Haiku Revieu | Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War
★★★★½

So many people
How is my heart still beating
Is it next year yet

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The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

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This is a hard review to write, y'all.

A month later, and I'm still reeling from this film.

I mean, I had an inkling going in that not everyone was going to make it. But I wasn't prepared for that. (Since it's only been a month, I'll refrain from spoilers here, but those of you who've seen Infinity War—and if you haven't, what are you doing?—know exactly what I'm talking about.) Sure, I'm positive that a lot of what happened at the end will be undone, somehow, in Avengers 4, but that doesn't exactly make anything easier at this moment in time.

Nor does the stuff that likely won't get undone.

That said, I really loved this movie. I've been telling people that it's more Captain America: Civil War than Thor: Ragnarok, but like any good Marvel movie, it brings both the humor and the tears. Early on, I had my reservations on how a movie with this many personalities involved would work. But the dynamics between all of the characters are fabulous, and the way they flow between the various parts of the MCU franchise seems almost effortless. Even the most "standalone" of the MCU characters—i.e., Doctor Strange—meshes into the larger universe like it's no big thing. (He and Tony's animosity was particularly delightful to watch.) 

I really have to applaud all the people behind the scenes who made this happen. I don't know that I consider Infinity War the greatest crossover of all time, considering how much crossing-over took place before this film, but I certainly recognize how much work has gone on in the decade since the MCU started to make such a movie possible.

Some quick, not-too-spoilery highlights:

• Steve's "on-the-run" look. HERE FOR IT.
• Thor's intital meeting with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
• Shuri's dressing down of Bruce/the tech that makes Vision who he is.
• Steve and Groot's meet cute.
• Everything Peter says.
• Everything Drax says.
• The subversion of the "dwarf" stereotype.
• Loki's "redemption" (?)
• That moment with Natasha, Wanda, and Okoye
• Every one of our heroes being Heroes
• The post-credits scene

(I'm sure I'm forgetting something.)

Do I have a few complaints? Sure: Black Widow has never been used to her full potential, and I don't get the blonde. (It's maybe a disguise, OK, but no one else went that far.) Thanos's universe domination plot is FILLED with holes. Where were Valkryie, Korg, Ant-Man, or Hawkeye? Shuri and Peter never made plans to take over the world (and snatch control from the olds). And, natch, all that I mentioned at the start of this post.

But overall, the MCU continues to impress me, and I'm still proud to be such a massive stan. I'm DREADING what's to come, but have faith that it'll all be OK¹.

Check it out:

¹ OK is such a subjective term, but even if my heart gets broken again, I trust that the reasons for whatever happens will make sense in the end.

Nerd News | Avengers: Infinity War official trailer

I'm not going to watch this¹ but I so badly want to.

I'm really not prepared for this movie. I've already bought tickets to see it two different times opening weekend, and I'm considering taking the following week off work to recover.

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Also of note:

• There's finally a trailer for the fifth season of The 100, and it unsurprisingly suggests that the season will be as fight-filled as the ones before it. CAN'T WAIT.
• There's a new Lara Croft/Tomb Raider video game releasing in September. I am a huge fan of the rebooted games, so this is exciting news. 
• Ava DuVernay (Wrinkle in Time) has joined the DCU and will direct a New Gods movie. I know nothing about the New Gods, but I'm hoping her hiring means that DC's realized that their lady directors are the ones who actually know what they're doing. (You know, 'cause the dudes keep giving us things like Justice League.)

1 I avoid anything more than the first teaser or two these days so that I'm not spoiled about the movie. Trailers tend to reveal more than I'd like.

Nerd News | Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer

If you were watching the Super Bowl last night, you probably saw the teaser for the Solo: A Star Wars Story ... teaser ... that released early this morning. If you missed either, here they both are:

I'm still not totally sold on Alden Ehrenreich as Han, but I'm going to reserve final judgment until I actually see the movie. I'm digging the look and feel of the teaser, and damn if Donald Glover isn't oozing that Lando charm, even in the short time we get to see him. (That coat, tho!)

Honestly, it's hard for me not to get excited about new Star Wars movies, regardless of my feeling about them when I actually see them in theaters. (Related: I'll try to get my Last Jedi Haiku Revieu up later this week.)

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Also of note:

• A new spot for Avengers: Infinity War dropped during the game as well. Not embedding it in case you're like me and only want to watch the first trailer, but linking it here in case you want to see. (Full disclosure: Because I was a party for the game, I ended up watching it. It doesn't spoil much, plot-wise. It's just a lot of attractive people preparing for a fight. And Cap's beard is in FULL effect.)
• The Men in Black franchise is getting a total reboot.
• David Harbour—who is a total delight, and who definitely won the Super Bowl commercials competition with his Tide ads—promises that his role as Hellboy won't ruin his Dad bod.
  

