Category: Music, Movies, and More

Captain America: Brave New World Review (Part Two)

Okay, Tessa fans, she’s here with her review of the newest MCU flick. Let’s see how her opinion holds up to mine. Fun! Take it away Tessa!

Hi guys! I haven’t been on the blog in forever (because Marvel has been flopping recently), but I’m back! I’m excited to review again, I’m sure my fans missed me.

I’ve always liked movies more than my dad, or the average person. A movie has to be really bad for me to not like it. But thankfully, this movie wasn’t really bad at all. It probably wasn’t great, but I found it’s flaws easy to look over. My dad did a summary in his review, and I’m not typing all that out, so go read his if you don’t know what the movie is about.

I really liked Sam Wilson as Captain America. Anthony Mackie is just a charismatic guy, and his performance has such an ease to it, it makes it hard to question why Sam is the new Cap. I miss Chris Evans as much as the next person (maybe more), but I’m really glad Sam is filling the role well. I also think it’s kinda cool that he gets to keep his wings. All his usual gear is back and now made of vibranium, which is pretty sick, and his new costume resembles his old one a lot, while also looking like Captain America. The costume designers honestly did a great job with his suit.

However, I did not like the new Falcon’s suit. It doesn’t look like the old one at all, and is such a gross shade of green. It might not be his official costume that will stay for the rest of the series, but it is definitely ugly. I thought Joaquin as a character was fine, I didn’t remember much about his from TFATWS, and there was pretty much no recap on who he was or why audiences should care about him. I honestly doubt that having a Falcon Jr. is necessary in the long run anyway, but you never know. He was kinda funny, and felt realistic to a modern young person in his situation, but that doesn’t really make up for the poor writing of his character (or poor acting). I don’t hate his inclusion, he was just integrated strangely.

But I did like Isaiah Bradley a lot. I find his story so fascinating, and he had a really cool arc in this movie. He was a character you wanted to root for, even if you didn’t remember him at all from the series or know anything about his story (side note; watching this movie made me realize how little I remember of TFATWS. I was like thirteen and only watched it for Bucky, so most of the actually important stuff slipped my mind). The actor’s portrayal of Isaiah was wonderful, and I definitely hope he comes back in more movies or another series.

Another portrayal that stood out was Harrison Ford’s work as Ross. I thought it was a great casting choice to replace the actor who died, and he stole the show in all his scenes. However, I honestly wasn’t expecting characters/scenes from the original Hulk movie to ever become relevant again. I thought Marvel was trying to sweep that movie under the rug and make it not canon to the MCU. Most people were treating it like it wasn’t canon already, since an entirely different guy played Bruce Banner, and it was virtually never mentioned again. I think it’s cool that they brought it up again, though. It kinda just made me feel like a true fan for remembering things from the movie no one talks about, but it was also cool to bring back those aspects of Ross’s character that weren’t really touched on again. It was unexpected to have a lot of the focus on Ross and Hulk, but it was well done. I’m honestly happy that the movie didn’t spend so much time on Sam adjusting to being Captain America, since it made room for this cooler plotline.

I didn’t care much for the main villain of this movie, Samuel Stern. I didn’t like looking at him, for one. The SFX artists did a good job on his weird brain-shaped-head, and it was probably intentionally gross, but it was still gross. I honestly didn’t understand a lot about his character. One flaw of this movie was that they were very bad at explaining who characters were, and just expected viewers to be MCU superfans who remembered every single character ever, which most of the viewers are not. I left the theater a little confused on a lot of characters, and then promptly forgot about all of them. I can’t even tell you what I didn’t understand about this guy because he’s that forgettable. He had a lot of cool villainous aura and a weird head, and that’s all I remember.

All in all, I think this movie was pretty good. I think I’m a little less critical of it than most people since I love Captain America and am of the firm belief that all Cap movies are good. And this movie felt like an old Captain America movie. Like my dad said, it felt like a phase one or phase two movie, which was probably the wisest decision Marvel could’ve made with this film. It would’ve been a flop if they tried to do the same thing that they’ve been doing with tying every single comics character into one movie. I’m glad they didn’t, even if their character integration is still shoddy. It definitely had some more flaws I didn’t even touch on, but I found a lot of plot holes easy to overlook. This movie’s jokes were honestly pretty good, I know everyone hates on Marvel humor, but I honestly think it works in this film. The fight choreography and costuming was pretty good, and while the special effects weren’t exemplary, I think they were still pretty good. It is isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s still a great experience because it feels like an old MCU film.

