The Flash "Fast Enough" Review

As Season One comes to a close, Barry is given a Sophie's choice! (SPOILERS!!)

High Points:

• A whole season of twists and turns led to the most dramatic Flash episode yet. Barry was presented an impossible choice and it's ramifications led to many heart to hearts.
• Grant Gustin is a star. He is Barry Allen. He has captained the best superhero show on TV and deserves more praise than I can give him.
• Easter Eggs Galore! When Barry connected to the Speed Force several visions from the future appeared. The first was everyone's favorite superhero tourist attraction, the Flash Museum. Then the second and much more surprising one was our first look at Caitlin Snow as KILLER FROST! Then later on Jay Garrick's helmet that popped up. Hot damn we got teased a lot about what is gonna happen with the future of this show.
• Eobard Thawne revealed his master plan to Barry. 
• The final showdown was pretty sweet.
• I've making a joke for weeks that Eddie should Looper himself and make sure Eobard never existed. Well I can tell you that it still surprised me when it actually happened. Reminded me a lot of Tommy's sacrifice in the season 1 finale of Arrow. BUT Eddie was sucked into the wormhole. That could mean we aren't done with him yet.
• Cisco was affected by the particle accelerator! Could we see Vibe and Killer Frost in Season 2?
• The cliffhanger opens up a ton of possibilities for Season 2.

Eddie Thawne be like...

Low Points:

• For a finale, the action was segmented to only the final 15 minutes.
• Ronnie and Caitlin's wedding felt kinda shoehorned into the story. Could have done without it.
• Season 2 hasn't started yet.

At least it wasn't like a Game Of Thrones' wedding

Verdict: The Flash is the best superhero show on TV. It's inaugural season was a blast to watch and the finale capped off all the emotional story threads and gave us tons of hints of where the future of the show is headed. I'm keeping it short and sweet, "Fast Enough" gets a 9.5 out of 10. Can't wait for October.

Thanks for reading! Did you like "Fast Enough"? Did Eddie make the right design? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews.

Arrow "My Name Is Oliver Queen" Review

Barry Allen makes an appearance as Ollie finds love in a hopeless place on an all new Arrow.

High Points

• Who can save the day when Ollie is too busy? Barry Allen of course! His brief cameo was great. 
• Malcolm Merlyn takes charge. Interesting that both Barry and Ollie have teamed up with some of their greatest enemies during this week.
• Ra's hidden agenda makes sense. Kill two birds with one stone.
• Team Arrow is fucking beastly with the additions of Nyssa + Merlyn.
• I'm a big fan of the Lance family alcoholism. They should have a family reunion with an contract for a reality show.
• Speedy is suited up! But there is no middrift...
• Ra's once again beats down the Arrow. Then... Ollie beats him just cause.
• Felicity suits up as the ATOM.
• Malcolm Merlyn is the new Ra's Al Ghul!!!
• Ray wants shrinkage!
• Oliver and Felicity drive off into the sun!

Watch out Stan Lee, there is a new King of the cameo.

Low Points

• Oliver's reveal to Ra's Al Ghul would have been more intense if the writers had kept his allegiance to his original team a secret from the audience until that moment as well.
• The opening fight was weak. Though I love seeing Ra's in action.
• The flashbacks slow down the show to a crawl. Get Ollie back on the goddamn island and be done with it. I don't need to see Ollie torture Shireve. Rather just fucking gut him and be over with it.
• Damien Dark isn't dead which means that he and HIVE are gonna be the villains of season 4. Fuck...
• Oliver's love for Felicity is the key to beating Ra's. I'm at a loss for words.
• Felicity suits up as the ATOM! I'm not sure if it was good or bad.
• Oliver gives up being the Arrow for love. He is coming down with a case of Rachel Dawes syndrome.

What should be done to the person who wrote this episode

Verdict: Urban Dictionary defines the term "shit" as "another word for feces, poop, dookie, scheisse, poo poo, and brownies." Well I would like to add another phrase to that list, Arrow's Season 3 Finale. All season I have stood by my favorite show. I have waited for it to get back to those season 2 highs, but now all those battles with Deathstroke feel like a distant memory. I have ranted on Olicity many times before. If you are part of the group of people that think their love affair makes Arrow a better show, I don't want to be friends with you. 

