Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 plays it safe by repeating what made 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy a wonderful film, yet fails to amuse as much as its predecesor did. It's more colourful, more vibrant, more nonchalant and personal, but gives the sensation of relying too much on the popularity of the first film, with the same goofy characters doing goofy things and only a couple of them showing a real grow. Still a great experience, but not greater than the last one.
Reviews
17 Reviews
Iron Man
(2008)
Good acting and a simple and slow plot building make for a great movie
7 November 2021
Iron Man is more than decent. It is carfeully crafted, inserting jokes when needed, action scenes when necessary and a good dose of drama all throughout the film. The entire cast earns their characters and none of them feels wasted. The CGI is used perfectly, more inclined to realistic effects than flashing and colourful lights, and that goes perfectly with the tone of the film. Overall a really good movie and a great first entry of a huge franchise.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
(2015)
Despite the amazing action packed scenes and the interesting premise, the movie ends falling by its own weight.
7 November 2021
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the direct sequel of the great cinematic event that was 2012'2 Avengers and is, in no way, as good as its predecessor. The film can be described as a mess, an entertaining one though, only thanks to the three or four action sequences scattered throughout it. The villain had a potential to be something big, like really, really big, but ends up feeling like nothing special. And the plot relies heavily on just stopping this "big bad" from destroying the world with a crazy plan, and lacking of real consequences to the characters, which some of them are just in the movie because they were in its predecessor and it would feel weird not having them return. Still does for a good popcorn movie, but not a memorable experience as it should have been.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
(2017)
A fresh take on a well known character that sacrifices the amazingness for a honeyed story.
7 November 2021
Spider-Man: Homecoming is entertaining, but lacks spectacularity and bets for a more nonchalant approach, relying on cheesy humour and a plot built around too many coincidences. It's fun and light-hearted, with some hard-touching moments and tense scenes that are the main highlights of the movie, but in the end it falls victim to its own simplicity.
Black Panther
(2018)
It tries to be something fresh but ends up feeling like more of the same.
7 November 2021
Black Panther is a really good film that tries to deviate from the usual tropes but fails nevertheless. The themes are engaging, the cinematics flawless and the cast superb. It has everything to be a game-changing story, with one of the best antagonists the MCU franchise has ever shown, but throws it all away at the last moment leaving the viewer with the feeling of having watched nothing new.
Iron Man Three
(2013)
The same mistakes, over and over, but better than the last.
7 November 2021
Iron Man 3 has a villain seeking vengeance against the hero due to past grudges and ends with the two of them facing off in an action packed third act. Sounds familiar? Because that's the exact same plot of 2008's Iron Man and 2010's Iron Man 2. Yet it works for most of the time, keeping things interesting with explosions here, destruction there and lives at stake that don't really ammount to anything at the end. It's good for a standalone movie, but for the last one of a trilogy, it should have been more, much more.
Doctor Strange
(2016)
Dazzling visuals and strange scenearios makes for exciting and fresher stories.
6 November 2021
Doctor Strange is a weird movie, because it has to be. Exploring never before seen boundaries, the MCU stablishes new characters and powers that may seem difficult to follow at first, but the film does a great job keeping track of its own plot and letting it breath before moving to the next scene. The action sequences are amazing and the film is pure entertainment giving us a welcomed breeze of fresh air, but that doesn't stop it from commiting the same mistakes, taking too much from the good vs bad formula.
Ant-Man
(2015)
Sometimes a simple plot can do wonders, but still much more can be accomplished.
6 November 2021
Ant-Man is simple, silly and nonchalant, and that is what makes it good. Reducing the scale (never better said) of what is in stake and having the plot be about a bunch of misfits with actual personal purposes makes for a fun two hours that won't feel wasted at any moment. Still, much had to be done for the experience to really stick out.
Spider-Man: Far from Home
(2019)
A fun sequel that pushes the story into new territories but in the end is just that, a fun sequel.
