Watching: The Boys!!!!

I don’t want to talk too much in depth about this show because it is still pretty new and I don’t want to spoil any of it.

An overview of ‘The Boys’ describes it like this:

“Superheroes are often as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians, and sometimes even as revered as gods. But that’s when they’re using their powers for good. What happens when the heroes go rogue and start abusing their powers? When it’s the powerless against the super powerful, the Boys head out on a heroic quest to expose the truth about the Seven and Vought, the multibillion-dollar conglomerate that manages the superheroes and covers up their dirty secrets. Based on the comic book series of the same name.”

Honestly, that’s just the basics of what ‘The Boys’ is. However, it is just enough to get you watching without fully knowing the chaos your about to get yourself into.

The Boys is intense. It’s pretty graphically violent and not at all family friendly in any way. In a similar way to how GOT is not at all family friendly.

However, it has a lot of good political commentary. Some intense depth with all of the characters. As well as some really interesting twists and turns. I don’t think I have a favorite character for the first time in my life, because everyone feels so real and has their own purpose and uniqueness and I cannot choose one person over another. Also, pretty much everyone feels almost equally bad as well. Except for Homelander, Homelander doesn’t even have a soul.

The Boys has this creepiness as well with many of the characters. There is more then a lot of questionable behavior. But, it also has a lot of grief motives on both sides and some interesting dynamics with characters like A-train that make you think about their morality in some interesting ways.

I won’t say more on this. Other then this show is really good and very timely. I’ve really enjoyed watching Season 1.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

Marvel Phase 4 Timeline!!!

At this years Comic Con Marvel announced its Phase 4 timeline and I am so ready for some more great films to enter the MCU!

1st up May 1st, 2020 is Black Widow!

I’m so excited for this! After the events of Endgame I’m so curious about how they are going to go about Black Widow’s storyline.

November 6th, 2020 Eternals

I don’t know much of anything about the Eternals, but I am very intrigued by any films in the MCU having more of a space setting and I’m excited to watch it!

February 12th, 2021 Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings

I love seeing martial arts fights and I’m very excited to see a diverse character coming into the marvel mix.

May 7th, 2021 Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness

I loved the first Doctor Strange movie! It was inceptionesque, but in a way I enjoyed so much more then inception. I am excited to see what they do with his second film!

November 5th, 2021 Thor: Love and Thunder

They are having Natalie Portman play a female version of Thor and not necessarily the role of Jane Foster which is… interesting. I’m very intrigued by this film and will probably be a little hesitant about it Till I see it, but I’m excited for it all the same!

As, for the rest of the titles shown here, they are all the new TV shows that will be airing as a part of the marvel universe, however, I’m not sure when I will watch these or if I’ll be able to as they are all streaming on Disney+ which I may or may not have in the future. But, I’m really excited for Loki and Wanda Vision! If I get the chance to see those I think I’m going to really love them.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

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Check out the Wolfe Creek Candle website!

-Till next time!

Guardians of the Galaxy: A Discussion

Continuing on with the Marvel content, I have a discussion of one of my absolute favorite films from the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy.

This is one of the marvel movies I had seen long before I decided to watch all of the films in the universe. It also happens to be one of my favorites. But, of course upon rewatching, like I have with every other film before posting these discussions, I find that I love the film all the more.

I think that Guardians of the Galaxy has one of the best and strongest openings of all the Marvel films. You get some back story it’s pretty quick and sweet, but then you see Peter in his star lord get up just walking up to steal this silver orb and at first he looks kinda evil.

I mean look at him? The first time you think is this guy actually a villain or what, but then he has the mask come off and you see Cris Pratt’s adorable little face underneath. He takes out some headphones and puts on a cassette and starts dancing and singing and it’s then you know, this is a whole unique kind of film.

I mean.. look at him.. singing into some sort of mutant freak rat all weird like. All to the sound of ‘Come and get your love’ it’s truly pretty much perfect. (I love this scene so much that I just replayed it in my head so much that I couldn’t think about what else I wanted to talk about for this movie for way longer then is necessary)

Then, the assembly of the Guardians take place and of course it’s as wonderfully ridiculous as it is. They all meet on Xandar. Rocket and Grott see Peter and realize they can make some big bucks by capturing him and proceed to try and bounty hunt him. The reason Peter is there is to sell the silver orb behind Yondu’s back. Then, Gamora shows up and also finds herself after Peter because she’s after the orb to sell it to someone else to escape the claws of Thanos. But then, they all get captured.. and Drax of course joins in because he wants to kill Gamora because Ronan killed his family and he wants to kill anyone associated with Ronan.

