Steve Rogers

Movie Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

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Summary: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe.
I have worked on this review for a while now. It was hard to really write it without spoiling it. I haven’t decided if I’ll do a spoiler talk or not, but this review is going to be for me to get out my initial thoughts and feelings.
Pros:
Cast and Characters.
    • Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man. We know who Tony is. We’ve known him for ten years now and he has become such a staple in the MCU. He is the benefactor of the Avengers and he creates his suits of armor to become Iron Man. In this film, Tony is in a dark place, he’s with Nebula in space after the Snap in the last film. He feels broken because he failed to stop Thanos, plus with the fact that Peter faded away in his arms, he’s lost all hope. Obviously, he does make it back home though and he has found hope in the dark times, but he just cannot help himself but to help the rest of his team in trying to reverse what Thanos did. Tony has always been willing to do what he thinks needs to be done, and in this movie, he has his reasons for everything he does. I love that we have seen Tony evolve over the last 10 years. It’s been amazing, and no one can play him the way Robert Downey Jr. has. He has managed to make, at least for me, Tony likable in situations that I would not find him likable. He’s made him emotional when he needs to be, cool, suave but someone who has a vision for himself, someone who has hope for what things could be. He has been a great character. Love him or hate him.
    • Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America. He is the leader of the Avengers and of course a WWII vet and a super soldier. We start off with him wanting to find where Thanos disappeared too because of what he has done. It’s important to Steve that they at least find him and take him down. As the film goes on, we see him continue to be a beacon of hope for some people as he runs a group in a church of people who are still affected by the Snap. I mean, people lost their loved ones, so it makes sense that he would try to help others move forward with their lives and fight for hope. I love that he’s doing that because that’s what he stood for as Captain America and that’s just who Steve is. I like that this is where we find him in this film. Not to mention, he’s battling with that himself. Someone who’s been optimistic and believes in saving people without risking lives, someone who has gone to bat for everyone all the time, he knows they must do it again because it just can’t be the end. Steve is such a strong and good man and I have always loved that his values have never been shaken. His belief system is part of who he is and that’s what makes him so compelling. He’s not just a boy scout but a man who searches for the best and fights for it too. Chris Evans has been great as Steve and I have always liked Evans, and I love that he plays Steve as someone who has always been a good man, but as the movies continue, he continues to fight for that every day. You can see it in the quiet moments he has. Ugh I just love him. Cap is my favorite and Evans is my favorite Chris lol. PLUS, IN THIS MOVIE HE ALMOST MADE ME COME OUT OF MY SEAT TWICE! Good reasons but I had to collect myself lol.
    • Chris Hemsworth as Thor. He is the King of Asgard, per his third movie. He now wields Stormbreaker, a mystical axe after his hammer was destroyed. The Snap seems to have affected Thor the most as he feels like he failed in not going for the head, or even cutting Thanos’ arm off. He had the axe created because he knew he needed something to help in the fight, but he believes people died because of him and it clearly still affects him. Without giving away where he stands in this film because it’s a great reveal, Thor must learn along the way that he is still worthy, he is still a hero and he still can do what needs to be done because he is needed. Hemsworth is extremely likable as Thor, especially in these last three movies. His character development, physically and everything else has been a great move for him. Makes him much more compelling and interesting as I never really cared for him as much as I do now. I really like Thor’s journey in the film, and I’m very interested to see what happens going forward.
    • Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk. Without giving too much away of what he’s doing since he’s not in any of the trailers lol, Bruce has managed to find a balance in his life that works for him. He basically does conclude his character arc that was started in Thor: Ragnarök and it’s been nice to see him have more to do than just be a brain and a Hulk. He gets to do another nuanced performance like what he could do in the Thor film. Mark Ruffalo is so likable in this role.
    • Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. I think overall, she’s underutilized in the film, but she makes some choices in the film that brings her character full circle. I’m still not happy about them but she does make the choices that make sense in the end, I guess. I’ve never really liked Johansson as an actress, but I like her enough as Natasha. I like the friendly chemistry she has with both Evans and Renner and I think her character has become extremely instrumental in what we have seen. She’s been such a key component that her choices really seem to spur some moments later. I really like the scene after she checks in with other characters and she has this silent moment to herself. That’s probably some of her best character moments and acting.
    • Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye. Another underutilized character even with the moments he’s had where he’s been great. He is a master archer and a former Avenger after the events of Captain America: Civil War. He lost his family in The Snap, so he has taken on the mantle of “Ronin”, someone who is basically wandering around lost because he wants to avenge his family but can’t, so he takes it out on thugs and what not. I like that this is where he is because he’s always been a cool-headed kind of guy, so it’s nice to see him in a dark place that he must fight against. Jeremy Renner is great in the role and I really like the chemistry he has with ScarJo in particular. They have many great scenes together.
    • Bradley Cooper as Rocket. He is the only surviving member of the Guardians. I love Rocket, he’s my favorite Guardian and he’s really sad because he’s lost the only family he’s ever known, especially Groot. Even though he’s a CGI character, he is very expressive. Between Sean Gunn posing for him and Bradley Cooper doing his voice, he’s such a great character. He works with the Avengers because he was with them on Wakanda obviously and he wants to get his family back just as much as the others want their loved ones back as well. He gets teamed up with Thor again on their mission and I really like them working together, they have great banter and Rocket gets a lot of nuggets of wisdom while speaking with Thor as well.
