Tag: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Superhero film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). The film is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four films and is directed by Sam Raimi. Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as the mystic doctor of magic accompanied by Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, Xochitl Gomez , Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams. The film is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is now in cinemas.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Sam Raimi
  • Screenplay by Michael Waldron
  • Cinematography by John Mathieson
  • Music by Danny Elfman
  • Edited by Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures 

+ Note

Scott Derrickson, the director of the first film, was originally going to direct the sequel also but due to creative differences with the executives of Marvel Studios, he decided to step down. Enter; Sam Raimi. Ever since Spider-man 3 (2007), Raimi had not gone back to directing superhero films until he was approached by Marvel Studios to direct the sequel to Doctor Strange. Due to Raimi’s creative style of filmmaking, it was promised that the sequel would contain elements of which Raimi is revered for such as comedic gore and violence, pushing the boundaries of a PG-13 rated film. The film was also promised to be much more visually complex and creative than any other Marvel film before.

Now that Sam Raimi was set to direct, he also brought in his long time collaborator Danny Elfman to produce music for the film. Due to the pandemic, the film’s release was shifted to next year, 2022. The film is currently in cinemas with mostly positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike. 

+ Main Cast

  1. Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange
  2. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  3. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo
  4. Benedict Wong as Wong
  5. Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez
  6. Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West
  7. Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer

+ Plot

The sequel to the first Doctor Strange film takes place directly after the WandaVision (2021) show from Disney+. The mystic doctor dreams of himself and this unknown girl who can open portals to other dimensions. After meeting the same girl in the real world, Strange quickly realizes that the dreams were in part of a multi dimensional reality that is being threatened by a mysterious evil being who is in search of this girl’s portal wielding abilities. Meanwhile Doctor Strange visits Wanda to uncover the mystery of the Multiverse. And what follows, is what the Doctor perhaps never ordered…

+ High Points

i – The film is a fun watch throughout its runtime. With Sam Raimi back in his superhero gig, his knack for fast paced storytelling combined with dark humor and lively characters is what makes the sequel of Doctor Strange standout from the rest of the MCU films. And an unusual antagonist of the film was incredibly refreshing in my book. Even with inevitable studio mandates, this is undeniably a Sam Raimi film filled with glorious, unapologetic tongue in cheek gore and violence. And I can very well imagine this will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Those who are content with the so-called “Marvel formula” will be perplexed and disappointed but honestly, MCU definitely needs more experimentation like this film or the deeply disturbing Moon Knight series on Disney+. I had a blast watching this film and with its recent box office success, I hope the MCU execs give more leverage to film directors with a clear vision. In short; less of Ant-Man and more of Doctor Strange 2.

ii – Sam Raimi, oh how I miss thee! Whether you enjoy his work or not, you cannot deny the energy and dedication that he brings to every one of his films (yes, even Spider-man 3!). As mentioned above, this film has all the Sam Raimi tropes you can think of; cheesy one liners, homage to his earlier Evil Dead series, extras who can’t act, Bruce Campbell cameo, the works. Doctor Strange in MoM is far from being Superhero film masterpiece like The Dark Knight (2008) or The Avengers (2012), but it brings a lot of energy and a sense of excitement to each and every scene. From framing, camera movement, editing or music, the director utilizes each and every aspect of its craft to elevate the capacity of filmmaking to its potential. There were numerous scenes where I went “Huh, I’ve never seen that happen in a Marvel film before..” and not since Avengers: Infinity War (2018) did I have that feeling for a MCU film.

 MoM also has a mad third act which made me enjoy the film even more. And above everything else, MoM has what the first Doctor Strange couldn’t; a sense of personality. 

iii – There are many out there who protest that this film should have been called ‘Wanda in the Multiverse of Madness’ and they are half right cause Elizabeth Olsen just stole the show away from Cumberbatch with her performance. Thrusted into a role she is not used to playing, Olsen did a great job in diving into her character’s tortured persona and bring out the pain and suffering through her acting chops. But needless to say Benedict Cumberbatch as the mystic Doctor Strange and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez played their part in investing the viewer into the world of Doctor Strange.

iv – For the most part, MoM is a self-contained story and is not too busy paying homages or building up sequels. There are obviously some fan service cameos in the film from the characters even casual audiences can recognize but it was never egregious or out of place to the context of the film.  

v – In most cases, Dr Strange 2 can easily be described as a horror film with a cheeky sense of humor. And I am genuinely surprised that with a PG-13 rating, how Marvel managed to get away with most of its gory horror scenes. This will inevitably drive away younger audiences or in cases, will make them sleep with the night light on but if you know Sam Raimi and his previous works, you should have expected it by now. Personally, I found it thoroughly entertaining. 

vi – The score by the legendary Danny Elfman was fantastic and a massive contributing factor to the enjoyment of the film. Elfman was obviously hired due to the insistence of Raimi since they had worked together on the Spider-man trilogy.

+ Low Points

i – Doctor Strange in MoM has certain problems, mainly in the storytelling department. The pacing and flow of the narrative is not as smooth as Raimi’s previous films and feels disjointed at times, especially in the final act. Now, did it break my sense of enjoyment? Heck no but I can imagine for some, this could prove to be an issue. 

ii – With a title like ‘… in the Multiverse of Madness’, one cannot help but wonder if there could have been more ‘Madness’ added into the mix? With the premise of Multiverse, I wish we could have seen more parallel universes and different timelines with different Earths and so on. 

iii –  Even though the final act was a lot of fun to experience, the resolution did seem very ordinary and was disappointing to say the least. With all its issues, the first Doctor Strange (2017) did have an unusual resolution to a world threatening problem. If you know the premise, you know how the antagonist will be defeated.

iv – The film relies heavily on the ending to the Disney+ TV series, WandaVision (2021) and that’s not a great way to bring in new viewers. Those who are not aware of the TV series will be left confused as to what is actually going on. Make films more accessible or at least a narrative recap to the reference. The film’s plot kicks off with basically no prior explanations or recaps and hope that you are up to speed with everything Marvel. This could be one of the bigger contributing factors as to why some audience members will feel a bit lost throughout the film.

+ Overall

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is not a perfect film by any means but it easily covers its flaws with fun, fast paced actions, tongue in cheek horror and a personality all of its own.

