365 movies in 2023: #359 – Avengers: Endgame

AI image from the prompt “Avengers Endgame.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Avengers: Endgame

Seen it before? Yes. Twice in theaters and couple more times since.

Thoughts: Time to finish off the Marvel selections for the year with the grand ending to the Infinity Stones Saga. By the time we get here, both the MCU and the Russos can pretty much do no wrong. After Infinity War’s sort of cliffhanger ending (of course we all new that they were going to bring back all of the snapped characters), massive box office was more or less guaranteed. So kudos to them for going slow burn and almost anticlimactic at the start. With therapy sessions, emaciated Iron Man, characters scattered about and sulking, and a quickly dismissed Thanos, the first third is deliberate table setting quite at odds with Infinity War’s hit-the-ground-running pace. But then the time travel (sorry, time heist) kicks in and we get old scenes from new perspectives in a walking tour through the MCU’s greatest hits (and Thor: The Dark World) and it roars right through to the epic battle finale. Speaking of new perspectives, I love the little scene with Rhodey and Nebula watching Quill loudly sing and prance on Morag punctuated with Rhodey’s “So he’s an idiot?” And Nebula’s resigned “Yeah.” (Nebula continuing her role as any MCU movie’s stealth MVP. Really, the character development of both Rocket and Nebula over the course of the Infinity Saga to become the heart and soul of the entire MCU is impressive (and Bradley Cooper does not get enough credit for his vocal work.) I like that the Thanos in this one is less nuanced since he has not accomplished as much and grown (through loss) as the “older” one we saw in Infinity War. He is a pure brute force here. Sure, the movie is not without its flaws (mostly in the final act), but at heart it’s a crowd-pleasing spectacle and the chill-inducing moments for anyone who has made the journey to this point. The Avengers finally assemble and it was both a fitting finale and new beginning.

365 movies in 2023: #358 – Avengers: Infinity War

AI image from the prompt “Avengers Infinity War.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Avengers: Infinity War

Seen it before? Yes. A couple of times in theaters and many more since buying the digital download.

Thoughts: My hands-down favorite MCU movie. From a technical standpoint, that highwire act that Marvel pulled off just to get to the point of making this movie almost justifies it’s existence in the top spot. But on top of that, it’s really good. I’ve heard the complaints. It’s bloated and frenetic, some characters get lost, too much action, not enough character arcs (Thanos, Gamora and Thor would like a word), etc. In reality they juggled dozens of “main” characters from 7(!) film franchises while still giving everyone moments to shine. In the end, it’s incredibly satisfying to see so many threads from so many other movies pay off and to watch the various character pairings and personality clashes (give me more Stark, Spider-man and Strange; more Thor, Rocket and Groot). And, speaking of those three, if you don’t get legitimate chills in the moment Thor, Rocket and Groot land in the middle of the Wakanda battle, then the problem is you. It was also a great decision to give Thanos a character arc. He grows over the course of the movie into a three-dimensional character. The scene where he sacrifices Gamora to get the soul stone to fulfill his quest generates actual emotion. I’ve wven softened on Star-Lord over the years. Yeah, he kind of blows it but he also went through the emotional ringer in this one, so it’s hard to fault his for losing it in the moment. If anything, it’s kind of Nebula’s fault for spelling it out to him. It’s also a propulsive movie that movies from one great bit of action or interaction to the next. I never get tired of watching this one.

365 movies in 2023: #320 – Captain Marvel

AI image from the prompt “Captain Marvel.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Captain Marvel

Seen it before? Yes. In theaters and once again during a COVID-era MCU marathon.

Thoughts: Ah, the culturally influential MCU movie, but not in a way that it should have been. Due to the more insecure segment of society, this is the movie that led to changes in policies about online audience reviews on sites like Rotten Tomatoes. It’s too bad that toxic nonsense had to be part of the story for this (and only increased leading into the sequel). The thing is, no the movie isn’t one of Marvel’s best, but it’s far better than the amount of negativity its received (and improves with each rewatch). If anything it’s guilty of being just sort of disappointing. I agree with the criticism that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is a little flat at times, but you could argue that it is in line with significant memory loss and being immersed into a bit of dour alien culture. Also, I like the deadpan playfulness she quickly establishes with Nick Fury (getting to use both eyes for a change!) And I like (junior) Agent Coulson if only because it’s nice to see him interacting with Avengers on a big screen again. I deduct some points for the constant reminders of “hey, it’s the 90s!” and uninspired needle drops (aside from Elastica’s flawless “Connection” and Garbage’s “Only Happy When It Rains”), but the ending when she finally unleashes her full potential is justifiably impactful. I feel like this is similar to the first outings of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor where I more look forward to what they do with the character next time now that they’ve gotten the mechanics of the origin story out of the way (though two of those took a dip on the follow up.) And that oh-so-recognizable, dry sarcastic wit of Ben Mendelsohn is on display throughout. And come on, the running bit of Fury getting eye-adjacent “this is the one!” injuries is fun. 