The entirety of this plot is so good, but it feels so silly. Yet, it’s believable. They, put together something that in short seems convoluted and spread it out in such a way that it’s very comedic in timing and visually interesting to watch.

But, that’s not even close to the half of it. Every single scene is gorgeous. There is so much detail that goes into this film not just visually, but in the music and the dialogue. No other film in the marvel is quite like Guardians of the Galaxy. The ship fights and the weapons. The part where all the guys get drunk and bet on the freak rats… because they were bored and had nothing else to do.

The detailed backstories for each character Peter who didn’t hold her dying mothers hand when she asked. Gamora taken from her family by a man who destroyed half (though I’d say all) of all the people who lived on her planet. Rocket who was pulled apart and put back together again and again to turn him into the creature he is. Groot.. who we don’t really know anything about actually. Drax who lost his wife and child to Ronan. Nebula who is tortured again and again by Thanos who still wants his approval.

Every one of them has something dark of their past. Yet they come together and form a true bond and protect each other as friends. Something that many of them didn’t have much of. They seem to be the least likely crew to be true heroes or even to care at all about what happens in the Galaxy, let alone save it, but at the end of the day, they do their part and they save the Galaxy and the people who live on it.

A major part of the film I truly enjoy is the music. Especially the music that Peter’s mom gifted him as a kid. I created a Spotify playlist of all the songs in the Vol. 1 cassette for your listening pleasure down below:

https://open.spotify.com/user/wolfet98/playlist/2dMwOXRvmc3ZrCfaGjuQs6?si=OEPjUcsMSpaXd2jJa7rJYg

I love the way the music was used in the film to add both humor and life to it. It makes this film one of the most genuinely hopeful films of the marvel universe and it even creates a sort of innocent feel to the film. It’s what makes this movie not only funny and adventurous, but beautiful too.

One thing I do want to do is a character appreciation:

For one Yondu:

Yondu is kinda evil, but mostly a cinnamon bun. He’s the tough-lovin’ father Peter never realized he had. He has an image to put up in front of his crew, but inside he truly cares about Peter. I believe he truly doesn’t regret not letting his crew eat Peter as a boy.

Groot:

Sweet sweet Groot. One of my favorite sci-fi characters of all time. My dream is to give this mythical tree a hug. He’s the wettest of all the Guardians, but I believe he is probably the most dangerous. Especially, in one of the final scenes (pictured in the second half of the video below) where he smashes his arm through several people’s bodies and utterly annihilates them then smiles afterwards like he did a good thing (which he did, but it was terrifying as heck).

https://youtu.be/dcc5KWftKeA

THANOS the Inevitable:

Thanos looks kinda like a derp here, but it’s the only time he ever looks like a derp so.. it’s the only time I get to say that. The truth is, I love to hate on Thanos. He destroyed my entire soul in infinity war, so any little thing I can nit pick on him in any of the films I am going to do it. I don’t care how childish that is. Thanos doesn’t have the biggest part to play in Guardians of the Galaxy and I didn’t think much of him the first time I saw this film, but now.. now things have changed.

The Collector:

I almost think this man is the most evil of all the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy (minus Thanos). The way he treats his “servants” is absolutely awful. He sees everything and everyone as an object to add to his collection. The way he spoke to Gamora made my skin crawl. I don’t like this man at all. His only redeeming quality is that he looks cool, but i don’t put much stock in people’s looks, especially when they make me as viscerally sick as he does.

Drax:

I love Drax. He adds the sort of dry humor that really makes me happy deep inside. He’s god awful to Gamora most of the time, but redeems himself by blasting Nebula into another dimension when Nebula stars talking trash to Gamora. Someone so literal about everything can be frustrating to deal with, but he ends up being a true asset to the team so, he has a special place in my heart.

Corpsman Dey:

The true MVP of the film. Corpsman Dey is the Nova corps man who listened to Peter and decided to accept his help. He is also the first person to acknowledge Peter as Star-lord. I have so much respect for this man.

