Captain America: Brave New World

The MCU saga continues . . .

Sam is the new Captain America*. Thaddeus Ross** is president and wants to re-form the Avengers. And Celestial Island*** is the latest topic of concern; made of Adamantium, the world debates if it is better to share or fight over the wealth. Wanting the former, Ross attempts diplomacy at the Celestial Island World Summit. But Ross has a dark secret that may destroy the best-laid plans . . . and he may be his own worst enemy.

Captain America: Brave New World reminds us of the two most forgettable movies in the MCU (see below links) and then contributes to that by being itself largely irrelevant. There were good themes (of the need to reform, take responsibility for your own actions, never give up, and give each other grace), but these were minimally developed (and confusingly so). The confusion revolves around several bad guys, each with a blend of motives that leaves the audience wondering who we are supposed to root for (or against). The action was 'meh' and I was unclear if or how this drove the overall MCU storyline forward. As is increasingly common, you need to be familiar with several (many?) prior MCU releases in film and television. Ultimately, this felt more like a long television show. This came out 1.5 years ago . . . I don't normally wait so long to watch MCU movies, but I didn't miss anything by doing so here.

Rating: C

*See the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

**See The Incredible Hulk. Then a General (and played by another actor), Ross has risen to POTUS.

***See The Eternals.

Spider-man: Brand New Day

Continuing from last time . . . [no spoilers below save what was evident in trailers or in No Way Home]

Peter Parker lives in loneliness as he reels from the events of No Way Home. Aunt May is dead. The world doesn't know him; even his besties MJ and Ned have no memory of him. And things are about to get worse . . .  for powerful new threats appear on the horizon even as Peter wrestles with changes in himself. Can people with powers live a normal life, with friends and family to enjoy and help? Or does the great responsibility that comes with great power mean he is destined to do this alone?

It has been a long time (4.5 years) since the last Spidey movie, and it was nice to see the MCU progress this storyline. A few observations:

- This film strikes a markedly different tone from the others; it was 'heavier' and more poignant as various characters grapple with loneliness and pain. It felt less like a typical action-oriented Marvel film and more psychological.

- The characters were done well. It was fun seeing Punisher's incorporation into the movies (after several television series), though they made no attempt to explain why he was suddenly on the scene. Hulk was cool, too. Others were also great, but I won't share details to avoid spoilers.

- The story was alright. Some of the plot twists were obvious; others were unexpected. They do keep you guessing. It does not stand alone; you need to be familiar with prior films, though I guess that is expected at this point.

- The message was simple: we need others ("friendship is magical," I joked with my boys—My Little Pony's tagline is apt here). 

Is this the best Spider-man movie ever? Some so claim . . . I'm not convinced. It is a good film, but I'm not sure it is the best one.

Rating: A

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Foot Clan is in Gotham, stealing experimental tech. Shredder is with them . . and he has a partner. If they have their way, the city will fall and evil will last forever. Batman is on the case, but he'll need help. Maybe some teenagers with ninja skills. Turtle mutants.

I expect any 'cross-IP' offering to be a money grab and thus had low expectations for this 2019 movie. I was wrong; I loved it. The plot is predictable ("the worlds of Batman and TMNT collide; chaos ensues"), the message minimal (but solid), but where this film shines is the humor—it was hilarious. We laughed out loud through the whole film. There are a few instances of language or scary images, but this is a winner, best enjoyed by those familiar with both franchises.

Rating: A

Daredevil: Born Again (Season 2)

Shortly after last time . . .

Wilson Fisk tightens his grip on New York City from the Mayor's office, using the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, personal henchmen, and allies inside the courts. Daredevil and Karen Page debate their dwindling options in a city rampant with corruption. How can one be just in the face of such injustice? What hope do they have? They cannot do it alone . . . and friends old and new will help in various ways. But ultimately, if they want to win, they will put it all on the line . . . and may lose everything.

