Conclave, Furiosa, Grand Maison Tokyo

Conclave

Lots of fun intrigue with a top notch cast.  A worthy diversion for an evening, but nothing more.  

Worth watching: Yes

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Nice

Furiosa

I thought I wanted this a lot more than I really did.  Mad Max: Fury Road is a true masterpiece, but I rarely want to rewatch it.  (Though I never regret it when I do.)  It’s such an assault on the senses, and it’s emotionally exhausting to watch.  (Something I never thought I’d say about an action flick.)  

So with Furiosa, I found myself weary of the despair and bleakness of the world, and found it a lot less enjoyable than its predecessor.  I thought Anya Taylor-Joy made for a fine Furiosa, really liked Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack, and found Chris Hemsworth too campy of a villain.  The action scenes were pretty good, the one w/ the flying contraptions was spectacular.  

Worth watching: Yes

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Pretty good

Grand Maison Tokyo

A super, super cute show where a ragtag bunch of top-notch chefs form a restaurant with the aim of earning a Michelin star.  This is a delightful, heartwarming show that I’ll definitely come back to at some point in the future.

Worth watching: Yes

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: Yes

Rating: Really good

Agatha All Along, Deadpool/Wolverine, Acolyte

I’ve got a massive backlog of movies/shows that I’ve been wanting to review.  Let’s see how much I remember of some of these.

Agatha All Along

I think this is the first MCU show that I haven’t watched as it came out on a week-to-week basis.  I had little interest in Agatha as a character, even with the wonderful Kathryn Hahn in the lead role.  (“Poncho!”)

I binged this with my wife while on vacation over three nights.  Thoughts:
What I liked:

• Patti LuPone.  I know her as Broadway royalty, though I haven’t seen her in anything.  She’s wonderful here, and her spotlight episode is the best part of the show.  Her character arc is the most compelling, and it ends with a satisfying poignancy.

• The Salem Seven.  At least with how creepily they were portrayed.  Horror-lite, which is the best way I like my horror.  (I’m a wimp.)  They were handled way too easily.  Negative satisfaction on that front.

• I’m looking at the cast pics for the Salem Seven, and they’re all gorgeous model-types.  Why???  They were cloaked and masked in black the whole time.

• The first performance of The Witches’ Road.  Haunting with lovely harmonies.  

• Agatha’s relationship w/ her son.  Because I’m a parent and a sucker for these kinds of things now.

• Sasheer Zamata.  “Isn’t that the person from SNL??”  Did not expect to see her in a dramatic role, but she acquitted herself nicely.

• Aubrey Plaza.  She always plays Aubrey Plaza.  But in the right roles, that’s all that’s needed.  

• Between Billy, Agatha, and Rio, this is the most LGBTQ representation I’ve ever seen in the MCU.  I hope they keep going in this direction.  

What I didn’t like

• Not a fan of Joe Locke’s performance as Teen.  He annoyed me for most of the show, until his origin story in the penultimate episode.  He got a lot better after I understood his motivation.  Though I wish they spent more time w/ how traumatic it is to be a 13-year old trapped in the body of a 16-year old.  (And he started out as a 10-year old!  How is he making it through school?  He’s making out w/ a 16-year kid!  It’s Big all over again!)

• The Wiccan costume did not translate well to the screen.  Looked like bad cosplay.

• Hahn is generally wonderful, and the campiness is intentional.  But sometimes it was too much for me.

• Debra Jo Rupp.  Will always love her for Friends, but she annoyed the crap out of me here.

• I don’t buy the team up at the end.  It wrapped things up too easily.

I was never entertained, but I will never want to watch this again.  (Maybe the Lilia episode.)  I don’t need a second season, but I’d be happy enough to see Wiccan and his found-brother in a Young Avengers movie/show.

Worth watching: Yes

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Fine

Updated MCU TV rankings

1. Hawkeye

2. She-Hulk

3. Wandavision

4. Ms Marvel

5. Falcon/Winter Soldier

6. Loki

7. Agatha All Along

8. Echo

9. Moon Knight

10. Secret Invasion

Acolyte

Things I liked:

• Manny Jacinto.  By far the best part of the show.  I want a show with him as the main character, going around the universe corrupting the good and kicking ass.

• The lightsaber battles were super tight.

• Wookie jedi!

• Carrie-Anne Moss as a Jedi.  She’s so badass, I wanted more of her in action.

• Ahmed Best.  So good to see him back in the Star Wars universe.  Hopefully it was a better experience this time around.  I don’t blame him at all for Jar-Jar.

Things I didn’t like:

• Lee Jung-jae.  I haven’t seen Squid Game, so this is my first exposure to him.  I found him to be wooden and didn’t sympathize with him at all.  Didn’t buy him as a Jedi master.

• The twin protagonists.  Didn’t care about either of them at all.  

• The story wasn’t interesting enough to warrant the Rashomon format.  This wasn’t worth watching once, let along multiple times.

• So much of this series was filler.  It could have been cut down to half its length and still served its purpose.

I’m not sorry this was cancelled, but I am sad we may never see Jacinto wield a lightsaber again.

Worth watching: Yes (barely)

Would watch again: No (except for the fight scene on Youtube)

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

Deadpool & Wolverine

Things I liked (this is off the top of my head 6 months after seeing it)

• Hugh Jackman.  He will always be great in this role, selling the humor, the action, and the pathos.  The guy can do it all.

• All of the Wolverine variants.  Loved.

• Ryan Reynolds.  As perfect for Deadpool as Jackman is for Wolverine.  Period.