I would give this a 4/5, since I really liked it despite everything I dogged on it for. I think it was a pretty good reset for the MCU, and I’m super excited for some of the upcoming films. That’s it for my review! Thanks for having me back on the blog, Dad!

P.S.-Someone behind me in the theater fell asleep during the best cameo ever, and I almost missed it because I was trying to see who it was. Don’t be the person literally snoring in the theater, you might make a teenage girl miss seeing her favorite character on screen. (On an unrelated note, I’m super excited for The Thunderbolts! I will review that one too, trust.)

There you have it, MonDavers (and Tessa nation). thanks for reading. Back soon with more stuff!

Captain America: Brave New World Movie Review (Part One)

Okay, it’s not a Monday, but y’all know what that means.

The newest Marvel movie has been unleashed to the masses. So far it’s taken a big hit from the critics, and from some comic book nerds as well. But what about us average folk who just like watching the MCU movies and have no ulterior agendas (in that we dont get paid to watch stuff) or pre conceived notions about how the characters or storylines are supposed to go? Well, that’s what I’m here for. the everyday fan’s perspective.

Regular readers take note: normally daughter Tessa would join me for these reviews, but we weren’t able to see this one together. Never fear though, Tessa fans, She will see it tonight and I’ll let her post something on the blog later on. That’s why this is part one of the review, because it’s just my thoughts and you’ll get her POV on it all tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, let’s get to it.

Captain America: Brave New World is the first film to feature Sam Wilson as the Cap, and is somewhat of a continuation of the Marvel TV Series Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It is also a sequel to Endgame and to a lesser extent, Eternals. What it really is though, is a sequel to The Incredible Hulk.

As the movie begins, Lieutenant General and former Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross has just been elected the President of the United States, and Sam has well and truly taken over as Captain America. Though their relationship has been adversarial in the past (what with the Sokovia accords and all) both men realize they need to make an uneasy alliance and work together for the good of the country. An assignation attempt is made on Ross, sending Sam into a story that involves conspiracy, misinformation, the threat of international war, and Red Hulk smashing his way into the picture. So, you know, standard Marvel stuff.

This film isn’t so much a super hero movie as a political action thriller. I mean, sure, lots of stuff goes “boom” and there’s some major feats of derring-do, but the action takes a backseat to the story itself. Which in this case is both good and bad. Honestly, the story is a little thin in places, and some characters and aspects could have been delved into more. There are multiple interesting aspects, both from the political and moral issues raised and from character development standpoints, that are mentioned but glossed over-even for a Marvel movie. That’s a bit of a misstep, but it’s okay because the movie is still entertaining enough to keep the interest level up.

As for the action scenes…they’re fine. There’s not much we haven’t seen before, but again, that’s okay. While none of the action really brought me to the edge of my seat, it was all done perfectly well. It’s just that in this day and age audiences have seen big action scenes a billion times and they all tend to get a little same-y after a while. So while there was nothing particularly wrong with the action in this movie it didn’t knock me off my feet either. So I’m not sure if it’s the film itself, or just me on this one.

Well, that is, until Red Hulk shows up anyway. Those scenes alone were worth the price of admission, but Red’s screen time is regrettably short.

It was kind of nice, though, to have a Marvel film rooted firmly on Earth and in our reality for a change. The MCU has been so into the Multiverse for the last four or five years that the films were getting a little crazy. I actually liked some of those movies, but most of them were pretty spotty. Captain America Brave New World provides a nice soft reset for the MCU by giving us a movie that is more grounded than anything we’ve seen for a while and actually kind of feels like a phase one or phase two MCU film. It’s far from a perfect, sure, but it might just be what Marvel needs right now.

Okay, let’s talk performances. Anthony Mackie (Cap) is a big onscreen presence and an effortlessly cool guy, which makes him a treat to watch. The only downside is that Mackie has too much swagger ,just as a human being, that it almost makes the more emotional scenes difficult to buy into for me. I’m not saying he can’t act-he certainly can, I just don’t relate when he’s playing the softer scenes. That one is just me. Other cast members are exceptional too. Carl Lumbly elevates the character of Isaiah (a holdover form the TV series) well beyond the scripted work. Tim Blake Nelson is reliably good (if you remember his character from back in phase one you know where this movie is going) but both he and his character are underused. This is Marvel we’re talking about here, though, so he could always come back. Again.

