so I assume he doesn't get preachy about his beliefs.

[QuickTidal]

so the embargo lifted on Doctor Strange 2, and I have the skinny on who is in it.

Aside from the obvious Strange, Wanda, American Chavez, and Strange Supreme (who were all in the trailers)

MAJOR spoilers for character presence!! Do not read if you want to be unspoiled.

Spoiler

The Illuminati consists of Captain Carter, Professor X (Stewart), Black Bolt (Anon Mount reprising the role in a comic-accurate costume), Reed Richards (John Krasinski in a comics accurate costume), and Baron Mordo.

I've also heard that Marvel let Raimi BE Raimi, so I cannot wait to see it!

[Malankazooie]

Supposedly that Disney+ show, Marvel's What If...?, is strongly recommended prior to going into Dr. Strange 2.

[polishgenius]

Malankazooie, on 03 May 2022 - 03:19 PM, said:

Supposedly that Disney+ show, Marvel's What If...?, is strongly recommended prior to going into Dr. Strange 2.

Not hugely. It uses some concepts and stuff but nothing directly carried over.


WandaVision is essential though.


Good film. Raimi got to Raimi. Visually it's very definitely the most accomplished Marvel film, the best combination between a director with a distinct style and technique and having enough power to insist on doing it his way.
Plot-wise, I did have an issue with the resolution

Spoiler

in that the solution to the problem of America having no control of her powers was just Doctor Strange telling her she's really cool. It doesn't even really resolve his arc- which I didn't mind in general but it was weird to veer one way than the other- because though he 'gives up the scalpel' to her here in the very next scene he's blowing off his corrupton by the Darkhold.

But until then it was mostly really good, particularly the antagonist.

[Gorefest]

Havent seen Wandavision and wasn't really planning on addressing that before seeing the new Dr. Strange. Anything I should be aware of? I'd like to think that it mostly doesn't matter overall and I would think a decent director would bring us up to speed on relevant developments since the last film.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 07 May 2022 - 09:18 PM, said:

Good film. Raimi got to Raimi.

It was THE Ramiest of Rami movies I think I've ever seen. It's like EvilDead/Army of Darkness and Darkman made sloppy love in the MCU.

polishgenius, on 07 May 2022 - 09:18 PM, said:

Visually it's very definitely the most accomplished Marvel film, the best combination between a director with a distinct style and technique and having enough power to insist on doing it his way.

Agree. It looked really good. The 3D was GARBAGE though, and I wish we'd not seen it that way...it took a solidly made and gorgeous film looks murky, dark, and almost blurry. Almost ruined our screening it was so bad.

polishgenius, on 07 May 2022 - 09:18 PM, said:

Plot-wise, I did have an issue with the resolution

Spoiler

in that the solution to the problem of America having no control of her powers was just Doctor Strange telling her she's really cool. It doesn't even really resolve his arc- which I didn't mind in general but it was weird to veer one way than the other- because though he 'gives up the scalpel' to her here in the very next scene he's blowing off his corrupton by the Darkhold.

But until then it was mostly really good, particularly the antagonist.

100% agreed on your spoiler point.

Spoiler

I feel like a better denouement for America would have been to find her moms, and her realizing that she hadn't killed them gave her the internal strength to manage her powers better. Strange just telling her was a bit of a cop out.

[QuickTidal]

I really enjoyed DOCTOR STRANGE 2, so I wanted to dive into spoilered specifics.

Spoiler

- The Illuminati being as arrogant as they always are in the comics, and then going out like that was perfection.
- The 90's X-Men theme playing over the intro of Prof X was nice!
- Black Bolt having a "Mr. Anderson, how can you make a phone call if you can't speak." moment, only to realize that he'd taken a breath in and releasing it without his mouth was going to liquify his brain....again, peak Raimi. So great!
- The coldest ass line in a MCU movie ever Reed Richards: "I have wife and kids too". Wanda: "Good, then there will be someone left to raise them" Fuck me....
- Captain Carter gives the best fight against Wanda, but even her death is brutal...being cut in half by the Shield?
- So much of Wanda's stuff in this was inspired by J-Horror style stuff, combined with Raimi's Dutch angles, and crazy stuff...plus the Evil Dead mirror shot!
- One of the Kamar-Taj sorcerers being a fucking Minotaur with NO explanation? Amazing.
- Strange dream walking into a dead/zombie version of himself from another universe and then using the souls of the dead as his powers....again, peak, fucking, Raimi. So good.
- The Musical Note battle between Strange and Supreme Strange...peak...goddamn Raimi.
- The ending of this is essentially the end of SPIDER-MAN 2, where the antagonist shakes the thing that made them go so dark/bad, and ends themselves to destroy it all. I've heard people complain about Wanda "regressing" from her WANDAVISION regretfulness about what she did to people...but they miss that the end of that series has her with the darkest book of magic around...she was 100% heading to being corrupted.
- The score was really great. Danny Elfman back on form.
- Just like Endgame a single non-human creature kicked off here events....in this case instead of a Rat, it was a Bee.

Safe to say I really enjoyed this movie and will enjoy it more on re-watches.

The ONLY thing missing from it was Ted. How dare you make a movie Raimi without casting your brother in a bit role!?

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 06 April 2022 - 04:57 PM, said:

...


On to WANDAVISION.

Very enjoyable. The choice of format worked really well and the escalation of the episodes was done in a way that made sense. I liked the reveal and the payoffs and they set the stage for many, many things.

And then I watched ETERNALS. There are many movies in the MCU, and this is one of them. I was not bored, I did not tune out. But the level of meh was higher... stiff performances, random accent shifts, the villains were basically there to get a CGI budget, predictable as a 70s saturday AM cartoon. The finale just saves it.