Nerd News | Avengers: Infinity War trailer

HOT DAMN.

My emotions are all over the place. There will be NO work done today.

I also just realized that I never posted about the Black Panther trailer. Shame, shame on me. Here it is in all its awesomeness:

I also owe y'all a Thor: Ragnarok Haiku Revieu. Spoiler alert: I'm giving it 5 stars.

Everything's coming up MCU, and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

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Also of note:

• Here are a bunch of Vanity Fair covers and a myriad of other photos featuring the ridiculous number of (gorgeous) people who will be in Infinity War.
• Deadpool brings me such glee; I love this new teaser for Deadpool 2. Warning: The language is a little NSFW, unsurprisingly.
• Stephen Hawking published his thesis online, if you want to read and be awed.
• Have you been watching Marvel's latest TV show, Runaways? Here's the trailer. (If you're caught up, come chat with me about the show at Forever Young Adult!)
• The thirteenth Doctor will have three companions?

Nerd News | SDCC goodness

It was hard keeping up with the news coming out of San Diego over the past few days, and but here are some highlights. If I missed anything important, add it in the comments!

Is it November 3 yet?

I loved Pacific Rim. (I'm still longing for a Jaegar pilot bomber jacket.) So I'm super stoked for the sequel. However, it was an actual shock to hear John Boyega's real accent in this teaser; I'm so much more used to him sounding like Finn.

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Also of note:

• The Avengers: Infinity War concept art posters show a bearded Steve Rogers. Here 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 iiiiiitttttt 👏🏻.
• Captain Marvel will be set in the 90s. 
• Michelle Pfieffer has signed on for the next Ant-Man movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
• This new Inhumans trailer hints at some serious plot points.
• Here's a new Justice League video. I'm only supporting this movie for Wonder Woman.
• Speaking of, Wonder Woman 2 (plus a bunch of other DC movies) was officially announced at the con.
• Syfy's working on a Man of Steel prequel series called Krypton; here's a teaser. 
• Noah Hawley (Legion) is working on a Doctor Doom movie.
• A Harley Quinn/Joker spinoff film is in the works.
• Stargate returns in a new prequel series! 
• Here's a look at some props/costumes from Star Trek: Discovery.
• Lots of changes ahead for The 100's season five.
• Bright, a Netflix movie about orc cops, is not a joke. I'm totally going to watch this.
• Added to my Christmas List: Toys-R-Us is releasing a kid-size Star Wars landspeeder.
• Here's some scoop on the Doctor Who Christmas special.
• And not out of SDCC, but nonetheless entertaining: The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day.

Nerd News | The Thirteenth Doctor

In case you missed it yesterday:

I'm excited. I love that they're trying something new with a woman Doctor, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the show goes out from under Moffat's thumb. (This article talks a bit more about Whittaker and the "prep" for the Doctor regenerating into a female form.)

I wish Peter Capaldi would have stuck around for another season, though. I really enjoyed 12 when Clara wasn't around, and I don't think one season without her was really enough time for him to truly shine.

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Also of note:

• There was a lot of news out of D23 over the weekend (and there's likely even more to come at Comic Con this upcoming weekend). Star Wars, natch, was a hot topic of discussion. These The Last Jedi posters are particularly striking, and this behind-the-scenes video is supposedly really great. (Haven't watched yet and am not sure that I will; I'm avoiding spoilers at all cost.)
• Marvel also shared some news at D23, including information about and a trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1. (We'll likely see an official trailer hit the 'net post-SDCC, but there are bootleg versions available, I'm sure.)
• Also out of D23: Disney has found its live-action Aladdin (and Jasmine and Genie).
• Here's a first photo from the upcoming Ready Player One film.
• There's a Supernatural spinoff in the works called Wayward Sisters.
• Here's the official trailer for Marvel's latest TV show, Inhumans.
• And a trailer for Amazon's The Tick.
• And one for the upcoming A Wrinkle in Time movie.

Nerd News | Thor: Ragnarok trailer

YOU GUYS.

This is me right now, if not literally, then definitely on the inside.

Unlike some (many?) people, I do like the Thor movies—and, no, not just for Tom Hiddleston's Loki. They're not at the top of my Marvel Cinematic Universe movie ranking, but they're not at the bottom either. (I'm looking at you, Iron Man 2. And don't even get me started on The Incredible Hulk.) They've never really stood out among the other movies, however ... until now.

This trailer is so much more epic than either of the previous movies. I don't know what that means for the film itself, but I now have high, high hopes.