Rate : out of 5 stars

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on Black Widow (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Superhero film, Black Widow (2021). The film is the first of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four films and is directed by Cate Shortland. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Black Widow and the list of cast includes Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz and Ray Winstone. The film is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is now in cinemas and Disney Plus streaming service.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Cate Shortland
  • Screenplay by Eric Pearson
  • Story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson
  • Cinematography by Gabriel Beristain
  • Music by Lorne Balfe
  • Edited by Leigh Folsom Boyd and Matthew Schmidt
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Walt Disney Studios and Motion Pictures 

+ Note

The character of Black Widow as the ex-Russian spy first made her appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Iron Man 2 (2009). Since then, she had made dozens of appearances all across the three phases of the MCU and in turn, grew in popularity amongst the fans. A standalone Black Widow film was always on the cards for Kevin Feige (Marvel Studios President) but due to big event shattering films like Avenger: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019), the filming got delayed till the end of the Phase Three. 

After hinting at it through numerous films, Black Widow was set to reveal the origin story of the character and how she became a super spy, entangled in the world of espionage. The main list of characters included Natasha Romanoff’s estranged family of misfits. Black Widow was to be released in the Summer of 2020 but due to the pandemic, the film kept getting delayed till it was finally released in the summer of 2021. As of July 23, 2021, Black Widow has grossed $146.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $132 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $278.7 million.

+ Main Cast

  1. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
  2. Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow
  3. David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian
  4. O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason
  5. Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov / Taskmaster
  6. William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross
  7. Ray Winstone as Dreykov
  8. Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff / Black Widow

+ Plot

The events of Black Widow take place after Captain America: Civil War (2016) where she serves as a fugitive from the Sokovia Accords. Due to political conspiracy and espionage, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) ends up confronting her dark past as a spy and mending broken relationships with her “parents” and sister. In the quest of searching for the truth, Natasha comes across a mysterious “Red Room” and the potential mastermind behind the Superspy program.

+ High Points

i – The main cast of characters of Black Widow have great chemistry with one another. The exposition/ quieter moments of the film reveal the depth of personality each of the characters pertain within themselves. The screenplay gives vital time develop each of the estranged relationship in the dysfunctional “Romanoff” family and by the far the best thing going about the film.

ii – Speaking of estranged relationships, Florence Pugh as Natasha’s Superspy sister is wonderful casting and an assent to the Black Widow saga. The banter with Scarlett Johansson and her performance walks the fine line of cynicism and comedy with rewarding results. Pugh’s dialogue delivery and subtle gestures play a key role in cementing her as one of the quintessential non-superhero characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.   

iii – And of course, a shoutout also goes to David Harbour as the bumbling “Red Guardian” who’s tall tales of fighting Captain America never cease to amaze his listeners. If not written correctly, the character could’ve ended up being a liability to the film but it is Harbour’s comedic timing and emotions that make him hilarious but loveable at the same time. 

iv – The dark opening sequence of the film was admittedly fantastic and unique from the rest of the Marvel films. It was unapologetically tragic and disturbing to say the least but unfortunately for the film, the originality ended right after the opening scene and the film devolved back into pointless action sequences.

+ Low Points

i – So I guess we should address the elephant in the room; why now? Why did Kevin Feige feel that the audience needs a Black Widow film when she already died in the previous Avengers film? Black Widow is admittedly a competent Superhero film but what purpose does it serve in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The film feels 3 or 4 years too late and it shows. The biggest issue with Black Widow is that regardless if you love the film or not, it is inconsequential and therefore, lacks the stakes of engaging its audience. 

ii – Like Captain Marvel (2019), Black Widow feels dull and a mediocre product of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot and action sequences seem like nothing that we already haven’t seen time and time again. The big baddy Dreykov kidnapping and brainwashing solely female subjects is never justified. There seems to be a clear distinction between the dialogue heavy scenes to the mind numbing action sequences. Apparently, the film’s creative team was already working on the action scenes of the film long before they even approached the director of the film! And the results are clear as day. Black Widow doesn’t feel like a coherent film or a vision of a sole filmmaker but rather just some interesting character developing moments, followed by bland CGI explosions. 

iii –  While watching the film, the question that always popped in my head was; is Black Widow invulnerable to pain? As far as I know, Natasha was never injected with the Super serum, how (for the love of God) can she jump 100 feet down on the ground, take a massive beating to the face and still walk away scratchless? I understand that suspension of disbelief is a common trait one must have while watching a superhero film but this was just plain ridiculous and numerous times took me out of the film.

iv – Normally, I do not compare the source material to the film adaptation but Taskmaster was such a major disappointment in the film. The cunning copycat of the comics has so much devious personality that could have served the cinematic counterpart quite well but unfortunately, Taskmaster in MCU is just another bland, generic villain in the film that Black Widow must overcome. I cannot talk much about the character due to spoilers but whatever emotions the film was trying to bring to its audiences, it sadly did not work.

v – Ray Winstone as the big baddy also never lived up to its true evil potential. He was evil for the sake of being evil. No real motivations or character development, Dreykov had the depth of a James Bond villain from the 1960s.

vi – There was a cute subplot with the Red Guardian who claimed to have fought Captain America and then… nothing. There was no pay off to the story. Again, so much potential but none of the creativeness to bring it all together with the main plot of the film.

vii – Even though the family interaction scenes were the best part of the film, the third act of the film was entirely forgettable, CGI nonsense that betrayed the very core of an espionage film. Instead of constructing something unique, the creative team opted for yet another “world threatening, ships in the sky exploding” conclusion that will challenge to keep the audience’s attention span till the end of the film.

+ Overall

Black Widow is a perfectly serviceable but bland Marvel film that never lived up to the character’s potential. MCU needs to be a lot more creative if they don’t want to lose their core audience with the upcoming phase four films.

Rate : 2.0 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on Loki (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, Loki (2021). The mini-series is created by Michael Waldron and directed by Kate Herron. The show stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino. The show is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Kate Herron
  • Cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw
  • Music by Natalie Holt
  • Edited by Paul Zucker, Calum Ross and Emma McCleave
  • Created by Michael Waldron
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

The concept of Loki TV series was first introduced as a core part of the Phase Four MCU content. Since the success of Loki as a character in The Avengers (2012) and other MCU films, it was clear that Tom Hiddleston might reprise his iconic role and will be explored much more as a stand alone character. The series explores the concept of branching timelines which were first introduced in Avengers: Endgame (2019) where upon “disruption of the pre-planned events”, the past does not change but rather a whole new timeline is introduced. After the disruption of the main timeline by Loki in Avengers: Endgame (2019), the series plays as a redemption arc for the character as he follows through different versions of his own self due to the possibility of different timeline “variants’ “.

After WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki is the third in the Marvel/ Disney Plus series which brought worldwide praise from critics, especially for Tom Hiddleston’s effortless performance as the famous Norse Mythology trickster. 

