My Thoughts on Wonder Woman: 1984

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels on the DCEU’s new Wonder Woman: 1984 film. In case you have no idea what I’m talking about (How is that possible?), I’ve posted the trailer below.

Where do I start with this disaster of a movie? I guess I'll begin with what I liked about it, so I don't come off as an angry troll. And be warned, SPOILERS are inevitable.

The beginning scene is all about young Diana entering an Amazonian competition on the Themiscrya. Unlike a lot of people, I loved this scene. Maybe I'm a sucker for any storyline featuring the awesome Amazon women. Honestly, I'd love a whole show about them with or without small Diana. HBO Max, make it happen!

I also really enjoyed the mid-credit scene at the end of the movie. (Technically it's a mid-credit scene, but there isn't an end-credit one, so....) However, I felt that the entire purpose of that mid-credit scene was undermined by the fact that the golden armor Wonder Woman wore played no real role in the storyline whatsover.

Now, onto the dislikes. One, is the plot, which was boring and convoluted. A wish stone combined with a business mogul who wants to take over the world does not captivating television make. I also, unlike many, didn't think Pedro Pascal's acting was all that great here. Kristen Wiig's as Cheetah on the other hand, I very much enjoyed despite the script being ridiculously stupid. Also, can we stop depicting women who wear glasses and can't walk in heels as nerds? Barbara, aka Cheetah, worked in the Smithsonian for Pete's sake. All of her co-workers were nerds. She's also a skinny attractive white woman in the '80s.

But wait! The dumbness of the plot thickens. Chris Pine comes back as Steve Trevor, but he does so in someone else's body! And since Diana sleeps with Steve, she also sleeps with this guy's body. Non-consensually. Where's this dude's conscious? Does he know he slept with Diana? From the ending it doesn't seem so, but yikes. This plot point could have been written any other way, but Patty Jenkins, writer and director, chose to go this route.

Back to the boring and confusing parts of the story again, the wish stone apparently has no consistency. The businessman played by Pascal also just runs around trying to improve his career aspirations, and I guess he can interpret the wishes however he sees fit? Because some of the wish stone wishes he grants are not exactly what the character making the wish asked for, especially in the case of Barbara. Who also kind of got a second wish when you're supposed to technically only get one. Oh, and somehow Diana can fly now? And turn things invisible? Which makes no sense in the continuity of the DCEU since she couldn't fly or produce invisibility in Batman v. Superman or The Justice League. And let's not talk about how the Smithsonian just happens to have fully-functional planes laying around.

All in all, this movie is a hot mess. I am so disappointed in it. Since Wonder Woman was the only thing holding the DCEU together, in my opinion, I feel like this film did a great disservice to her character and her future appearances. Do yourself a favor, do not watch this movie. It's not worth risking your health for in theaters, and it isn't worth the price of an HBO Max subscription. If you already have HBO Max, sure, go for it. Just know that it is nothing like the first film and, in this case, that is not a good thing.

My Thoughts on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film. It wasn’t bad, but, at the time, I just wasn’t super into Disney villains. I also have never really loved Angelina Jolie. She’s had her moments, but her acting is kind of stiff to me. That didn’t change for this film. Jolie was still stiff and awkward, but the storyline was A+.

My favorite part of this film was the aesthetic. The dark fey are awesome. Dark and magical in appearance and demeanor. There are so many different types of wings and appearances. For someone who had no idea these characters were being added, I was super invested in their culture and lifestyle to the point where I would love a TV series just about the dark fey. I especially loved Connall and Borra. Unfortunately, those are the only two dark fey we really get to know, but I still enjoyed them immensely. (I am going to give a SPOILER here that this film uses the typical overdone and awful trope of killing off the black guy. I was upset.)

Two other parts of the film I loved aesthetic-wise were Michelle Pfiefer’s portrayal of Queen Ingrith and the Moors. Of course, the Moors and the fairies there were in the first film, but I guess I didn’t appreciate the pretty, bright colors when I watched it. The animal-sidekick hedgehog creature wasn’t as cute as I think it was supposed to be, though. I actually thought the mushroom was cuter. But Warwick Davis was in this movie, and that’s always a plus. I wish we could’ve seen more of his character. He was kind of underutilized. As for Queen Ingrith, she’s the stereotypical evil queen, but her outfits were on point. Plus, she’s played by Michelle Pfiefer.