Excuse me while I go watch it again. Then go find all the GIFs. Then watch it again.

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Also of note:

• Also super excited by this Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer.¹
• Not so much for this Justice League trailer, though. Regardless of the Jason Momoa.
• In perfect casting news: Rainn Wilson will play Harry Mudd in Star Trek: Discovery.
• The Raven Cycle—one of my fave YA series—has been optioned for a TV show.

¹ Thanks, Colt!

Nerd News | Rogue One trailer

After how much I adored/adore The Force Awakens, I find it near impossible to not get excited about anything Star Wars movie-related. Seeing this full trailer for Rogue One during the Olympics* yesterday only added to the hype.

I am excite. I love the idea of getting to know the ragtag bunch of rebels who take on the mission of their lives for the good of the galaxy, and look forward to the nods to the original trilogy that are sure to be peppered throughout this film.

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Also of note:

• Tom Hiddleston is now on Instagram, and his first (and currently only) post is an utter delight. (I even made a desktop wallpaper for my computer with it.)
• Bryan Fuller revealed more details about the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery series recently, and I am super stoked that my namesake Amanda Grayson will be involved.
• The Flash and Supergirl are planning a musical crossover event.
• The cast of Ocean's 8, a new female-led movie in the Ocean's 11 franchise, has been announced, and it's chock-full of fabulous ladies.
• Maggie Stiefvater, author of The Raven Cycle—a truly fantastic YA series, which you should read ASAP if you haven't—wants to write a trilogy about Raven Cycle character Ronan Lynch.

*Also exciting. But so stressful!

Haiku Revieu | Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War
★★★★★

My heart can't take this
Please don't make me choose a side
I'm Team Everyone

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Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.

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Although I saw this movie more than a week ago, only now have I had the time to sort through my feelings. Had I written this review right after seeing the movie, it basically would have looked something like "AKNFJKABDUJBRUB#QOW. IT WAS SO GOOD." You're welcome for me waiting a bit to get my thoughts together.

When I first heard that they were making a Civil War movie, I was honestly afraid (thanks to knowing what happens in the comics of the same name). And I went into the movie with a literal box of Kleenex in preparation. I was tense the entire time. Thankfully, the movie didn't break my heart—at least not in the ways I feared.

It should come as no surprise that I get emotionally attached to fictional characters. And I'm extremely attached to the characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so watching a movie in which they're at odds was hard. There was also a lot of "Team Cap" or "Team Iron Man" publicity leading up to the movie's release, but I couldn't bring myself to actually choose a side. And, to be quite honest, while watching the film I could see pros and cons on both sides of the argument, and got equally frustrated by some actions of members of both teams.

That said, even with the tension and my inability to decide on a side, Captain America: Civil War was amazing; it immediately moved into a spot in my top 5 films of the MCU. It had everything I want from a superhero film: action, humor and heart. I was delighted to see the inclusion of Scott Lang (Ant-Man); his introductory scene with Steve was so perfect, and he added needed comic relief to the battle between the teams. And, speaking of comic relief—Tom Holland is an absolutely adorable Peter Parker (Spider-Man). I'm totally sold that he'll be the best Spider-Man yet.

I was also really impressed by Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa (Black Panther). I'm very excited to see more of this character—and the super intriguing Wakanda—in the solo film and future group efforts.

And the entirety of the scene in the car with Steve, Bucky and Sam? Perfect.

I really want to go see this again soon, so I can enjoy it without the tension of the first viewing. And I highly recommend it to everyone.

Check it out:

New tattoo | Avengers (and Loki) assemble!

If you're a friend on social media, you might have seen me post my new tattoo a little over a month ago, when it was very, uh, fresh. (Apologies to those of you who aren't fans of blood. Although there wasn't much, there was definitely some.) Now that it's all healed, I wanted to share another, less weepy, photo, and tell you a little more about it.

In case you aren't sure what is what, here's a key:

1 | Loki's helmet
2 | The Avengers' "A" logo
3 | Iron Man's Arc Reactor
4 | Captain America's shield
5 | Black Widow's icon
6 | Arrows for Hawkeye
7 | A gamma radiation symbol for Hulk
8 | Mjölnir, Thor's hammer

I'm no stranger to tattoos. I got my first one close to a decade ago, and every two years or so I've added to my collection. And although I started small—my first was a star on my neck, followed by parts of quotes on the inside of each wrist—I went big pretty quickly.

