Black Widow (July 9, 2021)

[matticus]

I know, but don't you see how pointless that is? Every story is pointless and no story is big enough anymore. The MCU is now just a predictable sub-genre. You know what you get. But it won't be THE spectacle movies of a decade anymore. They will continue on like Bond movies -- repetitive, rarely inventive, and the only curiosity is who will be playing "fill in the blank".

A new action "story" is so desperately needed. But it can't come from comic superheroes. The only moderate curiosity in the near future is Fantastic Four. And that curiosity will work mostly because they have a worthy villain, Doom. After that, there is nothing on the horizon of excitement from the MCU. Feige has built his masterpiece with the help of many artists... but that work can never be recreated.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The defense of the young. Who will inevitably become... the grumpy old.

Just remember, I've already been where you're going.

 

[matticus]

The defense of the young. Who will inevitably become... the grumpy old.

Just remember, I've already been where you're going.

Nah, I'm already complaining about where this is headed. I'd rather just have my F4, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Defenders, Punisher, Moon Knight and X-Men in the MCU. You know, the badass cool characters. D+ is already watering the MCU down. Disney wants all the demographics covered and my list is too narrow for them. There is no big bad anytime soon, just another Phase 1 to establish the C-team characters.

 

[ZE_501]

Aerodynamics - i.e., less wind resistance?

I feel like the mass of the steel fragments and their seeming head start would negate that. But as the mighty Wor-Gar said, they've veered hard into cartoon territory at this point so what I would call 'axiomatic suspension of disbelief' is broken.

When everyone said the MCU was 'over' following Endgame I felt it was premature but now I'm filled with doubt.

 

[ZE_501]

A new action "story" is so desperately needed. But it can't come from comic superheroes. The only moderate curiosity in the near future is Fantastic Four. And that curiosity will work mostly because they have a worthy villain, Doom. After that, there is nothing on the horizon of excitement from the MCU. Feige has built his masterpiece with the help of many artists... but that work can never be recreated.

I think I'll have to agree with that, although I'd like to be wrong. My problem with F4 or X-People (see what I did there?) is that the MCU seems to now be all about nonsense Nanotech and a total lack of realism (within the confines of the genre) or stakes. They've been headed this way for a long time of course...

Natasha fights people with glow sticks instead of murdering them with sniper rifles, blades and small arms. Non-enhanced can wield Cap's shield. Helmets and armour appear and disappear out of thin air. Characters without powers can 'fly' (see BW trailer).

It's fine, I get it. I'm not the target demographic. Oddly enough I'd like to see an almost Nolan-esque, 'grounded' treatment for Spider-Man, something street level like Daredevil. That's the only Marvel movie that would get me excited and nothing like that is going to happen anytime soon.

In terms of action or speculative fiction all that seems to be left in terms of existing properties, would be to adapt some of the science fiction classics or the more interesting, original stories from Image comics ... but good luck adapting someone like Heinlein in today's socio-political milieu. It can be done but then the old fans will be up in arms.

Spy stuff is heavily played out, Cyberpunk is pretty quaint in the face of actual technology now, period pieces from Indy to Pirates seem to have had their day, capes are milked, Star Wars is dead, we got LOTR and GOT for better or for worse ... war movies all look the same now ...

I think I'd like to see smaller, grounded, well-written, quirky stories or really well-done sci-fi epics based on classics.

Not sure how well certain things would translate. If they haven't started trying to adapt it already, I wonder how something like Image's Sex Criminals would play out on screen ...

 

[Wor-Gar]

Natasha fights people with glow sticks instead of murdering them with sniper rifles, blades and small arms. Non-enhanced can wield Cap's shield. Helmets and armour appear and disappear out of thin air. Characters without powers can 'fly' (see BW trailer).



Spy stuff is heavily played out, Cyberpunk is pretty quaint in the face of actual technology now, period pieces from Indy to Pirates seem to have had their day, capes are milked, Star Wars is dead, we got LOTR and GOT for better or for worse ... war movies all look the same now ...

I think I'd like to see smaller, grounded, well-written, quirky stories or really well-done sci-fi epics based on classics.

Yes to top paragraph -- part of the Disney-fication that's safe for children. Magic glow sticks that knock you out. The Winter Soldier edge is long gone. It's all about "magic" now. Magic suits, magic powers, magic time...


And your 2nd paragraph basically outlines what has already been done. We can't list something new because it is just that. But we can still hope for something new... as all those things above were at one time.

But Matrix 4 and Fast 10 is not a promising future...

Strangely, both those films represent the USA's current divide quite nicely.

 

[jye4ever]

Didn’t the club lady from Falcon/WS get killed by Sharon’s sniper bullet.

Both of you detention now lol

 

[xipotec]

Yes to top paragraph -- part of the Disney-fication that's safe for children. Magic glow sticks that knock you out. The Winter Soldier edge is long gone. It's all about "magic" now. Magic suits, magic powers, magic time...


And your 2nd paragraph basically outlines what has already been done. We can't list something new because it is just that. But we can still hope for something new... as all those things above were at one time.

