REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the second movie in the lineup, The Incredible Hulk
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqNb2PFKKA[/embedyt]
This one has mostly been forgotten but is still in canon with the MCU. Is the second movie in the MCU a hulk smash or a pass?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 10 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story is about Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) on the run from the government and looking to cure his Gamma sickness (AKA The Hulk). When he is discovered by the Military lead by Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) and is forced to flee his house and avoid getting captured. When he is cornered in the same factory he worked at, he turns into the Hulk and goes on a rampage. After nearly escaping, Bruce is once again lost and on the run when he is picked up and travels back to the USA to try and finally get a cure. However, while back in the US, he comes across his old lover Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler), she wants to help Bruce by any means possible. This leads the couple to New York where when they make the cure but all is lost when a Super Soldier went wrong Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) uses Bruce’s blood to gain more power and become the Abomination. This leads to a final showdown in New York when Hulk and Abomination clash with Hulk winning and saving the day (Of Course). In Conclusion, Bruce leaves to go to BC and Thunderbolt Ross gets an unexcepted visitor which turns out to be Tony Stark (Robert Downey JR.) who wants to talk about the Avengers Initiative.
Right off the bat, I want to say that this film comes across as dull and boring at times. Sure it has plenty of action but it’s done in such a way that it feels more like white noise than anything exciting. The only good part of the film is the last 30 mins with the fight between Hulk and Abomination and the RDJ cameo at the end. This is really bad when this is supposed to be a continuation of the fresh MCU.
The acting in this movie is also dull as well, everyone in this movie looks like they don’t want to be there and they are only doing this because they got better things to do. The performances are also bland with everyone in the cast trying too little or not even trying at all. The worst has to be Liv Tyler, she basically whispers all of her lines and comes off as annoying as well. The best performance in this film is from Tim Roth, sure he looks bored as well but, you can tell he is having fun playing the proto super soldier.
For all the negative I have been giving the film, the CGI still holds up after 10 years. The Hulk and Abomination look visually pleasing and are awesome to see on screen. It feels like more work and effort was put into the CGI then the rest of the movie itself.
The Verdict:
Before watching this movie, I kept thinking, “Why is this movie so forgotten by most MCU fans?”. Well, now I finally have the answer, it’s because this movie is dull. The story is simple but the execution is what falls apart. The acting is also dull and no one seems to be trying in this movie. When the only good thing about the movie is the end and the CGI, you really done screwed it up. I can only recommend you watch the last 30 mins of this film. Other then that, this is most definitely a hulk pass.
5/10
Next up on the list, we look at the sequel to the excellent Iron Man, Iron Man 2. Is Iron Man 2 a worthy sequel or will it derail the franchise?
REVIEW: Iron Man (Road to Infinity War)
This is it folks! The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event has begun!
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With Infinity War coming out this May, we will be going back and reviewing every single MCU movie in release order! After all, every end has a beginning. So let’s start at the beginning with Iron Man.
Iron Man is the first movie in the now famous MCU and even 10 years after it’s release, does the movie still hold up?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hYlB38asDY[/embedyt]
Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 10 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story of Iron Man is an origin story for Tony Stark, played by the famous and expensive Robert Downey JR. After a weapons testing, Tony get’s ambushed and captured by the Ten Rings. They demand that Tony Build them the Jericho missile and then they will kill him afterwards. However, along with us saviour and cellmate, Yinsen, they secretly build a prototype Iron Man suit to help them escape. After Tony barely escapes with the suit, he is rescued and learns he has been gone for 3 months and tries to shut down production of his weapons for good, after seeing all the harm he has caused with them. However, Obadiah Stane, played by Jeff Bridges, has other plans for not only the weapons but Tony’s prototype suit as well.
The story is easy and simple to follow which is one of the strong aspects of the movie. Iron Man has had a strange and crazy ride in the comics and seeing as this is the first movie, they had plenty of material to choose from. Now, I haven’t read a single issue of Iron Man so I don’t know if this story is from the comics for not. So, it’s nice to see them go for their own story of good vs. evil. It’s this moral dilemma that Tony has is what makes him so likeable and charming.