For this installment, Prince Phillip, Queen Ingrith’s son, was recast. I think the new actor did a decent job; however, I don’t really remember the first actor’s portrayal, so that isn’t saying much. Now sadly, Aurora and Maleficent were both kind of meh for me. BUT, their ending scenes were beautiful. Their relationship is something that isn’t seen much in Disney films, and I’m glad their bond exists for younger kids to experience and possibly relate to.

All in all, this film has its ups and downs. The aesthetic is magical and amazing, but sometimes, the acting isn’t quite up to par. The storyline was lyrical and lovely, with some exceptions, but the ending was a little too convenient. (Again, it’s a Disney movie.) Though, it does do a good job showing the consequences of violence.

My Thoughts on Birds of Prey

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the new Birds of Prey film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

I went into this movie thinking at least 80% of the drama and controversy was unwarranted. I’d heard a lot of hot takes saying fanboys were getting angry about female empowerment and having female directors and producers for the film. So, when I watched this for the first, and probably last, time, I was disappointed that it seems like a lot of the anger for Birds of Prey was warranted. Not because of the female empowerment issues (because I’m all for that), but because the movie just sucked.

First off, Birds of Prey is Batgirl’s group. Not Harley Quinn’s. Why in the world did DC not make a Gotham City Sirens film with Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy?!? It would’ve made so much more sense to do that instead of butchering the other female DC characters. Like Cassandra Cain, who is supposed to be a bada$$ assassin. For this film, she was turned into a weak little pickpocket with a broken arm. Wth.

Also, Huntress was ridiculous. The actress is the same one who played the villain in Sky High, so all I could picture was Gwen Grayson having random mood swings. Ick. I did like the actress for Black Canary, though, once again, they ruined her backstory by choosing to go with a more recent comic book storyline versus her original origins. Oh, and the bad guy, Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask, was turned into a joke. He’s a major Batman villain, but now he has zero potential. I seriously cannot believe the DCEU let this film be part of its canon.

As for the plot, we mostly following Harley Quinn, which is expected. The first half was really, really boring. Harley mopes, gets drunk, buys a hyena, eats a sandwich, and very little happens. Yes, the hyena is cute and the sandwich storyline was fun, but it was just shot in such a dull way. I don’t even know how to explain it. The second half did pick up the pace, but the action scenes were cringey. Fun at times, but cringey overall.

So I am dumping on this movie pretty hardcore. And I don’t know if I’ll ever consider it canon, despite its inclusion of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. But the film did have its fun moments. They were rare, as most scenes were either A) boring, B) cringey, or C) ridiculous, but they did exist. I’d say, if you’re curious about this film at all, rent it. Do. Not. Buy. It. Birds of Prey is not worth the $20 it would cost to own a copy.

Overall, I’m really sad that this is one of the first female-comic-book-hero-group film adaptations we get, and it’s just blugh. What’s even sadder is that I don’t really like a lot of the female Marvel characters, so if they do a female team-up film for those characters, I won’t care. The DCEU had the opportunity to really do something, and they blew it writing-wise, directing-wise, and just character-wise. This film is reason numero uno why actors shouldn’t be allowed a say in their characters’ storylines when it comes to adaptations.

My Thoughts on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

So I watched The Rise of Skywalker when it was added to Disney+ on May 4^th. I didn’t see it in theaters because I wasn’t a big fan of The Last Jedi. Thus, there was no reason for me to pay for a $10 movie ticket when I knew all the Star Wars movies would eventually be on streaming. I’m really glad I waited. Not because The Rise of Skywalker was bad—I actually enjoyed 80% of it—but because it was ridiculously LOOOOOOOOOONG. I’m not sure my bladder would’ve held out for a theater viewing.

Besides being long, my thoughts can be summed up with “it was good.” Not amazing, but good. There were a lot of “force feelings” that were a little odd. Otherwise, it was a solid film. There was plenty of action, and the plot was fairly easy to follow. I was concerned with the return of Palpatine, but the way it played out was actually pretty interesting.