But Matrix 4 and Fast 10 is not a promising future...

Strangely, both those films represent the USA's current divide quite nicely.

It’s was inevitable. That’s Disney’s main audienece.

I think we may have to wait a long time for a other Nolan type superhero story.
Thing is , Disney should know by now, kids see the adult type superhero films anyway, with it without parental ok.....so they are really limiting their audience by exclusion of more adult themes.

But Disney is always about “get em young” and you have a customer for life.....they want to get those 4-10 year old parents money.

 

[Wor-Gar]

True, the "get 'em young" ideal at Disney. But that doesn't always work, and Disney needs to remember their dark days of the 70's and 80's when their name meant "G" rated embarrassment.

Kids "get over" the things they like 4-10. You want to get kids at 12-17... that group you get for life. A film with that as its lowest base can be more adult and appeal to 35 year olds as well. Long ago Bond did just that -- it had action for kids but also sex and adult double entendres for the adults, like Bugs Bunny cartoons. As the kid grows up he can appreciate new aspects to his favorite films. But Bond was going for a young audience right from the start. Their color pallet, like that of Disney, was bold, with primary colors. And it worked.

 

[ironwez20]

Nah, I'm already complaining about where this is headed. I'd rather just have my F4, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Defenders, Punisher, Moon Knight and X-Men in the MCU. You know, the badass cool characters. D+ is already watering the MCU down. Disney wants all the demographics covered and my list is too narrow for them. There is no big bad anytime soon, just another Phase 1 to establish the C-team characters.

Thats the only reason I'm sticking around. Xmen and FF and spiderman and Black panther and Blade. Also some of ones you mentioned. Could care less about shang chi or the eternals or who ever f list character they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get in order to keep things going. Lucky they got the fox characters and spiderman back or I would have jumped shipped long ago maybe before endgame.

 

[Zurdo95D]

 

[chrisstbh]

If you don't want spoiled regarding a certain character don't click.

Spoiler:

Polygon accidentally confirmed in their review that Taskmaster is in fact a woman, just like the leaks stated that Taskmaster would be a woman that uses technology to mimic, instead of being Tony Masters with his photographic reflexes. Yet another MCU bait and switch, bravo Feige.

 

[Neal136]

The review embargo lifted today, so "official" reviews are starting to roll out.

 

[Wor-Gar]

And the review says...

"Another by-the-numbers Marvel movie that is both moderately exciting and simultaneously forgettable as soon as the lights come on."

-Wor-Gar
for Time Magazine, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Inquirer.

 

[Wor-Gar]

If you don't want spoiled regarding a certain character don't click.

Spoiler:

Polygon accidentally confirmed in their review that Taskmaster is in fact a woman, just like the leaks stated that Taskmaster would be a woman that uses technology to mimic, instead of being Tony Masters with his photographic reflexes. Yet another MCU bait and switch, bravo Feige.

Not shocked by this. Expected it given the movie and casting.

 

[matticus]

I've seen a few mentioning that the character is dead, why did they do this movie?

 

[Zurdo95D]

 

[chrisstbh]

Not shocked by this. Expected it given the movie and casting.

Spoiler:

I’m not shocked or surprised, just disappointed. Sick of Feige and his bait & switch ********.

 

[TheDucky]

If you don't want spoiled regarding a certain character don't click.

Spoiler:

Polygon accidentally confirmed in their review that Taskmaster is in fact a woman, just like the leaks stated that Taskmaster would be a woman that uses technology to mimic, instead of being Tony Masters with his photographic reflexes. Yet another MCU bait and switch, bravo Feige.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Geez Phase 4 is so trash.

 

[matticus]

Spoiler:

I’m not shocked or surprised, just disappointed. Sick of Feige and his bait & switch ********.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Geez Phase 4 is so trash.

Spoiler:

They even had a dude wearing the TM suit at the premiere

A 4Chan leak if you care to read
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.
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Taskmaster is Olga Kurylenko's character Anya Dreykov, the daughter of Ray Winstone's character Viktor Dreykov, the director of the Red Room. She was Natasha's best friend, but when Natasha decided to escape, Anya tried to stop her and they fought. Natasha was forced to choose between leaving Anya to die in an explosion and escape, or rescue her and risk being recaptured. She chose to escape, something that has always haunted her.

Anya was severely injured but survived and was rebuilt by Dreykov and Rachel Weisz's character Melina Vostokoff with cybernetic enhancements, including to analyze and mimic other people's fighting skills. Anya lives under Dreykov's control and is ordered by Dreykov to recapture Natasha. In the end, Natasha is once again forced to choose between leaving Anya to die to escape or helping her and risk capture. This time, she chooses Anya, who forgives Natasha and dies in her arms from the injuries she suffered in the final battle.

O.T. Fagbenle's character Rick Mason is a red herring in regards to being Taskmaster, but he is secretly working for Dreykov and wants revenge against Natasha for ruining his life by leaking S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets online, exposing his identity and forcing him to live underground. Also, the movie ends with Ross retrieving the specs for Taskmaster's implants and planning to create his own version.