    • Karen Gillan as Nebula. Surprisingly enough, Nebula is a character who has grown on me a lot in the films she’s been in and she has a nice juicy role in this film. Obviously with Thanos being her adopted father and then the whole thing with Gamora, she knows a lot and is very helpful to the Avengers. She has a lot that she gets to do in this film, she’s working with them to avenge her sister, she’s working with them because I also believe she and Tony made a friendship connection while stuck in the ship in Space. Nebula has had the chance to make certain choices that allow for her character to really mature. Karen Gillan is great, I love the voice she has for the character and some of the emotional moments she gets throughout the film are handled well.
    • Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man. Following the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott comes back from the Quantum Realm and he’s missed everything that happened, so he’s coming into it brand new. He’s almost the audience members who might have forgotten what happened in Infinity War (if that’s you, what’s wrong with you?) as he gets to learn everything and be affected by it after the fact. I really like Scott, he’s just a cool guy and he’s very funny. I love how he reacts to things. Paul Rudd is a likable dude and Scott is endearing because of it. Also, their mission they go on in this film is Scott’s idea, so he gets to be super involved because he works it out himself before he takes it to Steve and Natasha.
    • Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine. He is a former Officer in the Air Force and he gets to do more in this film as well. Rhodey gets teamed up with Nebula during their mission and while we don’t spend a ton of time with them during their mission, they worked well together, surprisingly lol. Rhodey is always fine, he’s likable but he’s always just felt like Tony’s best friend who is the token black guy and he ways, he still feels that way, but I like that he gets to be more incorporated and he always manages to find humor in the situation even if he’s not trying to funny on purpose. Don Cheadle is always a win and he’s still good as Rhodey.
  • Supporting Characters. So, I really needed to separate the two brackets because we have the ones who are directly involved, and you have others who are sprinkled throughout the film.
    • Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel. They really made it seem like she was going to be heavily involved and spoiler alert, she’s not. I’m sure some people will be happy about that apparently a lot of people don’t like her. But whatever. Anyways, Carol shows up after receiving the distress call from Fury during the end credit scene of Infinity War. If you watch her movie, you’ll see why she came when he called. She helps them in the beginning but then must return to space because there are other planets who are suffering as Earth is and she is someone who can help with that lol. I like Carol and I like Brie Larson as Carol and I like that she pops in when she’s needed and that she just gets integrated into the team.
    • Danai Gurira as Okoye. I was a little miffed that she is also not in the film much even though she’s on the poster and was in the trailers, but anyway, after the disappearance of T’Challa and whoever else in Wakanda, it seems that she has taken on the role of “leader” in their disappearance. She has a great entrance later in the film.
    • Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia “Pepper” Potts. She is Tony’s boo and, in this film, she’s with the Avengers while they’re trying to find Tony and then she and Tony manage to find a little slice of heaven in their corner of the world. I like Pepper and Tony’s relationship. She never takes any of his crap and always calls him out on his. I like her involvement as well.
    • Josh Brolin as Thanos. He is an intergalactic despot from Titan who collected the six Infinity Stones to inflict his will on all of reality. He’s retired because he did it. We get to see Thanos a bit more in the film than I expected and he’s still an interesting villain but he’s much more compelling in Infinity War lol. Josh Brolin still does a great job for him though.
Emotional Moments and Overall. Ya’ll I cried both times I saw this film. I cried harder the second time, but listen, it almost took me out and in a different way than Infinity War did. There is a lot of silent moments in the film that really allow us to sit with the characters in the aftermath of the Snap and how they have.
A Beautiful Ending. One of the biggest praises I think this film can receive is the fact that it manages to wrap up so many story lines and character arcs we have followed for ten years over a span of 22 films. I think that is a giant feat for this film. The characters we have come to love and admire, especially our original  lineup of Avengers, really get to have great character moments, that allow us to see that while we’re coming to an end of their stories and journeys, they are still the people we have come to love and they deserve to have the world as they have given up so many things to save ours. I cried. I think mostly with the two characters who have spear-headed this universe. I think it’s beautiful, emotional, and while I still have my issues with some choices, I think for what was created, it was beautiful.
Character Arcs. Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Thor, Natasha Romanov, Nebula and Scott Lang really get some nice moments for their characters in this film. A lot of these characters have arcs that spanned over many movies, which makes sense as people are always changing, always evolving, always learning and I love that we have seen this progress and they all progress even further in this film. We get to see Tony and Steve come face to face again after the events of Civil War. They must rebuild that trust and friendship again and I think it’s easy to see that Steve really wants to do that as soon as he sees Tony. Plus, Tony finally found something he’s been looking for all his life and he must make decisions on how best to keep that while also helping to save the world. Then there’s Thor with feeling unworthy because he thinks he failed. I mean there is so much good stuff and they still manage to juggle all of this. Some gets more than others, which I get but it still works!
It’s funny. I don’t think it’s like hilarious funny, but it has a lot of funny moments. I think with this new direction for Thor, he’s been funny as Chris Hemsworth has great comedic timing and the direction Thor takes in this movie is funny but also a little sad and I think it makes sense for where he ends up. Tony is funny when he needs to be as always, we know that Paul Rudd is in this one as Scott Lang and he’s great and even Chris Evans has some great moments. Everyone at least gets two or three humorous lines.
The Big Battle. Ya’ll, listen. This is the fight we’ve always wanted in terms of everyone who is involved. I can’t say it’s the best choreographed because that honor still goes to the Elevator Scene and the Highway Scene in Captain America: Winter Soldier.  Honestly all the fights in that movie lol. But just the grand scale of it all, it’s so beautiful. It brought a tear to my eye. We really get to see Steve, Tony and Thor all shine in this fight as they are our “big three” from the first group of Avengers. We also get some other nice moments during this fight that I won’t spoil but listen, I almost jumped out of my seat the first go around when something happens with a character because IT IS GLORIOUS, AND IT WAS EVERYTHING TO ME AND I AM SO HAPPY.