This 8-episode season was much in keeping with those prior: well-done and extremely suspenseful, with intriguing themes and plot twists. The story moves along nicely, and the characters have depth. The ending was thought-provoking. Let the viewer beware, there is some bad language and it can be gruesomely violent. But overall I give this high marks; Matt and others realize the way out involves help, grace, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. Powerful indeed. It was nice to see the show reach a degree of closure, even as I hear that season 3 is in development and the door is open for some new focus areas. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A

Supergirl

Kara Zor-El is an orphan, sent away as a child from the last city of Krypton to live on Earth like her cousin, Kal-El. She visits occasionally but spends more time on other worlds, trying to drown her pain in drink as she lives out a lonely existence in her spaceship with her dog, Krypto. One day, she encounters Ruthye, a girl bent on vengeance for her family, all of whom were murdered by the Brigands. Those same criminals will soon tranquilize Krypto, giving Kara just days to find them and the antidote. Kara and Ruthye both battle their inner demons as they wrestle with what it means to live in a broken world. Can Krypto be saved? What about their souls?

This film, the second entry in the DC Universe (DCU) after Superman, was darker than its predecessor (beware lots of violence and some language) but still wrestled with good questions and themes. Kara drowns her pain in addiction; Ruthye thirsts for vengeance. Both are wrong, both recognize that in the other, and both help each other find a better way. Ultimately, this film is about the reality of pain in our lives, helping each other through it, and doing good regardless of the pain done to you. Worthy themes indeed. I share more analysis (with spoilers) below.

Rating: B

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Brief analysis (with spoilers)

Kara and Ruthye both have deep pain . . . and deep problems.

• Kara doesn't really have a home . . . for her, home is wherever her dog Krypto is. Having left Krypton at a much older age than Superman, her heart is heavy. Her dying parents send her to Earth, where they know she will survive and have great power (drawn from any world with a yellow sun). Their message to her: "you must be good" and "protect the powerless." She does these things . . . sometimes. She carries her grief with her and would rather forget her cares in the bottom of a glass; when Ruthye asks her "When did you stop feeling angry?" Kara replies "any day now." She knows drinking won't solve it, but she keeps on.
• Ruthye is consumed with anger and a desire for vengeance. Kara recognizes it immediately and tells her "revenge is overrated," reminding her several times that "revenge won't get you where you want to go" and "if you kill him [the one who murdered her family], it won't take your pain away." Ruthye retorts that drowning in drink isn't the right way, either.

As the two women travel together, they both learn to confront their own weaknesses through the rebukes of the other (which leads to a temporary falling out). They later recognize reality: "I wish it never happened . . . I wish it could go back to the way it was before . . ." but know they cannot. So how do they deal with things as they are? They walk with each other through the pain, and help each other see the light. 

• Ruthye recognizes both the flaws and beauty in Kara, saying "you're not always perfect but you're good. Thank you for taking me with you." 
• Kara helps Ruthye walk away from an opportunity for vengeance, arguing that "your family is with you. Your life will be your revenge." As Kara's parents encouraged earlier in the film to live and do good for the sake of her family, so now she exhorts Ruthye to do the same. 

Intriguingly, after Kara helps Ruthye walk away, she returns to the antagonist and stabs him twice. "This one is for my dog . . . and this one is for what you did to that girl's family." This seems to fly in the face of the 'don't take vengeance' message she just presented to Ruthye. Is that hypocrisy? Potentially; on the one hand, it sure seems like it. On the other, the bad guy makes it clear he is going to keep on doing terrible things, so Kara may be doing it as a form of justice. She could also be taking the vengeance on herself so Ruthye isn't burdened by it. It's an intriguing ending that makes you think.

At the end, Kara returns to Earth and meets her cousin. She decides it is time to stay on Earth for a while . . . she will no longer run from her pain.

Kara is an interesting character. Several times she has the opportunity to get the antidote, but saving others always comes first. She consistently displays both good and selfishness. Watching her wrestle with that is the focus (and highlight) of the film. 

