“Okay, no more touching shit. Especially glowing, mysterious shit.”

Upon a rewatch, my thoughts about this film have dropped considerably. Saw this in theaters last year (which was actually the last film I saw in theaters last year), and at the time, it wasn’t a stat that phased me a whole lot. I remember having a couple laughs, and I remember leaving the theater feeling like I got my money’s worth with the shortest MCU film to date, despite my issues with the film. It wasn’t until I got home that I actually did some research to figure out why this film was received poorly. And a lot of it makes sense. It’s been a while, but I believe the bulk of Marvel’s fan base regarding the MCU is (and still is) middle aged men (I don’t mean that as an insult), or men in general. That’s their core audience basically. To add to this, I also believe I read somewhere that it was mostly men that showed up to see this film in theaters. Basically, more men than paid money to see this film. Don’t ax me if I’m wrong, but I strongly remember reading stuff along these lines around the time it came out. As a man in my early to mid twenties, I’m only going to speak for myself. I’m not surprised the bulk of the audience (mostly men) didn’t like this. I remember going into the theaters having my own doubts. I’m one of the few people who has no problem with films with female leads, granted they’re done right. Now with that being said, I’d rather watch something from Phase 1-Phase 3, or anything without female characters being the focus, except Black Widow (2021). Now I understand what you’re thinking:I’d rather watch films that center around men than women. But I’m not against films being centered around men. So I didn’t walk out of that theater last year, or of this rewatch (literally just finished rewatching last night), with the idea that this film was great just because female characters were put front and center. I never understood the hate for the vast majority of MCU fans being men. Let me just put it to you like this; imagine a franchise that’s usually centered around women, and usually puts women front and center, but then comes out with a film that still has women, but has men in the forefront. Then more women than men go to the theater, not liking it because they feel betrayed in some way because women aren’t front and center, and then the men complain about how women aren’t going to support the film, when in reality, they did, because they’re still the core audience. The only thing different, is that they didn’t like it. With this comparison, the values of the core audience can actually be understood.

“Oh, it’s Carol.”

Where this film really falls apart to me, is the writing. I normally would say the script, but I honestly don’t think the entire script is to blame. There are some moments where the script shines, and then there are moments where the script falls short. Ms. Marvel was the only show that focused on a female lead character, that I watched all the way through. I remember only getting three episodes into She Hulk, and turning it off before turning it off. Ms. Marvel wasn’t that bad. The only real thing I disliked about that show, is how the cartoonistic way of storytelling is used in telling the story of Khan, and her journey to becoming Ms. Marvel. Given the character’s personality, doing it makes sense. My gripes just come down to me not being a fan of that style. So in revisiting this film I had to revisit that style of storytelling, and it wasn’t that bad this time around. I was able to get through that part quite easily. The dialogue really is the thing that often took me out of the film, and it was the only thing that really brought me back into the film besides Goose, and Nick Fury being Goose, and Nick Fury. Speaking of Goose, Goose needs to be in every single MCU film going forward. Now the chances of that actually happening are slim in my eyes, but Goose is seriously becoming my favorite character in this franchise that isn’t human. The moment the person got on the intercom and began telling people to allow the cats to eat everyone made me chuckle. I distinctly remember how everyone laughed after that moment in the theater.

“Stop running, let the furry kitties eat you.”

Something I also remember from my experience in the theater, was when Monica chose to lock herself into the alternate dimension. The theater went silent. I still remember that, and a few other things, because I had actually written half of this review once before. After I rewatched this, I felt like it would be better to write the review from scratch instead of trying to finish the one I had half finished. Still, that moment left the theater silent. One of the quietest moments I’ve ever had in a theater. Maybe not the quietest, but no one made any noise during the silence the moment in the film provided. Which is something I appreciate. When going to the theater, you don’t really know what kind of experience you’re going to have until you’re watching the movie. Is it going to be an audience that laughs when you laugh, or will it be one that laughs when you don’t, and doesn’t laugh when you do? Is it going to be an audience that remains silent during deep and core scenes, or is it going to be an audience that talks through those moments? I always find it appreciating when everyone in the theater goes mute when the film does. Whether a person dies, or a friend of one of the main characters gets stuck in an alternate reality (which was done by her own doing by the way), I’m glad everyone was silent for that part. It’s almost like everyone in the theater is giving the characters room to mourn, and I always find that to be a beautiful moment in the theater. The villain in this film feels reused. Like if you told me that the villain in this film was never in a previous MCU film, I wouldn’t believe you. That’s not a knock on Zawe Ashton because she was great in the villainous role. I’ve sometimes had love-hate relationships with films in the MCU. The length, while not a deal breaker, was something that was always known to me about most films in the franchise. This is the shortest film in the franchise, and this is probably the only time I’ll ever say this about the shortest film in the franchise, but I honestly think this would have benefited more by being twenty minutes longer, but maybe that’s just me. This film was rough, but not as rough as having to live in a society that only speaks in constant song. Imagine living life in a permanent musical. I’d say that’s much worse than the film we got here. Not sure where these characters are going to get the spotlight again, but that credit scene was something worth remembering. From what I remember, it brought everyone in the theater alive again after this film’s somewhat somber ending. Always good to see Brie Larson though. If they ever do a third movie, I need a scene where everyone fights each other, and everyone including the villains do everything in their power not to hurt Goose in the process. Then Goose inevitably gets hurt, then everyone (including the villains) take Goose to the vet. Goose gets better, and after Goose is all better, Goose is sleeping at home, while everyone goes to a bar and has a drink for Goose. Then they all go back to fighting one another. That’s right. I said it. Still waiting for that Goose stand alone movie. One can hope.

Today’s Schedule:
Anyone But You
The Marvels
Morbius
Madame Web