In Conclusion:

I love every aspect of this film. i love the characters, the story, the music, the humor, the fight scenes, everything. To me, this film is perfection from beginning to end. I will always have a deep love for Guardians of the Galaxy.

Thanks for reading! I’ve worked on this post for an inordinate amount of time, but I love this film so its all worth it. James Gunn outdid himself directing this film. It is one of the top films in all of the Marvel Universe. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below!

-Till next time!

Captain America: The Winter Solider: A Discussion

My Marvel series continues with a discussion on Captain America: The Winter Solider. Which I now appreciate so much more after having watched Endgame and Captain Marvel.

The first time I watched this film I enjoyed it, but I don’t think that I fully understood what was going on. Or rather, I understood, but there was more to it then what I had thought initially. Plus, there was a lot of smaller lines and parts that I appreciated so much more this time around.

What I appreciated both times around was how the movie starts off. The humor of Captain America running laps around Sound with the witty remark of “On your left.” Which was an all around fun scene. Followed by Captain jumping out of an aircraft without a parachute which is just straight up badass.

What I also loved both times was the fight scenes. All the action sequences were entertaining to watch and visually interesting to the eye. Particularly, the fight between Cap, and this martial arts guy that I don’t think was named in the beginning of the film. They do this hand to hand combat with all these jump kicks and flips and it looked so cool!

Other then entertaining fights I also enjoyed the relationship between Black Widow and Cap.

They have this friendship between them that I find to be very sweet. Even in the most inappropriate times black widow tries to get cap to ask out this girl or that girl (which I do find endearing even though his heart belongs to Peggy). Sometimes it’s nice to not force every character to fall in love with each other just because they are a man and a woman in the same environment.

The other relationship I enjoy a lot is the one between Cap and Bucky.

Cap may have fought Bucky a lot in this film, but at the core of himself he doesn’t want to hurt his friend. Cap has this deep set integrity that is rare to find in anyone these days let alone a character and it’s really great to see. He stays true to his values no matter what the circumstances. Cap set his mind that he was going to get through to Bucky and it worked. He didn’t give up on his friend or think he was too far gone to save.

*spoilers for Captain Marvel ahead*

One of my favorite lines in this film comes from Nick Fury who says, “The last time I trusted someone I lost an eye” which is a serious line in the film, but it was funny to me because I realized this:

Was caused by this:

Which made me laugh because the last person he trusted was a cat or really a Flerken named Goose and that feels so fitting to me. It makes me think of Fury’s soft side and I love it!

Another little thing I noticed was a line from this guy:

The shield agent black widow kicked off a roof. He said something about keeping track of persons of interest and he mentioned Steven strange amoung others, which felt like a cool Easter egg to notice of hints for what would be future films in the universe.

*spoilers for Endgame ahead*

The other part that I saw completely differently this time around was the scene where Cap sees Peggy in the current time:

The first time I saw this I was bawling my eyes out. It broke my heart to see what was an unfortunate circumstance tear apart a couple that truly loved each other. It was the one thing about Cap that continuously broke my heart. Yes, he was saving the world, but I had always wished that he could do all that with his best girl by his side.

Little did I know that he does spend a full life with Peggy as is shown in Endgame and it changed this scene completely for me. It no longer caused me to feel heartbroken. Yes, the scene still hurts, but there is a beautiful end to the story. That love won in the end. That that kind of love doesn’t die. They literally had decades of time pass between them with the biggest hurtle imaginable, but they still got their life together and that makes me happy to no end.

But it made me notice something about the lines. In the past tape of Peggy talking when she was young she calls Cap her husband.. something I didn’t notice the first time. Plus, old Peggy has a photo on her bedside with children, but not showing her husband at her side. Which means that Cap is the father to her children and realizing that made me smile from ear to ear.

Rewatching The Winter Solider I realized how much I genuinely care for and enjoy Caps story. He’s one of my favorites of the avengers along with Ant man, Iron man, Hawkeye, and black widow. I love The first avenger with Caps back story the most out of his films, but I have a special place in my heart for The Winter Solider.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse: A Review

Once more I’m back to blogging and this time I interrupt the Marvel movie discussions to talk about another marvel film albeit of a different universe. I got to see this film today and my God did I love it.