Daredevil: Lockdown

Continuing from last time . . .

Daredevil is still behind bars, and Elektra is still acting in his stead. But things are coming to a head in Hell's Kitchen . . . Bullseye is on the loose, seemingly everywhere and terrorizing the city. Mayor Wilson Fisk isn't happy with the new Kingpin and puts things in motion to handle the situation. And Daredevil uncovers a plot that may unleash yet another plague on the city . . .

This volume was in line with the others: solid. This is a mild ending of sorts, with Matt coming to grips with who he is and what he must do ("what's right"), even if that is a bit wishy-washy (as the standard is never defined). Still, I was intrigued by one of his conclusions: that maybe what his enemies need isn't punishment but grace and contentment. It's not fully the gospel, but it's on the path.

Rating: A-

DC Deck-Building Game: Rebirth

Today's review is of the 2019 release, DC Deck-Building Game: Rebirth. For 1-4 players, it takes 45-90 minutes.

Overview

Like all games in the DC Deck-Building Game line, Rebirth is a deck-builder where you all start with the same 10-card hand, drawing 5 to play each turn (which give you some combination of power and movement) and discarding used cards. You add cards by 'purchasing' them from the lineup (putting them in your discard pile) as the game progresses to strengthen future choices (once empty, a new draw pile is formed from the shuffled discard pile; the linked game review explains more). 

But Rebirth differs from most DC:DBG expansions in three important ways:

1) it has locations and your character must move between them to achieve objectives (and buy cards),

2) it can be played as a cooperative experience,

3) it is scenario-based, with eight options, and can be played as a campaign (where information from prior games is retained and used in future ones).

Do you and your friends have what it takes to win each scenario?

Review

This felt like The DC Deck-Building Game meets Marvel United. It was busy, but I liked it—perhaps better than the normal game. Cooperative is fun, and I liked how here you do not buy villains but attack them when they are in the lineup; a more intuitive concept than the original (where you can buy heroes and villains alike for your deck). It would have benefitted from a game board to guide card placement, and I cannot speak to all scenarios (I played only the first), but I enjoyed what I experienced. Recommended.

Rating: A

Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

Today's review is of the 2012 release, Legendary: a Marvel Deck Building Game. For 1-5 players, it takes 30-60 minutes.

Overview

You and your friends need to fight villains, rescue bystanders, and take down the mastermind before too many villains escape with bystanders. This is a semi-cooperative game: you'll either win as an individual (if you have the most points if the team collectively wins the scenario) or all lose.

Game play follows the typical flow of deckbuilding: after choosing a mastermind, scheme, and set of hero cards [shuffling all heroes together to form a hero deck], each person starts with the decks of 12 cards (basic resource or damage cards), draws 6, and play begins. On a turn, the active player:

- draws a card from the villain deck and adds it to the city, shifting existing cards down the row and/or doing any effects as stated (which may trigger scheme or mastermind effects)

- plays cards from their hand to damage/defeat villains or buy cards from HQ to add to their decks (all purchased cards go in the discard pile)

- discards unused cards

- replenishes the HQ by adding cards from the hero deck to it

- draws 6 cards (shuffling the discard pile to create a new deck if needed)

The game board; image from here

Play continues until the winning (or losing) conditions are met. Once that happens, if the players collectively have defeated the scenario, the one with the most points (gained by defeating villains and rescuing bystanders) wins. If the players lost the scenario . . . everyone lost.

Other things to note: 

Some cards from the villain deck will trigger mastermind or scheme effects. 

Villains can escape the city if they are shifted off the board and may take bystanders with them (you lose if 8 total bystanders leave in this way). 

Masterminds can be defeated by doing damage to them equal to or exceeding their stated value, but you have to defeat them four times to win the scenario. 

Buying cards from HQ is key to winning. These hero cards have different abilities, which could mean doing more damage or gaining more resources than the basic cards or having a special ability.

You can see a more in-depth overview here at Watch It Played.

