Smorgasbord Fantasia

Marvel 's latest phase of movies and tie-in television series on Disney+ has been a mixed bag of experiments. A few hits, lot more misses. But have to give it to Kevin Fiege and his team, they are definitely not afraid to experiment. Take their latest Moonknight series. Brilliant, definitely un-marvel like and totally kickass! (More on this to come!)   Dr. Strange's new solo outing as well, the psychedelic trip into the Multiverse, aptly named Dr. Strange and The Madness of the Multiverse is something that seems experimental. But in reality, is more couched within the frameworks of familiar tropes of the Marvel Universe. And so, the question is: Does this succeed?  Well, not for most parts, am afraid. It is at the end of the day a forgetful trip into a maddening and colourfully rended (Absolutely GOD level CGI!) multi-verse with an endearing version of Benedict Cumberbatch ( A national treasure for sure, one heck of a talent!) along with some of his cronies ( Wong as Supreme...

The MCU version of the  Spiderman trilogy that began with the Spiderman; Homecoming introducing us to the boyish charms and effortlessly likeable Tom Holland version of the friendly neighborhood Spiderman, comes a full circle and ends on a high, with this new blockbuster Spiderman: No Way Home. Possibly coming the closest to inherit that hefty mantle left by Avengers: End Game ,  carrying the flames of the MCU torch over the finish line with a lot of aplomb and cheer.   It's everything that the trailer promised (I know, stratospheric!) and much more. Much, much more! It's so difficult not to step into spoiler territory with this one, without giving away the fun quotient, but I will try. The basic premise is the roadblocks and troubles in Peter Parker's life, after his 'secret' identity is revealed by a vengeful Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in his dying moments. And now it's not just the paparazzi and the news channels like Daily Bugle (Jonah Jameson, played by t...

This one's been a low-key one from Marvel but frankly, based on what I see on the trailer, I might just LOOVE it the most. Sooo looking forward to this one!!! 

Marvel's new set up on TV has kinda been a mixed bag for me. I never did get around to watching the WandaVision/ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was great in parts but overall disappointing. Which is probably why I am pinning my hopes on this next one, out in June.  Loki gets an entire series for himself - and there's this new storyline about the TimeKeepers ( in trademark Loki style, there's a lot of wit, action and backstabbing!) that seems pretty kickass. And then there is Owen Wilson!! Woot-Woot! 

Congratulations. You have made it to the end of a ten year long, 22 movie-franchise third and arguably, the most spectacular phase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If your eyes are prickling with restrained tears or you are just full-out bawling your lungs away, then don't feel bad. We are in this together. We did avenge, some yes. We managed to piece it all back together, of what was left of the smoking mess that the do-gooder Thanos' left sautéing on the Terran stovetop with that "snaptocalypse" at the end of the Infinity War. MCU has evolved into an epic, with Iron Man being one of the first of the lot to be introduced to us and then we had this ensemble of superheroes take centre-stage in our hearts. And so with the Avengers: End Game , the third phase ' The Infinity Saga " is over [technically it is going to be spider-man 2 that will call the wraps on it], a marvellous wrap to the proceedings. Russo brothers , you guys should take a bow. Because...

So the first big movie for 2019 for the MCU, Captain Marvel dropped last week on Friday - and I managed to catch it, first day. The International Woman's Day datelines aren't a coincidence. The first big Marvel act headlined by a woman (also co-directed by another: Anna Boden. Go girl power!), Brie Larson dons the big fiery gloves of the super-saver of the Universe. She strives her best to bring in the big-bangs (literally, photon blasts of pure fury shot from bare hands) while juggling the flawed, human act ( amnesiac, prone to a temper with an ego to spare) and is tons of fun to watch. But is the movie good? The numbers do the talking. I think, as I write, this one's going to be become one of the top-grossing Marvel movies of all times. But is this my favorite Marvel movie? Nope. That honor still goes to... Black Panther ? Captain America: Civil War ? Infinity Wars ? Sigh. Tough one, but getting back to Carol 'Vers' Denvers. The movie opens onto a hazy ...