I wasn’t expecting to feel so into this film, but from the very beginning I adored it! I loved the fact that they brought the Peter Parker we all know and love and brought back memories of those original spider-man films that brought me and many others into the superhero universe all those years ago.

If there was ever a film that made me want to get into reading comic books it is this one. If only to get to know the universe of the other Spider-Man characters that appear in this film more intimately.

I’m trying so hard to make this spoiler free, but I have too much to say and I want to express myself freely so that’s what I’m going to do. So alert to everyone there will be spoilers below!

Ok so, back to the beginning. Being re-introduced to the original spider-man we know and love, then having him die almost immediately and then introducing a different older and a bit thicker Peter Parker just from the get go was awesome. It played with my emotions immediately and I started bonding with all the characters as they appeared immediately.

But, the character I loved the most was definitely Miles.

Miles is love-able from the get-go. He’s smart, artistic, a bit clumsy, and anyone whose ever gone to high school or any school at all knows the feeling of the entire school putting their attention on you when something unfortunately embarrassing happens. His relationship with his dad is sweet and slightly up and down, but ultimately the love is there and that is really cool to see. What I also loved is him singing along to Sunflower with his headphones on kinda off-key, but you can tell how much he loves the song and that makes the moment super endearing.

Also, I need to say the art of the animation in this film is STUNNING! I was in awe of the mix of styles and how modern yet unique, but also full of nods to the typical comic style. The colors were stunning and the interdenominational moments had the most amazing sort of pixelated details. Some moments I was staring at the screen just thinking ‘wow’ because that’s how beautiful the imagery was.

But the moment where I came to fall in love with the art of the film completely is when all of our heroes finally made themselves known:

Each character is so unique in style and having them all represented in the same space was stunning in an almost odd way. Especially with spider-ham and Peni-Parker. Seeing the striking anime style along with the older cartoonish style of spider-ham was incredible! I wish I had better words for it, but that’s what it was.

Then there’s this detail that someone on Pinterest put into words beautifully about how Peter Parker put himself together before returning to the love of his life:

I also haven’t even touched Miles relationship with his uncle. Which I also loved. Despite his uncle being one of the bad guys, there was a sweetness in their relationship. At the very end before his uncle gets killed he shows that family was always the most important thing. That’s an awesome quality for a ‘villain’ to have. A lot of times a villain will betray family in a moment like that, but not in this film and it made him getting shot all the more painful to watch.

Also, seeing as many villains in the film as heroes was awesome as well. Kingpin, Tombstone, Scorpion, Doc Ock, Green Goblin, and Prowler (Mile’s uncle). All of them together making the various fight scenes incredibly dynamic. Seeing different fighting styles and weapons kept the movie engaging and made the stakes feel much more elevated.

I also loved the mirroring of Miles learning to use his powers and Peter learning to use his originally. The similarities gave me a lot of nostalgia and I really appreciated that.

I don’t know. There were so many minute details and fun dialogues in this film that made me laugh and then made me feel sad and hopeful at the same time. Plus the music in the film was also incredible throughout! I love the Into the Spider-verse soundtrack and I highly recommend everyone to give it a listen. All in all, this film made me happy and it put a smile on my face. It was incredibly well made and I can’t wait for the universe to continue building in the near future!

Also, this post couldn’t be complete without bringing up the beautiful end-quote from the beloved Stan Lee.

And this final thank you:

“Thank You. Stan Lee & Steve Ditko. For telling us we aren’t the only ones.”

After watching this film I feel rejuvenated, peaceful, and delightfully happy. I can’t wait to rewatch this someday. Into the Spiderverse was a complete knockout of a film.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

Iron Man 2: A Discussion

In my first post about Iron Man I said that each film gets better then the the last. I can say for certain that that is true of Iron Man 2.

God, I love this film. Rewatching it was an incredible experience. Tony Stark has layers added to his personality with both external and internal battles weighing on him. I remember crying the first time I watched because the thing that had been keeping him alive was also killing him and seeing him like that killed me.. especially because he refused to tell Pepper and instead he wanted to go on vacation with her and tell her how he felt (even though she never let him do so). In the film he makes Pepper CEO and shows just how much he respects her and sees her as a capable woman who is totally irreplaceable in his life. Without her he has no one he trusts and that internal struggle raises the stakes of a already high stakes situation.

The other thing I loved about the film was that I actually really loved the villain.