Review

I enjoyed this one. The semi-cooperative aspect is fun. The customization/replayability are high (but that also means long setup/teardown times due to preparing decks). Like any deckbuilder, the HQ can get clogged with higher-cost cards (that happened to us), and the villains can be clumped disadvantageously (that also happened), meaning some turns are wasted. But that aside, the game was intuitive and interesting. Recommended.

Rating: A

Daredevil: Doing Time

Continuing from last time . . .

Daredevil is in prison, wrestling with his conscience and faith as friends try to talk him out of his decision to serve behind bars. Elektra has assumed his role as protector of Hell's Kitchen. And enemies abound . . . the Knulls have invaded.* The new Kingpin is asserting herself. And the prison warden wants Matt dead . . . 

This was a good story, looking at Matt fighting with himself on what it means to be a man of God. The art was great, too. The only detriment was the Knull storyline, that seem to burst in and disappear just as quickly. Apparently that is part of a larger story arc, and as I haven't read the other titles, I was lost there. Otherwise, this is solid.

Rating: A-

*Which is apparently part of the King in Black event.

Daredevil: Truth/Dare

Continuing from last time . . .

Things are returning to normal in Hell's Kitchen. Well, normal for Hell's Kitchen . . . the mob war has been quieted as Kingpin manipulates things to his liking. Matt seeks a way to save the residents from losing their homes as he wrestles with his past demons. Ultimately, he decides to turn himself in . . . Daredevil is going to jail. Who will protect the people now?

An excellent story continues . . . this one felt a bit like important backstory as the tale builds to a crescendo.

Rating: A-

X-men Origins: Wolverine

Logan (aka Wolverine) was heavily featured in the first three X-men films from 2000-06. This 2009 film looks at his backstory. 

Logan his brother Victor are different. with claws and regeneration abilities, they seem nigh-immortal and destined for unending battles, fighting in the Civil War up to present day. And Colonel Stryker has taken notice. 

Stryker recruits them for his strike force, and they live as mercenaries fighting around the globe—until Logan has had enough. He abandons the team and seeks a new life.

With peace, a girlfriend, and job as a lumberjack in the Canadian Rockies, Logan enjoys solitude for a few years . . . until he learns that someone has been hunting down his old team. He will be forced to confront his past—and face his future—with everything on the line.

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I wanted to like this movie, and there were elements that satisfied (like the action, some of the twists, and seeing Gambit make his big-screen debut). But ultimately, I think this movie suffered from trying to do too much. Was the focus on Wolverine? His relationship with his brother? His enmity towards Stryker? The rise of Deadpool? The origin of the X-men? Or just being a simple action-laced spectacle? The answer is yes and no to all of those. 

Stepping back to look at the X-men franchise, it gets confusing. Wolverine has a trilogy of his own (2009-2017), which is interlaced with (and yet separate from) the other films. Ultimately, this movie was subsequently retconned with the X-men:First Class series (2011-19), especially Days of Future Past. See my overview page for the X-men films and links to each. It is best enjoyed as an action-filled romp that held promise but tried to deliver on too many fronts and was since superceded by better tales.

Rating: B-

Venom

When journalist Eddie Brock tries to expose Life Foundation owner Carlton Drake as a criminal, he loses everything—his job, his reputation, his relationship. But he will soon gain something much more . . .

Carlton Drake's company has found alien life, and is secretly studying the specimens on Earth. These symbiotes cannot survive on their own; they need a suitable host. And one just got away . . .

As a symbiote bonds with Brock, he discovers his tremendous new powers even as he learns the terrible truth: this is an invasion force. Is there anything he can do to stop them? And will his parasite—who calls himself Venom—let him?

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I finally got around to watching this 2018 film today. It was . . . okay. 

- Tom Hardy stole the show . . . he must have had a lot of fun playing this character. He does a great job wrestling with his new-found "dual nature."

- It was different than the typical superhero flick, as this is about an antihero. You're not sure whether you're rooting for or against Venom.