Harrison Ford absolutely steals the show, because of course he does. Ford takes over the role of Ross from the late, great William Hurt, which is kind of a shame, really. You see, this movie is just as much about Ross as it is Captain America. Arguably more so. It would have been cool to see what Hurt would have done with this script, and to see him get a big payoff on screen for what he’s done in the franchise. Be that as it may, Harrison Ford does a superb job in the role. He’s not just cashing a check here, or appearing in the MCU because it’s the thing to do, he gives an actual performance and the movie is all the better for it.

Okay, so what’s the verdict overall?

I think this movie is flawed, but fun. The pace is a little slower than what we are used to with other Marvel movies, and the whole “undercutting drama with bad jokes” Marvel movie trademark is kept to a minimum, which is kind of an unexpected change but a refreshing one. It could have been a touch more exciting, and could have gone deeper, but there’s plenty to like about what’s there. Also the cameos are cool but I won’t spoil them. It’s a little clunky, but it also feels familiar and is a solid, but not mind blowing entry into the MCU canon.

As a sequel, a connector of story lines, and a touchstone for future projects I’d say Captain America: Brave New World works well. As far as standing on its own two feet, well, it’s a little wobbly but at the end of the day it still stands.

I give it a 3 1/2 out of 5.

That’s it for now. See you soon with Tessa’s take, and back again later for more MonDaves!

P.S.-The after credit scene isn’t really worth it. It’s fine but not all that cool or revelatory.

P.P.S.-On a side note, why do we need the character of Joaquin Ramirez? If Sam still has his Falcon style wings, why do we need Falcon Jr.? It bugged me in the series and it bugs me now. That alone (and, sorry/not sorry, Danny Ramirez’s bland portrayal) kept this movie away from the 4 star rating. I was trying not to go there but here we are.

Read A Book. See A Movie. Maybe These Ones.

Hey MonDavers. Things have been getting a mite serious on the ol’ blog here lately, and I have very much appreciated your indulgence while I’ve been working through some of my thoughts and feelings here in this space. Y’all are the best.

When I started this blog a few years back, the intention was to bring a little smile to what is otherwise a bummer of a day. This is supposed to be a place to escape from Monday (or whatever else is going on), even if just for a few minutes. I’ve gotten away from that recently, but let’s see if we can’t start getting back on track.

Speaking of escaping, I’d like to share with you a few of the ways I have been escaping lately, by sharing a few good books I’ve been reading (two rather new and one not so new), and also one movie that’s just absolutely bonkers. First, the books.

“GOD’S COUNTRY” by Percival Everett (1994)
-How this book and its author have managed to elude my consciousness for so long is surprising to me, almost embarrassingly so. Still, there’s never a bad time to discover a good book, and that is what’s happened here. I may be a latecomer, but I’m all in!
“God’s Country” is a Western that is both comic and gravely serious, often at the same time. It follows a man (I hesitate to call him a “hero”) named Curt Marder, a gambler, drunkard, liar, cheat, and all around no account character who is, of course, oblivious to all of these traits in himself, though keen to point them out in others. His obliviousness also extends to the world around him and, often, the true meaning of the situations he is in. The book opens with Marder’s house and farm being burned by marauders, resulting in him losing his home, wife, and dog in one swell foop. Sorry. Fell swoop. I like that though, “swell foop”, I think I might keep that one.
Anyway, Marder decides that the only thing a man in his situation can do is to go after the group, save his wife, his pride, and what little social standing he may have had. To do this, he hires the best tracker in the land, a black man named Bubba, who fits the traditional Western hero mold far more than Marder does, but being an African American in the old west…well, I don’t have to paint you that picture.
This is where you are likely to think “Oh, it’s like “Blazing Saddles”, but no. Sure, the book deals largely with race and social status, but the humor in the writing is much darker than anything Mel brooks (who is a genius) would have ever come up with. While it’s easy to laugh and smile at Curt Marder and his pathetic shenanigans, I couldn’t do so without feeling a twinge of (Guilt? Shame?) uncomfortableness. See, sometimes comedy has a lot of truth in it, and all smiles have teeth. Sometimes they bite.
The drama in “God’s Country” hits so intensely that the humor can’t quite soften the blow. This is what sets the novel apart from any other in the genre that I have read. It really is a fantastic read and highly recommended, whether you like Westerns or not.