Ivan Vanko is a man who’s father’s legacy has been destroyed and he wants revenge. He is not a good man by any means, but he has character and depth in a way that many villains lack. He even works with a bird that he obviously cares for. Little touches like that make a villain like able even if you don’t ever wish to root for them.

I swear I might just be a sucker for cute birds.

On another note having a secondary much less characterized villain added an interesting balance:

Justin Hammer is Tony’s rival in weapons tech. His greatest desire is to beat out his rival. His childish anger and way of beating out stark by doing business with Ivan added a lighter tone to the film. He wants things done his way, but Ivan well, Ivan does what he wants and he’s smart in the way that he deals with Justin, by letting him talk and leave and then continuing on in his own way anyway.

On a side note:

The first time I watched this I didn’t realize that Natasha Romanoff was Black Widow and on this rewatch after having seen all the other films I got so excited seeing her!

The first watch through I don’t think her character even truly registered in my mind. But, seeing her the second time and seeing her interaction with Tony was eye-opening. But, was more interesting to me was that even though Tony seemed like he was looking at her in a flirtatious/sexual way I really don’t think he was. First off, he was confused at her saying she was ‘from legal’ and he seemed to be thrown off by her in a way not unlike many people (especially those with anxiety) sense something is not quite right with someone they meet. He knew there was more to her then meets the eye and he was right and even Natasha’s interactions showed that she knew it too. Especially after her comments about his relationship with Pepper. The whole interaction felt so fascinating to me. Then finally, when she fights off the men at the end of the film all on her own as black widow I was in awe of her. Natasha is a multifaceted woman and I’m glad she’s a part of the marvel universe.

Then there is that drunk Iron Man Battle that gives birth to war machine. Honestly, seeing Tony in his Iron Man suit all drunk was hilarious. It was also super irresponsible and dangerous, but still really funny to watch.

It all makes it that much more awesome in the final battle when ‘Rhodey’ doesn’t have control of his own suit and the pair duke it out once more till black widow comes in with the save and gives him back the control.

I also appreciate how beautiful the final battle location was. The cherry blossoms, the waterfall, the bridge, and the beautiful greenery. It’s one of my favorite battle locations ever and the first I ever saw myself visiting on a much less chaotic day.

All in all, I adore this movie. It’s so well balanced and nuanced. There is so much detail and side story to pick up on. The characters are all amazingly fleshed out and it has that Tony Stark humor we all love. It’s a fabulous film that I highly recommend to anyone even remotely interested in the Marvel Universe.

Thank you all for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

Captain America: The First Avenger: A Discussion

One of the strongest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Captain America’s origin film. I don’t say this lightly. Like Iron man 2 this film brought out some tears in me and it’s a shining example of a character that has a really good and unique backstory.

First off, Captain America is first and foremost Steve Rodgers. Someone who started off as a man who longed to be a part of the military, but was rejected again and again for his lack of physique.

But, even more amazing is that once he is transformed from his once much thinner body it does nothing to his ego. He remains humble. But, even when he was thin he had this confidence and drive that was so awesome to see. He was bullied and picked on, but he remained upright and strong and that’s something to admire. But, even more then for his size he was picked on because he never let injustice pass him by. I love that a lot of the film shows Rodgers before his transformation because it gives the world a hero that wasn’t always super. He gives us a hero that shows that determination and passion are more then enough for you to become whoever you wish to be.

Then there’s the part that kills me, his budding relationship with Peggy. On there first meeting Rogers gets to see Peggy as she truly is a woman not to be trifled with. She punches a man who goes out of line and shows whose boss and the respect he has for his is instant. It’s one of the coolest female introductions ever. Especially, because she isn’t technically one of the superheroes. You don’t need powers and a fancy suit to be a badass.

Also, seeing Rogers at the boot camp is one of my favorite things. He’s obviously smaller then all the others. Not as physically fit, but he keeps pushing and pushing and he shows an ingenuity and selflessness that gets noticed and ultimately that’s what made him the perfect man to become Captain America. Plus that moment when he gets that flag and gets to ride in the car was badass. Sometimes working smarter and not harder is your biggest weapon.

Another great scene is on his way to get his procedure done. Naming all the places he’d gotten beaten up in to Peggy, but also talking to her. And then they talk about dancing and waiting for the right partner. Something about that scene melted my heart and later on it hold so much more meaning.

