Blog Archives
‘The Defenders’ arrive on Netflix – our review
*The following post contains NO SPOILERS whatsoever.*
Besides making the phrase “I am Groot” part of the pop culture landscape, the great and lasting legacy of the Marvel Films will be the introduction of the “shared universe” concept. The idea that, within a series of films, hints and plot threads can be woven together to build to a bigger, bolder super film! From that first end of credits scene at the end of Iron Man, right through to the leaked trailer for Avengers: Infinity War; this has all been going somewhere. And wherever that place is, its full of money.
Homecoming brings Spider-Man home to Marvel and the top of the box office
Spider-Man: Homecoming made an impact at the box office, bringing the wall-crawler back to critical and commercial glory following a series of missteps. Here’s what went down:
The first Marvel/Sony collaboration, Spider-Man: Homecoming brought in an estimated $118 million, which would make it the second highest debut for a Spider-Man film after Spider-Man 3’s $151.1 million back in 2007. That film, though, was a critical bust, while this newest one has received some of the best reviews for a superhero film.
I literally just walked out of it and I can tell you, I sat there with a grin on my face for nearly the entire run time. Tom Holland is great as Peter Parker, who skews younger here than in any other incarnation. Meanwhile, as The Vulture, Michael Keaton, is, alongside Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2, one of the greatest incarnations of a villain in any Spidey film. Being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe allows for some great jokes and cameo performances from familiar faces, but this is still a film that rests on the shoulders of the main character, not to mention the young crop of actors that do help deliver the John Hughes vibe that had been mooted for Spider-Man: Homecoming. A win for everyone involved, along with fans.
Saturday at the Movies: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Without a doubt, the biggest movie coming out this weekend is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from Marvel Studios. The first movie in this franchise within a franchise was a surprise hit, and one of the best of the Marvel movies. How did its sequel hold up? Meet me after the hyperspatial jump for my thoughts. Heed my warning, folks, there be spoilers ahead.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 looking to blast off at the box office
Let’s not beat around the galaxy this week. We know what movie is going to top the box office. The only question is, how much will it debut with? Here’s our prediction:
The hype machine has been going full throttle for Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2, the sequel to 2014’s massively succesful Marvel Studios film directed by James Gunn and featuring some of the most unlikely heroes to become cultural icons. In the three years since its release, Chris Pratt has become a movie star, Dave Bautista has been a James Bond bad guy, and Guardians has become a franchise movie stars like Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell have wanted to be attached to. All signs are pointing to a massive opening weekend for GOTG: V2, and we’re going to go on the high side of things based on the franchise’s mass appeal. Look for a place debut with $190 million.
Guardians of the Galaxy S02 E02: ‘Evolution Rock’
With the obligatory slugfest out of the way in the last episode, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Avengers must team up to save their teammates from the bizarre experiments of the High Evolutionary. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on “Evolution Rock.”
Avengers: Ultron Revolution S03 E23: ‘Civil War, Part One: The Fall of Attilan’
When an idea is successful, you recycle it as much as possible. Take Marvel Comics’ Civil War, the great maxi-series that pitted Iron Man against Captain America over civil rights issues. The story was a bit different but still roughly the same and just as successful with the last Captain America film of the same name. They tried again this past year with Civil War II with less than satisfactory results. Now the name Civil War comes to Avengers: Ultron Revolution. Meet me after the jump to see how it works out, with my review of “Civil War, Part One: The Fall of Attilan.”
Heroes and Villains – Reviewing The Week’s Marvels 1-25-2017
This week we have a handful of Marvel Comics spanning the variety of the Marvel Universe. There are endings to long-form storylines and the beginnings of new ones as well, a sampling of what is happening in one of the world’s most creative literary and visionary playgrounds. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on Avengers: Monsters Unleashed #1, Black Panther #10, Deadpool #25, Doctor Strange #16, and Captain America: Steve Rogers #10.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S04 E09: “Broken Promises”
The next phase of this season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is now underway, as noted in the subtitle LMD. Aida plots to once again possess the Darkhold, while keeping May captive and an LMD of her active with the team. Meanwhile a new Inhuman, Senator Nadeer’s brother Vijay, has emerged, and that’s only the start of this new beginning. Meet me after the jump for my review of “Broken Promises.”
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Slingshot
Just so we don’t go cold turkey with our Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD addiction, ABC has provided us with a new digital-only series for the winter break – Slingshot. Not only do we get a spotlight on Yo-Yo (Slingshot is actually her character’s name in the comics, and she’s quickly become one of my favorite characters on the show), but we also get a bit of fill-in on what happened during the time between seasons three and four. Meet me after the jump, for my thoughts on Slingshot, the digital series.
Doctor Strange weaves his spell on the box office
There’s something strange at the box office this weekend, and it managed to score with audiences. Here’s what went down:
Marvel’s Doctor Strange debut in first place this weekend with an outstanding $85 million. That’s definitely off from our predictions, but to be fair, I was shooting high with that one. The number is $0.7 million from Thor: The Dark World, the previous Marvel film to debut in November and one that wasn’t debuting a brand new MCU characters. Reviews have been solid across the board, and I’d be surprising if Doctor Strange doesn’t top out over $200 million in North America by the end of its run. It’s yet another home run for Marvel Studios.