365 movies in 2023: #251 – Thor: Ragnarok

AI image from the prompt “Thor Ragnarok.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Thor: Ragnarok

Seen it before? Yes. In theaters and several times since buying the digital download.

Thoughts: The one where Thor gets humiliate and humbled, comes out better for it and sets him on his trajectory though Infinity War and Endgame. Also, one of the best standalone Marvel movies. Taika Waiti was the perfect melding of story and director’s sensibility (well, at least for this one, not so much the follow up.) The Loki dynamic is at its best and Hela is one of the better pure evil (though understandably scorned) villains. Valkyrie is a welcome addition and has great chemistry with everyone in the cast. The big Hulk reveal was unfortunately spoiled by the trailers but his and Thor’s buddy comedy aspect works perfectly and he is used just right. Korg is golden here though he would go on to drastically diminishing returns in the fourth one (mostly from overuse). Loki’s excitement when Thor gets the full “Hulk smash” treatment is great. The movie looks gorgeous visually, the action, comedy and pathos are well balanced, it’s filled with great lines, and Jeff Goldblum gets to just be his wonderful weird self. I know there are people who don’t like this one (too glib, treats Thor like a joke, too different in tone from the previous two, so on) but I disagree. Thor is in on the joke and even when he’s not it contributes to character growth. The final battle, which even gives Karl Urban’s underrated Skurge his moment to shine, brings all of the action and comedy together for a rousing finish and perfectly scored to “Immigrant Song.”

365 movies in 2023: #193 – Marvel’s The Avengers

AI image from the prompt “The Avengers.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: The Avengers

Seen it before? Yes. In theaters and owned on DVD for 5-6 more viewings.

Thoughts: It’s too bad that in the years following this one’s release, it’s come to life that Joss Whedon sucks as a person, because this was such a triumphant movie and that whole mess casts a bit of a shadow now. At least when noting how he brings out the best in the characters and bounces them off each other in enjoyable ways. His banter in this one, which can at times dip the wrong direction into forced cleverness or be too snarky or glib, is solid and fun throughout. The pieces all came together beautifully in what was at the time an ambitious attempt to bring three standalone(ish) movie series and a half dozen peripheral characters together in a cinematic team up. IT could have easily failed under the weight but instead soared. The action, the comedy, the scenes ripped straight from the pages of a comic book (that rotating camera shot in NY is the standard.) It does a masterful job of tearing the team apart before bringing them together. The Thor, Cap, Iron Man fight in the mountains is also a highlight. Loki solidifies himself as the reigning MCU villain. It offers a slew of great lines inlcuding: “Puny God.” “We have a hulk.” “His first name is ‘Agent.’” “He’s adopted.” “I understood that reference.” Building to a well done climax (with a sky beam before it was totally cliche) that offers some scenes of the street-level battle and glimpses of the collateral effect mostly rare in these movies. Damn, now I want shswarma, too (even though, like Tony, I’m not entirely sure what it is.) 

365 movies in 2023: #191 – Iron Man 2

AI image from the prompt “Iron Man 2.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Iron Man 2

Seen it before? Yes. Caught it once it hit DVD and have seen it maybe one more time since.

Thoughts: Yeah, this one is a miss. Much like The Dark World or Avengers Age of Ultron (the other two early and almost universally agreed upon sequel stumbles in the early days of the MCU), this one’s reputation is fairly accurate. But like many Marvel movies, it’s also not quite as bad as its reputation may suggest. Mickey Rourke shows up fresh off his comeback in The Wrestler and is, um, odd. Speaking of odd, they really lean in hard with Tony interacting with real-life wealthy figures (Oracle, Tesla). It lands with about as much of a thud as you’d think and I’m glad it’s a thing they dropped. I had completely forgotten about the Iron Man suit is slowly poisoning Tiny subplot (shades of Love and Thunder and what the Thor-ness is doing to Jane.) Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow is the best part of the movie by far. Though Sam Rockwell doing his thing as Hammer is enjoyable too, he just feels like he’s in a very different movie most of the time. The comedy isn’t the sharpest in this one, but I have to admit that “Hammer-roid attack” made me chuckle.