Then there is the overall feel of the film. The older WWII setting that gives it it’s own flare that is all its own. Even the villain, The Red Skull, has that classic villain vibe of the time. But, I feel like this film is less about the villain and his desires and more about Rodgers coming into his own and becoming the man externally that he always was internally.

What I also found exciting about the film was that it has one of my all time favorite actors Tommy Lee Jones who plays Chester Phillips.

As always Tommy plays his part perfectly. He is cynical as ever. As hard as ever. Yet, he had his signature little sprinkle of humor that has always put a smile on my face. I love that man.

On another note, I kinda love that Captain America’s original outfit looks a bit ridiculous, but also fits the time. Especially the costume one.

Rodgers is amazing in every way, but man does that outfit not do him justice. In a way it just endears me to him more. So really I’m not mad about it.

But, what I really like about this movie is the details. Like how Rodgers is casually amazing at drawing:

Or how Tony Stark’s father Howard Stark was the one who transformed Rogers:

They did an amazing job with the subtle details of the film and I love it!

But again, it’s the events that take place at the very end when Rogers gets essentially chyrogenically frozen never getting that dance with the woman he’d began to feel so much love for. This moment is the lesson that both healed and hurt me as a person the most. When you have someone you love romantically or otherwise don’t waste a moment of yours or their time letting them think that you don’t love them. It might feel dramatic, but you truly don’t know how long you or they have on this earth or what other factors you are unaware of that may separate you. It pained me because when Captain wakes up and realizes he’s way in the future and the one he loves was lost to him forever it affects him deeply and everyday he has to face that he’ll never get that time back. I felt that emotion deeply and I still do. I’ll never make the mistake of letting any of the people in my life that I care for not know that they are cared for even for a moment again.

Thanks for reading! This post is dedicated to someone I deeply care about. If you are reading this, you know who you are. Happy Birthday! I wish there was more then this that I could have done.

Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

Iron Man: A Discussion

Just as a pre-curser, I hadn’t seen this film in several years. But, I watched a Cinema wins video about the film and got reoriented with it. I was originally going to write this post with just that, but I decided to rewatch the film once more so I could talk about it more in depth. Let’s just say I was not disappointed by my decision.

Having seen the later films I got used to the idea of Stark having anxiety and PTSD. However, I forgot about what triggered that in him. Being tortured and held captive by terrorists is something that is a tragedy. Being mentally affected by it is more then normal. Much like being mentally affected by any sort of hard and painful event would. Him becoming a hero and working to fight for good as he continuously faces his mental struggles is so important for films to depict. You don’t have to ever be perfect or fully healed as a being to do great things and Iron Man is an example of it.

However, this first Iron Man film doesn’t depict so much of his symptoms quite yet, but the story it does tell is one of redemption and transformation in many ways as the man who lived his life like a playboy, doing whatever he pleased, going through some tough crap that in many ways teaches him to see what was ultimately most important in his life all along. Though this doesn’t change his overall personality and I enjoy that. Tony Stark is witty and sarcastic and very honest in the way he answers. He is super unique as an individual and the way Robert Downey Jr. Plays the role is to perfection.

Iron Man is one of the most complex personalities of the marvel heroes. He’s full of good intentions, but he has his vices. He’s fallible yet that doesn’t stop him from being great. Also, his love story with Pepper (which doesn’t go so far in this film) is one of my favorites, because she sees him for him and loves him anyway. But, she doesn’t just let him have his excuses she calls him out and she’s there for him through everything. Something about it makes it feel like the most true to life love stories of the different Marvel couples. I adore it.

I wanna take a bit of a moment to pay tribute to Ho Yinsen’s character. This man saw to the heart of who Tony Stark is and gave him the strength he needed to get through one of his most difficult moments.

Some of the things he said were my favorite quotes from the film:

Stark: “Why should I do anything? Either way, they’re gonna kill you and me, and if not, then I’ll likely be dead by the end of the week”

Yinsen: “Well then, this will be a very important week for you, won’t it?

As well as:

Stark: “Come on. We gotta go. Move with me. We got a plan. We need to stick to it.”

Yinsen: “This was always the plan, Stark.”

Stark: “Come on. You’re gonna go see your family. Get up.”

