Running MCU thread

Shang-Chi is fantastic.

Top 5 Marvel movie. First half is different and funny with great fight scenes. Second half is kinda more of the same as far as superhero movies go with the buildup to the big fight, but elevated by the actors.

Self-contained, but connects with other Marvel movies.

Need more like this.

 

I just got in from seeing it. Part of me wished they hadn't gone quite so big and kept the focus more on the family stuff, but the visuals are really cool and the pieces do fit together into a very good movie.

I wouldn't put it in my top five in the MCU, but maybe 10. I'll have to process a bit more. I agree that the cast is fantastic.

 

Saw it last night and I tend to agree about where it falls into the universe. It was very, very good. Go see it.

Anyway, back to rankings, I always have a hard time making a list because they all hold so much on their own merits for the most part and are entertaining in their own ways, but it is one of only four MCU movies after seeing in the theater where I thought, man, I'd like to see that again soon. The others being Civil War, Infinity War and End Game, and I did see the later two again in the theater.

I know it was brought up by someone else here that the trailer was meh, but it had me excited and I was going to see it this weekend no matter what. Took my wife along, who has enjoyed much of the MCU with me although she has been late to being a diehard. Kind of took WandaVision to get her really going and we've rewatched a ton since then. Anyway, I think she was sort of surprised I wanted to see it and afterward one of the first things she said was, the trailer didn't do anything for me but that was one of the best movies they've done. I think that speaks for itself!

It is self contained, but really, this seemed to be the foundation for Phase 4 to me. It started a lot in my mind.

 

Just got back from seeing Shang-Chi and I really enjoyed it.
I considered this as a kind of a test as to how much interest I would have in the MCU going forward. I've haven't missed seeing a movie in the theater starting with Iron Man 2 and this was the first time I think I came upon an MCU film where I wasn't at all familiar with the characters or most of the cast. It passed. As expected, a lot of great action (that whole bus fight sequence was pretty impressive), and it did an effective job of explaining the whole Ten Rings story and its place in the series. And the addition of some unexpected past characters was a nice touch.
Also, one thing I love about these movies (or any movie for that matter) is seeing a supporting character and knowing I saw that actor somewhere, but where? In this case it was the henchman Razorfist:


And about half an hour later, it hit me that "Holy shit, that guy was Vicktor Drago in 'Creed II'":

 

You may or may not want to Google Awkwafina, who is great, then.

My acid test is do I want to see more of these two, and, without question, I do.

They are part of the universe and his “pay grade” is right up there with Dr. Strange and Spider Man now. I am unsure how she will work in, but she’s in it, too.

I love the wink in the one extra credits scene where that person could have been speaking to the characters or actors and it would aptly apply.

 

I haven't gone yet and am weighing if I should go take the almost 9-yr-old (took him to see Black Widow and felt like we could have skipped it in the theater).
I don't care much about language, he hears worse from his Mom. LOL
Anything of note that would impede us from going? Anything "scary"/"too sad"?

 

It’s fine. Play Hotel California on the way there. Trust me.

 

I'm not sure if it makes sense to point out plot holes in the What If? series, but one from the second episode is bothering me. The title Star-Lord did not come from the Ravagers or anything else in Peter Quill's time growing up away from Earth. It is what his mother called him when he was little. There really would be no reason for T'Challa to take on that title just because he grew up in Quill's place with the Ravagers.

 

What if the Ravagers called him Star Lord?

 

Why would they? They didn't come up with the name for Quill. His mother did.

I just watched Episode 5. They perfectly captured the tone of the series that inspired this particular story. They also got quite a few MCU actors doing the voices. They found some voice actors who sound like the actors from the movies, too.

 

Mid-season trailer for What If? featuring a very brief meeting of two characters we haven't seen together before.

 

Is that Galactus at 0:44?