6 November 2021
Spider-Man: Far from Home takes the fun spirit of its predecessor, the 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, and tries to turn it into a more serious flick without entirely sacrificing its light-hearted behaviour. A great cast and even greater action sequences can't avoid it from relying on the usual and expected plot twist to keep viewers hooked, and takes a long time to finally flourish into what it was supposed to be, a step-up from its predecessor.
Iron Man 2
(2010)
It tries to imitate the success of its predecessor too much only to soundly fail with the execution
6 November 2021
Iron Man 2 fails in every aspect where its predecessor, the 2008's Iron Man, greatly excelled. The plot is basically the same like in the first one but even simpler, where the villain holds an increasing grudge against the hero that ends up being solved when they face off against each other at the end of the film. The only thing that saves it from being a mediocre mess is the ability of the main actors to make it feel alive and entertaining.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
(2018)
A needed sequel that ends up not being destacable at all.
6 November 2021
Ant-Man and the Wasp is the charming direct sequel to the more charming 2015's Ant-Man. Like its predecessor, the film lays its foundation on a small-scale story so that it can focus on its not-so-small characters, on whom it ends up depending too much, giving birth to a plot with little in particular yet still managing to give you a smile more often than not.
What the film does good isn't enough to really leave an impact on the viewer.
6 November 2021
Captain America: The First Avenger is a film that inevitably fails to be something better, much better. Starting as a light-hearted war film, the plot eventually turns sideways and falls into the generic hero vs villain dragged plot with sci-fi ingredients added to the mix that don't really go well with the general tone established. Still, it somehow manages to end on a high note that may leave you wanting for more.
The Incredible Hulk
(2008)
Filled with good characters and well done action sequences, the film ends accomplishing pretty much nothing.
6 November 2021
The Incredible Hulk is one of those films that despite being entertaining end up feelling like the plot hasn't advanced at any moment. Despite the fairly good and tense action sequences and the main characters being consistent throughout it, the plot is dragged for too long in too many moments just for everything to end basically like it started.
Thor
(2011)
The cosmic and epic tone of the film isn't enough to make it stand out when everything else fails.
6 November 2021
Thor is an entertaining film thanks to its mediocrity. When the epic and Shakespearean influence don't take over, comedy does, and the result is a boring mess that only starts excelling by the end of the film, where the acting and the dramatic beauty it promises since the beggining do really flourish, but by then, it may already be too late.
Black Widow
(2021)
Unnecessary but still enjoyable, although not in the best of ways
6 November 2021
Black Widow is an unnecessary film, and everyone who has watched Avengers: Endgame knows why. Despite being flawed by a weak plot that relies heavily on its action sequences, it suceeds, albeit not much, when the relationships between the main characters take the spotlight. The film starts great with a dark undertone, but it rapidly turns into a very formulaic story with a forgettable antagonist and a heavy action-packed third act that leaves the viewer with nothing more than a sense of disappointment.
Thor: The Dark World
(2013)
Betting on a darker and more serious tone is useless if the plot just isn't rich enough.
6 November 2021
Thor: The Dark World fails on the same points as its predecessor, but in an even more remarkable way. Although the dark tone suits it well for the most part and the main character is given plenty to do, the film succumbs under its own weight trying to focus on an unsubstantial villain with no development and unnecesary plot twists that are only there to push the story forward. The action sequences are an improvement over the ones on 2011's Thor, but other than that, little else can be said about this forgettable entry.
Captain Marvel
(2019)
Despite its decent premise, the plot ends feeling dull and utterly uninteresting.
6 November 2021
Captain Marvel manages to turn the origin story of a being with incredible cosmic powers into a story lacking of any special interest beside the aforementioned display of powers. The plot, despite the array of (predictable) plot twists, colourful imagery and fairly good action sequences, falls flat in the end as another story of overcoming obstacles to become a better version of yourself and going "higher, further and faster, baby".
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