Chew The Fat: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - A Spoiled Discussion

Martinex1: The movie has been out for a full two weekends in the States, so it is time for an unfiltered, unhindered, spoiler-laced discussion of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Let's talk about everything in the movie including but not limited to the plot, character development, special effects, key story beats, Mantis, Yondu, Ego, baby Groot, humor, villainy, the soundtrack, and the credit scenes,

To get the ball rolling, consider the following queries about this sequel:

Did the movie expand on the first film or just mimic it; did it add to the overall Marvel Universe?

Did the film deliver on the humor and good will that was apparent in the first film?

Were the new characters welcome additions to the group; do you feel you know the characters better now?

Was it repetitive or innovative?  Did it live up to the hype and expectations?

Many other movies imitated the first GOTG film and started to rely on songs of the 70s for their soundtracks; was GOTG Vol 2 successful in its musical decisions?

What did you think about the scenes interspersed in the closing credits?  Are you looking forward to future Marvel escapades?

If there is one criticism of Marvel films, it is that the villains are underdeveloped and one-note - what did you think of the villainy here?

How did the movie reflect the comic book universe?   Do you feel it was faithful to the imaginary universe we grew up with in the Bronze Age?

What would you have liked to see more or less of in the film?

In general was the acting, script, action, dialogue, and plot up to your expectations? How do you rank this compared to other Marvel cinematic offerings?

Share your thoughts, reviews, critiques, and commentary.   And please don't read the comments if you have not seen the movie and want to remain unspoiled.   Cheers!

Chew The Fat: Doctor Strange Movie: Unhindered, Unfettered, and Fully Spoiled

Martinex1: Doctor Strange has been in theaters in the U.S. for two weekends and even longer in some countries worldwide, so it is time for a full-blown conversation about the film, art direction, special effects, plot, themes, characters, acting, and script.  Let the SPOILERS fly! Be warned we are hiding nothing as it is time to talk about the latest offering from the Marvel cinematic universe.  Plot points and story beats and characterizations are all fair game here at BITBA today!


What did you think?  What did you like and what did you question?   What would you have done differently and what exceeded your expectations?  Did Benedict Cumberbatch make Strange real?   How about Mordo?  Wong?  Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One?  And Dormammu? 


Did you feel that the magic was adequately depicted?  Was the Eye of Agamotto how you envisioned it?  How about the Cloak of Levitation?  The Sanctum Santorum?  Or the Dark Domain?  Was Ditko honored or forgotten?
 
I thoroughly enjoyed the film and saw it in the 3-D IMAX format.   The visuals were stunning.   I liked that the story stayed relatively faithful to the comic book.  I respected that they showed a significant amount of Strange prior to the accident and during his training.   Despite being an origin story, I did not feel it was entirely predictable.  I thought it was risky to make Stephen Strange so selfish and egotistical, but I think that helped show his evolutionary path.  His first mind trip was fantastic.   As far as weaknesses go, I thought Dormammu was insufficient and would have preferred the entity be kept mysterious and hidden for future episodes.  And I definitely would have liked him to be portrayed more consistently with the comics.   While I liked the concept of the resolution with a time loop, I thought the explanation and execution was a bit rushed.  I also am on the fence about the Cloak's characterization - initially I really enjoyed the scenes but in retrospect I question if giving the cloak an almost Disney-like personality will work in the long run.  I have to say I really liked the set design, particularly for the Sanctum Sanctorum.  I am very torn on Tilda Swinton's portrayal of the Ancient One; while she is a fine actress, there were times when I was distracted and pulled out of the film by her portrayal and by the choice to cast her. 


So now it is your turn - break down the plot and rate the movie in comparison to other Marvel offerings.  How does it stand in terms of cinema origins?   On a scale of Seven Rings of Raggadorr - how would you grade the movie?


The floor is yours!   Redartz and I will join in with our own comments and musings.

 

 

 

Doctor Strange Movie: The Unspoiled Discussion



Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange

Martinex1:  Here we are with our first installment of "Chew the Fat," our open discussion section of the Back in the Bronze Age blog.   

This weekend we will be talking about the new Doctor Strange movie that opened in the U.S. this week.   Did you see it?  What are your thoughts?  Did it live up to the Lee - Ditko concept?   How was Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role?  Did it meet the standards set by previous films in the Marvel cinematic universe?

Redartz:  Based only upon the previews, this looks like a winner. So much of Dr. Strange's appeal has  arisen from the ornately rendered scenes, diaphanous spells and weird dimensions he encounters. How effectively will the bizarre, mystical worlds visualized by Ditko and Colan be imagined on the big screen? Tell us your take...

Keep it SPOILER FREE folks, but feel free to give your overall impression.   We will be back later to speak in depth, but what did you think?