Even though a lot of people think Rey is overpowered (me included), I still think she kicks a$$. Her storyline and the way it mingled with the first three films actually impressed me. Even the Kylo Ren parts. And I am NOT a fan of Kylo Ren. I also thought all of the new (and old) droids and creatures were fun. There were some cute moments. I felt so sad for poor Chewbacca, though. I won’t go into spoilers, but his storyline was the only one that made me tear up.

Although I enjoyed Rey, Leia, and the droids and creatures, I have to admit that sometimes Poe and Finn got on my nerves. Finn’s role during the entire film just seemed to be overacted yelling, while Poe was able to make terrible decisions in The Last Jedi but still become a high-ranking operative in the Resistance. Talk about Glass Escalator. It’s kind of sad how the two characters were made to be so awesome in The Force Awakens, but their story (like most of the characters) got messed up in the sequels. I mean, Finn was a stormtrooper who joined the Resistance! He could have had a way better storyline. (Oh, and again, no spoilers, but why are the current showrunners of Star Wars obsessed with having characters ride terrible CGI horse-like creatures. It didn’t work out in The Last Jedi, and it just looked weird in this film as well.)

All in all, other than the strange “force feelings” that all of the main characters seemed to have, as well as a few questionable storylines for our two male characters, I was impressed by The Rise of Skywalker. It had beautiful scenes and imagery. Some of the shots were just gorgeous. And Rey is so kicka$$. I’m actually sad to see her go, though as Luke said in The Last Jedi, I too think “It’s time for the Jedi to end,” or at least, the Skywalker saga. Thankfully, we still have Baby Yoda….

My Thoughts on Onward the Movie

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the recently-released Onward film. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below:

Like a majority of Americans, I watched this film via Disney+. I hadn’t planned on seeing it in theaters, not because of virus reasons, but just because the movie didn’t look all that great. The animation is more Dreamworks style than Pixar style (nothing wrong with Dreamworks’s style, I just wasn’t expecting it from Pixar), and I’ve never been a Tom Holland fan. Oh, and Chris Pratt, while he has played some fun characters, has his fair share of issues that I’m not sure how to feel about. So yeah, I was going to pass on this one until it came out on Disney+ anyway.

Onward starts off really slow and sloggy. The family and their voice actors just weren’t meshing well for the first thirty minutes. And while there are fun magical creatures, I don’t think they’re ever fully utilized. I wanted more from the world-building in this one, and it just never explored anything beyond the family dynamic. There was an explanation for why magic was gone in the world, but nothing about how it could/would/should come back.

Once that initial slog passed, things really got underway. I can tell you exactly when the pace picked up and the humor really came about, and it has to do with a certain gang of small beings. I’ll leave it at that so no one is spoiled, but those things were amazing. They were the best part of the movie. After that, I really began to love the brother dynamic between Ian and Barley. And oh-my-gosh, did their relationship make me want to sob. (My parents were watching the movie with me, so I had to hold back my tears.)

Honestly, this film really hits its stride in the last half. The sibling relationship, the mother-sons relationship, and the father-sons relationship all come together in a jumble of feels. Definitely don’t watch this unless you’re prepared to cry. Tissues are a must.

All in all, Onward is a good film. It had action and adventure perfect for any Dungeons & Dragons or fantasy lover, and it has all the emotions you’d expect for a Pixar movie. Just trudge through the first half-hour, then you’ll definitely want to stick around to the end.

My Thoughts on the How to Train Your Dragon 3 Trailer

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the new How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I don’t think that properly expresses how excited I am for this movie. It’s been so long since the second film came out, and even longer since the first one. I just recently re-watched both films, and I gotta say, they kept to the feeling of those films with this new trailer.

Now, I’m super enthusiastic for pretty much everything that was shown on screen here, but we have to talk about the one thing that seems to be on everyone’s minds: the female dragon, aka Toothless’s new girlfriend. A lot of people were upset that she had curves to emphasize her femininity. After all, Meatlug and Stormfly don’t have curves, and they’re female dragons. 

