planktonrules

The first few episodes of "Ms. Marvel" are wonderful. After all, the hero, Kamala, is a very normal and likable teen with seemingly normal teenage issues. And, given that she's a Pakistani-American, you get a nice look into the culture...something you rarely see except when terrorism is involved. The normalization of these folks is nice to see...and you might learn a bit seeing how these Muslim people live here in the States.

When the show goes to Karachi, Pakistant and then returns to America...the quality slips drastically. Instead of focusing on people and culture, it becomes almost non-stop action and special effects. But in the process, so many questions are left unanswered...such as WHO are these two factions fighting each other and WHY?? And, the same can be said for the fascist-like US government agency. They certainly aren't SHIELD and their motivation is difficult to discern in this post-Civil War era. And what about the big villainess...her actions as she left the show were so confusing and left me baffled...like a HUGE scene was missing.

Overall, not a bad show but one which could have used a couple more episodes to create a smoother pace and answer unanswered questions. I'd like to see more "Ms. Marvel"...just one that is easier to follow and understand.

I should point out that I am not a big fan of superhero movies. Some time ago, I simply felt I'd seen too many and it's not surprising due to the many DC and Marvel superhero movies and TV shows there have been over the last few decades. I know many can watch them and only want more, but that isn't me. However, my daughter enjoys the genre and so to be a nice dad, I watched "Hawkeye" with her. Fortunately, even for a curmudgeon like me, the show is enjoyable.

Considering there are almost 1000 reviews for the show, I'm not going to write a long review. Suffice to say I enjoyed most of the characters and their adventures. Not a lifechanging show but one that is pleasant and worth seeing...even if Hawkeye clearly is one of the lesser heroes.

My advice if you watch "Black Widow" is to just turn your brain off and enjoy. It's a non-stop, action-packed movie where 'the rule of cool' is more important than physics or logic. Now I am not saying don't see the movie....you may well like it. But I'm just pointing out that even for a Marvel film, it's insanely frenetic and hasn't got a lot of plot.

The movie follows Natasha Romanoff's journey from her bizarrely inappropriate childhood to her ultimate showdown with the film's baddie. Oddly, her adventures with the Avengers are skipped...like the middle of the story is missing. The end is much like a more action-packed James Bond film where there's a bloody confrontation with the megalomaniacal genius.

So is it good? Well, that's hard to say. The action is great...simply amazing. The story, while scant, is pretty interesting. But the logic...well, it's pretty much non-existent. So, as I said before, just turn off your brain and enjoy.