• All the cameos.  X-23, Blade, Gambit, Elektra, Torch, Yukio! - every single one of them elicited a joyful clap of the hands.

• Emma Corrin.  One of the best MCU villains I’ve seen, she was genuinely scary.  (Those fingers in the brain!)  Corrin oozed charisma, and I would love for her to be the overarching big bad in the upcoming X-Men movies.  (Would never happen, though)

• The humor was what I expected, and I laughed through most of this.

• Perfect post-credits tag.

Things I didn’t like

• This movie ruined “Like a Prayer” for me.  I love that song, and I can’t hear it w/out thinking of this film anymore. 

• The movie runs out of steam.  I was ready to tap out by the time the Deadpool army showed up.

This needs a rewatch, but I still have pleasant memories of this film.  

Worth watching: Yes

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Pretty good

Updated MCU rankings

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. Avengers: Infinity War

6. Shang-Chi

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron

8. Ant-Man/Wasp

9. Avengers

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

11. Captain America

12. Dr Strange 2

13. Thor: Love and Thunder

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home

15. Iron Man 2

16. Black Widow

17. Black Panther

18. Iron Man

19. Ant-Man

20. Dr Strange

21. Deadpool & Wolverine

22. Iron Man 3

23. Thor 3

24. Captain Marvel

25. Thor

26. Thor 2

27. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

28. Guardians of the Galaxy

29. Guardians of the Galaxy 2

30. Guardians of the Galaxy 3

31. Hulk

32. Eternals

33. Ant-Man/Wasp: Quantumania

New comics

It’s been a month since I’ve been to my LCS.  Here’s some of what I bought:

DC vs Vampires: World War V 5

Matthew Rosenberg does a great job of weaving multiple storylines together.  And like Tom Taylor did with DCeased, he manages to squeeze in an “oh shit” moment with just about every issue.  This month, it’s what Nightwing’s been doing with the Flash this whole time.  Chilling.

Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter 6

This was one of the prettiest comics I’ve read in a long time.  Tirso’s work is flat out gorgeous.  

Fantastic Four 27

I get the same thought reading this that I do w/ Mark Waid’s current work: I feel like I should be liking this more than I am.  Not prepared to quit on it yet, though.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5

By far the weakest issue of the run.  It focuses on the villain, not the Turtles, and though it’s well written, I just don’t care as much about this guy.  

Absolute Superman 2

Rafa Sandoval is channeling major Steve Epting vibes here, which isn’t that bad of a thing.  This is still my least favorite of the new Absolute titles.  (Not a strong month for Jason Aaron.)  But it still has promise.  

Batgirl 2

Still a fun, action-oriented comic that feels like a throwback to the 2000’s.  

Detective Comics 1092

Can’t get over how much I love Mikel Janin on interiors.  Also surprised by how un-Tom Taylor this title feels.  It could have been written by any competent writer, and lacks that Taylor flair.  Giving it time.  

Batman: Long Halloween: Last Halloween 4

Cliff Chiang!  This series continues to illustrate just how massive a difference an artist can make on the tone, feel, and success of a comic book.  It’s truly a collaborative effort. 

New comics

New comics!

Battle Action 1

I’ve never heard of Rebellion Comics before, but I’ll go anywhere that Garth Ennis is writing war comics.  Here, he continues his work on Johnny Red.  It’s as good as it was before.  I may have to pick up the earlier Battle Action trades, it looks like Ennis did more Johnny Red stories there.

Absolute Wonder Woman 2

Wonderful.  I don’t know if I’d like Hayden Sherman’s art anywhere else, but it’s perfect for this.  Ready for more.

Detective Comics 1091

I didn’t expect Bruce to take the de-aging drug.  But I guess when Superman gives his blessing, it’s okay.  I’m just so happy to see Mikel Janin’s art again.  

JLA Unlimited 1

I was certainly going to give this Mark Waid/Dan Mora collaboration a shot.  It’s a take on the excellent cartoon series, where every hero in the DCU is a member of the team.  The result is fine, but nothing more.  I won’t be getting more.

Question: All Along the Watchtower 1

This ancillary miniseries is more of what I’m looking for.  I’ve always been a Renee Montoya fan as a detective.  I watched her downward spiral and subsequent transition into the Question with skepticism, but I’m on board for this interpretation by Alex Segura and Cian Tormey.  Montoya’s got a great look (cowboy detective!) and delicious interpersonal drama lined up (Kathy Kane’s the team!).  This should be fun.

Batgirl 1

This reads like a Chuck Dixon comic: Lots of action, just enough plot to tie it all together.  Cassandra Cain and her mother, Lady Shiva, are forced to team up against ninja.  That’s more than enough for me.

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 3

What a difference an artist makes.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mark Chiarello’s work.  I knew he was an artist, but mostly knew him as an editor.  Jeph Loeb is definitely a writer whose work rises and falls with the quality of his penciller.  All of a sudden I’m way higher on the rest of this series, especially w/ Cliff Chiang next in the lineup.

Jenny Sparks 4

I’m prepared to call this mini the rare Tom King piece of trash.  This is just plodding along, boring, pointless, and a negative on the entertainment scale.  Off my list, I think.

Black Canary: Best of the Best 1

Luckily, King is back on track with this much simpler story.  Black Canary versus Lady Shiva for reasons yet to be disclosed.  Ryan Sook is almost amazing here, but some of his drawings are a touch stilted.  This would probably be better w/ a different artist, but I’m not really complaining.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4

TIme for Donatello.  A fun, twisted single-issue tale from Jason Aaron and Chris Burnham.  An excellent start to this mini, and now we’ll see where things go with the brothers reunited.