In Theaters: ****^Thunderbolts (2025)

I know Thunderbolts has not done as well at the box office as most Marvel movies, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The only part I didn't like was one of the characters being eliminated before the movie really even gets started.  But the others doe very well, each having particular strengths.  They have all been working for Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) who is under investigation and wants them to kill each other.  Only one is killed, Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko).  However the others are all in peril as they are trapped, and the room will soon be incinerated.  Yelena (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and Ava Star (Hannah John-Kamen) are all surprised to meet somebody new, Bob (Lewis Pullman).  They are eventually joined by two persons who were not trapped, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who is now a congressman and investigating Valentina and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) who is Yelena's father.

This movie deals a lot with personal regrets and the void.  Turns our Bob who seems to have woken up not knowing where he is, is in fact Sentry, a super super hero who has been developed by a research project of Valentina.  However the project was destroyed to hide evidence in light of the investigation.  

It is while Sentry is unconscious when things get really bad.  This releases a Sentry deep in depression which he calls the void.  everyone is sucked into the void and turns to shadow.  Each of the team members must face their worse memories.  

Lots of fun and lots of action.  Towards the end they are introduces as the New Avengers.

TV miniseries Review: Marvel Disney+: ****The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

 This is wonderful extension of the Captain America saga, as the title changes hands.  At first Sam Wilson isn't sure if he can take up the mantle of Captain America, so gives up the shield.  Bucky, who was the Captain's best friend is disappointed.  The government gives the shield and title to John Walker.  

Our heroes are confronted by a group of super soldiers called the Flag Smashers.  They are feeling life was better off during the period of the blip, when resources weren't spread so thin.  Now there are millions of people who have reappeared and are basically homeless, or putting others out.  Karli Morgenthau is the leader of this group.  With their super strength they are formidable combatants. The Falcon and Bucky are out to track them down.  They are joined in the hunt by Zemo and Sharon Carter.  John Walker, Captain America tracks them down by following The Falcon.   

After taking the last dosage of super soldier serum, John Walker disgraces the shield.  This leads to a major confrontation between he, and The Falcon and Bucky.  The Falcon is now ready to take up the mantl of Captain America.  

Subplots include Isaiah Bradley, who was given serum some 30 years prior, but his African American status lead to his incarceration for 30 years while the experimented on him.  Joaquin Torres is The Falcon's liaison in the military.  Another subplot is Sam Wilson's family's struggling business, and Bucky coming to terms with his past as The Winter Soldier, where under mind control he killed many people.  In the end the government is going to. do better to reconcile with the ideas of the Flag Smashers.

Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, Captain America, Sam Wilson.

Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier.

Erin Kellyman as Karli Morgenthau, leader of the Flag Smashers.

Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Captain America, U.S.Agent.

Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo.

Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres.

Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, Power Broker, a former SHIELD agent.

Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley

Movie Review: Table 19 (2017)

Movie Review: ****Table 19

This movie really got me thinking.  This movie is mostly about two relationships.  One is a relationship struggling in getting off the ground, and the other one that is struggling after many years of falling out of love.  I liked watching both relationships develop.  Eloise (Anna Kendrick) was intended to be the maid of honor at her friend’s wedding.  However she is now out of favor after the bride’s brother, Teddy (Wyatt Russell) has dumped her for a new girl who is the maid of honor.  As such she goes from table 2 to table 19.  At table 19 is a couple who run a restaurant the Kepps (Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson) where the bride’s father frequents, a man who stole from the father and ended up in jail, Walter (Stephen Merchant), the bride’s nannie, Jo (June Squibb) and a young man, Renzo (Tony Revolori) who is rather awkward.  They are at the outcast table, in a way.  However they form a relationship, and even step out for a time, when Eloise crashes into the cake and it ends up all over all of them.  The share a joint, and start opening up about their lives.  This includes discovering that Eloise is pregnant, and the Jo is dying of cancer.  Lots of twists and turns, and great conversation.

I dislike that this movie has too many people falling down.  This is not slap stick.  It also shows the butt of Walter’s roommate twice.  (Once was too much.)  This rather odd group muddles through, and they even seem to grow as a result of the night.  I enjoyed this.  I find that I really enjoy Anna Kendrick as an actress.