So Tom Holland is back - that delightful little package of non-stop chatter, action and goofy jokes now heads to Europe(?). A wonderful teaser and we can't wait for him to come back ( from the dead!)

Watching the new Spiderman movie was an impulse decision but what turned out to be the best decision of last weekend. I went into the movie kind of unprepared for the awesomeness that unfolded; Weary with the multitudes of "spidermen" who plagued the big screen over the last few years, the last thing we wanted was another one, right? But this animated version shrugs off the incompetence of the live-action version, lustily embracing the entire wackiness of the marvel universe, in its lingering multi-form focusing on not just one, but five different spider-man origin stories. And we are left imagining, why didn't they do a big screen comic adaptation of the source material, given animation is perhaps the best possible form of adaptation. And this isn't your Sunday morning TV screen washed out grey version - but a full blown highly stylised gorgeously realised alternate universe, come to life with attention to detail that brings alive the crazy sense of wonder and dan...

So finally putting speculations to rest, Marvel dropped the trailer on Friday :) Lots of fans have been going crazy over discussion groups, internets trying to piece together this one. Russo brothers' dedicated this one all the crazy fans. It's a wonderful franchise coming to an end. [ Meanwhile you can always catch up with Ms. Marvel opening a month before the End Game. The wait is on.

So Tom Hardy is out to prove a point. That its been a summer surfeit of superheroes. Let's get a dose of the anti-hero. And Venom brings the party in a voice that gives you the fuckin' jitters! < A voice that competes with Bane crossed with Dark Knight> Here's the new extended version of the trailer: Out in October.

If there's one movie series capable of taking on the might of the Avengers in the whole MCU, then this is it. The naughty man-boy of the Marvel universe, the wise-cracking god of extreme snark and dick jokes - Dead Pool aka Wade Wilson returns to form in a deadlier, funnier and snarkier outing, if it were possible. And yes Dead Pool - 2 is even better than its predecessor in almost all ways. With the trademark gleeful violence punctuated by sardonic quips, some even directed at you the viewer, mostly though focused on himself, Ryan Reynolds outdoes himself surpassing even his first outing bringing the Merc with a Mouth on the big screen. He acquits himself for whatever sins he did in the past ( Green Lantern, Wolverine Origins !) with Deadpool in one of the most memorable after-screen credits. And add to that Josh Brolin , fresh from having played the greatest Marvel villains of all times - must admit, we have a mouthwatering prospect on our hand. So yet again, Deadp...

As the first superhero Marvel Cinematic Universe movie of 2018, there was a lot riding on Black Panther . And then there was this racist group that tried to sabotage the movie on RT through discriminatory messages on FB and other social media. The furor perhaps just added fuel to that brightly burning fire. At 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes , boy - does Black Panther deliver! After having watched this movie twice last weekend ( That is how much I LOVED it!) I now think about whether, this indeed is the greatest of all the series of superhero movies produced in the recent times. Sure - It is part of the burgeoning universe of Marvel Superheroes. And we first saw Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, where the character T'Challa watches his father, T'Chaka die in the bombing of the UN Assembly in Berlin. We watched his pursuit of a speeding car in a bullet-proof catsuit and wondered whether this guy can actually stand up to the cool factor and the might of the rest...

After Daredevil Season 2, I haven’t binge-watched a series like I did, for Punisher . Maybe because it is interconnected and after the soaring highs and the nerve-wracking tension meted out for Daredevil , I knew this was not to be missed out. So we switch back to Jon Bernthal once again. Jesus, this man. What a fine understated actor. We have see the animal grunts, the unflinching blows, the crackling guns and the exploding bombs, the gushing blood and the bruised broken purplish skin. But in a series completed headlined by him, Jon shows that he can swing either extremes. To be the tender caring lover or the sensitive dad or the faithful friend. He can emote through the whole spectrum of roles and this time, he carries the series masterfully through – punching, gasping, kicking and coughin blood yes as we would expect him to, but the quieter, contemplative avatar, we love more. Punisher, after having gunned down all the biker gangs and armed convicts in Hell’s Kitchen that ...

