Tag: WandaVision

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

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