It also helps that the acting in this movie is awesome. Robert Downey JR. is the star of the show and he nails Tony Stark and Iron Man. Jeff Bridges is also very charming and can also be menacing as the villain of the movie. Everyone else in the cast did a great job as well.
The CGI also still holds up after 10 years and seeing some amazing improvements with each new Marvel film. From the Iron Man suits, weapons testing and Tonys mansion. You can see that they did not want to get the look and feel of Iron Man wrong. Because if they did, we wouldn’t have an MCU after all and just try to imagine a world without the MCU.
One thing to also point out is how this movie doesn’t try and spend it’s time building a universe. The movie is focused on the character and only drops little hints to make it feel grander in scale. This is the perfect set up for a solo movie and it also feels like if this movie did bomb, it would have been a one and done.
The Verdict:
Iron Man is not only a great superhero movie, it’s also a great popcorn flick. It’s also a really impressive start to what we call the MCU. No one really knew who Iron Man was until this movie put him and RDJ on the map. Iron Man isn’t perfect, but it get’s the job done and is a great start to a new universe.
8/10
Alright, one down, 16 more to go. Stick around because up next will be the mostly forgotten but still in canon, The Incredible Hulk.
REVIEW: Black Panther
It’s finally here!! Black Panther is finally in theatres and after Black Panther clawed his way onto the big screen in Captain America: Civil War, fans were hyped to see how Black Panthers solo outing would turn out. With all the hype and buzz around this film, does it succeed or does it come down with cat scratch fever?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU[/embedyt]
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!! SHIELD YOUR EYES IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN BLACK PANTHER YET!
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Right off the bat, Black Panther is one of the best movies that Marvel has made for the MCU. The movie has the perfect balance of action, heart, entertainment and pacing. However, the movie does have it faults which I will talk about later.
The story takes place after Civil War with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) becoming the new king of Wakanda after his father’s death at the hands of Zemo. T’Challa goes through all the rituals and everything seems to be going smoothly until Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) resurfaces and tries to sell Vibranium (The strongest metal in the MCU) when he is caught and imprisoned. Then, Erik Killmonger (Michael. B. Jordan) breaks him out and the two villains team up to try and bring down the Black Panther to steal all the Vibranium in Wakanda.
The story is simple and easy to follow so you don’t need to have read the comics to know who Black Panther and Wakanda is. The movie does a great job of explaining the lore around Wakanda and Black Panther.
However, one bad thing I can say about this movie is how it handles both villains, Killmonger and Klaue. First, halfway through the movie Killmonger actually kills Klaue so that he can get into Wakanda to execute the rest of his master plan. This came out of left field since Klaue is one of Black Panther’s big villains, and Andy Serkis does such a great job in the role that killing him feels like a strange choice. Also, Killmonger also dies in the end which is saddening because he was such an interesting and compelling villain that you end up rooting for him near the end. Michael. B. Jordan also did such a fantastic job as Killmonger that he is easily the best villain in the MCU right now (Sorry Loki). Now that Killmonger was killed, it ruins any potential of him coming back and facing against Black Panther again (Although who really stays dead in comics nowadays?).
The acting is outstanding in Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa) brings his all to his role and so does the rest of the cast. The chemistry with everyone in the cast can be seen and it really helps make the characters more fun and believable. After watching the movie, you will love T’Challa’s family and guards so much that you wish that maybe they may get their own solo movies or one-shots in the future?
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The CGI for this movie is amazing and really eye-catching. The scenes where T’Challa goes to the ancestral plane are really breathtaking and give off some serious Lion King vibes with how they are presented.
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Wakanda is fantastic and stunning to look at and it also looks like a great place to live. This movie did such an amazing job showing off Wakanda and the community around it that it really does feel like a special and sacred place. The technology that is in Wakanda really comes to life and some of the gadgets are really outstanding and awesome. The tech looks so futuristic and amazing that it will leave you wanting some of Wakanda tech for yourself! I mean just think of the possibilities!
I should also mention that the waterfall fight scenes are also beautiful to look at and really has a grand sense of scale that leaves you wanting more. Also, the fighting is also very brutal and awesome to see. Props to the stunt people for the movie.