Cons:
Pacing Issues. This movie is long, and they have said that many times. It’s over three hours long and that’s not a problem for me, even though my body didn’t care, and I had to leave one the first time and TWICE the second time. So, upset. Anyways, there are times when the movie really slows down, and I get it, there’s a lot of introspection and what not, but it also feels like it’s long for the sake of being long. I don’t think that’s always a good thing. There are middle portions where it just feels like it could have been condensed or there could have been some more meat added to it. For example, Rhodey and Nebula’s scene was a set up for another plot point, but it didn’t have nearly as much meat as what Tony, Steve, Scott and Hulk had to do, or even what Natasha and Clint had to do. Plus, Scott must learn everything that happened and of course we already know that so it’s like, it’s necessary for the character but not really for the audience.
Some Character Choices. I obviously don’t want to spoil anything, but I didn’t really like how some characters ended up in the movie. I don’t know if I can charge that against the movie or not, but I know I didn’t really like it. I get it, I really do. I’m thinking of two specific things, but I was not happy with what happened and for the sake of the movie, I guess it works, for the sake of those characters, it works but I just did not like it! lol
Overall, I love Avengers: Endgame for what it was able to accomplish and basically for being the ending to a beautiful story. The biggest thing for me was the characters and the acting. Sure, the action is great, but the real selling point is the characters and their connections to each other, their arcs and their desperation to fix what’s been done. That’s the true selling point. Everyone is top notch in this film, particularly Downey Jr., Evans, Hemsworth, Gillan, Johansson (which is high praise for me lol). The emotional points are extremely important for the film and the characters. I think it’s funny with a lot of character reactions and great dialogue pieces. Also, the last battle sequence is fun! I think we get to see a lot of characters shine and of course, I jumped out of my seat and had to catch myself during that scene lol. And of course, the ending is beautiful and bittersweet. I have a few issues with the film but a lot of them get into spoiler territory, but I think the pacing was off, it probably didn’t need to be three hours long and I didn’t like some character choices. But I think Avengers: Endgame was worth the lead up for the 22 films if just for the characters. Watch this film to get the finality of this ten-year story we have experienced!
Rating: 4 out 5 stars. 
Have you seen Avengers: Endgame? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to like and follow this blog for more Movie Reviews.
What is your favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film?
Spoilers below this LINE!
I read this article that said the creators were really pushing Avengers: Endgame for Oscar nominations. I don’t think this is ridiculous to be honest, however, not for Best Picture. While I loved Endgame, what it represents and what it did, I don’t think compared to other MCU films that it’s the best one. For me, Captain America: Winter Soldier is still the best film and that one should have been nominated back in 2014. I would have even given Sebastian Stan a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his extremely tragic and nuanced performance as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. Endgame could be a contender for a lot of technical awards and I would even say Robert Downey Jr. or even Chris Evans for Best Actor, would they win? Probably not but I think they both could get those awards.
Now, for the REAL spoilers. I have seen people talk about the “GIRL POWER” moment in Endgame where Captain Marvel shows up and Peter has the gauntlet and she’s going to try and take it back into the quantum thingy in Scott’s brown van. So, Carol has it and Peter’s like “I don’t know how you’ll get through that”, then Wanda shows up and says, “Don’t worry” and Okoye comes into the picture “she has help” or something like that and literally all the women from the movies come into the scene. Pepper in her iron armor, Valkyrie, Shuri, Okoye, Wanda, Mantis, Gamora, Nebula and the Wasp and they start clearing the way for Carol to make it through. I cheered as it was awesome. So, I’ve seen that people are saying it’s not an earned moment and that it was forced and what not, but I don’t think I agree. I get that, especially since Natasha wasn’t included as she sacrificed herself, so Clint could get the Soul stone. I know people are upset because they killed Natasha and there wasn’t a funeral for her like there was for Tony, not to mention, she’s the first female Avenger and HOW DARE THEY NOT HAVE IN THAT KIND OF MOMENT and I think the biggest thing is here is that Natasha gave her life to not only save her family, but to save Clint who was going down a dark path and he has a wife and children. She felt like she had to do it to save him, especially after he saved her way back when. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still upset about her death, but I see why they did it. She also paved the way for all these women to be in this fight and kick some ass. It could have happened sooner, but I think it’s fine that it happened in that moment. It was also a call back to when Natasha herself appeared with Okoye to help Wanda when fighting Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War. It was a legit callback to Natasha’s line “Don’t worry…” they even had Wanda say it.
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Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

~ Alyxwrites ~ 1 Comment

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Summary: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Pros:
Cast and Characters. All of the characters we have met are pretty much in this film so it’s a lot. I feel like I have to talk about most of them. Some definitely have way more to do than others but they’re all important in their ways.
  • Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man. We find Tony in a different place in this movie, it’s been two years since Civil War and he and Pepper are talking about the future. However, Tony feels a threat coming and he wants to do whatever he can to protect Earth. But he still is a bit hung up on past things and sometimes can’t get out of his own way, as per usual. Throughout this movie, Tony is trying to be a leader, trying to work with everyone he comes into contact with and I think he has to learn that things don’t always out the way 
  • Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America. Following the events of Civil War, Steve is a fugitive and the leader of a faction of the Avengers. Steve is always as unshakable as he always has been. When he gets the call about Thanos, he shows up and immediately gets into action, especially with the hope of not sacrificing anyone. If Steve can save you, he’ll do it. If he can throw himself on the grenade for you, he’ll do it and he does that here. I think it’s easy to tell that he’s a little different. After everything that’s happened, he’s seen a lot and he definitely seemed to be in a more “somber” place, not that Steve is ever really that upbeat, but he just seems different. I love his look, with the beard and the longer hair. I also loved how his uniform still had an air of his old uniform, but with darker colors because his whole story was him questioning everything he knew and loved. I think Chris Evans is fantastic as Steve and I’m going to be very sad when Marvel Studios finishes with our main heroes’ stories and we move on because Steve has just been this pillar for me. Chris Evans manages to keep Steve likable while also making sure his values, morals and ideals are never shaken. He’s a true leader. I’d follow him anywhere.
  • Chris Hemsworth as Thor. His story picks up right after Thor: Ragnarok which is an interesting place because he has super emotional motivations considering where we left off in that movie. He wants to protect his people, including his brother (where’s Valkyrie by the way?) and throughout the movie, he just wants to find a way to harness his power. He lost his hammer in the last movie, so now he’s on a mission to do something to help against Thanos. I’m so glad they allowed Hemsworth to really do some humor as Thor because he’s funny and I think Thor deserves to be a balance between funny and serious. I love his new look, I love all of his interactions with everyone, he always has great chemistry with the people around him.
  • Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk. In this film, Banner starts off as The Hulk with Thor and Loki in the beginning. Heimdall uses his power to send him back to Earth, and Banner spends a lot of the movie trying to reintegrate with the Avengers since Hulk left in Age of Ultron. He keeps trying to tell everyone how dangerous Thanos is and I think the biggest thing is that we’re starting to see… is there that much of a difference between Bruce and Hulk these days? We really get to see more of Bruce in this one, see him become an Avenger over his giant counterpart. I love Mark Ruffalo, I think he’s a great actor and I very much enjoy him go between playing Bruce and playing Hulk.
  • Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. She ends up being with Steve, despite being against him in Civil War, and not ending up with him in the end. She must have found them. She’s changed her look (I don’t care for the blonde) and she’s like Steve’s right hand, which I like because I do like the fact that they have such a great friendship. I don’t think she does much until the fight on Wakanda, where she kind of teams up with Okoye which is awesome in many ways. I’ve never been a ScarJo fan but she’s fine in this role. She does also have good chemistry with her coworkers as well. 
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange. Doctor Strange gets involved when Bruce falls into the New York sanctum. He also has the Time Stone so obviously he’s a target. Strange definitely is a bit more humble coming from his first film, but he’s still a bit of douche. Which is why his scenes with Tony were so great. Cumberbatch and Downey Jr. worked really well together. The thing about Strange is that his goal to protect the time stone and he doesn’t care about who gets in the way of him doing that. His character arc in the film I think is the most noticeable. Cumberbatch is still fine in the role, I think his American accent was better this time around but I really liked Strange a lot more in this then I did previously.
  • Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Peter is back and I love him still. He’s a kid so it’s great to see him reacting to things and especially with him being kind of new to this, he throws himself head first (which is why I want him to really interact with Steve, he’s so much like him) and is willing to do whatever he can to help. He’s following Tony and Strange’s lead but he always pulls his weight. Tom Holland is great still, and he has a great emotional scene at the end that really got me.
Supporting Characters. I definitely thought there was a distinction between the characters we saw the most and the ones who would be considered “supporting”. I mean, everyone is good so if I don’t really go into detail about everyone, it’s kind of for a reason.
  • Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine. The last time we saw him was in Civil War, where he was paralyzed. Tony creates an apparatus so he can walk again but it’s easy to tell that he’s a bit reluctant to put on his suit again after what happened. However, he also seems to be regretting the side he chose in Civil War, mostly since he was only on that side because he’s Tony’s best friend. I’m sure Tony feels responsible for his injury but they hardly interact in this movie, since Rhodey is with Steve most of the time. But I think he definitely is regretting things. Cheadle is fine as always, he has a commanding presence as Rhodey but I don’t think he has a lot to do in the film.
  • Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther. Picks up right after his movie, he’s the king of Wakanda. He’s housing Bucky Barnes, and Steve takes his team to Wakanda with the hope of Shuri being able to help remove the Mind Stone from Vision. T’Challa welcomes them and I think he and Steve could also have a great friendship. I also liked that while on Wakanda, everyone took the lead from him. Chadwick is great as always in this role. He’s regal, kingly, and he looks good while doing it lol.
  • Paul Bettany as Vision. He has the Mind Stone in his head so he’s definitely a target as well and important. He’s with Wanda and they’re attacked by Thanos’ lackeys for his stone. They fight but are overwhelmed, Steve, Sam and Natasha show up and Vision has definitely become way more human so he’s willing to sacrifice his life but Steve believes everyone can be saved. Vision is willing to do what he can to live, but at the same time, save the others. Paul Bettany is great as Vision because you can clearly see the conflict he’s feeling when it comes to wanting to be with Wanda but also not wanting to be a part of destroying the world.   He’s really hopeful in this, he definitely doesn’t feel like an untouchable android.
  • Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch. I believe she is the youngest of Steve’s faction of Avengers. She can harness magic and she’s really powerful. I really hope they allow her even more to use her magic to its full ability because in the comics, Wanda can warp reality. But anyway, her goal is to save Vision without him dying because of love. I like Olsen in the role, I just wonder if they got rid of the accent because at times it was very faint and other times it definitely seemed like it was gone completely. She’s also great at emotional moments.
  • Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. I LOVE Bucky, I just wish he was in these movies more but whatever. He’s been on Wakanda, living life, getting better and his hair’s all healthy and stuff lol. He’s the White Wolf lol. Once he’s told that he’s needed, he gets his new arm and gets right back in the fold. Sebastian Stan is also always good and he’s great as Bucky. Give him more to do!
  • Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon. A member of Steve’s faction of Avengers, he doesn’t have much to do other than being a wingman (lol pun intended) and to fight from the air. I love Sam though and I hope he gets more to do later on.
  • Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He’s always great as Loki, so memorable and he has some great stuff right at the beginning. We’ve really seen Loki fluctuate through the last 10 years and I think he’s still an interesting character. Tom definitely understands him and made him not only a memorable and one of the MCU’s best villains, but also someone who can be a hero when he needs to be.
  • Zoe Saldana as Gamora. She is a Guardian but also Thanos’ daughter. We know that she has daddy issues period but this film really allows that to take shape in how she’s reacting to everything. Gamora knew this day would come and I think part of her hoped that he wouldn’t go through it, while the other part of her wants him to try to fail. Zoe Saldana had a lot of emotional moments in this movie and she does well. I really felt it.
  • Karen Gillan as Nebula. I guess she’s a member of the Guardians now, at least loosely lol. She is also an adopted daughter of Thanos but she doesn’t seem to be the favorite, or even one he truly cares about. However, her and Gamora have gotten closer thanks to Vol. 2 which Thanos exploits that relationship. I enjoy Nebula, she’s very entertaining and it’s interesting to see the opposite side of Thanos’ relationship with his daughters. I haven’t really seen Karen Gillan in anything but these movies, but I think Nebula is a bit sad in how her life seems to be, which works. Makes you feel bad for her even though she can have an attitude lol.
  • Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. I normally find Drax annoying, however he was funny in this, I loved his “invisible” scene. It was really funny. He seeks vengeance against Thanos for killing his family. He can get a little “tunnel vision” because of that but his relationship with the other Guardians is great. They all have a great relationship period. Dave Bautista is fun when Drax isn’t being annoying.
  • Vin Diesel as Groot. Of course Groot is like a teenager in this film, so he has a bit of an attitude. His teeth even look like he has braces lol. Like you want to pop him for just the tone. He spends a lot of the time on a video game just so unbothered about everything happening around him, till he has to rise up and take initiative and it was so beautiful. Vin Diesel is still great as the voice. It’s fun watching him do behind the scenes of the voice and how he just does different things even if all Groot says is “I am Groot”. 
  • Bradley Cooper as Rocket. A genetically engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter and mercenary, and is a master of weapons and battle tactics. I love Rocket, he’s my favorite of the Guardians and he decides, along with Groot, to travel with Thor and he gets to play Captain while Thor is thinking about the events at the beginning of the movie. Bradley Cooper is still great as the voice, he manages to put a lot of emotion into Rocket’s voice and Sean Gunn does great with his motion capture.
  • Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord. He is the leader of the Guardians. Quill starts off the movie with his group and they run into Thor. The Guardians split up among different missions and Quill goes through some things on his mission. He has to deal with what’s happening with Gamora and how she’s revealing things to him. He also does something really stupid that I’m still mad at him for. I don’t know if it was part of a plan or not, but still stupid. Chris Pratt is fine at Quill, I actually enjoyed seeing him bounce off of Downey Jr., Holland, and Cumberbatch. He also has good chemistry with Saldana.
The Villain. So Thanos gets his own section from our heroes because he deserves it. For a character that’s been teased for years and movies, I think he lives up to his hype. He’s threatening, he’s big, he’s scary and ironically he does have emotional moments. Thanos isn’t just trying to be a bad guy, in his mind, what he’s doing is for the good of the universe. I mean, it’s selfish because he think it’s his mission, he’s really doing it for himself. I think he’s a complicated villain. Josh Brolin does a great job with him as well. His movements and facial expressions for Thanos I thought were handled very well. Even though I HATE HIM, he’s fantastic.
I cried. So it’s emotional. I can’t say that everyone will cry, nor will you cry all at the same places of the movie. I think it depends on the person and on whether or you’re a crier. I’m a crier. However, I felt an array of emotions during this film. The first 20 minutes had me in my feelings, my friend had to constantly calm me down throughout the movie because I was so upset. Something else happened, I like that character so I was upset but I wasn’t like how I was in the first 20 minutes. Then… the big one, the ending. I know all about people’s contracts, and the movie lineup so it’s easy to sooth one’s feelings but in the emotions and turmoil of the movie, that stuff packs a wallop and I felt all of that. Upset. The theater was dead quiet, and I think I definitely heard sniffling, not just coming from me. After I see it again, and hopefully do a Spoiler Talk (those are so hard to do lol), I can go into more detail but everything they wanted me to feel, I felt it. I’m sure there will be people who will scoff at the emotions the movie wants you to feel, and that’s fine, but for me, I felt all of that. Anger, sadness, hope, confusion. All of it.
I laughed. I think Infinity War, has a great balance of humor and somber tones. It’s very funny which can’t helped considering the cast and the humorous characters. There will be a lot of laughter throughout and different kinds, so, if you don’t find Drax funny, which I normally don’t because he annoys me, you’ll see Peter Parker say or do something that is funny. It definitely varies from humor types and I loved that.