Toothless and the fake, fan-made female dragon.

And, I can see where they’re coming from. It is kind of stupid, especially when, instead of making her all shiny and such, they could have used this awesome fan-made version. However, I’m also interested in seeing how her appearance works with the new world Hiccup and Astrid discover. Can she blend into her surroundings with her sparkly scales? Does her disappearing act have something to do with her whiteness? I’m very intrigued.

As for everything else, holy cow! That one shot (can it be called a shot if it’s not a live-action movie?) with Hiccup and Toothless walking through the flames was awesome! Same with Toothless being all lightning-powered! I’m iffy on the beard, though. I’m hoping Astrid made Hiccup shave, and that’s why it’s not in the rest of the trailer. Or, it can be an ending/epilogue beard.

Oh, and did anyone else feel like bawling in the beginning intro? God, I don’t know how I’m going to live my life without Toothless in it. He’s just so freakin’ adorable! As shown not only by the replay of the first film scene, but also how clueless he is with his mating dances. Those weird, bird-like mating dances. Poor Toothless.

What I am curious about, though, is why there’s no Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, or Fishlegs in the trailer. They’re in the Netflix show, so why weren’t they in the trailer? And, for that matter, where’s Hiccup’s mom? Curious… I’m not sure how the villain is going to play into everything, but he doesn’t seem as evil as the second movie’s bad guy. Honestly, I was hoping a little for a female villain, but like I mentioned, everything about this trailer is still absolutely amazing!

I know I’m going to be sobbing at the end of this film. Especially because I’ve heard the finale is going to reflect the ending the books’ author had in mind for her series. I just want my poor babies to be safe! Dreamworks, you better not hurt them! March 2019 cannot get here soon enough. In fact, I’m just going to take a ten-month-long nap. Wake me up when it’s release day.

My Thoughts on Avengers: Infinity War

It’s time for me to share my thoughts and feels about Avengers: Infinity War!!! In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted the trailer below. But why haven’t you seen it?! It’s only the biggest movie in the world!

Okay, first thing to note is how awesomely epic this film is. I had pretty high expectations for this movie, and it met most of them and surpassed others. All of the characters are intermingled well, and the plot, despite being based off a comic, is actually difficult to guess at. There are a lot of surprises in this one.

First, though, I’m going to keep on that discussion about characters. There are so freakin’ many in this movie! Of course, there are the original Avengers, the Guardians, the newbie Avengers, and all of Thanos’s crew. Even though the Guardians are not on Earth, they fit in perfectly with the characters they team up with. There’s so much witty banter and crazy hijinks! It also seemed like every character got a moment to shine, even if they weren’t one of the more prominent members.

Speaking of more prominent members, Thor! Thor is my favorite Avenger (followed closely by Cap, and then, probably Scarlet Witch). I’m just super excited for his storyline. I can’t wait to see what pans out for all of them in next year’s movie.

As for the plot, it was just all over the place! In a good way. Thanos is a really good villain. Some of his moments were a little predictable, but the lengths he went to to achieve those moments were crazy! He’s by far the most developed of the MCU villains. And this movie makes the film his superhero story.

One thing I also have to discuss before I wrap this post up is my thoughts about the CGI. The CGI was incredible 95% of the time. There were only a few instances when I was startled by it. One of those instances was kind of jarring though. I was a little baffled that Marvel would do such a bad job in that one scene. Otherwise, though, there was only one bad guy (bad girl, technically) who I thought should have been CGI-ed in a Hulk- or Thanos-esque manner—meaning using the actress’s face as a basis for the CGI instead of building an entirely new CGI face. But, really, with how fantastic the graphics were in this film, I can forgive them for having a screw up or two.

All in all, Avengers: Infinity War is the movie of the year. It’s the culmination of ten years’ worth of MCU films, and it’s a blast of good jokes, awesome action scenes, and wonderful characters coming together onscreen for the very first time. Just please go see it before someone spoils it for you.

My Personal Ranking of the MCU Films

So Avengers: Infinity War is almost upon us! I’m so freakin’ excited for this film! I’m super wary of the internet right now because of potential spoilage. It’s a scary place right now.