          In all seriousness I don't even want to talk about them being together anymore. I accept it's gonna take over 50% of the show, but when the writers commit the crime they committed tonight something needs to be said. Oliver beats Ra's Al Ghul because he loves Felicity. That is the biggest load of shit that I have ever seen. Yes having something to fight for helps, but no way does it give Oliver an advantage over a guy who kicked his dick in not 5 months ago. Oliver beat Ra's because... he had to or the season wouldn't end. 

          Take this example on how to stop a villain that has an advantage on the hero properly.  Last night on The Flash, Barry admitted that Wells has the advantage over him. Wells has been faster and five steps ahead Barry this whole season. So was Barry just magically able to defeat Wells? No! He asked for help from the Arrow and Firestorm. He knew when he was outclassed and his writers knew that Barry had to regain the advantage over Wells in order for their class to end in Barry's favor. Tonight's Arrow did none of that. Instead Ollie can kill Ra's because he needs to in order to ride off into the sunset with Felicity. 

          You don't just have to add more firepower to beat a baddie. You can use your brain to defeat a foe. Batman always has to use his mind to get the advantage over some of his more physical opponents like Bane + Killer Croc. If he can't beat them physically, he will figure out some other way. Fuckin' A. Ollie had used his brain the night before when he had Ray give him the nanites to stop Wells' superspeed. And if you go back to last year's finale Olicity was used in a positive manner when Oliver tricked Slade and Felicity was able to administer a cure for the Miraku, thus making it an even battle in which Ollie could win. Ra's vs. Oliver isn't an even battle. So having Oliver win because he has love in his heart is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever seen.

          Now it's was not all bad. Barry Allen showed up for a brief, but entertaining cameo. And I also enjoyed seeing where Malcolm, Thea, and Ray's story lines are leading. My suggestion for Season 4 is to just let Ollie + Felicity be gone. I mean gone. For like the first half of next year. Expand everyone else's story lines and when the huge conflict arises call back the Arrow. As for scoring this turd, I'm going to be generous and give it a 5.5 out of 10. I pray Season 4 can be a return to form, but with rumors that Damien Dark is the big bad, I'm not hopeful. In the meantime I'm just gonna act like Season 3 never happened.

I didn't want to write a review this harsh, but it had to be done

Thanks for reading! Did you like Arrow Season 3? Was I too big of an asshole? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews.

First Trailer For CBS's Supergirl!

Superman's cuz just booked her new time slot at 8 PM on Mondays this Fall and because of this CBS has been kind enough to give us our first look at the show. Check it out.

5 Takeaways From the Trailer

1. Kara is rocking that Clark Kent-esque disguise. That classic glasses look, that can somehow hide a superhero's identity. I hope the writers come up with an explanation on that works today in a society where everyone has a camera phone ready to snap a pic of your face.

2. Supergirl isn't gay. 

3. That shot of Kara blasting the truck is boss. She is the first of the DC TV heroes to have super strength and I wanna see that shit showcased.

4. I get that Superman is her cousin (And if you didn't know that the trailer will tell you 50+ times), but this show needs to distance Kara from Clark. Make her the lovable hero. Don't just tease the cousin that will never come. That's how you end up being like Gotham. A show that is all about giving winks winks to it's audience, but has zero substance.

5. Supergirl's sister masturbates to She's All That (Don't we all?) and dated Captain America.

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Supergirl? Are you okay with Jimmy Olsen being hot? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews.

The Flash "Rouge Air" Review/Thoughts

On this week's episode, Barry decides to leave the thankless superhero life behind in exchange for a luxurious career in human trafficking, plus we get the dynamic duo we have all been waiting for: the Amell cousins.

Episode Description: When the Reverse Flash rigs the particle accelerator with a mysterious device that threatens the lives of the people in the pipeline, Barry must seek help from an unlikely source: Captain Cold. 