+ Main Cast

  1. Tom Hiddleston as Loki
  2. Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer
  3. Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15
  4. Eugene Cordero as Casey
  5. Tara Strong voices Miss Minutes
  6. Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius

+ Plot

After Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) devious escape with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame (2019), he ends up getting arrested by an organization called  Time Variance Authority (TVA). Their sole mission to avoid disruption of the timeline and capture ‘Variants’ who were responsible for the timeline split from the main continuity. At the TVA, Loki meets agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) who believes that Loki could be used for a mission that has been plaguing the TVA for a long duration of time now; to capture a renegade Variant who is hiding in the different timelines of the Marvel Universe.

As the story progresses, Loki and Mobius soon realize that something does not seem right about the TVA and combine strengths in order to search for the truth.

+ High Points

i – After watching the last episode, I can sincerely concur that Loki is the best Marvel/ Disney Plus show to date. Tom Hiddleston is once again fantastic as the charming yet devious Loki and the rest of the cast contributes wonderfully to the convoluted story of Timelines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While such thematic elements can get tricky at times, Marvel has done a brilliant job in maintaining a balanced view and moved the story along each of the six episodes. 

ii – Speaking of great performances, Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson work seamlessly as a buddy cop movie duo where the banter is fun and never gets overbearing like in some of the lesser MCU films. At this point, I feel Tom Hiddleston can play Loki with his eyes shut whereas Owen Wilson is a welcome addition to the MCU family with his dry dialogue delivery and wry humor. 

iii – Another vital character that is introduced in Loki is Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie. I cannot talk much about her character as it would prove to be a major spoiler for the show but suffice to say, she is very charismatic whenever she is alongside Loki onscreen. 

iv – I think what should be most widely applauded about Loki is the writing. Michael Waldron and team have done a really special job in bringing a whole new concept of TVA into the MCU without disrupting anything around the already established storylines from the previous Three phases of the MCU. The episodes move at a brisk pace, provide vital details along the way and most importantly, have a keen eye on character progression for each individual throughout the series. With such a convoluted plot involving timelines, the writing team has done a stupendous job throughout the 6 episodes. Well done!

v – Some of the cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw is truly inventive and much more creative than the previous two Marvel/ Disney Plus series. The frame travels alongside our main cast, explores the TVA’s corridors in the earlier episodes but pulls back in the later episodes, revealing odd and ominous landscapes (a galore of Marvel easter eggs!).

vi – The Music by Natalie Holt is haunting and memorable. The preference of introument’s lower bass range proves ideal for the series as it meticulously mixes vintage Sci-Fi elements with slow melancholy. 

vii – The Costume Designs, Special Effects and Set Design are all praiseworthy. What could truly be admired about Disney Plus is that they have undeniable trust in their Marvel content and are willing to financially back it up all the way. When they don’t, you can see the mediocre CGI in films like Black Panther (2018).

viii – Where both the previous Marvel/ Disney Plus shows (WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) staggered for me were the final episode. It was a barrage of unnecessary epic battles with virtually no real organic progression towards it. Thankfully Loki avoids all that and concludes the story according to the previous events leading up to it. A new character is revealed in the last episode which systematically changes much of the Phase Four and could prove to be a worthy foe for the next generation of the Avengers. I cannot reveal much but the actor who plays the role is just simply outstanding in this. Whenever he was on screen, he clearly hijacked it and the mesmerizing performance was just an icing on the Loki cake.

+ Low Points

i – With all that is great and praiseworthy about Loki, there are problems that could’ve been ironed out during the writing process, mainly the over reliance of exposition. During the first two episodes, there were just way too many scenes with 10 minute long explanations about what the TVA is, how it works and what it accomplishes. To soften the blow, the 1920s style animated character ‘Miss Minutes’ was introduced and while that does work to a certain extent, the exposition still continues on in the next few episodes which slightly bogs down the pacing of the show. A tighter, more fluid progression of scenes were needed and while it is never detrimental, it would have surely been improved upon.

SPOILER ALERT!: (From here on out, there will be spoilers for the show. If you still haven’t seen the show and would like to see it, you can skip directly to Overall section):

ii – The romance between the two Loki variants was not organically earned by the show. Although it’s an interesting concept, the romance did feel a bit rushed and perhaps, some might feel it to be unnecessary to the overarching story. 

iii –  The show looks really dark… and I don’t mean the tone. It is literally low on brightness at times. Whether it was to compensate on the greenscreen/ CGI backgrounds is anyone’s guess but a bit of vibrance would have made the moving images more appealing to look at.

+ Overall

Loki is a blast from start to finish! It respects and understands its cast of characters brilliantly while does not shy away from pushing the complex boundaries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rate : 4.25 out of 5 stars

TV series, Uncategorized

Mr. Khan’s Review on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021). The 6 episode mini-series is directed by Kari Skogland and stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/ The Falcon and Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes/ The Winter Soldier. The show is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Kari Skogland
  • Cinematography by P.J. Dillon
  • Music by Henry Jackman
  • Produced by Ariella Blejer and Dawn Kamoche
  • Created by Malcolm Spellman
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

The idea for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was conceived not long after 2018 where the creators at Marvel Studios felt that side characters in the MCU could be further explored with the launch of Disney’s very own streaming service. The mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe Kevin Feige was fully onboard with the idea of Falcon and Winter Soldier having their own spinoff show. The previous films such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016) displayed the talents of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan budding heads together and starring their own “buddy cop”-esque show. But the show wanted to explore much beyond Superhero drama. As did Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the show was keen on exploring relevant, political topics of the present such as race, social class, refugees and the price for freedom. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is also an exploration of the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame and its consequences on the rest of the humanity. 

The show is the second MCU TV series after WandaVision earlier in the year. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was met with fairly positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

+ Main Cast

  1. Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes / Winter Soldier 
  2. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon 
  3. Wyatt Russell as John Walker 
  4. Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau
  5. Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres
  6. Daniel Brühl as Helmut Zemo
  7. Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter

+ Plot

After the retirement of Steve Rogers as Captain America, a void has appeared as to who will take up the mantle of the Stars and Stripes once again. Due to respect for Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson aka Falcon refuses the honor and decides to continue on as The Falcon. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier is still suffering from his mysterious past as the Red Spy and is trying to search for answers in order to redeem himself. But when a new threat of Super Soldiers emerge and threaten to destroy the stability of the country, it is up to Falcon and Winter Soldier to join forces and save the day once again.