365 movies in 2023: #151 – Thor: The Dark World

AI image from the prompt “Thor the Dark World.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Thor: The Dark World

Seen it before? Yes. In theaters and couple of times since.

Thoughts: Yeah, it’s not the best but also not as bad as its rep as the “Worst MCU movie other than Hulk.” (Or maybe now Quantumania or Eternals – and yes it is better than all three.) The reasons people knock it are valid. Christopher Eccleston is wasted as Malekith, the story is unnecessarily convoluted, it doesn’t do Thor justice as a character, it’s a little dour, the cinematography is bland when it’s not literally dark (taking that title a little too much to heart), but it’s not without its moments. On a rewatch, I found a little more to like than I initially remembered. Thor and Loki together as always is a highlight (especially his shape shifting moment with that brief cameo.) I don’t every seek this one out, but when I do watch it, I always think “eh, that’s wasn’t so bad” but then pretty much forget about it again once it’s done. You are either down with Darcy’s shtick or you aren’t, and I am.

365 movies in 2023: #148 – Thor

AI image from the prompt “Thor.”

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Thor

Seen it before? Yes. At least four times.

Thoughts: This one gets an unfair rap as one of the “lesser” Marvel movies. I wouldn’t put it in the top 10 (or even 15 at this point), but as far as charter introductions it’s better than some (I put it above the more celebrated Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger.) Casting-wise, Hemsworth was the perfect find and would go on to become and MCU MVP with the triple-shot of Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame. You also get Loki, another great character and perfect bit of casting with Tom Hiddleston. I’ve heard the knock that its “small” stakes are ultimately inconsequential for such a larger-than-life character, but not every movie has to have a world leveling threat (and accompanying sky beam, of course). The family dysfunction makes this one enjoyable from start to finish, especially Thor and Loki’s fun, complicated, tragic dynamic. And yes, they amped up Thor’s more comedic side in later installments (to varying degrees of success), but to say it wasn’t there from the start means you aren’t paying attention. I think they just hadn’t realized yet how capable Hemsworth is. There is a lot of lightness to this movie overall that complements the sometimes self-serious “Shakespearean” attitude.

365 movies in 2023: #52 – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

I plan to watch 365 movies this year because it’s good to have pointless goals. And even better than them simply being pointless, are goals with stipulations. At least two movies a week should be something I’ve never seen before and it doesn’t have to be “one movie per day” as long as I hit 365.

THE MOVIE: Ant-Man and the Wasp{: Quantumania

Seen it before? No. Caught it in theaters at the Thursday night preview.

Thoughts: This has been quite the divisive movie out of the gate and, though it’s far from a top-tier MCU film, it was less of a disappointment for me than the recent follow-ups for Thor and Doctor Strange. At the very least, this is one I am already interested in watching again once it lands on D+, something that hasn’t been true for Love and Thunder, Multiverse of Madness and, of course, Eternals. It’s suffering from more than a little overblown hyperbole around the movie itself (“The CGI is terrible!” It’s not.) and the larger movie series (“The MCU is collapsing!” It’s not.) In terms of the Ant-Man trilogy alone, I would put this behind the first Ant-Man but slightly ahead of the sequel having just watched that (though that may change when I do sit with this one second time). I liked the introduction to Kang the Conqueror (though, yes, we did meet a variant already in Loki). I think Jonathan Majors is a great presence (love the “have I killed you before” moment), though I do have two issues at the script that were nagging at me. In the first meeting with Scott and Cassie, he uses a pretty formidable telekinesis power to incapacitate and torture them both but then never does it again when the third-act showdown occurs. And, it’s a little troubling that he can barely come out of a hand-to-hand with Ant-Man once his powers are stripped, so not sure how he will be trouble for a team of heroes (though maybe that’s from the endless variants all joining the fray – I admittedly don’t know much of him or his arc from the comics.) So yes, even though the overall “Avengers” series has show some age and has had more stumbles of late, I still think they have earned the benefit of the doubt and I look forward to what comes next (which better not involve Rocket dying. You hear me, James Gunn.) On a final note, put me squarely in the camp of loving how they handled M.O.D.O.K. though I know that has gotten the purists bothered. The problem is he is an inherently ridiculous character for a live-action movie to pull off (I think they barely pull it off in comic form), so I was shocked to hear they were even going to try. Yet, for me they stuck the landing and I loved all the choices they made with him, from the explanation for his existence to his ultimate fate.