High Points:

• I liked that Well's wheelchair ended up being more than just a clever disguise. Plus it explains why the Reverse Flash is still so much faster than Barry even though he is having trouble accessing the speed force.
• The old "hide right underneath their noses" trick. Well played Eobard, well played.
• This week's moral dilemma with the pipeline prisoners really pushed Barry into uncharted territory and I enjoyed seeing him have to make a deal with his nemesis. And in a shady bar nonetheless!
• Leornard Snart would listen to Foreigner's "Cold as Ice" 

For Captain Cold: A Man who Truly is as Cold as Ice

• Ferris Airfield? Barry mentioned it was abandoned because a test pilot went missing so they shut it down. Hal Jordan's father died in a plane crash out of Ferris Aircraft. Coincidence? NO. Green Lantern confirmed. (Don't hold me to that)
• Screw all other relationship nonsense. I don't want, I need Cisco and Golden Glider to happen. I even have their celeb relationship name picked out: Lisco. (Lisa + Cisco)
• The ol' double cross from Captain Cold only solidifies how cold this man can be. Plus the ensuing battle was fun because it was like a big reunion-style brawl featuring Barry's season 1 enemies 
• That last battle!! All sorts of fun to watch The Flash, The Arrow and Firestorm all team up to take on the Reverse Flash, plus every character had their struggles and successes over the course of the fight
• The Reverse Flash has the suit ring! It was just an extra detail in an otherwise full-on action packed sequence, but still when that suit came of his ring I felt things of a generally sexual nature
• Oliver asks Barry for a favor. Sounds like we are going to see the Scarlett Speedster play a role in the closing episodes of Arrow.

Low Points:

• S.T.A.R. Labs really needs to invest in a deadbolt. Seriously, anyone and everyone in Central City just waltzes through the front door on a regular basis. Iris walked in on Barry with his mask off, Captain Cold just helped himself inside. You would think a high-tech lab would have some sort of system in place to prevent all these unwarranted visits
• Eddie has once again proven to be a huge waste of time. I just keep waiting for the bigger picture with him. Some sort of transformation, some sort of deeper connection between him and the Reverse Flash. So far he is just a meaningless pawn. Maybe something will happen with him in season 2 but season 1 is coming to its conclusion fast and he has done nothing but act as the "reason" Barry and Iris can't be together all season. 
• There is only one episode left until I don't know what to do with myself on Tuesday nights...

Verdict: Tonight we got a taste of Arrow in more ways than one. Barry and the gang find themselves in a really tricky situation where the law isn't willing to help them in their highly illegal activities. We get a lot of that vibe on Arrow with Oliver's vigilanteism, but on The Flash, more often than not the CCPD wants to work with the Flash as much as they can. So it was an interesting change of pace to see the S.T.A.R. Labs gang have to operate completely outside of the law. And where do you go when you need to accomplish such a dark and seedy task? Why to Captain Cold's dark and seedy bar of course! I remember a time when I was not 100% sold on Leonard Snart in this show. Now I love the relationship that has been built between him and Barry. Barry and Eobard Thawne have a hero-villain dynamic going on, and that is in no way a bad thing. But The Flash and Captain Cold have an arch-rivalry forming and I love that. I want to see The Flash and Captain Cold constantly struggling to get the edge over the other time after time. Sometimes Barry walks away victorious, sometimes Snart leaves with the upper-hand, and sometimes there is just no clear-cut winner. The two have already clashed four times this season so I think it is safe to assume they will keep challenging each other into season 2. Plus it looks like next time the Rouges will have some new recruits. Snart helped those meta-humans escape and Weather Wizard was looking pretty thankful for it. Will Cisco be forced to make him a weather gun? Or perhaps, a weather wand?? Only season 2 will tell. However, the Flash/Captain Cold team-up was another interesting chapter in their rivalry and it offered both new moral dilemmas for our heroes while also setting the stage for a fight that essentially payed homage to the first season of Central City baddies. 