Yinsen: “My family’s dead. I’m going to see them now, Stark. It’s okay. It’s okay. I want this. I want this.”

Stark: “Thank you for saving me.”

Yinsen: “Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.”

And finally:

Yinsen: “So you’re a man who has everything and nothing?”

Yinsen is a man of great wisdom. In a place of terror he lead Stark to his ultimate freedom and liberation. I only wish one day I had half of the man’s strength and understanding.

In the Cinema Wins video it is discussed that the amount of building montages that take up the film has been criticized for being excessive. However, I agree with what it said about it being a positive thing. The amount of detail and growing they show are important to the story and understanding Stark. He is a thinker, a designer, and a creative. Seeing everything come together and how deeply he thinks every feature through is super cool. Maybe I’m just a tech nerd, but seeing the inner working parts was fascinating for me.

The Villain: Obadiah Stane:

The words I have for this man are: What a creep. Honestly, this villain did a good job of making me uncomfortable. Even in the photo above I don’t like looking at him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t have something to do with Stark’s father’s death (although takes to civil war I know he doesn’t) but man how the hell did he stay under the radar enough to continue being the face of the business part of Stark Industries. I really don’t like this man.

My favorite battle:

I loved both when iron man first escapes from Afghanistan and when he returns and helps out some people who are being oppressed you the terror group there. Maybe it’s just how much fire and grit appear in both instances or the redemption arcs they both give Iron Man. Either way those were my favorite badass moments from the film.

All in all:

Iron Man is the impeccable start to the marvel universe. Featuring possibly the most scarred and human of the marvel universe heroes, Iron Man shows there is strength in the things that make us flawed human beings. Is the movie perfect? Of course not. But, it is the beginning of one of the most beloved and fast growing franchises in the movie industry today. I greatly enjoyed this film and every Iron Man film just gets better. Iron Man sends some really great messages into the community and as his story unfolds you learn just how layered the man who is both Tony Stark and Iron Man is.

Thanks for reading! I did mention in my Marvel announcement post that I did have quite a few thoughts on all these films. I can’t wait to discuss the rest! Let me know your thoughts on Iron Man or any of the marvel films down in the comments below.

-Till next time!

My Journey Through the Marvel Universe

For many years, I would see superhero films being released one after the other and a majority of the time I felt like I couldn’t watch them because I knew they had an order and I had no idea what that order was supposed to be.

Not too long ago I expressed this desire to watch the films of the marvel universe on Twitter and I was surprised to receive an answer from a friend I went to high school with. He was nice enough to share a watch order with me of which I followed through on only skipping the movies I had already seen.

Here is the order he gave me:

Iron Man (2008)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Iron Man 2

Thor

Captain America: The First Avenger

Marvel’s The Avengers

Iron Man 3

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Guardians of the Galaxy

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ant Man

Captain Ameica: Civil War

Doctor Strange

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Thor: Ragnarok

Black Panther

Avengers: Infinity War

Ant Man and the Wasp

Thanks to him I watched through all the marvel films when I was sick for a long while and very much enjoyed all of them. I do have my favorites and I have a lot to say about each individually and so for a while this blog is going to showcase a full blown marvel appreciation series. So for now I’m going to give my basic thoughts.

Iron Man/ Iron Man 2: two of the movies I had already watched multiple times. My sister really enjoys Iron Man so these movies are ones that she will put on every once in a while. I always enjoy watching them when it’s on because I like the balance between Stark’s witty sarcasm and the very real danger that he gets himself into.

The Hulk: I didn’t rewatch this film, but I remember the first time I watched it I really enjoyed the love story of it. I remember this movie as being quite sweet.

Thor: I rewatched Thor because I wasn’t sure if I had seen it or not and realized I had. Rewatching made me realize that I love Loki more then I love Thor and I have a lot of very specific feelings about this movie and the Thor v. Loki dynamic so writing a full post on it will be a lot of fun.

Captain America: The First Avenger: This movie hit me hard emotionally. It made me dream of recreating the scene of him saying he had been looking for the right partner to dance with. Captain America is so wholesome and he comes from a place of knowing what it’s like to be beaten. Yet he sacrifices so much all the time. I can’t wait to share my full thoughts on this movie. This one is my favorite of the Captain America Films.

