Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Movie Review

One of the beauties of the science fiction and fantasy genre is the creation of new worlds. Within these worlds is an exploration of character and narrative that is both novel and human.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the third film in the Ant-Man series. The movie starts when it seems that all is well in the world of Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). His daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton) is now grown up and has joined the family business. He is happily settled down with Hope Van Dyne/ The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly). The relationship between his in-laws, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) is as solid as it ever was.

When an experimental machine does not work as planned, they are sent into the quantum realm. While trying to figure out how to get home, they have to get through Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Kang has a bone to pick and is not unwilling to use force to get what he wants.

I enjoyed this one. There is a nice balance between comedy and action. The narrative is neither too short nor drags on for what seems forever. I certainly appreciated that the female characters were on the same level as the male characters.

Though Kang is not as deep as Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) or Wanda Maximoff (Elisabeth Olsen), he is still a fierce baddie who stands in the way of our heroes. He knows what he wants and is perfectly willing to destroy anything or anyone who gets in his way.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently in theaters.

P.S. There are two scenes worth waiting for. The mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene that opens the door to the next season of Loki.

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Thor: Love and Thunder Movie Review

By the time the 4th movie in a franchise is released, the audience has certain expectations. Those expectations at least partially dictate how fans will react to the film.

Thor: Love and Thunder was recently released in theaters.

Since we last saw Thor (Chris Hemsworth) at the end of Avengers: Endgame, he has gotten his act together. The beer belly is gone and Thor is once more saving the day. When Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale) leaves a path of destruction and dead gods in his wake, Thor goes on a mission to stop him. Joining him are Korg (voiced by director/screenwriter Taika Waititi), King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and former girlfriend Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

This is not only one of the best movies of the year, it is one of the best comic book superhero movies of the last few years. The humor is top-notch, the action is perfect, and the chemistry/awkwardness between Thor and Jane is the emotional lynchpin of the narrative.

As Gorr, Bale is as scary and unnerving. The only villain who has created that same emotion in me is “He who shall not be named” (Ralph Fiennes) from the Harry Potter franchise. Like Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in Black Panther, Gorr is not just a baddie for baddie’s sake. His reasons are understandable, even if we don’t agree with his actions. The makeup on him is fantastic, he almost disappears under the prosthetics and white paint.

If I had a favorite moment in the film, it was Russell Crowe‘s scenes as Zeus. His take on this character is a bombastic, full of it God who knows that he is in control. Instead of ruling by force, he rules by charisma and charm.

If that was not enough to make me happy, the soundtrack includes a number of Guns N’ Roses songs. I couldn’t help but sing along.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Thor: Love and Thunder is presently in theaters.

P.S. There are two post-credit scenes. Trust me when I say that it is worth staying for both.

Black Panther Movie Review

*I have no knowledge of either the narrative and characters in the Black Panther comic book, so this review is strictly based on the movie.

Comic books, especially the ones based around superheroes have become our modern-day fairy tales. There are heroes, villains, difficult journeys and life lessons that leave a lasting imprint long after we have read the final page.

Black Panther hit theaters this weekend.

The film starts off where Captain America: Civil War has ended. T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), is stepping into the role of King of Wakanda, a fictional country in Africa, after loosing his father. He is supported by his ex/best friend, Nakia, (Lupita Nyong’o), his younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), the Q to his James Bond, his widowed mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and his general, Okoye (Danai Gurira), who is the head of Wakanda’s Amazon-esque army.

When Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) threaten T’Challa/Black Panther and his kingdom, our hero must fight for his thrown and his country.

I loved this movie. I loved this movie. It has heart, it has humor, it has action, it has bad ass female characters and most importantly, character and actors of color who are proudly representing their heritage.

This movie is worth every word of praise and every dollar that has been spent to see it.

Black Panther is presently in theaters. 

 

Our Worst Enemy: Ourselves

Life is hard. We will have setbacks. We will be knocked to our feet. But sometimes in our struggle to get back on our feet, the person responsible for keeping us down is the person we see in the mirror.

The upcoming movie, Creed, is a spinoff of the Rocky franchise. Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordon) is the son of the late Apollo Creed. Adonis wants to follow in his father’s footsteps.  But he has obstacles in his way. Can Adonis live up to his father’s name and reputation?

I saw the trailer for Creed last night. The one scene that struck me in the trailer was Rocky and Adonis standing in front of a mirror. Rocky tells Adonis that the man he is seeing will be his toughest opponent.

I am not a huge fan of the franchise, but I find that statement to be true. There are others who will mock us, reject us, make us feel like shit. But they are nothing in comparison to how we make ourselves feel. I am the first to admit that I am my own worst enemy. I have the uncanny knack of sometimes making a mountain out of a molehill. But I know I am not the only one.

No one is perfect. We are all human. We all make mistakes. We all have to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off and learn. But the question is, do we let the negativity overwhelm us or do we just move on with our life?