+ High Points

i – I have to admit, I didn’t have a lot of hope going into this show. As WandaVision’s premise intrigued me right from the get go, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier just felt retreading previous waters that MCU has displayed onto the silver screens time and time again. In short, this show felt like filler content for Disney’s new streaming service. But surprise surprise, the show turned out better than expected. The story pacing was good, there were some pivotal character development moments, some new characters also turned out great and could have a lot of potential as the MCU progresses into its Phase 4. Although the conclusion was a disappointment, the show is still definitely worth a watch if you find Marvel films entertaining and/ or have been a fan of the Captain America/ Russo Brothers espionage/ superhero action films.

SPOILER ALERT!: (From here on out, there will be spoilers for the show as it is impossible to discuss the plot points without spoiling anything. If you still haven’t seen the show and would like to see it, you can skip directly to Overall section)

ii – Ironically, the show is at its best when there are no action scenes, The banter/ character building moments between Falcon and Bucky are some of the best moments of the series. Both actors play well off one another and have fun chemistry in front of the camera. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is essentially a buddy cop show between a clean cut protege of Captain America vs an ex enemy spy with a dubious past come together to fight a common threat and in the process, learn and inspire from each other’s flaws and merits.

iii – There are some story beats in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier that I just find excellent. Namely, John Walker aka the new Captain America. His story arc from introduction up until the 5th episode was excellently handled. The conflicts that he had to face in order to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers is unfair but yet very real. Which makes it even more natural for him to succumb to the dark side. He is mostly never appreciated by his superhero counterparts and needs to improve fast in order to fight hand to hand combat with antagonists with super soldier serums. His evolution from a clean cut boy scout to eventually murdering someone in cold blood was brilliantly written (up till the last episode which I will get to soon).

iv – Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo was just so much fun to watch. He provided a bit of levity but with a tragic, dramatic edge to it. Although in Captain America: Civil War, he was still mourning the loss of his family but now, he has learned to live with his pain and has a dark yet nihilistic look on life now.

v – The secrets uncovered behind the Super Soldier experiment and its continuation well into the 50s was a neat way to add layers to the overarching plot. The whole subplot of a Black Captain America in the first few episodes was great but entirely plausible look on America and its treatment of non-white citizens. The MCU may not be known for political commentary but when done right, can be incredibly rewarding.

vi – As was WandaVision, the production of the show is excellent and on par with the MCU feature length films. In comparison with DC’s CW Network shows are night and day. The production budget behind these shows are clear evidence that Disney has full faith in these shows continuing on the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a streaming platform.

+ Low Points

i – The final episode. The show had such a great setup but was squandered away for a safe, dull payoff. The action heavy scenes made the episode ironically dull to watch, the cringeworthy speech made by Falcon at the end was laughable at best and the Sharon Carter twist near the end was just… meh. Marvel really needs to learn how to finish a show on a high note. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that it all should be action driven nonsense. 

ii – John Walker’s turn to the “good side” at the end made absolutely no sense in terms of his previous character development. It felt forced and unnatural. The reason John Walker was an interesting character to begin with was his fall from grace, his muddled sense of morality, his failure to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers as Captain America. We already have Falcon as Captain America now, why do we need another one (or as the show names him, U.S. Agent.. ugh). Without a shadow of a doubt, John Walker should have been revealed to be the main protagonist! Instead, we got stuck with….

iii –  A ginger girl who feels that her people have been mistreated and seeks revenge on a global scale. I appreciate that Marvel is trying something new but Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau just unfortunately fails as the main antagonist of the show. There needed to be some more personal stakes at hand. In The Winter Soldier conclusion, Captain America had to face his long lost, brainwashed comrade Bucky Barnes in a final epic battle. They had personal history together which made the conclusion so much more entertaining to watch. And this is exactly the shoes John Walker could’ve filled in for an epic finale. Karli has nothing much going for her and is a complete letdown to the rest of the show.

iv – Even though I praised the production value above, when it comes to creativity, it is definitely passe and insipid. There is not one single sequence or shot that I could remember that I found inspiring. The visuals are pretty much forgettable. And also the shaky cam during fight scenes don’t help.

v – Which brings me to the fight choreography. I wish I could comment on it if I actually understood what was happening during those fight scenes. A single shot stays not long enough for the viewer to grasp exactly what is happening. A barrage of quick edits makes the visuals disorienting and a massive blur at the end of the scene.

vi – I sincerely feel that Marvel needs to move slightly away from the status quo. Take more risk with their properties. Just as Guardian Of The Galaxy or the Avengers: Infinity War were. It will be evidently a lot more rewarding in the long run. Many non Marvel fans complain that the ‘Marvel formula’ never really gives room for creativity. And judging by this show, I can’t disagree with them.

+ Overall

Even though The Falcon and The Winter Soldier starts off very promising, all the hype gets fizzled out with a safe but disappointing conclusion to the show. But regardless of its obvious shortcomings,The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is still an entertaining watch.

Rate : 3.0 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on WandaVision (Ep VII-IX) – Series Finale! (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, WandaVision ep VII- IX (2021) which marks the finale of the show. The mini-series is directed by Matt Shakman and stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda and Paul Bettany as Vision. The show is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

(Note: If you’ve already read the review of the previous episodes, you can skip directly ahead to the High points section).

+ Crew

  • Directed by Matt Shakman
  • Cinematography by Jess Hall
  • Music by Christophe Beck
  • Produced by Chuck Hayward
  • Created by Jac Schaeffer
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

WandaVision is continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 4) where we get to explore more the relationship between the two popular Marvel characters; Scarlet Witch and Vision. The series is cleverly disguised as an American vintage sitcom with multi camera shots and canned Laughter from the audience in a (supposedly) TV Studio. WandaVision is clearly inspired from 50s-60s sitcoms like ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Bewitched’ and later in color, ‘The Brady Bunch’, where situational comedy plays a key role to the show.

+ Main Cast

  1. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  2. Paul Bettany as Vision
  3. Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart
  4. Fred Melamed as Arthur Hart
  5. Kathryn Hahn as Agnes
  6. Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
  7. Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
  8. Randall Park as Jimmy Woo

+ Plot

WandaVision starts off in 1950s suburban America. A husband and a loving wife have just moved in the neighborhood and get along with their neighbors quite well. But unbeknownst to the neighbourhood, they are no ordinary couple. In fact, they are the famous Avengers; Scarlet Witch and Vision who hide their super powers in order to live a happy, wholesome life. But something doesn’t seem right about this scenario. It’s almost too… perfect? How did present day Avengers end up in decades old American TV sitcoms? Where or how did they enter this delightful comedy of errors? What is exactly wrong with WandaVision?