The music for the movie blends in with the tone/theme of the movie and it also stands out on its own as well. Kendrick Lamar produced and wrote the songs for Black Panther. Lamar has been on a roll in the rap game over the last few years with his music winning Grammys. Lamar brings his A game and produces some great music that is very catchy and shows that he was the perfect choice for Black Panther.
The Verdict:
Black Panther is a great movie from start to finish. The story is simple and compelling, and the characters are entertaining and loveable. The main villain is the best that we have seen in the MCU. However, it should also be said how they handle the villains in this movie is also misguided. The CGI is also very well done and it really helps enhance the movie. Overall, everyone gave their all into making this movie, and it really shows. Believe the hype and go see Black Panther.
9.5/10
Now excuse me while I go make my way back to Wakanda for the second time.
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REVIEW: Altered Carbon, Episode 102
Altered Carbon continues as we head into episode 2 of the new Sci-Fi Netflix series.
Now before anyone mentions anything, there will be spoilers for the episode down below.
We start the episode by seeing Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman) and Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda) morning routines. Kovacs wakes up and scolds his AI companion for the hotel Poe (Chris Conner) for letting the attorney Oumou Prescott (Tamara Taylor) into his room while he has no clothes on, and Ortega reluctantly wakes up to go for Boxing training with her partner Abboud (Waleed Zuaiter). The scene with Kovacs is funny and awkward since he is talking to the attorney with no clothes and Poe keeps trying to cover him up. While the scene with Ortega and Abboud is fun and intense, we get to learn why Ortega keeps a tracker on Kovacs as Abboud tells her to stop following him like a stalker.
Next, we go to a Sleeving (Body Swapping) Faculty where Kovacs and Prescott go to get some answers, only to find Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy) getting back into his current sleeve and talks to Kovacs. This scene plays out as a world-building moment because we get to learn more about how and what Sleeves (Empty Bodies) are and what purpose they serve in this future.
Then, we move to a poker game that Poe is playing with his AI friends and this scene doesn’t really serve much but it will get mentioned because it has some great effects and it also gives some backstory to the Poe and the AI he calls his friends.
Next, we see Kovacs watch a bunch of videos of death threats that Bancroft has received and stumbles on one that sees’s a masked man show his gun to the camera. Kovacs is able to get a Serial Number and track down the gunman to his home and tries to question him about the video. We later find out that the man’s name is Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh) and he is trying to save his daughter. This conflict as a whole takes up a huge chunk of the episode and is awesome from start to finish. From the continuous fighting and special effects that are presented when Kovacs uses a VR headset to look where Elliot’s daughter Lizzie.
After this, Kovacs Visits a futuristic strip joint to find talk to one of the girls to find out more information about Lizzie and where to find her when he is then ambushed afterwards by Vernon. This turns sour because then Kovacs and Vernon are attacked by some gangster with some using a power enhancer. This scene was filled with action and violence to make it entertaining and it looked visually pleasing as well.
Finally, we end the episode by Kovacs coming back to his hotel home when he is greeted by Bancroft’s Wife who wants to sleep with Kovacs. They then spend the last few minutes of the episode having sex.
This was another great episode of Altered Carbon, it had a nice balance of both world building and action that keeps the viewer entertained and interested in what this world has to offer. Let’s hope that this series can continue going up from here.
9/10
REVIEW: Altered Carbon, Episode 101
Altered Carbon is the latest new series to stream on Netflix and is a Sci-Fi/Cyberpunk thriller that looks gorgeous and is thrilling at the same time. Just by watching the trailers, you can see that it is heavily inspired by Blade Runner and other Sci-Fi films. However, this isn’t a bad thing, Altered Carbon takes this notion and runs with it pretty well while also creating its own universe and characters.
Here is the trailer if you are interested:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4[/embedyt]
Now before anyone mentions anything, there will be spoilers for the first episode down below.
Altered Carbon starts by throwing you right into the action, where we meet two criminals with guns, one is a woman (we don’t learn her name) and a guy by the name of Takeshi Kovacs (Will Yun Lee) who are ambushed by an armed forces group, they look like stormtroopers if they were scarier. The criminals put up a good fight, but are killed in the end. This scene was very tense at times and was full of action. Definitely a great way to start a pilot.