Marvel Movies are spinning their whole franchise around – Whereas Guardians of the Galaxy was an experiment which became a runaway hit and Deadpool was a cheekier take with the same strategy of being goofey to the core, I never thought Marvel would make this their main weapon in their movie arsenal. Yes. I am talking about mindlessly insanely hilarious movies and Thor Ragnorak just takes the cake. This is the third outing for our Asgardian God of Thunder, played by Chris Hemsworth – and boy, is it fun and totally zany. In fact, I am betting that Thor Raganorak may be way too much fun than it deserves to be, knowing it’s a superhero movie and all that – But hey, that may not be a bad thing at all. Coming on the heels of some super-cool ‘funny’ superhero movies in Spiderman: Homecoming and the Guardians second outing, Marvel this time gives its mantle to little known New Zealand director Taika Waititi who does a fine job indeed, of rolling the legacy forwards and in a br...

Casting Tom Holland as the surprise element, Spiderman in Captain America: Civil War was one of the high points of that movie. A short cameo, that was delightful and punchy. And now he comes into his own - with Spiderman: Homecoming signifying bringing Spiderman back into the Marvel universe, Tom Holland delivers an absolutely fizzy blockbuster of a superhero flick with his winning, earnest performance as the lead man, even sidelining Robert Downey Jr 's wisecrack mentor act as the Ironman, biding his time to bring Spiderman in as the newest team-member on Avengers. Peter Parker, not withstanding his special web-slinging prowess, is also a regular kid, finishing high-school, crushing on his long-legged academic decathlon team-mate (Laura Harrier) , staying ahead of his clue-less hot Italian aunt ( Marissa Tomei!!) who lourbes him and is best friends with the loser-nerd of the school (Well, who also happens to be a crack computer whiz!) But after his "mission" w...

The jury is still out on whether it's better to be on Team Cap or Team Iron Man - but hey, I am a huge Steven Rogers ( Chris Evans ) fan and will stick by my idol! So yesterday, we caught Captain America: Civil War first day first show - and I put my neck on the line when I say, this must be the most intense, emotionally-draining but nevertheless, spectacular Marvel Comics Universe movie made till date. There, I said it. The movie franchise finally tackle the big question of collateral damage to the civilian life as our superheroes are locked in slugfests with aliens, ego-crazed robots and fanatic terrorists - Great Power comes with Great Responsibility ( And hell yeah - this is the like the perfect entry point for that superhero who came up with that maxim, Spiderman, into this franchise!! More on that in just a little while.) The government factions want to lock down the "vigilantes" who do not "respect the sovereign borders" in their quest to do t...

So yesterday I watched the latest Marvel outing, Ant-Man . Going in with minimal expectations, I came out a really happy camper - a shrewdly done light comic thriller with all the trappings of a do-good movie. I sense that Marvel is trying real hard to get out of that dark grim shadow thrown by the Age of Ultron and is coming out with little bright gimlets like the Guardians ( a comic caper and a goof-ball of a movie that was such a great overall package!) and now this . Ant-Man on the surface, is a heist-movie featuring the smallest of Marvel Super-heroes, this time a down-on-his-luck thief with a masters in Electrical Engineering called Scott Lang. Scott ( Paul Rudd , the brightest spot of sunshine in this movie!) is just out of prison after a righteous crime, out of a job having been fired from Baskin Robbins ( This scene in the beginning sets the tone for the movie. It never takes itself seriously. A boy who walks into Baskin Robbins, asks for a burger with mayo and cheese,...