After finishing up my three-quarter sleeve a couple of years ago, I almost immediately started thinking about what to get next. (Tattoos really are totally addicting.) I knew I wanted to get something Avengers-related, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe version, even more specifically the first Avengers movie. But I had a hard time figuring out how to make all of the pieces fit together. So I started playing around with the various icons, or items that could represent the various superheros, and ended up with this design. And yes, I realize that Loki's not a superhero, nor an Avenger, but really ... if you know me, you know that I couldn't not include him.

I'm super happy with the way it turned out, and am so pleased to have yet another of my favorite things as permanent art on my self. Major thanks to Megan at Bijou Studio in Austin, who did this tattoo and my three-quarter sleeve. I can't recommend her enough!

Do you have any nerdy tattoos? I'd love to see them! Share a link or a photo in the comments.

5 Fandom Friday | Five Spinoffs I'd Like to See Made

I struggled over this prompt, even though I'm positive that there are way more than five times in my life that I've wished for more from a certain character or characters. But I came up with five that I'm pretty pleased with.

Word of warning: This list is a little random, and pulls from TV, movies and books. (Are new book series in the same universe considered spinoffs? Let's just pretend like they are.)

Five Spinoffs I'd Like to See Made

5 | A new Star Trek or Stargate

I'm kind of cheating here, lumping these two shows together—and yes, I mean the TV versions rather than the movies—but I miss these shows something fierce. I liked the last iteration of Star Trek, Enterprise, (it filled a lot of plot holes from previous series in entertaining ways) but was really let down by Stargate: Universe (it was sorely lacking both silly humor and aliens). Both of these series mean a lot to me, and I'd be super happy if they just kept having new series made forever.

4 | Luna Potter and the [Blankety Blank]

Regardless of how you feel about the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, if you're a fan, there was a part of you that definitely broke inside when you realized that the books had come to an end. I'd love to learn more about Harry and Ginny as adults, and the rest of the gang we came to know and love, through the eyes of one of the Potter kids. I think having Luna be the main character—rather than James or Albus—would just be an interesting gender switch.

3 | The Paternoster Gang

Numerous spinoffs have already been made from Doctor Who, including The Sarah Jane Chronicles and Torchwood, but I'd love to see a show starring Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax. Particularly a Victorian-era steampunky one in which the three investigate mysterious incidents that have decidedly timey-wimey bents.

2 | Black Widow

I know this is a hot topic, and for a variety of reasons, but I don't understand the difficulty that surrounds making a female-led solo superhero movie. Most of the Avengers had their own movies long before they teamed up—why does Black Widow have to be relegated to secondary character land? (I'd be totally OK if Hawkeye or Winter Soldier joined her, too.)

1 | The Justin and Jimmy Variety Hour

I don't often watch Saturday Night Live, but I make sure to check in when Justin Timberlake is hosting. He's an amazing comedian, and particularly love when he and Jimmy Fallon are in a sketch together. I think a variety hour starring the two of them would be a huge hit. Or maybe, you know, when he's "bored," Justin could be like Andy Richter was on Conan O'Brien's show.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for July.

Haiku Revieu | Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron
★★★★1/2

Let's save the planet
So many superheroes
Hello there, Vision

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When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong, and it's up to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

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WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

First things first: I am a HUGE Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan, particularly the Avengers (both when they're together in a movie and when they're in their "own" movies). So I have been excitedly anticipating Age of Ultron since the last Avengers movie was released (regardless of the fact that it wasn't announced yet.) So much so, that—even though it only opened a week ago—I've seen the movie twice.

If you've been on the Internet in the past week, you've likely heard a variety of opinions on the movie. Some people love it, some people like it, some people are pissed at Joss Whedon for being anti-feminist and making rape jokes. Honestly, I think many people are taking things a little too seriously, particularly because this is a superhero movie that features characters who are, in some cases, very flawed.

How did I feel about the movie? The first time through, I loved it. I am super pleased with the expansion of Hawkeye's character—the sass!—and I think the Vision is a beautiful addition to the MCU, both personality-wise and physicality-wise. Plus, the way they got around the team not trusting his character was so very smart. (I'm being purposefully vague here, to avoid spoilers, but if you've seen it, or when you see it, you'll know what I mean.) I was just so excited to see all of these characters back on the big screen.

Upon second viewing, I was a little more picky about certain things. Do I still love it? Yes. It's definitely in the top 5 of my favorite MCU movies. The movie, unfortunately, falls prey to trying/having to do too much in too little time. A friend of mine mentioned that it seems like there's very little fat to trim off of the movie, and I agree—from the very first scene, it's go, go, go, go, go. I think this is caused, partly, by there being so many characters in the movie. The main team—Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Natasha and Clint—are all there. The Falcon, War Machine, Maria Hill and other secondary characters are introduced. Multiple new characters are added. And I haven't even mentioned Ultron, or the other villainous characters yet. It's just a massive cast, and the MCU is only going to keep getting bigger. (I found this article, which breaks down the amount of time the characters got in this film, pretty interesting.)