To get myself pumped for the movie (or even more pumped than I already am), I thought I’d do a ranking of my personal favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Now, I’d like to start out with a disclaimer that 1) these are my current favorites, which means they could move up or down as time goes by, and 2) these are my opinions. Yours could be different. No one is right or wrong when it comes to their favorite MCU films. Books, yes. MCU films, no. ;)

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18. Iron Man 3

This film was awful. This is probably the only one that I’d have to say must be in the bottom of everyone’s list. I’ve fought with my roommate over how terrible this movie is. (Not literally fought, but had strong words.)

17. Iron Man 2

Meh. It was alright. I don’t even remember the villains name, though.

16. The Incredible Hulk

Good movie, but I just wish the actors had stayed the same.

15. Spider-Man: Homecoming

I actually liked three out of the five other Spider-Man movies more than this one. This one was just predictable and not as awe-inspiring, even though Peter is actually a high school kid.

14. Doctor Strange

I need to re-watch this one. I’ve only seen it one time, and while it was good, Dr. Strange’s powers just are a little trippy for me. Plus, white washing. Boo.

13. Black Panther

I liked this one, but the CGI threw me off. I’ll need to see it a second time to get a definitive ranking (same for a lot of these, actually).

12. Avengers: Age of Ultron

I wish this one was higher on the list, but the Black Widow + Bruce Banner relationship was too much. Otherwise, I could have enjoyed this one with no problems.

11. Ant-Man

A funny movie that took a spin on the comics, but a movie about a shrinking/growing man just can’t be up to par with some of the other heroes, despite its humor.

10. Thor: The Dark World

I haven’t been able to re-watch, so I don’t remember a lot. I do know it was good, and that Chris Hemsworth is very nice. ;)

9. Iron Man

Even though I’m not a Tony Stark fan, I still have to appreciate how amazed I was at this first MCU film. I remember laughing very hard.

8. Captain America: Winter Soldier

I think this one would be higher on my list if I had re-watched it recently. I’ve only seen it 1.5 times, but I remember seeing some awesome fight scenes.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy

No Baby Groot for this one, but it was still funny, and the music is amazing.

6. Thor

I didn’t appreciate this film as much when I first watched it in theaters, but now, all I can say is “Another!”

5. Captain America: The First Avenger

Oh, Captain, my captain. Can I just say that Steve Rogers is a sweetheart? He better not die in Infinity War. (He’s probably going to die… Boo.)

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II

This film was just hilarious. While it didn’t really fit in the overall plot of the MCU’s other films, it had Baby Groot, so all was well in the world.

3. Avengers

The first time the characters were together in one place! Gosh, it brings back so many memories!

2. Captain America: Civil War

Umm… Iron Man got his butt kicked. It made me happy, okay? Plus, all the characters plus some coming together was cool.

1. Thor: Ragnarok

I loved this movie! I’m obsessed with it! I think it’s because of how Thor’s powers developed in this one. The humor could have been lessened a little bit, but otherwise, this film was awesome! I’m hoping Avengers: Infinity War knocks it down to second place, though.

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Alright, there you have it. My ranking of MCU’s superhero films. What’s your favorite Marvel movie? What’s your least favorite? Sound off in the comments.

My Thoughts on the Incredibles 2 Trailer

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the new Incredibles 2 trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below:

Like most millennials, I was very excited for this film, as I was in the core audience of kids who watched the first movie in theaters. However, after seeing what the synopsis of this film is going to be through various sneak peeks and trailers, I’ve come to realize that I might not enjoy this one as much as I thought.

Why, you ask? Well, there’s a possibility that this movie will play on that Mr. Dad stereotype, where the husband and father has to “babysit” his own kids while the mom does work. Think Daddy Day Care or Baby Daddy.

I’m still going to watch the film in theaters; I’m just hoping that there’s not as much of the Mr. Dad stuff as appears in the trailer.

I’m also a little concerned about the voices for the kids. Since it’s been ten years, I guess they got new voices for them, even Frozone’s wife sounds different. I’ll have to get used to that. I wish they would have grown the kids a few years instead, but I guess I’ll just have to be happy with what Disney’s giving me.