The Avengers: The first time the gang gets assembled. This movie made me laugh again and again and it is home to my favorite marvel scene ever that just can’t be beat. Hulk smashing Loki like a dummy doll. I can’t wait to rewatch this movie sometime soon. It’s a feel good movie for me.

Iron Man 3: I feel like this is the movie that got me to finally understand Iron Man as a man. To me he’s the most human of the Avengers because he is the most flawed and yet behind the wit and the liquor he truly cares about people to the point that it brings him to make some terrible choices. Iron man 3 made me appreciate Iron Man in a whole new way.

Thor: The Dark World: My favorite part of this movie was getting to see Loki and Thor work together. Something about their dynamic is magnetizing to me. Plus, the sprinkles of humor they create is always appreciated.

Captain America: The Winter Solider: What I love about Captain America’s films are how they tend to highlight some sort of insider corruption. He’s always the one to try and fight for the right thing and for justice and seeing him choose and always do his best is incredible. Plus, the opening scene to this film was awesome.. seeing cap jumping out of a aircraft with no parachute was so cool.

Guardians of the Galaxy: this is a movie I had already seen before I decided to go on this marvel quest and I always loved it. The humor is amazing. Groot is amazing. The space stuff is amazing. This movie is just amazing.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: I appreciate this movie much more now then I did when I first watched it.. mostly because I was at the lowest point of my sickness when I set out to watch this movie so I rewatched it the next day and enjoyed it so much more. This movie went a little darker then it’s predecessors. I appreciate it. I love how this felt like a stark film because it highlighted a lot of his darkness that comes out when he’s trying to do good. Plus, Ultron was a cool villain because of how much he was like stark. I have so many thoughts on how they decided to portray Ultron and how it affected the overall theme of this incredible film.

Ant Man: this is my favorite marvel movie. It’s odd. It’s funny. It has the most incredible perspectives ever and I was torn between taking it seriously and laughing at the absurdity of it the entire time. Also I want a pet dog sized ant. I love this movie.

Captain America: Civil War: I love how often the hero’s I’ve grown to love fight each other. I wish they wouldn’t, but it makes me think of them like one big family that continues to grow. The way the two sides split up surprised me, but overall it was cool to see.

Doctor Strange: All I can seem to say about this movie is how cool it is. The magic is amazing. The visuals are amazing. I felt like I was watching inception, but with fighting spiritualists instead of people with guns in suits. The humor in the movie was spot on and I had a blast watching it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: I watched this one before I went on this journey and still I have only two words: Baby Groot.

Spider-Man: Homecoming: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. I’m so ingrained in the image of the original spider man that seeing this much younger version felt weird, but also really great at the same time.

Thor: Ragnarok: This film was one of the most memorable. It had a great balance of light comedy with a very real danger adding intensity. Plus, it was hilarious in a great way. I had a lot of fun watching it.

Black Panther: I tried watching this when it first came out, but I didn’t understand enough about the world then to get into it. But, I gave it a second chance and greatly enjoyed it especially after having a much better understanding of the Marvel universe in general. Plus the shots of Wakanda in general were absolutely gorgeous.

Ant Man and the Wasp: I didn’t love this film as much as I loved Ant Man, but there is a lot to be said about Ant man being under house arrest and doing all he can to be the best version of himself for his daughter. It had a very different vibe from the first Ant Man film.

Avengers: Infinity War: I HAVE WORDS FOR THIS FILM. It destroyed me. It made me a mess. It made me question so many things. I was angry after watching. I was distraught after watching. I wanted to kick thanos’s ass after watching. I just have so much to say about this film.

All this having been said. I have to say I’m so excited for the many Marvel films of the future.. both known and unknown. I’m proud to finally be a part of this franchises fandom in appreciation of its entirety. Captain Marvel will be in theaters March 8th. Endgame is coming to ruin my life on April 26th. Far from home is coming July 5th. Plus, I’m about to set off on a journey through the X-men films (of which I’ve seen a few, but can’t for the life of me recall which ones except for X-men and Logan (which was incredible in every way). Superheroes are adventurous and symbols of people going beyond the call of duty to protect the innocent and do some good. I’ve always loved superhero movies and finally I feel like I’ve entered into the cinematic universe in the way I’ve always meant to do. We have many posts ahead and I have lots to say so, buckle up it’s going to be a journey all on its own.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

-Till next time!