+ High Points

SPOILER ALERT!: (From here on out, there will be spoilers for the show as it is impossible to discuss the plot points without spoiling anything. If you still haven’t seen the show and would like to see it, you can skip directly to Overall section below).

i – So the last three episodes of the show have all been about ‘Revelations’. Agnes, the nosy neighbor from the previous episodes, is the master manipulator Agatha Harkness who played the puppet master of sorts behind the curtain. Kathryn Hahn’s heel turn has been magnificently handled by the actress and was fully aware of the fine balance between campy and solemnity when necessary. Although it was far from perfect, Agnes serves great and memorable as Scarlet Witch’s formidable adversary in the series finale (and the catchy jingle at the end of episode 7 was just the icing on the cake!).

ii – Episode 8 “Previously On” was the best episode in the series. The emotional journey of what Wanda had to go through to become what she is now, was brilliantly handled and executed. It is indeed tragic to see in the past few MCU movies, how Wanda slowly lost everyone she ever cared for; her brother Pietro Maximoff (aka Quicksilver) to Vision’s sacrifice in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). The scene when Wanda has to witness the autopsy/ dismemberment of Vision’s body was gut wrenching and one could easily forget that WandaVision is supposed to be a mere superhero show. The question was set up in the first episode; why or what is WandaVision? And the answer has been well delivered. Kudos to the writing of the show.

iii – Although very short lived, the dynamics of Wanda’s family; her husband Vision and her twin sons, was fantastic. The actors work great off one another and bring a much needed warmth and empathy to the show.

iv – The newly designed costume of Scarlet Witch is slick but also does not deviate too far from its source material. The leathery, muted red can work very well on the silver screen.

v – Once again, I have to praise the lead actors of WandaVision. They were incredibly well rehearsed with the script, delivered with such impeccable precision and skill that quite frankly, is hard to pull off. WandaVision was comedic and dramatic whenever it needed to be and none of this would have been possible if not for Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany’s outstanding onscreen chemistry together. WandaVision is essentially a tragic love story between a Witch and an A.I. And as silly as it sounds, the lead actors managed to make it not only believable but relatable at the same time.

vi – While in the previous episodes, the scenes involving the S.W.O.R.D. were the more ‘boring’ aspects of the show, the last three episodes manage to make them more essential and interesting for the developing plot so that the center conflict of the show could flourish. As the show went on, the characters of Jimmy Woo and Rambeau became more central and integral to the plot and with good writing, became much more fleshed out as the show reached its climax.

vii – Even with the greenscreen fight scene at the end, the Special Effects were brilliant throughout the show and never faltered at any point. 

viii – After reaching its conclusion, one can mention countless assets to credit WandaVision’s success but none can be more important than the writing itself. Jac Schaeffer and co. really knocked this one out of the park and while the finale did turn out to be just another epic MCU battle in the sky (more on that in the Low Points section), the writing was consistent in quality throughout its nine episodes. And it cannot be emphasized enough how integral the writing was to WandaVision’s success.

ix – The emotional send off from Wanda to her family was tragic but beautifully handled. After 9 Episodes, the show gave enough time and space to understand Wanda’s actions and her motivations. The loss of her loved one and her wish to have a family became a distant dream. The show meticulously handles Wanda’s character arc, the crescendo and the finale of it. Where will Wanda go from here? That is a question MCU fans will be eagerly looking forward to. 

+ Low Points

i – With all that was great about the show, the finale was a disappointment of sorts. Instead of a clever and unique way to resolve the conflict, the producers felt the necessity to end this in the most generic fashion they could think of. Wanda battles Harkness in the red greenscreened sky, shooting magic lasers out of their hands. Yawn. The show really lost its luster during the fight and will leave viewers and fans disappointed with lack of creativity. Come on, Jac Schaeffer. I’m sure your team could have come up with something more inventive than that…

ii – It was also a disappointment that Evan Peters’ introduction as Quicksilver in the MCU was used as a punchline for a lackluster joke. Why? Evan Peters was fantastic as Quicksilver and a major asset to the franchise. Why throw it all away? A baffling decision really. 

iii –  So the two Visions have a go at one another, they talk and for some reason, the reprogramed ‘white’ Vision just gets up and leaves? Were the writers really clueless what to do with him? I understand they will introduce him later on sometime in MCU but this whole conflict turned out to be pretty forgettable at the end.

iv – By taking the whole town of Westview hostage, Wanda was psychologically torturing the citizens of the town. In the end, Wanda does the right thing and gives up on her fantasy life to release the Westview citizens of torment but are there no repercussions to Wanda’s actions? Is the S.W.O.R.D.  just going to let Wanda walk away from all this? Although it is understandable that the anguish Wanda had to endure after losing her loved ones but for Wanda to just walk away from all this scott free….it just feels wrong.

+ Overall

WandaVision is a show of many accomplishments. Not only was it engaging television but it proved that even with the current pandemic, Marvel Cinematic Universe can still flourish as a miniseries on the streaming platform Disney Plus. The finale was an unfortunate and predictable letdown but nonetheless, the show was still a triumph and a brilliant in depth look into the psyche and relationship of Wanda and Vision. 

The 9 episode mini-series is now complete and available on Disney Plus.

Rate (Ep VII – IX): 3.5 out of 5 stars

Rate (WandaVision): 4.0 out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on WandaVision (Ep IV-VI) (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, WandaVision ep IV-VI (2021). The miniseries is directed by Matt Shakman and stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda and Paul Bettany as Vision. The show is a continuation of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

(Note: If you’ve already read the review of the previous episode, you can skip directly ahead to the High points section).

+ Crew

  • Directed by Matt Shakman
  • Cinematography by Jess Hall
  • Music by Christophe Beck
  • Produced by Chuck Hayward
  • Created by Jac Schaeffer
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

WandaVision is continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 4) where we get to explore more the relationship between the two popular Marvel characters; Scarlet Witch and Vision. The series is cleverly disguised as an American vintage sitcom with multi camera shots and canned Laughter from the audience in a (supposedly) TV Studio. WandaVision is clearly inspired from 50s-60s sitcoms like ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Bewitched’ and later in color, ‘The Brady Bunch’, where situational comedy plays a key role to the show. Since Disney Plus has only released three episodes up till now, it is still unclear where they are heading with this but one can safely assume, WandaVision is unlike anything MCU has produced up till now.