We then cut to 250 years into the future where we see Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman) being reborn. However, he is in a different body and is having a hard time adjusting to his new environment. However, not only has his body changed, so has the world around him. It’s here that we get to see the CGI and set design really kick in. The world of Altered Carbon is visually stunning and it stands out enough that it doesn’t come off as a copy of Blade Runner (There’s going to be a lot of comparisons that so just a warning).
It’s after that stunning revelation that Kovacs is picked up by Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda) who is a police lieutenant who picks up Kovacs and escorts him to a wealthy estate where we learn that Kovacs was hired to try and solve the murder of Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy) who has already been reborn into a new body. However, Bancroft still wants to find out who wants him dead. It’s this conflict that is the driving force for the rest of the episode, as Kovacs spends his time thinking about taking the case for him to finally agree to at the end of the episode.
So far, Altered Carbon presents a beautiful world and some really good acting. However, the story feels pretty scarce and doesn’t explain everything clearly and it may come off as a lot of showing but not telling. Given that it is only the first episode of the series, we can cut it some slack. Let’s just hope that the story will pick up and gain more momentum while exploring more of the beautiful world around it.
8.5/10
Shonda Rhimes Creates Crossover For Her Two Hit Shows
Yes, you’ve heard correctly.
Shanda Rhimes, creator of shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder, and Scandal, has decided to link up two of her shows in an epic crossover.
How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal have been set for the crossover. Cast members of both shows have geared up to film two episodes that will contain just as much drama as before.
Viola Davis (Annalise Keating, HTGAWM) and Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope, Scandal) has posted on social media, letting fans from both shows know.
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It’s unsure of when the crossover episodes will air but they’re definitely confirmed.
Both How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal will be starting up again with their most recent season, make sure you tune in tonight on ABC.
Source: Instyle.com
Once Upon a Time Hints New Character!
Once Upon a Time’s, Mekia Cox, who plays the role of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, confirmed that someone else from the Disney Classic will appear on set.
Cox said: “Episode 12 will be another big Tiana episode. You’ll also get to see a new character, that might be a little love interest for Tiana. And he might be a familiar face from the Princess and the Frog movie.”
While it hasn’t been confirmed that it will be Naveen, it’s pretty obvious that he will be cast for the upcoming spring season.
Source: Comicbook.com
Promo for Episode 1.08 of The Gifted Reveals Origin of the Strucker Siblings’ Powers
If there’s anything we’ve learned so far about Lauren and Andy Strucker is that they are powerful.
In the latest promo for of The Gifted, we will learn more about the Strucker family and the importance of keeping Lauren and Andy away from Sentinel Services.
We’ve learned in the past couple of episodes that Sentinel Services is recruiting mutants and using them as weapons. Needless to say, there would be a lot of trouble for the mutant underground if Lauren and Andy were turned against them.
In the upcoming episode, Reed will go visit his father and learn that Lauren and Andy’s abilities are a family trait.
Check it out:
https://youtu.be/DVzrRx1U6_w
Did Black Panther Reveal Too Much in Its Latest Trailer?
The new trailer for Black Panther is here!
The upcoming Marvel movie is up to make history as the MCU’s first black-led superhero movie, but could it already be making some mistakes?
The trailer features tons of epic shots, making Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa look awesome.
However, one particular shot has some people scratching their heads.
That is when it’s revealed that Michael Jordan’s Erik Killmonger also has a Black Panther costume, almost identical to T’Challa’s.
Of course, none of us knows what kinds of amazing surprises Black Panther has in store for us, but hopefully, there’ll be some good ones because that was quite a big reveal.
Other than that, the action-packed trailer is all kinds of awesome. We’ll be watching this movie no matter what.
Check out the trailer:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU[/embedyt]
Take a Look at Evan Peters as Andy Warhol in American Horror Story
Ryan Murphy took to Instagram last week to share an important first look.
The co-creator shared the first picture of Evan Peters as Andy Warhol for American Horror Story: Cult. We have to say, he certainly looks the part.
Peters will be playing a number of cult leaders during the ongoing season, including Warhol.
Check it out:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ4ZuTGAce6/