- The plot had its good points but suffered from uneven development. It starts off nicely, but without warning or much explanation, Venom's goals and motivation shift mid-movie. Then a bunch of other stuff happens that was poorly explored.

- I wasn't clear on what the message was. Maybe it is about co-dependency and how we need each other. Or maybe it's that everyone is a loser, so do what you can to look out for yourself.

- It was scary and gross in places. 

Overall, the potential for something amazing was there—a superhero movie off the beaten track—but it didn't quite deliver.

Rating: C

Thunderbolts*

Shortly after Captain America: Brave New World . . .

Yelena Belova, Black Widow's sister, mourns her passing as she struggles with other demons in her past. And everyone has regrets—John Walker, the failed Captain America. Red Guardian, silent father. Bucky Barnes, brainwashed killer. Ghost, tormented soul. Many of these are sent, individually, on one final mission with a promise to wipe their past and start anew. But things take a turn when they discover they've been set against each other to clear crooked CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's name. They join forces but face a great foe. They're not super, and not heroes. But if they stick together, they may just make it.

I did myself a disservice by skipping Brave New World; that omission left me confused, and I only vaguely remember the immediately preceding MCU films. That aside, this film took a markedly darker and more pyschological tone than the standard MCU offering. The themes were failure, regret for past sins, loneliness, and the need to belong. Yelena summarizes: "There's something wrong with me. An emptiness. I thought it started when my sister died, but now it feels like something bigger. Just a void." The movie looks at that. A worthy theme to be sure, and one message (sticking together despite failures) was top-notch. The humor was decent. But it is dark, so approach with caution.

Rating: B

Daredevil: End of Hell

Continuing from last time . . .

Things are getting to a breaking point in Hell's Kitchen. Cops have been told to stay out. Rival mob bosses are posturing. Something must be done.

Matt and Elektra make a play, stealing from the mob and giving to the poor. Supervillains are called in to extinguish hope . . . Daredevil and unlikely allies are determined to provide it. Who will win the day? And can Matt finally extinguish his demons?

Picking up the story from last August, I was foggy on a few details, but the story remains gripping, and this volume was more satisfying than the prior. There continues to be good art and (mostly) good messages. A winner.

Rating: A-

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Blinded as a boy and orphaned shortly thereafter, Matt Murdock has had more than his share of tragedy. But all is not lost . . .for the accident that wounded him granted him nigh-supernatural powers. His father's life taught him much about tenacity and sacrifice despite repeated failures. And the bullying he received daily awakened a sense for law and order. 

Matt is also not alone; the mysterious Stick will take Matt under his wing to sharpen and hone his abilities. His college friend, Foggy Nelson, will prove a good friend. And the charming Elektra will intrigue him in many ways . . .

Time goes on. Matt is a lawyer now, in Boston. Called back to New York, he makes a new friend and finds a decayed city run by criminals. When his friend is kidnapped, he can bear it no longer—he will become Daredevil, the man without fear, and seek to right what he can. 

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This classic origin story is a solid introduction (and good starting point) to the Daredevil character. The only thing that surprised me was the relative absence of the faith component; it is foreshadowed but not explored here, and is (to me) an important part of this hero that later titles will flesh out. Still, this is a good read.

Rating: A

All-Star Superman, Volume 1

Superman saves an expedition to the sun, but mortally injures himself in so doing. Slowly dying, he sets his affairs in order with Lois and others in the first volume of the All-Star Superman storyline.

This series is widely lauded as one of the top story arcs about the Man of Steel. This first volume underwhelmed, though. It collects six individual issues, some of which appear unrelated to the overall arc of Supes dying. It is hailed as a fresh (but classic) look at Superman, both in story and art, and I see elements of that, but not in a captivating way. Maybe it ties together better if I would read more volumes . . . I'm not sure I will. 