The Beautiful Visuals. Marvel Studios has been building up to this for ten years (Which I love the 10 in the Studios of their logo) and it definitely shows. Tony has a new suit and the way he uses it, it’s definitely his best suit yet. Also, Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit, that thing was awesome, definitely reminiscent of that suit in the comics. There are a few parts where certain things happen, ugh spoilers lol, but there’s a scene on Knowhere that was pretty cool where the effects are used for Drax and Mantis and I was shocked because that was so different! Then of course I thought Thanos looked really good and real on-screen. There’s a really cool scene with Nebula, I mean it’s not cool for her, but it was cool to look at. Plus, the characters using their powers, or their weapons, or whatever, it’s all handled so well that you don’t get lost in who is doing what. You know it’s Steve running all super fast alongside Black Panther. Or that it’s Peter swinging around with his webs, or Doctor Strange using his sorcery to fight and warp dimensions. *Sighs* It’s so beautiful.
The use of Sounds/Music. What I mean by this is usually Marvel films start out with an upbeat, or some type of familiar music when the logo is on-screen. This movie starts out so ominous that it puts right into the head space of this film from the jump. I knew what I was getting myself into but I knew it was going to be a hard one. There are moments throughout where the music swells and you’re excited, or when you go to a location, for example Wakanda and drums are being played. Stuff like that. They’ve done so much world building that you know where you’re going when you hear the music. Plus, the music at the end… wow.
Cons:
The Story Narrative. So, I think the story was a bit weak. I mean, I get it. But it’s really just action moving forward more than the plot moving forward. Yes, the movie about our heroes saving the world from Thanos, while it’s also about Thanos, who probably can be considered the main character of the movie. We learn a lot about him, but it just feels like our heroes are just popping up, being introduced in the movie and teaming up. Compared to The Avengers, which I think has a more solid storyline, I think this movie kind of lacks a clear narrative. It’s not like it’s not there, I just think it’s weak. There’s so much being juggled that I think the story gets left behind, especially when we cut to different characters and what they’re doing.
Stakes. There were times where I was unsure what or who was going to happen, or whatever. They want you to feel like everyone is in danger, and while that’s true sometimes, I think it shies away from taking some bigger risks that it could have, and probably should have taken.
Overall, I loved this movie. My problems with it did not prevent me from enjoying it and having a great time watching it. I was very emotional from the beginning and remained in a heightened state of stress throughout the rest of the film. I think all of the characters we have come to know and love were all great in their own right. I do wish we got to see more of certain characters but there was a lot to cover and I think they did well. It was funny, the movie knew how to balance the humor with the emotion and I think the writing was handled in a mature way that didn’t make the humor seem juvenile. However, I did cry. It’s very emotional throughout the movie and the ending packs a wallop I think. I also loved the visuals, we got to revisit Wakanda which is just as beautiful (even though we didn’t see a lot of it) as it was in the movie, and all of the visuals were handled in a way that I’m sure would be great to see it in IMAX. Thanos was a great villain. He really came in and effed everything up which made me hate him, but I also liked him. I also think the way music was integrated in the film. It’s always important to have an engaging soundtrack and I think the movie does that. Plus, the way it took sound away so it was only the visuals, made me stress out even more. On the other hand, I did notice a few things, I thought the story was a bit weak and it just felt like a series of actions more than an actual plot flowing throughout the movie. The stakes   are high but at the same time it doesn’t always feel organic. I think things would have been different if the ending was just a tad different, it might have been a bit more emotional. HOWEVER I love this movie and it destroyed me. I’m still upset about it now lol but it’s a great movie.
Rating: 4 out 5 stars.
Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to like and follow this blog for more reviews!

Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War

~ Alyxwrites ~ 2 Comments

(I don’t own the awesomeness of this trailer.)

Captain America: Civil War Review

Man is this thing late lol. But it’s much harder to do a review on a movie that I really liked in order to make sure I’m not just fangirling. I might do a spoiler filled review but haven’t decided on that yet.
Pros:
  • The Cast and characters. First, I’d like to say I think Marvel Studios does a great job in casting for their characters and they write their characters well. Some may not get as much development as others (IE: I find Thor to be kind of boring lol) but they’re all pretty solid people. After so many films, I cannot see anyone else playing these roles, at least most of them anyway. I’m not going to talk about everyone because that’s a lot of people, just the ones I think stand out the most in their roles. It’s nice to see the characters who came around in after The Avengers team up for this film.
    • Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. There is a character arc for him throughout the MCU. So with his role in Civil War, it’s shown how he arrived to this point. If you only watched The Avengers‘ films then you might be left with wondering why does he care now? I think his character has gone through interesting changes, he’s still sassy, sarcastic and egotistical, it’s muted in this film because he can’t continue to be that and try to get his cause understood and chosen by others. It’s obvious that he’s desperate for his cause and he wants the team to stay together but he also looks like he’ll come undone at any time.
    • Chris Evans is Steve Rogers. In this film, there is a personal struggle as he tries to maintain his beliefs and morals but at the same time, he is trying to save those he cares about, even if it means going against the grain. There is pretty much no grey area with him until it comes to Bucky, who is a grey area character. He will always fight for what he believes is right and most of the time he’s not wrong. In this, I do think he tries to understand Tony’s point of view and where he comes from, but in the end, he feels as if the government cannot be trusted and ultimately he is correct. It’s painful how it happens. His character arc is the strongest.
    • Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/ Black Panther. This is not an origin story, it’s just the beginning of his character. He is a very different man from his father, who values the political way whereas T’challa is a man of action. Boseman was able to, not only put on an African accent, but portray T’challa with a quiet strength, dignity and gracefulness that he will OWN in his solo movie. He spends the movie hellbent on revenge that every time he is on screen, there is only one goal in his mind and he will do anything it takes to succeed. Even if that means joining Tony’s side even if it’s not his fight.
    • Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I know a lot of people were/are upset at yet ANOTHER Spider-Man and omg why is he so young? But to be honest, I think this is the best live action rendition of him so far. Nothing against Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, I like them both, but Tom Holland succeeds where the other two did not. He has youth on his side, being so young, he is impressionable but he is also trying to figure things out on his own which is evident in the costume we see before Tony makes him a suit. Peter is smart, he builds things, talkative, funny and awkward which makes him feel like Peter and Spider-Man instead of one or the other. However, there is also this coolness to him while he is Spider-Man that shows he’s going to be a force all on his own. Captain America even acknowledges that. I cannot wait to see Spider-Man: Homecoming with this younger actor
    • Sebastian Stan is Bucky Barnes. I absolutely adore this character. I already liked Bucky enough but when he came back as the Winter Soldier, oh my goodness, I wanted to know about what happened in the time of him being found to seeing him in the present. Everyone is after him for something that he may or may not have done but he’s just trying to make it through the day. Bucky is Steve’s best friend and while Steve wants to save him, Bucky is not sure if he’s worth saving, if he’s worth the trouble. Stan is amazing as both Bucky and Winter Soldier. While he does have more lines here than he did in Winter Soldier he is still a man of expression in his eyes. The pain, the doubt, the anger, the confusion is all in his eyes. However, when he has to fight in order to survive, he can be kind of ruthless (That motorcycle scene tho!), in the end, he makes a choice that makes me sad but it shows the growth of his character and I can’t wait to see more of him.I really want a solo movie.
    • Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. I think she could handle a solo movie, or at least one that focuses on her and I say this because, while this is only her second movie, there’s a lot going on with her. Her brother died in Age of Ultron (spoilers? lol), she has these powers that people fear, she’s in a different country, she’s young (high school age I’m assuming since Clint told her she could go to high school) and she has to come to terms with who/what she is now, not to mention, with the fallout from Civil War, it would be interesting. I think Olsen brings a vulnerability to Wanda that makes her endearing and you want to cheer for her. She’s powerful but she also needs to be looked at without fear. I like that about her.
  • The action. The Russo brothers also directed Captain America: Winter Soldier and the action in that was amazing and it is the same here. Every action scene was smooth and beautiful even if it was dirty, gritty and raw. The airport scene alone was just an overload of awesomeness that we got see each character do something pretty awesome. No one was overshadowed. The shot where they all run towards each other and the fliers start to fly *explodes with excitement* It was so amazing. Bucky and Falcon’s fight Spider-Man was handled well, I mean Spider-Man is obviously strong, not to mention he’s smart so he think on the fly. His fight with Steve was also done well. No one ever ever aims for his legs! Ant-Man’s special surprise in the fight, was just a great highlight (Paul Rudd is just awesome). Of course the intense highway chase scene, that continues from Bucky and Steve’s fight scene against Russian officers, the fact that Steve is trying to keep Bucky from hurting these people, even if it is unintentional, to Black Panther showing up and kicking some butt and into the chase scene where Bucky does that AWESOME MOTORCYCLE THING. The fight scene between Bucky, Steve and Tony was just so emotional that I could barely keep myself from crying. There was no shaky cam during that scene, we were up close and personal. Also, that shot of Tony shooting his beams at Cap’s shield and that piercing light that bounces off of it. *dies*.
  • The attention to detail. Little things help make a movie strong and tie together. So this is just to name a few. The fact that when we first see Bucky, he’s purchasing plums which are supposed to have an effect on memory. The conversations and bond between Wanda and Vision are handled well, they’re both young in a sense and Vision, while logically smart, does not understand true human emotion until he is around her. His eyes soften as he tries to better connect with her, not to mention, he’s honest with her about the Infinity Gem in his forehead. She shares her fears with him and during the airport scene, there is a pretty tender moment between them. The fact that Tony and Pepper are no longer together, it’s shown that it’s emotionally hard on Tony but there’s not a ton of exposition about it. We don’t need it. T’challa being able to control the vibranium in Bucky’s arm, Wakanda is known for their vibranium so it’s interesting to see that but I’m sure it’ll be explored more in his solo film. Falcon’s little “sidekick” in Redwing. I read the Russo brothers did not want the bird in the film (in the comics, Redwing is an actual falcon) so it looks like they compromised and used him but made him a robotic bird. I loved it. The fact that Peter makes his web shooters, I personally prefer him creating them instead of them being organic because it shows his genius at such a young age. I appreciate the fact that Tony asked him to explain it, I also love Peter’s excitement and wonder at meeting Captain America and seeing Bucky’s metal arm. Thor and Hulk’s mentions, General Ross mentions the fact that they’re both MIA which is great because they’re still Avengers, this is just a fight they’re going to miss.
  • The Story. In the comics, it’s on a grander scale and I think Tony Stark is definitely portrayed more as a villain, he makes a lot of questionable decisions but in the film, both sides are explained in a way that it creates a struggle of whose side you’d choose. I am Team Cap and have always been Team Cap since the comic but I understood Tony’s view here as he did not do the horrible things here as he did before. At least not willingly. Civil War is such a personal journey for both Tony and Steve, and that while it has Avengers characters present, it is NOT an Avenger’s film. Tony is in a bad place due to his breakup with Pepper, he’s been thinking about the death of his parents and a mother guilts him into choosing to side with the Registration Act due to her son’s death. There’s a lot going on with him and that’s all understandable. Tony may have his issues, but he tries to be a good man in the end. He believes they should turn themselves into the government, and ultimately be a government run team. It keeps them “in check”. Steve believes that they should have the right to choose what they do and who they help. They all chose this life, they chose to help people and do it without second thought, the government always has second thoughts, they have agendas and it’s best if they make their own decisions because what if something happens and they need to help but the government won’t let them? On the flip side, Zemo is in this film and he has his own agenda which I will not spoil here, not to mention the wild card that is Bucky Barnes. The movie is very personal. The Civil War becomes so much more. The story is intricate, emotional and it will continue to play on as it’s consequences have not truly been paid.