+ Main Cast

  1. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  2. Paul Bettany as Vision
  3. Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart
  4. Fred Melamed as Arthur Hart
  5. Kathryn Hahn as Agnes
  6. Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
  7. Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
  8. Randall Park as Jimmy Woo

+ Plot

WandaVision starts off in 1950s suburban America. A husband and a loving wife have just moved in the neighborhood and get along with their neighbors quite well. But unbeknownst to the neighbourhood, they are no ordinary couple. In fact, they are the famous Avengers; Scarlet Witch and Vision who hide their super powers in order to live a happy, wholesome life. But something doesn’t seem right about this scenario. It’s almost too… perfect? How did present day Avengers end up in decades old American TV sitcoms? Where or how did they enter this delightful comedy of errors? What is exactly wrong with WandaVision?

+ High Points

i – Since the last three episodes, many lingering questions have been finally answered as to what is actually happening in WandaVision and most of them have been fairly satisfying. What’s excellent about the show is that it has been brilliantly structured; Firstly, it lets you as the viewer in on the absurdity of the premise without giving much away. Secondly, it lets out short pieces of information which allows the audience to gather them together to fit the overall puzzle of the narrative. Say what you want about the Marvel Cinematic Universe but the creative team has a very clear vision and control over the plot and their interconnected Cinematic universe. The writers pay attention to every single detail in the show and Marvel rewards you for being a loyal, long time fan.

SPOILER ALERT!: (From here on out, there will be spoilers for the show as it is impossible to discuss the other plot points without spoiling anything. If you still haven’t seen the show and would like to see it, you can skip directly to Overall section)

ii – So Episode IV “We Interrupt This Program” was the expository episode in the series which explains what exactly is going on in WandaVision. Since the climax of Avengers: Infinity War, some heroes failed to make it out alive through this catastrophic world changing event, one being Wanda’s husband Vision. This prompted Wanda (through her magically, psyche manipulation powers) to take control of a town called ‘Westview’ and create a utopian, make believe world of her own which of course includes the American nuclear family; consisting of her, Vision and their twin children. This is such an excellent character development of Wanda, tapping into the unknown potential of her powers and in the process, also explains the Homage to American sitcoms throughout the decades of American Television. WandaVision is not a show taking place in a vacuum, it is directly and harshly affected by the cataclysmic events of the previous films. It’s a brilliant direction for the MCU and as a viewer, keeps you on your toes as to what could develop next in the overarching narrative of WandaVision. 

iii – I love that WandaVision is playing around, taking risks with their established characters. While It is still not a debate yet if Wanda has turned her back on humanity, one can sincerely sympathise with her emotional pain. Her loss of her brother in Avengers: Age of Ultron and her husband Avengers: Infinity War has left her emotionally in shambles and yearns for the perfect, happy world that she envisioned within herself. This character progression is organic and makes absolute sense to Wanda’s overall character arc.

iv – The “recasting” of Evan Peters as Quicksilver. And let’s be honest, the X-Men films’ Quicksilver is clearly the better choice here. He is infinitely the more charming and interesting one.

v – The eventual realization of Vision of how he might not even exist brings a great conflict to the forefront of the show. In Avengers: Infinity War, Vision was straight up murdered by Thanos and perhaps he will not take it too kindly that he has forcefully been revived by Wanda to take part in her fantasy of a perfect world.

vi – The Episode VI; “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” comic accurate costumes for Scarlet Witch, Vision and Quicksilver were a cheeky touch and shows Kevin Feige’s respect for the source material.

vii – The visual effects by numerous SFX houses are top notch. This clearly shows that DIsney Plus always had strong faith and was 100% behind this show.

+ Low Points

i – Although WandaVision shines the most when the show is having fun with its own premise, it bogs down to a halt when we are forcefully thrown back into the “expository dialogue” scenes at the S.W.O.R.D. camp. The jokes seem forced, the dialogue is bare minimum and it only serves its purpose of moving the plot along so we can get back to Wanda and her family. It is obvious that expository dialogue is necessary but none of the characters there are engrossing enough to keep you interested.

ii – Up till now, Episode IV “We Interrupt This Program” was by far the weakest one and it’s no surprise that the majority of it took place at the S.W.O.R.D. base camp. Jimmy Woo, Monica Rambeau and Darcy Lewis; none of them are compelling enough characters to drive the episode through.

iii – Of all the characters they could have brought back for WandaVision, why did the writers decide on Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis? She is unfunny, fails to serve as a comedic relief and brings no urgency to the plot. It’s obvious that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has good and mediocre films along its three Phases. Why not settle for characters that were proven to be more likable?

+ Overall

Six episodes in and WandaVision still refuses to fade your interest away. It’s dark, unique and a shining beacon of hope that even after 12 years, MCU is still capable of coming up with fresh new ideas for its fan base and beyond. Although expository scenes can be made much more interesting, it is Wanda/ Vision that take the center stage and they have proven more than capable enough to captivate your attention through.

Rate: 4.25 (subject to change) out of 5 stars

TV series

Mr. Khan’s Review on WandaVision (Ep 1-3) (2021)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on American Television miniseries, WandaVision (2021). The miniseries is directed by Matt Shakman and stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda/ Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision. The show is a continuance of the saga from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a Disney Plus Original series.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Matt Shakman
  • Cinematography by Jess Hall
  • Music by Christophe Beck
  • Produced by Chuck Hayward
  • Created by Jac Schaeffer
  • Production by Marvel Studios
  • Distributed by Disney Platform Distribution 

+ Note

WandaVision is continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase 4) where we get to explore more the relationship between the two popular Marvel characters; Scarlet Witch and Vision. The series is cleverly disguised as an American vintage comedy sitcom with multi camera setup and canned laughter from the audience in a (supposedly) TV Studio. WandaVision is clearly inspired from 50s-60s sitcoms like ‘I Love Lucy’, ‘Bewitched’ and later in color, ‘The Brady Bunch’, where situational comedy plays a key role to the show’s premise. Since Disney Plus has only released three episodes up till now, it is still unclear where they are heading with this but one can safely assume, WandaVision is unlike anything MCU has produced up till now.

+ Main Cast

  1. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  2. Paul Bettany as Vision
  3. Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart
  4. Fred Melamed as Arthur Hart
  5. Kathryn Hahn as Agnes
  6. Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
  7. Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
  8. Randall Park as Jimmy Woo

+ Plot

WandaVision starts off in 1950s suburban America. A husband and a loving wife have just moved in a house next door but unbeknownst to the neighbourhood, they are no ordinary couple. In fact, they are the famous Avengers; Scarlet Witch and Vision who hide their super powers in order to live a happy, wholesome life. But something doesn’t seem right about this scenario. It’s almost too… perfect? How did present day Avengers end up in decades old American TV sitcoms? Where or how did they enter this delightful comedy of errors? What is exactly wrong with WandaVision?