                     The majority of the episode focused on Barry's human transportation dilemma so the battle with The Reverse Flash at the end seemed a little but rushed into. That being said, the battle itself was awesome. Not only did the Amell cousins tag in as The Arrow and Firestorm but we got to see everyone do a little facing off with The Man in Yellow. It was a true, blue team effort that brought down Eobard Thawne. Now I won't say there isn't part of me that wants to see Barry ultimately triumph over The Reverse Flash on his own. It has been the story of The Flash vs. The Man in Yellow all season so it would be incredibly satisfying to see Barry beat him without relying too heavily on Oliver and Ronnie. In fact, at times it seemed like the real action was between Oliver and The Reverse Flash rather than the Flash. However, the battle was still fantastic and the season isn't over yet so there is still time for a one-on-one face-off. Plus on an interesting side note, we learned that Oliver lives to be 86. So SPOILER ALERT: Oliver doesn't die at the end of this season or any season. Also, if Eobard knew that from the history books than Oliver Queen must have done something worth noting in said history books. Maybe like being a member of a certain league pertaining to themes such as justice?

Or maybe it was a classic political sex scandal..Who knows?

All-in-all this was another great episode. I personally think some more time could have been dedicated to overcoming The Reverse Flash but I love it when Snart and the Rouges are in town as well. Eddie and Iris also broke up but enough going on about that, because if it isn't Cisco Ramon and Lisa Snart then it isn't love. An 8.0 out of 10 is in order for The Flash's second to last episode of the season.

Thanks for reading the review! Who do you think will be in the Rouge's season 2 line-up? What did Oliver do to get in the history books? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below and on twitter @Caped_Informers. Also be sure to check back here regularly for more reviews, articles, and news about your favorite comic book shows and movies. The Flash has its season 1 finale next week at the same time: "Fast Enough".

An Observation About Oliver Queen: Like I said before, there were parts of the final battle where Oliver was truly the star of the fight, like how he slowed the Reverse Flash down the first time and then proceeded to beat the living shit out of him with his superior hand-to-hand combat skills. However, the part that really stuck out to me was when Oliver ended up being the one who got the last shot in. It instantly reminded me of another epic battle that Oliver managed to sneak a final shot in at the end:

And if you haven't seen this whole 2-part movie do yourself a favor and watch it

Either Oliver Queen demands on delivering the final blow in his battles or he is by-far the biggest kill stealer of all time. The point I am getting at here is that I would never play a one-person shooter with this guy.

Flash "Grodd Lives" Review

Grodd is God on an all new The Flash. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Barry and his team at S.T.A.R. Labs must deal with the fallout from their failed plan. But in order to distract them, Wells releases the telepathic Gorilla Grodd, who kidnaps Joe. Meanwhile, Iris West (Candice Patton) confronts Barry about his alter-ego as The Flash.

High Points:

• Gorilla Grodd was on TV! Never thought I would see one of my favorite Flash villains come alive on this show. He has been hinted at for weeks, but tonight was his night. Big props to Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Bertlanti, and Geoff Johns for having the balls to believe a telepathic gorilla could be done right on TV.
• Hello there General Eiling! Did not expect to see you alive again. Grodd made you his puppet for three months and I would think that would maybe teach you a lesson about not being such a massive asshole, but the second you get out of your trance you still have that douchey charm. Same old Eiling.
• The Thawne Family reunion continues to be entertaining. Eobard is really giving Eddie a kick to the dick every time he talks to him. Calling him the least memorable Thawne, then showing him that he isn't gonna get Iris. Sucks to be Eddie Thawne right now.
• The old Ice Cream Truck that is secretly carrying gold routine. Classic.
• Grodd's telepathic powers were showcased very well. Whether it was mind controlling Eiling or just straight up mindfucking people, the gorilla was a formable foe.
• Cisco is a bigger cinephile than Michael Bolton.

• The special effects for Grodd were damn impressive. I don't blame Joe West for almost shitting his pants around the beast.
• Grodd stopped Barry's Falcon punch like a boss.
• Dr. Wells' is a modern day James Franco. The man understands the bond between man and beast. Smart move sending his gorilla buddy after his enemies to further his endgame.
• Barry Frank Underwood's Grodd with a train.
• Eobard/Wells' endgame is upon us.
• Grodd will be back!

Should have known the consequences of Tebowing, Grodd.

Low Points:

• Still wish Iris learned about Flash's powers through researching him for an article or something. She just seems to be handed everything on this show. She got handed a nice boyfriend. She got handed a job at a newspaper. Now she just gets spoon fed Barry's secret. Make Iris work for something!
• I'm done with secrets creating this much tension on CW shows. Arrow has overused it and now Flash needs to let it go as well. No one ever looks from the other person's perspective who kept the secret. Every person who gets lied to is instead extremely pissy. Get over it. 