The math scene in this trailer is hilarious, though. Along with all of the Jack Jack stuff. That poor kid. I’m also excited to see all of the new powers and control Violet exhibits. I think that’s probably the most exciting part: seeing the three superpowered kids get stronger and more knowledgeable about their abilities.

Oh, and Edna is back too! That’s super fun.

What do you think about the new Incredibles 2 trailer? Did you like the first movie?

My Thoughts on the New Avengers: Infinity War Trailer

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below. 

Ermygawd. I can’t take the wait for this movie any freakin’ longer! I mean, I’m super glad they decided to move the film’s release date up to April 27, but GAH! This trailer has me way too hyped.

We got some Thanos and Gamora flashbacks, which have me super curious as to where Nebula is in all of this. We got some of Thanos’s lackeys doing bad things, especially that one dude to Doctor Strange. And, we even got Peter Quill + Tony Stark banter.

Everything about this trailer was great, but, my favorite part was Thor. Not the part where his head is about to be squished (Side note: I don’t actually think his head is going to be squished as that scene looks like it will take place in the beginning of the movie). No, my favorite part is him making lightning while sweet teenage Groot and Rocket watch. I’ve been completely fangirling over the theory that Thor will get a new weapon in this film. I need it to be true. I also can’t wait to see Peter Dinklage help Thor make his new hammer/ax thing.

Okay, I’ve rambled on about Thor for a while now, so I want to mention some more awesome scenes. Cap trying to hold Thanos’s hand back was pretty awesome. I don’t think it’ll work out very well for Cap, but it’s a cool scene. Starloard/Peter Quill using Strange’s magic as stepping stones in the air is very cool. And the battle scenes are so crazy!

I think the DCEU should really take note here. This is what a team-up superhero movie should feel like. It shouldn’t be rushed. The characters have had time to come into their own, and now, they need to learn to work as a team. It’s going to be epic watching them all come together to take on Thanos. I’m so ready for it.

My Thoughts on The Crimes of Grindelwald Trailer

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the newly released Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below:

Oh gosh. I waited four days to watch this trailer, just because I thought I’d be disappointed. And, while there are some disappointing elements, I’m still super pumped about this film.

I guess I’ll start this off with the negative stuff. One, as most people have pointed out already, you can't apparate onto Hogwarts’ grounds, so that’s really weird. Two, Johnny Depp is undeserving of the Harry Potter franchise and should have been replaced immediately. And three, there will be no mention of Dumbledore’s sexuality or relationship with Grindelwald in this movie, and that’s just sad.

Okay. So, other than those three things, this trailer was everything I didn’t know I wanted in the Fantastic Beasts sequel. To be honest, I thought FB was just okay. It didn’t particularly wow me or have that nostalgic quality that the original HP films do. However, this trailer did manage to give me some of that nostalgia. Maybe it’s because Hogwarts and Dumbledore are actually in this one? And they used the original HP music?

Speaking of Dumbledore, it’s weird seeing him in regular-people clothes. Shouldn’t he be in robes? I’m a little confused about the costume design in this one. Why would Dumbledore be wearing a suit when in every headmaster picture in Hogwarts the witch or wizard has robes on? It’s not a super huge thing, but it’s a little baffling to me.

Anywho, I don’t know where the plot for this particular film is going, so it’ll be exciting to see what adventures Newt and co. get into this time around. I’m also interested in seeing Newt and his brother’s family drama play out.

All in all, this film is going to have its rough patches, but I’m definitely going to be watching it. It actually releases two weeks after I’ll be seeing Cursed Child on Broadway. So, yay for a month of awesome Harry Potter times!

Oh, and just a warning, be prepared for a lot of trailer thoughts over the next week. There have been some big ones that have just been revealed, and I want to talk about them all!

2018 Movies I Plan to See in Theaters

I didn’t have a bookish post planned for today, so I thought I’d just share with you what movies I plan on seeing in theaters in 2018.

Before I get started with the movies I plan to watch, I just thought I’d let everyone know that I’ve already seen Black Panther this year. It’s the only film I’ve gone to see in theaters in 2018 so far. If you want to read my thoughts on the film, you can check out my post.