+ High Points

i – The “I Love Lucy” meets “Bewitched” 50s situational comedy is perfectly replicated to a tee. The dialogue, costume design, make up, Production design; it perfectly fits to the vision (no pun intended) of what Marvel Studios were going for.

ii – Since working together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have really grown accustomed to each other’s performances and are just picture perfect. For this show to work, their onscreen chemistry is undeniably vital and it’s always a treat to see them together onscreen.

iii – Ever since the trailer for the show came out, WandaVision felt unique and bold to what MCU fans were, for many years, accustomed to. After the end of the Thanos and the Infinity stones saga, MCU needed to move into a fresh new direction as the lack of innovative ideas made MCU films (for the most part) extremely predictable. And WandaVision does exactly that.

iv – The dialogues and humor of the show is witty, charming and at times, also very dark. The show does have a slight “David Lynch” surrealist vibe to it. One minute, you are witnessing a cute sing and dance number, the next you see someone on the dinner table, choking himself on a piece of meat. I loved it!

v – The multiple opening theme songs/ jingles are memorable and composed wonderfully by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Christophe Beck.

vi – The “Hand drawn” animations in between live action set-pieces play wonderfully to the overall vibe and atmosphere of the show. Love these little but essential touches that they’ve given to it!

vii – The “advertisements” in between the show are the “Bees knees!”. ‘Nuff said!

viii – Although only 3 episodes are out at the moment, the show has me hooked! The story and pacing takes its time but is extremely rewarding in the grand scheme of things. Let’s see where it all leads us to.

+ Low Points

i – The length of each episode is inconsistent. Not a huge drawback by any stretch of the imagination but old vintage TV shows had very strict time limitations. So if the show is going for that, might as well stick to a consistent 3 Act structure and the time constraints that come with making a TV broadcast episode.

ii – Although it’s hinted that the show doesn’t actually take place in decades old American history (or does it?), the racial diversity in the show seems too modern for the 1950s sequences and takes you out of the show time and time again. Segregation was unfortunately very prevalent in the US in the 50s so to see the characters mention contempt for the “Bolsheviks/ Communists” but are fine and dandy with a colored person sitting next to them at the dinner table, it’s just odd and the show seems a bit confused as to what it really wants to be. Even in a ‘make believe’ reality, the horrors of history should never be ignored (the perfect example could be the highly underrated 1998 film Pleasantville).

iii – Even after 3 episodes, the mystery of “what reality they are living in” might be a tad bit obvious to loyal MCU fans. Perhaps we all might be rightfully swerved by the end of the season. 

iv – Among all the episodes available, episode 3 was the weakest due to its lack of focus to the overall narrative and the situational comedy slightly overstaying its welcome. But cliffhanger at the end did make up for it I suppose.

+ Overall

WandaVision is fun, eerie and exactly what MCU needed to kick start their ‘Phase 4’ list of films and TV shows. The performances are wonderful by the two main leads and the show proves that Superheroes are not all about “Good Guy vs Bad Guy”. Comics is a medium explored to such vast lengths of ideas and it’s tremendous to see a commercial, crowd pleasing Disney corporation try something very different. Of course, this could all change for better or worst in the review for the next episodes so stay tuned! 

Rate: 4 (subject to change) out of 5 stars

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2’ (2017)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Marvel Comics feature length film, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2’ (2017). The Production House is Marvel Studios while its Distributor is Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

+ Crew

  • Written & Directed by James Gunn
  • Cinematography by Craig Wood
  • Costumes Design by Judianna Makovsky
  • Production Designed by Scott Chambliss
  • Edited by Fred Raskin & Craig Wood
  • Music by Tyler Bates
  • Produced by Kevin Feige

+Note

There are several cameo appearances by Michael Rosenbaum as Martinex T’Naga, Ving Rhames as Charlie-27, and Michelle Yeoh as Stakar’s female counterpart Aleta Ogord. David Hasselhoff makes a special cameo appearance in addition to contributing to the film’s soundtrack, while Rob Zombie once again has a Ravager voice cameo. CG characters Krugarr and Mainframe, with the latter voiced, in an uncredited cameo, by Miley Cyrus.

Stan Lee’s key appearance confirms long popular fan-theory. Guardians of the Galaxy comics are written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning.

+ Main Cast

  1. Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord
  2. Kurt Russell as Ego
  3. Zoe Saldana as Gamora
  4. Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer
  5. Bradley Cooper as Rocket
  6. Vin Diesel as Baby Groot

xxxxxxxxx

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta
  2. Karen Gillan as Nebula
  3. Pom Klementieff as Mantis
  4. Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha
  5. Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord
  6. Seth Green as the voice of Howard the Duck (Cameo)

+ Plot

It continues their unravel journey into deep space and opens backstory of Peter Quill’s parentage.

+ High Points

i – Marvel knows the formula what to do with its characters and how to present them well on-screen. Therefore their films are most interesting and lovable by majority.

ii – Big budget $200 m is well put in its superb production design.

iii – Baby Groot was really nice add-on in this multiple super hero characters film.

iv – Once again it was well written and directed by James Gunn. This time he was sole person behind this incredible story and introducing new comic characters onto the big screen.

v – Main villain as Ego was presented in much more convincing manner.

vi – The film had multiple good humor and was generally very hilarious.

vii – The visual effects is stunningly beautiful, filled with amazing fight sequences.

viii – Makeup & Hair styling was Top Notch. Two thumbs up!

ix – The story & screenplay was very engaging enough to pull the audience towards the film to watch with keen interest.

x – Several cameo appearances by many stars and different comic characters.

xi – There are at least 4 – 5 special endings during and post credits.

+ Low Points

i – Although Kurt Russell performed well as Ego but he did not looked threatening enough as did Ronan (previous film main villain).

+ Overall

Superb as it is, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 is handled by incredibly skilled director – as much exciting as its predecessor.

Rate: 4.50 out of 5 stars

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on ‘Doctor Strange’ (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Hollywood feature length film ‘Doctor Strange’ (2016). The Production House is Marvel Studios while it’s Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Cast:

  • Directed by Scott Derrickson
  • Cinematography by Ben Davis.
  • Written by Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
  • Produced Kevin Feige

Note:
In 1978, the film ‘Dr. Strange’ was released which was poor incarnation of the Marvel Comics based character. Then again in 2007, this time an animated film was released by the name of ‘Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme’.

