The Marvel Cinematic Universe — Page 43

Just finished off Luke Cage.

It was good. It wasn’t nearly Jessica Jones good, and I’m not sure it got up to Daredevil standards. I dunno. I feel like it never really found its footing.

I loved the blaxploitation angle. I loved the soundtrack. I loved the characters and the nods to the comics (the outfits!). I loved that they didn’t shy away from the N word or the politics and made it feel “real” without sanitizing it. Luke Cage himself was a badass, Misty was a badass, Claire was a badass, and all the bad guys were appropriately slimy and disgusting people (the moment at the end with Shades and Dillard was just gross).

But it just didn’t really seem to progress or go places like I felt with Jessica Jones or Daredevil. Sometimes after the end of those episodes, I would have to take a moment and just go… “damn. that was crazy.” Shit, I had to stop watching Jessica Jones halfway through because it got so crazy. Luke Cage never really got there for me; it had its moments, but they just never carried the same weight.

I think the largest issue was that it was just so drawn out. We hear about Diamondback for so many episodes and then he shows up and is just crazy (without being an interesting villain or compelling character), but it takes half of the series to get to him, and then they have to pack all his development into honestly about three of the episodes he’s in. And he’s honestly not even the big bad guy of the whole series.

Cottonmouth is built up to be the big bad, then he teases Diamondback as though he’s the bigger bad for half the series, then Diamondback finally shows up and doesn’t have anything interesting or compelling to do, and then he ends up not even being the worst guy, and then by the end of the series we’re basically right back where the series starts and they even say as much, which left me asking “well then why?”

That said, I’m excited to see more of it. The final few minutes of the show teased a lot of interesting things and possibilities. Hopefully the next season will move beyond the formula of the first. I’d like to see some Justin Hammer or AIM or something. Seems like since Justin has been in prison, Hammer Corp has produced some useful shit (someone had to fill the arms R&D vacuum left by Stark Industries).

Personally, I have a theory that the company that made Jessica Jones who she is, IGH, is a play on the comics’ drug known as MGH or Mutant Growth Hormone (or in the MCU’s case, Inhuman Growth Hormone) and that they’re involved in a lot of the Defenders’ lives. It’d be cool if IGH was an AIM front, too.

JJ was okay for a while, but when the villain actually shows up is when it really gets good.

Still haven’t watched Cage (or DD S2 for that matter, I’m waaaay behind).

suspiciouscoffee said:

JJ was okay for a while, but when the villain actually shows up is when it really gets good.

Still haven’t watched Cage (or DD S2 for that matter, I’m waaaay behind).

Yeah, JJ takes some time to get going, but it’s easily the best series in the group in my opinion. Daredevil is a close second.

Caught up with AoS today, too. Pretty good episode I thought. Interesting to find out who the Director is (it’s fitting!) and the implications of who the big bad this season is and whatnot. Gonna be interesting!

Oh…yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEpsPXUt4R0

I had to look at that poster twice before I saw little Groot. 😉

Lord Haseo said:

So am I the only person who is more excited about mini Groot than anything else in the film?

I didn’t even tell my wife there was a trailer and she messaged me about how cute Baby Groot is. So no.

I love the fight scene with Ghost Rider in E04. Once I saw the other guy mentioned again, I knew it’d come down to fisticuffs. It’s basically been “teased” since S03 (I’d argue it had to be done after that, to be honest).

All in all, a great episode. And yes, Phil, I did see that coming.

Some good easter eggs in 05 too. Motorcycle parts, a leather jacket, a Quentin Carnival poster… I feel like there were more references there, but I don’t know much about that area of Marvel stuff yet. I like how they namedrop the Director’s comic identity, too.

I am really enjoying this season of S.H.I.E.L.D. due to the Ghost Rider and the actor who plays the part. I’m enjoying it to the point that I would not mind if they got promoted to the big screen in this incarnation. Also, I just watched the two Nick Cage films and was very disappointed in each of those attempts.

Going to see Doctor Strange today. Hope it’s good!