Rating: C+

The Flash

Barry Allen is fast. Really fast. Harnessing his 'speed force' as part of the Justice League, he uses his powers to help humanity. When he discovers he can walk through time, he journeys to the past to save his parents from tragedy (and, later, to correct mistakes). But doing so has a ripple effect and changes many other things—and starts to mess with the fabric of time itself. The Flash must choose: can he accept failure and tragedy? Or is it worth destroying the universe to right the wrongs of the past? 

This film got mixed (but mostly negative) reviews, which is one reason I wasn't in a rush to see it (it came out two years ago). That said, I enjoyed it more than I expected. It focused on an important theme: the reality of failure and tragedy—the wrongs we do and the wrongs done to us—and their role in shaping our lives. When Flash realizes he might be able to stop his mother's murder, he doesn't realize how that event was necessary. Batman enlightens him: "Those scars we have make us who we are. We're not meant to go back and fix them." And elsewhere, as Flash struggles with how to fix things, he is reminded that "Not every problem has a solution. Sometimes we just have to let go." While the movie doesn't get all the right answers, I think it is important to think on this. We all have regret for our past actions and pain we wish didn't exist, but if God is sovereign and good, even the sins and horrors of humanity can end up playing a positive role. And our desire to go back and change things is ultimately humanity trying to be God, which is what made us fall in the first place. 

Theme aside, the movie had mixed elements. It plays on the rich history of DC movies, combinng them with time travel weirdness, to feature cool cameos (so being familiar with older films will aid your enjoyment). The humor was decent in places. The CG was weirdly (but I understand deliberately/artistically) bad at times. The film invested too much in action/spectacle and too little in character/message. There is some foul language. And in the end, it's clear Barry didn't fully learn the lesson. But overall, it wasn't terrible.

Rating: B-

Daredevil: Through Hell

Continuing from last time . . .

Matt Murdock continues to wrestle with how he can help people in a broken system without resorting to being Daredevil; Elektra arrives to help him investigate the rampant corruption. 

Wilson Fisk has stepped away from his violent past, but Hell's Kitchen is descending into chaos as rival gangs vie for dominance.

Detective Cole North is fighting his own demons as he tries to be a good cop in a crooked city. 

Everyone's on edge . . . and something's gonna give soon.

This one was fine, but felt less hard-hitting than the first two volumes. More like exposition setting the stage for more good things (hopefully).

Rating: B

Daredevil: No Devils, Only God

Shortly after Volume 1 . . .

Plagued by his conscience, Matt Murdock has stepped away from being Daredevil. And a lawyer. Now a probation officer, he struggles with his new life and wrestles with his faith. God gave him gifts, but it seems he must break God's laws to use them. He cares about justice, but the system is broken and the most just course may be breaking the law. As he struggles, violence rages in Hell's Kitchen, but the Kingpin may be stepping away from his dark past, too. Can people really change? What does it mean to fight for justice in a broken world?

As with the first book, I really enjoyed this one. Some great dialogue, questions, and thoughts. It doesn't provide all the answers, and gets some things wrong, but it's nice to see a comic that grapples with what is (to me) a key challenge of the superhero genre: if a person has great power, and the system is broken, when is it justified to act outside the system? 

Rating: A-

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Four years after the accident that granted them all powers, the Fantastic Four is reeling from a pleasant surprise: Sue is pregnant. But the excitement is short-lived, for a herald arrives pronouncing doom to the Earth . . . for Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, is coming. And not even this fantastic crew may be able to save the planet this time.

I liked the retro-futuristic aesthetics of the film. And it hits on important themes (sacrifice, being part of something bigger, and family). But on the whole, this one just didn't do it for me. Like the recent Superman film, we're dropped into an existing world—this is [perhaps mercifully] not another origin story, and that's okay. But the plot was so rushed that I had a hard time caring. When it scraped against important themes, it failed to deliver. Other aspects, like the music and humor, were average or ignored. And I had a hard time seeing Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic. There were certainly cool elements, and it may be the best Fantastic Four film to date. But that's not saying much.

Rating: C+