“THE SPAMALOT DIARIES” by Eric Idle (2024)
-This book is exactly what the title says. Eric Idle (of Monty Python and The Rutles fame) kept a diary of his experiences in bringing the show “Spamalot” to the Broadway stage. Kind of like “The Producers” but in real life. Huh. Another Mel Brooks reference. Wild,
For those who may be unaware, “Spamalot” is a Broadway musical version of the film “Monty Python And The Holy Grail”, adapted for the stage by Eric Idle and John Du Prez, Eric’s long time musical partner. While it does help to have some knowledge about both the movie and the musical, I don’t believe it’s totally necessary for the enjoyment of this book.
Yes, this book is a diary, but it’s hardly boring. Being a comedian, Idle has a natural way of writing that is very funny. It is also honest, emotional, and charming. Being a diary, we don’t get too much technical gobbledygook to bore someone who knows nothing about the theatre world, but we do get a behind the scenes look into the arguments, egos, difficulties, breakdowns and breakthroughs it takes to bring a big time show to life.
If you are a fan of Monty Python, or just of the theatre itself, I believe there is much here for you to enjoy. I also believe that even if you’re not a fan, but you are interested in the creative process, or perhaps you are a project manager looking for a different perspective on how to get things done, this may also be for you.

“YOU LIKE IT DARKER” by Stephen King (2024)
-I know, I know, a lot of people don’t like Stephen King for a lot of different reasons, and many of them are justified. I’ve read a large majority of his work, and although I consider myself a fan, I have issues with a lot of his stuff too. Especially when you get into the longer novels.
That’s why I’m always excited when I hear there’s a new King short story collection. I love short stories of all kinds, horror and fantasy doubly so. When done right, the short story can encompass everything that’s great about the novel in a way that quickly cuts to the chase and doesn’t get bogged down in too much detail, less than interesting side stories, or it’s own self-righteousness. For my money, Stephen King is one of the best when it comes to short fiction.
Sure, some of the stories hit the mark better than others, but that’s the nature of these types of collections and you know that going in. There are some longer tales in this book that I could tell really wanted to be novels, but just couldn’t quite hit that mark. That’s assuming, of course, that a story is a living, breathing thing. Which it is. There are also a few that go by in a flash, stinging quick as a hornet, but leaving a mark that lasts much longer.
Favorite stories here include “The Turbulence Expert”, “Willie The Weirdo” (shudder), “The Fifth Step” (double shudder), “On Slide Inn Road”, “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” and “Laurie”. I’ll tell you though, there was nothing here that I didn’t like and I quite enjoyed the ride.

Okay, now that that’s in the books (sorry), I now have the unenviable job of trying to figure out how to describe the out and out comic insanity that is the film…

“HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS” (Self release 2002-streaming/home release 2004)
-Let’s start with the official synopsis from the movie’s own website. “In this 19th century, supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers”.
That barely begins to cover it.
“Hundreds Of Beavers” is a slapstick comedy film that feels like one of the old Warner Brothers cartoons has come to life. Well, at least the first half feels this way, Comedy aficionados will also notice the influence of Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, and Charlie Chaplin as well. Each gag lands with accuracy, and even the repeated gags don’t get old.
Then the movie takes a slight tonal shift into Dudley Do-Right territory with a little bit of “Return Of The Jedi” thrown in for good measure. There is also a brief parody of a courtroom drama, and what begins to feel like a video game play through, while still keeping the story together and not losing any slapstick elements.
Let’s face it folks, this shouldn’t work. But it does. Wonderfully.
“Hundreds Of Beavers” is a modern take on some old formulas, so it is self aware, but without being obvious or pompous about it. There’s lots of cartoon violence, but nothing overly disturbing. Unless you’re one of those. In which case you probably won’t like this film. For the rest of us though, it’s a blast.
Otherwise, there’s no profanity (apart from one well timed bleep), the sexual humor is mild, few references to smoking are made, and as far as alcohol goes, well, that’s what started our heroes problems to begin with-and he learns his lesson. My only complaint is that the movie is a little bit too long. I think trimming a few minutes here and there could have helped the flow overall and brought us to a quicker resolution. I feel that comedy movies work best at around 90 minutes, and this one clocks in at 108. Not bad, mind you, but the third act felt a little long. Still, if the only bad thing I can say about the movie is that it’s too much of a good thing, then how bad can it be? Also there are a few gross jokes, but nothing worse than an 11 year old boy would come up with so let’s let that slide.
Let’s see, what else? Oh, did I mention this was all shot in black and white? And that the Beavers (and other animals) are all played by people in Mascot type costumes? The physical and digital effect mix make the whole thing feel like the 30’s while being a masterful achievement of today’s technology.
And that’s the key to the success of this movie, I think. It’s all about the juxtaposition of ideas and styles that don’t go together, but do. “Hundreds Of Beavers” also pulls off one of the hardest things a comedy can, in that it’s stupid, yet smart. This in and of itself is a lost art these days, and it is refreshing to see. Quality stuff.
I’d recommend seeing this with a like minded friend (or more) for maximum fun and laughs. But even if you see it all by your lonesome, see it! “Hundreds Of Beavers” is on Apple tv, Amazon Prime, and Blu ray.