You know what, Iris...

Verdict: What could have been a filler episode before Eobard's endgame gets put into fruition was anything but that. Grodd had been teased all season and when he finally got his chance in the spotlight  he serenaded the crowd to tears of joy with his own rendition of "A Moment Like This". Expect this telepathic Gorilla to factor into Season 2 heavily. Grodd is only getting smarter and by next year who knows what else he will be capable of. As for Eobard, him taunting Eddie was equally entertaining. The guy is in full villain mode now. No more Mr. Nice Guy.
         Overall I'm gonna give "Grodd Lives" a 9.0 out of 10. For great use of a Gorilla.

Thanks for reading the review! Are you on Team Grodd? Can ape be man's best friend? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. Be sure to check back regularly for more reviews, articles, and news about your favorite comic book characters. The Flash returns same time next week with "Rogue Air".

Was Grodd there that night too?????

Arrow "This Is Your Sword" Review

Wedding Bells are in the air as Al Sah Him is about the wed the woman of his dreams, his ex-girlfriend's ex-girlfriend! (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Oliver/Al Sah-him (Stephen Amell) finishes his training and is left with two final tasks to become the next Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s (guest star Matt Nable) threatens Nyssa (guest star Katrina Law) and delivers some shocking news. Meanwhile, Malcolm (John Barrowman) makes a surprising offer to Team Arrow and Thea (Willa Holland) goes to see Roy (Colton Haynes).

High Points:

• Diggle and Canary should team up more often.
• Dinner with the Al Ghuls is not as fun as dinner with the Diggles.
• Oliver isn't as brainwashed as we thought. Having him have to team up with one of his worst enemies, Merlyn, to take down Ra's really shows how desperate Ollie is in this situation.
• Roy is a damn sexy mechanic!
• Shit always heats up when Roy and Thea are alone together. To quote Nick Fury these two bang "like Catholic Rabbits".
• Who is the better Dad: Ra's Al Ghul or Joe Jackson?
• Did you see the sign for Ferris Air Baggage? With so many references to Coast City and Ferris Air popping up on The Flash and Arrow, Hal Jordan is all, but confirmed to show up on the CW next fall.
• Enter Katana!
• Ray Palmer is the greatest human being to ever live. The massive spinoff Legends of Tomorrow is gonna be a kick ass show with him as the lead.
• Katana and Maseo's showdown would have been even cooler if the flashbacks actually made us give a shit about them.
• Always good to see some Roy and Thea pillow talk.
• Malcolm Merlyn is always playing his cards close to his chest. Whatever moves puts himself in the best position is the move he is going to make a 100% of the time. Allegiances and loyalty don't mean shit to this guy. Makes him such a slimly yet lovable character.
• Felicity's face when hearing of Oliver's impending nuptials was priceless.
• Attempted murder always makes a wedding ceremony more exciting.
• Solid cliffhanger.

Roy and Thea's theme song

Low Points:

• Felicity is so self righteous it's fucking sickening. She "always" has to be right. She always has to be the voice of reason. Season 3 has ruined her forever.
• Was not invested enough in Maseo and Katana's kid to give a shit that he died. (Sometimes I can be a real cruel prick.)
• The flashbacks just need to stop. I understand that Maseo + Ollie came across the virus a few years back. We got the information we needed. No need for more useless backstory.
• Shrieve sucks. Just another faceless Army drone for Ollie to beat down.
• Leaving Thea naked in your bed? I thought you were a gentleman, Roy Harper?

Season 3 Felicity's state of mind

Verdict: Oliver is in a tight spot. Ra's has pushed him to the edge. With his back against the wall there is only one man that Oliver can turn to. Everyone's favorite terrorist, Malcolm Merlyn! This was a nice twist by the Arrow writers. Oliver being forced to turn to his enemy for help shows how desperate he really is right now. What is that old saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." 