Oh, and you all should also know that this list is in no way concrete. It may change based on life events. I also should warn everyone that I rarely see films that aren’t either a superhero film or a Disney film. Just FYI.

Okay, now on to the list.

Number one on my list of films to see is…

Avengers: Infinity War

Umm… Do I need to say anything for this one? This is the cumulation of ten years of Marvel Cinematic Universe films! It’s going to feature all the supers in one two-hour film! I’m so excited to see it. I’m even going home to Missouri to see it with my Dad. Thank goodness, the release date moved up to April 27^th, otherwise, that wouldn’t have been possible.

Now, the rest of these aren’t in any particular order. I just want to see them.

The Incredibles II

I was part of the core audience whenever the first film released, so you can bet I’ll be seeing this one in theaters. I’m a little disappointed by the trailer, though. I’m not a fan of the dad-struggling-to-babysit-his-own-kids theme. It’s ridiculous. So I’m hoping there’s more to this sequel than meets the eye.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

This one has some obvious spoilers for Infinity War. I mean, Ant-Man probably doesn’t bite it if he has his own film releasing a few months later. Even so, I am excited to see Evangeline Lily kick butt as the Wasp. She looks great.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I don’t know what to say about this one. I’m going to see it when it releases, but gosh do I not want to support Johnny Depp in any capacity. I can’t believe the producers and J.K. Rowling let him stay in the film. Ugh! Way to kill the magic.

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Okay, well, those are the films I definitely plan to see in theaters this year. There are also some that I’m so-so on whether or not I’ll see. It just depends on what’s going on in my life (aka if I have money and if I’m not being lazy).

For the maybes, I have a short list:

Deadpool 2

Christopher Robin

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Deadpool wasn’t that revolutionary to me, so I’m okay with waiting for the sequel to come out on DVD, same with Dark Phoenix. If it’s not in the MCU, I’m kind of okay with letting it go. Hopefully, Disney reboots all the X-Men films once it owns Sony. As for Christopher Robin, it looks so sad! If I see it in theaters, I may bawl my eyeballs out!

That’s my list of 2018 movies I plan to see in theaters, what are yours?

My Thoughts on the Black Panther Movie

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about Marvel’s new Black Panther film. In case you have no idea what I’m talking about (How is that possible?), I’ve posted the trailer below.

Obviously, this movie was very highly anticipated. My roommate has seen it at least three times, that I know of. It’s a cultural phenomenon now, and I’m totally happy it’s made such an amazing impact. But for me, personally, this movie wasn’t my favorite of the MCU films. I think it falls somewhere in between Spiderman: Homecoming and Ant-Man for me. Both of those films were good, but I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about them. Same with Black Panther.

The characters in this film were amazing. The plot was as well. Instead of a one-off villain with no real backstory or motive, we got a decent antagonist, Killmonger, who just wanted to help those who’d been put down by a corrupt system. And of course, Michael B. Jordan is very good looking, unlike a lot of Marvel’s other villains.

I thought Chadwick Boseman and all of the other actors did a good job with their characters. The only thing I would complain about in this regard is how Letitia Wright, though a good actress, looked a lot older than the sixteen-year-old she was supposed to be playing. I know it’s common to hire older actresses and actors for teenage roles, like Tom Holland for Peter Parker, but I just don’t really like it when a 21-year-old plays a 16-year-old.

My other major complaint had to do with the CGI. It was so obvious, and I was expecting better from a movie in the MCU. I’ve heard that maybe this was a stylistic choice from the filmmakers, but I just don’t know why they would take a step back, considering how far they’ve come in their CGI over the years.

Overall, this particular film wrestled with some big issues. I think Captain America: Civil War is the only film that really tackles societal issues somewhat head on, and it definitely didn’t have as much of impact as Black Panther does. I’m glad we got to see a hero struggle with such a major concept. I also think the ending fight scene had a lot of power.

Now, I don’t think I need to tell everyone to go watch this movie. It’s the last MCU film before Avengers: Infinity War comes out, and obviously, everyone needs to be caught up before the biggest film in the franchise is released. For the sake of my sanity and yours, please go watch this film.