Aright. Well. That’s what’s been keeping me entertained. If any of these pieces sounds good to you, check ’em out, and tell me what you think.

See you next time!

The Whole Godzilla Thing

I’ve been thinking a lot this week, about many things.

Mostly Godzilla, though.

Not the new Godzilla movies, cool as they are. I mean the original run of movies that started back in 1945 (!) and ran for, well, pretty much ever. As a kid, they were staples of the afternoon and/or late night movie shows on local tv. As a young boy, I loved tuning in to see the monster mayhem. As an adult, however, I find myself more interested in Godzilla as a character and the overarching story and lore connecting the many, many films.

It’s interesting to me, because in Godzilla’s first appearance he was a fearsome monster. In the original story, Godzilla basically served as a stand in for the atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima and brought not only destruction at levels hitherto unseen, but a new level of fear to Japan and the world at large.

Godzilla was the cinematic embodiment of fear and senseless destruction. He was truly a monster, in every sense of the word.

Then, something happened. The filmmakers began to add more creatures and violence and mayhem into the mix. Over time, Godzilla transformed into a hero. The people of Japan (both in the movies and in real life) began to see him as a hero.

But here’s the thing, he was still a monster. Quite definitely so. He was still capable of mass destruction, but people didn’t care. In time, they even called upon Godzilla to save them.

So, from about 1964-1975 Godzilla was portrayed as the hero that the people needed. Then, in 1984, things shifted. Suddenly, Godzilla was a bad guy again. The monster came back, in all his ranging, fire-breathing glory. Fear, destruction, and chaos followed.

Because that’s what happens with monsters. They lay dormant for a while. They may even show their friendly side. In the end, though, a monster is a monster and it will do what monsters do the best.

Fear, destruction, and chaos.

Godzilla was always a monster. Even when the people didn’t see it. When they didn’t care.

He was-and is-still a monster.

Just something I’ve been thinking about.

Quick Update

Hey y’all.

I’ve been a little busy here lately and haven’t had much time to get the blog together.

Well, that’s only partly true. The busy thi g i mean. Lets take it week by week.

Last Monday I went to a concert with my old friend Jim whom I haven’t hung out with for years. It was a good time. We saw Dweezil Zappa play 3 hours (!) of his father Frank’s music-without a break. It was goofy in places (as it should be), musically enthralling, exhilarating, and exhausting. Got home super late and decided I’d catch up on the blog later.

This week, though, we are dealing with a  leak in our basement. There’s been a slow leak in the pipes feeding our utility sink for some time, apparently. The problem with the slow leak is that you don’t notice it until the damage has been done.

Now, it wasn’t a terrible leak, and damage was minimal. Still, some drywall will need to ne replaced, the carpet cleaned (and hopefully not replaced, but time will tell), and I may need to replace some cds and dvd/blu-rays from my collection. I also left my mountain dulcimer in the path of the leak, but I think the instrument may still be playable. The case, though, is toast.

Anyway, it could have been a lot worse, all things considered. Fortunately, my wife’s sister and brother in law are both DIY experts, and they (along with a friend of theirs) helped us get everything under control right away. Big thanks to Mike, Elizabeth, and Sandy.

Well, there’s your update, folks. I hope to be back next week with a more normal type MonDaves post. Whatever that is.  See you then!

P.S.-Oh, and I also had to replace the battery in my car during all this. Not a big deal, really, just something else to mention, I guess.