          Well, this revelation that Ollie was working with Merlyn the whole time leads the team back to Nana Parbat. In order to stop the Alpha Omega from being released upon Starling they must infiltrate Ra's crib. Serious question, how many raids on Nana Parbat have we seen this season? 4 maybe 5? I'm just tired of seeing of beating down LoA goons. These guys go down pretty damn easily. I guess what I am saying is that I want Ra's Al Ghul to pick up his sword and fight some fools. 22 episodes in this year and we have only seen Ra's battle 2 times. Don't want more of the Demon, I need it. Though seeing Katana suit up and murder her husband was a pretty sight amongst the other meaningless fighting. The emotional fallout from her killing Maseo didn't land that much, but the brawl sure was cool. So points to the stunt team on that sword battle.

            To keep appearances Ollie was then forced to capture his compadres. Ra's Al Ghul then poisoned those poor bastards with the Alpha Omega virus. Then Ollie gets married while his friends die in the next room over. This was such a massive dickhead move by Ra's. "This Is Your Sword" did a good job of showing us that the Demon's Head is not a good guy. He is a villain that needs to be taken down. (Unlike Shrieve, who is using the Nazi's excuse). All of this lead to a solid cliffhanger of not knowing if Team Arrow would survive the Alpha Omega.

          That was until I saw the preview for next week that aired immediately following the episode. It showed all of Team Arrow safe + sound and in Starling next week. I hope there is some sort of fallout from the Alpha Omega being released and that it is not concluded by some twist in which Oliver or Maseo replaced it with sleeping gas or some shit. Please have some consequences occur in that storyline, okay?

         Overall " This Is Your Sword" did not really light my fire and I'm giving it a  7.0 out of 10. Now onto next week, Ollie is technically married and I can't wait to see him fight it out with his new father in-law next week. Arrow has had two great finales and I hope "My Name is Oliver Queen" will be another triumph. 

Thanks for reading! Are you excited for Oliver's showdown with the Demon? Do you cry when a child dies on TV? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. 

Jane Fonda would have made a great Ra's Al Ghul

First Picture Of The Suicide Squad and Deadshot in Full Costume!

Director David Ayer (Fury) just dropped the first official photo of the main cast of Suicide Squad. Take a gander at Task Force X...

6 Takeaways:

1. Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Boomer, and Rick Flagg all look great. Margot Robbie seems to poised to break out of this movie as the fan favorite character. Harley Quinn is gonna be everywhere when this flick comes out. She will be 2016's Groot.

2. If that is Killer Croc, it disappoints the shit out of me. I wanted a more mutant Croc (Like Jim Lee's in Hush or Arkham Asylum's) instead of the Brian Azzarello version from Joker from which this one is clearly inspired. My boy Adewale is behind the makeup though so that definitely makes me less upset. His take on the character should be cool to see.

3. Well hello there Katana! Didn't expect you to show up in this. Rumor was Karen Fukuhara was going to play Flash villainess, Plastique. Instead she is picking up the soul taker sword as Katana. Maybe this could help set up an adaptation of Green Arrow's Outsider War, where Katana was head of the sword clan. Maybe she is just gonna be there to kick ass and die. Whatever the reason it's just really cool and unexpected for this character show up.

4. Enchantress looks like a combination of the girl from The Ring and the Black Bride from Insidious. Somebody needs to clean that bitch up.

5. Love the nod to Belle Reve prison. With Arkham also confirmed, it sounds like we will be getting a tour of DC's most popular prisons. Can't wait for them to show up at Iron Heights.

6. The overall look is certainly different than I anticipated, but you know what I dig. They aren't meant to look clean cut and nice. They are supposed to look like people that would stab you then fuck your corpse in an alley. So I'm in.

Thanks for reading! What do you think of this look for the Suicide Squad? Do you love Harley Quinn? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. Suicide Squad hits theaters August 2016.

P.S. Where the fuck is Killer Croc's hat?

UPDATE: Check out Will Smith's Deadshot in full costume.

Reranking The Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Marvel Studios has released 11 comic blockbusters since 2008. Iron Man kicked off their interconnected universe with a bang and comic book movies have never been the same since. So now that Marvel's biggest sequel yet Avengers: Age Of Ultron is tearing up theaters, the Informers decided to rank all 11 of the studios interconnected films. Let's get it going.

11. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Total garbage. The first Phase 2 movie takes Iron Man's greatest foe and turns him into a joke while placing Tony outside of his suit 98% of the run time. Shane Black and Drew Pearce successfully took Jon Faveru's Iron Man saga and turned it into shit.

10. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

2013 was not a good year for Marvel. After the debacle that is Iron Man 3, Thor got his sequel later in the year that wasn't that impressive. At this point if Loki wasn't in this franchise would anyone care? Malekith was absolutely forgettable along with Thor's crew of human sidekicks. Natalie Portman is really just picking up paychecks in these movies as Jane Foster. Less of her and more Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three for Thor Ragnorak, please.

9. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Love Mickey Rourke. Love Sam Rockwell. Just not in this movie. Neither villain really stands out or has an interesting plan. One could say the real villain could really be Tony's alcoholism. But despite all it's faults, RDJ and the addition of Don Cheadle as War Machine elevate this mediocre film to a decent one.

8. Thor (2011)

Not much to say here. Just an okay movie with some solid humor that helps set up the character for The Avengers. The Frost Giant battle is fun, but everything else comes off as alright.

7. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Abomination vs. The Hulk is the main reason I placed this film at number seven. Ed Norton makes for a convincing Banner/Hulk while on the other hand Liv Tyler is a pretty crappy Betty Ross. Mark Ruffalo has done a commendable job picking up Banner from Norton left off, but after seeing Norton put on an acting clinic in Birdman recently, I would have loved to see what he would have done with the character had he continued to portray the Green Goliath.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

An interesting period piece about Steve Rogers and his transformation into this universe's first superhero Captain America. Loved the WW2 setting and Steve's motivations. What I didn't care for was a slow story that had a difficult time showing off Cap's abilities. If you used this film as a point of reference for Cap's superpowers you would have to assume his own ability is super leaping. He used his amazing shield the least in his opening appearance.

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Earth's Mightiest Heroes reunite for a second go around. This time against the evil AI Ultron. The same humor and action you loved from the first Avengers is here. Seriously they could make 20 movies just like this and I would love them all. In the MCU, I think there are 3 tiers in the hierarchy of the MCU. Those are Average, Good, and Great. I would say #11-9 are average, #8-6 are good, and here at #5 the great films begin. Which makes it hard to put this great film all the way down at 5, but with so many awesome films compromises needed to be made.

4. Iron Man (2008)

Single handedly kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe and rejuvenated RDJ's career all at once. Iron Man is one of the most important superhero films of all time. Aided by RDJ's charm and Jon Farveru's slick visuals this movie presents an interesting origin for Tony Stark while creating a world that has allowed for all these incredible superhero films to exist. Also ACDC!

3. The Avengers (2012)

The Avengers is the first ever giant superhero team-up on film. The final 45 minute battle alone could secure it a high spot on this list, but The Avengers has more going for it besides it's action. Joss Whedon expertly weaves in the each team members' different dynamics as the team forms to take down the villainous Loki (played by the great Tom Hiddleston). Solid performances across the board and hilarious moments make this movie a must for a superhero fans.

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

When this film was initially announced, the general consensus was that this film would be Marvel's first real flop. Introducing five relatively unknown characters that include the likes of a talking raccoon and a tree sounded like a major risk at the time. Well, James Gunn proved all those people wrong and these five "losers" won the 2014 summer box office. GOTG is packed with humor + heart that just fit it's tone completely. Not to mention the best soundtrack in ages. Also Chris Pratt is the greatest.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Perfection. This film is an excellent adaption of a classic Captain America storyline that is great at infusing both drama and comedy. Directors the Russo brothers understand the Cap Universe and utilize the additions of Falcon as a sidekick, The Winter Soldier as an adversary, and Black Widow as Cap's moral foil propel this sequel way past it's predecessor. Best Marvel film period. Hail Hydra!

Thanks for reading! What's your favorite Marvel film? Which future movie are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. You can also read my original rankings from August by clicking here.

P.S. These movies are dope and all, but Daredevil is the best thing Marvel has ever put out!

Avengers: Age Of Ultron Review

Earth's Mightiest Heroes are back on the big screen! Here is my review of the team's second outing with very mild spoilers. 