I'm also not a huge fan of the way Natasha's character was portrayed. I just felt like there was too much departure from the way she was in previous movies, and her relationship with one of the other characters felt like insta-love. Could these changes have been slowly happening in the between time since we saw her last? Of course. But without that background, they felt sudden and strange.

Regardless, I did really enjoy the movie overall. It has a great amount of humor, characters I adore, and the action can't be beat. It made me excited all over again about the MCU—although I am dreading Captain America: Civil War. (Because spoilery reasons.)

If you're an MCU fan, you kind of have to see it. But I'd recommend it to pretty much anyone, even considering my nitpicky issues.

Check it out:

SQUEE | Avengers Family Feud

I now have so much more* respect for Joss Whedon. How any of these ridiculous(ly awesome) people get any real work done, ever, is beyond me.

*I already had a ton, natch.

Nerd News | "Final" The Avengers: The Age of Ultron trailer

BRB HYPERVENTILATING.

So much to love about this trailer. And so much to love about the fact that I bought my tickets for the pre-opening night* showing of this movie earlier this morning.

Questions/thoughts I had once I stopped squeeing internally—haha, who am I kidding? I'm still squeeing internally, and probably will be until April 30:

• When do Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch actually join the team?
• Why does it look like Bruce and Natasha are about to kiss?
• Where's Loki? (Kidding again. Somewhat.)
• Oh, hai, Vision.
• Is this not the best GIF ever?

Let's squee together in the comments, friends!

*I don't really consider an 8 p.m. showing a midnight premiere, so ... I don't know what else to call it.

Nerd News | Spider-Man joins the Marvel movie 'verse + an all-lady Avengers team & new Daredevil trailer

There have been rumors floating around for a while now that Marvel and Sony have been in talks over joint custody of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. As of last night, the rumors are true—and Marvel is now free to make a SuperHusbands movie with Peter as the son* their own Spider-Man movie, and have him join with other familiar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters in other films.

According to Mashable:

An all-new Spider-Man (not starring Andrew Garfield) will appear in an as-of-yet undisclosed Disney/Marvel film, while a standalone Spidey movie will stay at Sony, though Marvel Studios will have a hand in the reboot of the reboot (also without Garfield).

Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise for 13 years before stepping down last week as co-chair of Sony, will co-produce the standalone Spider-Man film with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige. That film already has a date: July 28, 2017.

Look at that release date again: It's just over a year from now, and yes, it is sending major ripples through plans that Marvel announced back in October: No less than four films that Marvel Studios already had in the pipeline are being pushed back to make room for Spidey.

Thor: Ragnarok, originally scheduled for July 28, 2017, moves back three months to November 3, 2017. Black Panther, originally set for for November 3, 2017, moves back eight months to July 6, 2018. Captain Marvel, originally set for July 6, 2018, moves back four months to November 2, 2018. And Inhumans, set for November 2, 2018, moves back eight months to July 12, 2019.

Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1, set for May 4, 2018; and Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2 on May 3, 2019, respectively, remain unchanged. Except for the fact that Spider-Man will probably be in them.

I think it's exciting that Spider-Man will be joining up with the rest of the team. What I'm not wholly on board with is the multitude of Spider-Man movies that will all be floating around because of this sharing. The Andrew Garfield-starring reboot of the Toby Maguire movies seemed too soon, and now there's a reboot of that reboot in the works as well as a completely separate movie? I'm a Spidey fan, but that seems like too much Spidey. (Unless one of them is going to be Miles Morales or something ...)

*Here are two more SuperFamily GIF sets, just because: 1, 2.

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Also of note:

• Marvel recently announced a new, all-female Avengers comic series. Who run the world?
• Last week, a trailer for the new Netflix/Marvel series Daredevil was released. It's dark—both figuratively and literally. Other than that, I'm reserving judgement. I'd like to say it can't be worse than the movie with Ben Affleck, but I that would, sadly, likely be a lie.

Nerd News | The Avengers: The Age of Ultron trailer

This movie, you guys.

I am preparing myself for all sorts of feels. This trailer makes me excited and worried* and happy and scared all at the same time. My nerdy heart can't handle it!

What say you?

*Worried, in particular, because the events of this movie will lead into Captain America: Civil War, and Civil War was a dark time in the Marvel 'verse for our beloved Avengers supes. Will the movie 'verse follow the same storylines? I don't know ... but it still makes me nervous.