Main Cast:

1) Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange & (voiced) as Dormammu

2) Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo

3) Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer

4) Benedict Wong as Wong

5) Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West

6) Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One
Plot:

It centers on surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange after a career-ending car accident, severely struggles with his life. Through someone he learns that an Ancient One through the mystic arts can heal up his wounds and give a meaning to his existence in this new life. With the Ancient One, he learns that there are powerful evil beings, sorcerers who are a fatal threat to all life on earth. Now it depends on Dr. Strange whether he wants to go back to his former life or stay back and defend earth from such threats?

High Points:

i – Benedict Cumberbatch did a good job as portraying the lead character as ‘Dr. Strange’. Mild performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Stuhlbarg and Tilda Swinton.

ii – The visual effects are eye popping attractive to watch.

iii – Humor during certain scenes are nicely placed and well thought over.

iv – The cinematography is favorable and effective combination with the visual effects.

v – The 1st secret ending just as the credits are started rolling has a guest appearance of a Marvel character.

vi – The ending strongly implicates that there would be changes in the timeline of Marvel, which is also referring to Phase 4 in Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Low Points:

i – The story is not original rather an inspired one from different bunch of films.

ii – The fight sequences are just fair really. It does not stand in the ranks of Marvel comics based films.

iii – The main antagonist Dormammu is a CGI face. I was hoping it to be a really impressive character but the Marvel comics played it safe.

iv – The red cape is live and acts in similar way as does the carpet from animated film ‘Aladdin’.

v – The 2nd secret ending after the credits are rolled is NOT worth the wait.

vi – Christine Palmer to see Dr. Strange in spiritual form though does comes in a shock but it does not take her much time to see the strange and bizarre things going around her to accept. I mean REALLY? Would you accept all this in just few minutes if it happened in real life?
Overall:

It is highly Over Rated film. It clearly did not impress me. Perhaps I had high expectations from it once I learned that this film earned 90% at Rotten Tomatoes. This feature film reminded me of ‘Kungfu Panda’ (2008) + ‘Inception’ (2010) = ‘Dr. Strange’ (2016).
Rate: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Feature Length Films

Mr. Khan’s Review on the film ‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016)

Mr. Khan's Reviews

A review on Marvel Comics feature length film, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016). The Production House is Marvel Studios while its Distributor is Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

+ Crew

  • Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
  • Cinematography by Trent Opaloch
  • Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
  • Edited by Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
  • Music by Henry Jackman
  • Produced by Kevin Feige

+Note

Captain America: Civil War is taken from its 2006 comic book story line “Civil War”, while also focusing on story and character elements from the previous Captain America films to conclude the trilogy. It is the highest-grossing film of 2016 and the twelfth-highest-grossing film of all time. This Marvel film is not just great or wonderful but in least praiseworthy I would say is “W-O-W”! Yes, the Marvel studios managed to pull this off by high packed of action, lots of humor, drama, including more super heroes than Avenger’s films and multiple interesting scenes to watch.

Only two super heroes are not included in the film which is BTW not a spoiler since this was already mentioned well before the film was in the production level.

+ Main Cast

  1. Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
  2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
  3. Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
  4. Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
  5. Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon
  6. Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes / War Machine
  7. Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
  8. Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther

xxxxxxxxx

+ Supportive Cast

  1. Paul Bettany as Vision
  2. Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
  3. Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man
  4. Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Agent-13
  5. Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
  6. William Hurt as Secretary Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross (Retd. Gen.)
  7. Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow / Crossbones
  8. Daniel Bruhl as Helmut Zemo

+ Plot

After the events of the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, Helmet Zemo comes up with a scheme to bring the mighty heroes to have conflict with each other.

+ High Points

i – I have literally fallen in love with this film. Whenever we watch a film based on Marvel comics, we say “It’s hard for Marvel to be able to make a better film than this”. But to what it seems, they able to surprise us with another awesome film… One after the another. We think after watching the previous Marvel film, it’s a challenge for them to make a better film than this but almost every time they execute it. After watching ‘Captain America: Civil War’, you would notice that the team behind the making of the film did justice with every main & supporting character they showed on-screen. The introduction of new super heroes was properly done, not in hasty behavior.

ii – The new “Peter Parker” aka “Spider-man” character was not only amazingly handled but the actor Tom Holland did a great job in portraying the character. Audience at the cinema hall gave a HUGE cheer and a round of applause when new Spider-man makes his first appearance in the film.

iii – No matter how much you loved having new Spidey in the film who is most closely related from the comics, “Ant-man” I believe did the best job in making audience laugh every time he was shown during the fight sequence of ‘Great civil war of super heroes’. And like always, our lovable Archer “Hawkeye” fight moves are way too cunning for any super heroes to take him lightly in the first place.

iv – The actor who played the super hero character of “Black Panther” showed the viewers that he is tough cookie which is not be taken lightly. “General Thunderbolt Ross” character from the film ‘The Incredible Hulk’ played by actor William Hurt is cleverly handled. He is the only character made an appearance in Marvel cinematic universe from that film.

v – “Helmut Zemo” character is introduced as main villain, is not an average villain you would see on-screen. His character development is slowly revealed as the film progress. “Cross Bones” character is secondary villain to appear in the film who actually fights his 2nd round with “Captain America” in the film as his other hidden alias but his 1st round as “Cross Bones”. All fight sequences are wonderfully executed through out film.

vi – The character development shown of “Agent 13: Sharon Carter”, recurring character from previous sequel of Captain America. In this film, although there was no as such need for villains to be included since most of film run time is based on super heroes’ conflict with each other. But like I said before, everything and everyone were given utter importance and effectively done. So, I don’t feel anyone would think of complaining.

vii – “Black Widow” character played by actress Scarlet Johnson was no surprise as she played her part in one of the most impressive manner.

viii – We able to see brief details of Tony Stark parent’s death, a great screen time shared by actor Robert Downey Jr. who has played vital role of “Iron Man” and his on / off going conflict with “Captain America” throughout film till the end is has been handled excellently.

ix – The story & screenplay was very engaging enough to pull the audience towards the film to watch with keen interest.

x – I believe this film ‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016) is better than ‘The Avengers’ film.

xi – Some of the iconic scenes from its comics was shared on big screen. If you read this limited series story ‘Captain America: Civil War’, you would be able to identify it immediately.

+ Low Points

i – Unlike in comics, the producer already made it clear that the film will not be dark.

+ Overall

Captain America: Civil War turns out to be one of the best superhero films Marvel has ever produced.

Rate: 5.0 out of 5 stars