Description: Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

High Points:

• Excellent opening sequence. Very cool to see the team fully formed and going on raids together.
• Hail Hydra! Everyone's favorite evil organization shows up just in time to get it's ass kicked.
• Captain America is my favorite Avenger. Joss Whedon finds about 150 new ways to use Cap's shield in battle this time around. #TeamCap #FuckStark
• Hawkeye gets some much deserved screentime in this flick. He was brainwashed for the majority of the first outing, so it was great to spend some time with Clint and see what makes him click.
• Humorous throughout. One liners were being thrown all over this joint.
• Well done action sequences throughout. 
• Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen's accents are the funniest things ever.
• Cool insight into Black Widow's past. Since last year's CA: TWS, Agent Romanoff has really opened up and become a captivating character in the MCU.
• A little Andy Serkis never hurts! Neither does a little Wakanda.
• Joss Whedon took those Man Of Steel criticisms about not protecting civilians to heart because the Avengers are going out of their way to protect every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Seeing heroes be heroic is never a bad thing.
• Great performances throughout the cast. Each actor has really bonded with their character now that they have all had multiple outings.
• The Vision's entrance was a bit awkward, but his payoff was pretty great.
• Age Of Ultron feels like a global film. Action takes place all over the globe.
• Fun to see the Avengers kick back and dick around. The whole party scene is a lot of fun. 
• I dug the Black Widow/Hulk romance. Two different types of monsters that have come together.
• The science bros reunited for some more (you guessed it!) science!
• DAT CUT SCENE!

Be careful Natasha that shit is dangerous.

Low Points:

• Ultron was an okay villain. James Spader was good acting as an almost pseudo-Tony Stark, but he never got the full focus he deserved. For starters we never saw how he came across his first full form. He just instantly had it and was off to the races. With so many characters I understand it is hard to balance all of them. The main villain should really stand out though and once again Ultron falls into the MCU's pantheon of under developed villains.
• Thor's side quest was to further inform us more about the Infinity stones. Sometimes the connective universe has it's movies looking ahead instead of dealing with what in the present.
• I understand that because Scarlet Witch had come into the fold that mind control was back in play, so I'm okay with seeing it as a big plot device again, but this has to be the last time we see it in an Avengers movie. I don't want every movie to have the team be at each others throat because they are psychically being inclined to. Especially with Civil War coming up, mind control should play no role whatsoever. Have it be a fight of ideologies.
• The final fight scene was pretty anticlimactic. Yes a sacrifice was made, but defeating Ultron and his goons was pretty simplistic. Also because I asked for the end of mind control in the last bulletpoint, I'm also gonna ask for this to be the last the Avengers face a giant faceless army. For Infinity War, let's see them fight a different threat. Like the Masters of Evil or maybe a space brawl.
• Enough with the Disney parallels. Ultron keeping signing Pinocchio. Banner and Ramanoff are supposed to be Beauty and the Beast. I get that Disney owns Marvel and that allows for this kinda stuff to happen, but there was enough of it that I have expected Steve Rogers to start singing "Be A Man" from Mulan in the final scene.

Didn't Scarlet Witch's powers look a lot like Poison Ivy's magic dust?

Verdict: Age of Ultron delivers on action and humor. Sometimes it can feel like mindless popcorn entertainment, yet it never reaches Transformers levels of mindless violence. Something is always at stake and you care about the people who are fighting.
         Ultron could have used a bit more focus and sometimes the building of the future of the MCU occasionally hurt it as a standalone film, but there is such more positive stuff going on that you really don't care. This movie did it's number one job: Kept me entertained for 2+ hours. The characters you have grown to know and love are all there taking names and kicking ass. What's not to like about that? Overall I'm giving Avengers: Age of Ultron a 8.0 out of 10. Fun movie and the first must see of the summer.

Thanks for reading! What did you think of Age Of Ultron? What future MCU movie are you most excited for?  Let us know in the comments or tweet at us @Caped_Informers or me @cstrand73. And make sure to tune in for our weekly Arrow, Flash, and Daredevil reviews. Also make sure to look for my remodeled list of the best Marvel movies. Coming soon.