Cons:
There are some cons, they’re not damaging, but after seeing it twice, it’s something I’ve noticed and thought about.
  • Crossbones. I’m glad he wasn’t a major villain in the movie but I definitely want to see more of him. From what I know about him, and some comics I’ve read, he’s kind of a major player. So without trying to spoil anything, I think he could and should be utilized more especially considering his previously close connection to both Bucky and Steve.
  • Zemo’s motivations. He’s not necessarily a con. I just think his motivations weren’t anything original. Sad definitely but done before. Certain things he does, or at least the way he goes about them don’t quite make sense, at least in the mindset of ‘how did he get his hands on this stuff?’ and he’s almost not a villain at all… just an enabler. Maybe I’ll feel differently later, I liked his additions, I think certain things should have been done maybe in a different way.
  • Steve and Bucky’s friendship. On it’s own definitely not a con. However, in this movie, since it’s such a large part of Steve’s motivations, I wish we saw more of it. If you’ve seen the other two Captain America movies, or you know their story, then you understand just how important the brotherhood is between them and while Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan have great brotherly chemistry together, I think there should have been more, maybe there is and it was just deleted. As they began to fight together, I think there should have been more than three or so scenes of them reminiscing or talking, especially considering how desperate Bucky is to reclaim his memory.
  • Sharon Carter. Now, let me say this. I don’t find her involvement a con at all. I actually don’t mind it and considering her long standing relationship in the comics with Steve, I was happy. I think, the kiss could have waited. We meet her in Winter Soldier and they flirt, then she continues to help him in Civil War because she’s on his side and she believes in him. Man, those Carter women love them some Steve Rogers lol. I understand why people dislike it, think it was forced but I consider their kiss a moment, not a side plot, just a moment where it could lead into more later. I thought it was handled well. They didn’t try to make them actually date. They were comfortable with each other and they shared a moment. I think she deserved more character development so if she shows up again, the audience is cool with her unless those audience members “ship” Steve with someone else. Personally, I like Steve with Sharon romantically, I like Bucky and Steve’s friendship and I actually enjoyed Bucky and Natasha’s (yes Black Widow) romance in the comics. I don’t think the thing with Natasha and Bruce will make it out of Age of Ultron as I believe that was an attraction that they both know cannot go anywhere, so I wouldn’t mind seeing something with Bucky and Nat down the road… just can we recast Scarlett?
  • Scarlett Johansson. Okay, look, I don’t find her to be a strong actress, she is so boring. When Natasha is fighting, it’s awesome. She has some of the best choreography ever when she fights BUT when she opens her mouth, it’s so monotone and bland that I can’t even. I don’t buy the whole “Well Natasha is an international spy, and she is Russian so emotions…” no… I should want to care about her as a character outside of her awesome fighting and all around badassery and I just can’t because it’s Scarlett and she’s not compelling to me at all. Which is why I don’t think a Black Widow solo film is a good idea, not with her leading it. When she makes her final choice during the airport scene, there should have been more there as to why she chose it but… dude. I think the most emotion she’s showed as this character is when she was running for her life from the Hulk in The Avengers and looked terrified after and kind of when she confronted Loki in his cell. I read that Emily Blunt was first choice but couldn’t do it due to a stupid contract and MAN! I would so prefer her.
  • Black Widow’s writing. This is not about ScarJo but about the Black Widow character writing, I don’t think the writers are all on the same page about her because she character is basically different in each movie. I think the version of her and in Winter Soldier are the most consistent. I need them to all decide what they want to do with her and stop messing around.
  • Rhodey/War Machine. His character is underdeveloped. What do we know about him? He’s Tony’s best friend and he was in the Air Force. That’s about it. It doesn’t help that when we first met him he’s played by Terrance Howard who played Rhodey in a completely different way than Don Cheadle does and since we’ve seen Don Cheadle legit three times in this role (I don’t count Age of Ultron), he’s fine but I think I would rather see what Howard could have done. He’s cooler but money causes problems man. Perhaps once we see him in action more (I don’t know we’ll see) that’ll change but as of now, he’s kind of the least interesting person in this movie. He stands by his best friend and his choices buuuut that’s about it.
Overall, I adore this movie. I kept playing back and forth on whether or not this was the best MCU film and for a while, I was thinking it was but the I saw Winter Soldier again not to long ago and Civil War is the second best because Winter Soldier is just on a different level. I loved every minute of it, it’s compelling, it’s emotional, it’s action packed and with a few minor annoyances for some characters, I genuinely like them all and I want to see everything work itself out in the end. The Russo brothers handle this movie well, the action, the soundtrack (Omg the music is amazing), the dialogue, the interaction between the characters… it just falls into place. This movie kicks you right in the stomach and I’m glad it’s more intimate then the comic book was, I’m glad that Tony Stark was humanized as opposed to being demonized and I’m glad that it was a Captain America film because it allows the audience to truly see just what kind of man he is, especially if you didn’t know it already.
Rating: 4.90 out of 5 stars.