Benz Eye View: Inhumans

Since I have finished Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., there is one other MCU TV show that was released alongside that show. It only lasted one season, and I did review the first two episodes of it when it was released on IMAX theaters. Well, since it is also on Disney+, I might as well review the entirety of this show. Welcome back to MCU Marathon for the review of these group of people that were improperly introduced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Inhumans.

Pros:

1.) If there is one thing that I like about the show, it is that Anson Mount as Black Bolt and Iwan Rheon as Maximus were trying. There were the only ones I liked due to their acting: Iwan Rheon’s performance made Maximus look sympathetic despite his villainous role, and Anson Mount makes a decent presentation considering his character cannot talk and has to use sign language. I will give that these two did their best on what they are given.

Cons:

1.) Where do I begin? Let’s begin with the writing and storytelling: these are the worst things I have seen in a Marvel Television show if not the entire MCU. None of the characters are compelling nor interesting enough to watch an 8-episode series, and even if you argue that they are potentially interesting, how each episode is paced and told from each of the characters’ perspectives are so poorly done, I cannot believe they thought it was a good idea. Do you want to know who Black Bolt and the rest of the Inhuman Kingdom are? You get a bunch of stereotypical characters at best and insulting characters at worst. There are characters who were written as wise and powerful, but we got them as a bunch of imbeciles who somehow are the leaders of the Kingdom of Attilan.

Also, it is easily predictable and stupid how this series is going to happen. The Inhumans do not understand the people of Earth and they think they are chaotic and destructive; can you guess what they are going to learn when they get to Earth? This one character is dead in the first episode, but several episodes later, it turns out he is alive for some dumb reason. Another character is written to be someone who claims to never make any mistakes…makes plenty of mistakes. If there was something potentially interesting about these characters, I (along with many people who watched this series) lost all care around episode 2.

2.) The production is absolutely terrible. It is bad enough with the cinematography and lighting being inconsistent and boring (especially when there are shots where the characters are outside in the sunset, and they used natural lighting that makes the characters look like that they are shadows), but the settings and the costumes look wretched. You would know it looks bad when a big government facility looks like a big warehouse and all the computers are located right around the center of the room. Even the Kingdom of Attilan looks cheap and uninspired with a bunch of stone slabs all around and a throne room looks boring to be in. Do not get me started with the costumes, I will put it simply by saying that when fans saw the first image of the Inhumans, they were not happy. It looked like the costume designers did not want to try; they look more like cosplayers of the Inhumans rather than the actual Inhumans.

The directing is just as pathetic; it is clear these directors did not know what they were doing with their camera and lighting placement. Not to mention that these actors look like they did not want to even be there. Their performances are wooden at worst, and I am willing to bet that some actors realized that this show is bad and had to stick it out as soon as it is over. This is honestly really sad, but I am not done…

3.) …This is worst excuse of editing I have ever seen. When the characters are talking to each other, that is fine, but there are plenty of things that pop out in a bad way. There were sometimes intercutting shots where the lighting is suddenly different from the last shots, making it easy for anyone to lose immersion (though how those individuals are still immersed in this mess is beyond me). The editing is especially bad in fight scenes where there are so many cuts that it is easy to lose what is happening. I could add more to what is wrong like not placing a scene in the narrative correctly and constant use of flashbacks (more an issue with writing, but I do not care at this point), I think you get the point of everything wrong with this show.

Overall:

Did you know that the Inhumans TV show was originally going to be part of Phase 3 of the MCU films? That is right, this was originally going to be a film that was meant to be released in between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame (or Avengers: Infinity War Part II as it was originally called). However, around the time that Marvel Studios got to share the film rights for Spider-Man from Sony, Inhumans was kicked out of Phase 3 of the MCU and eventually turned into a TV series. After finally watching this short-lived series, it is very easy to understand why this show only lasted one season. The Inhumans TV show is the definition of laziness.

These people were not trying; none of the cast (except a couple of actors) and crew clearly did not care on what is happening in this show, so they made it in the laziest way possible and not in a fun way (even terrible movies like The Room took itself so seriously that it is awesomely bad). The story and writing are brain-dead stupid, the characters have no interesting dynamics nor compelling traits whatsoever, and the production and post-production are some things that even a decent college film student can do better (I should also mention an example of the bad CG this show has by looking at Medusa’s hair in action in the first episode). I cannot believe that they left this show in this state, and any potential for anything Inhuman-related TV show or movie has been diminished. If you want to see any Inhuman characters at all in the MCU, watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (flawed that show was) or wait for the upcoming Ms. Marvel TV series (since she is an Inhuman) and a possible Inhumans reboot that may be in the works. Otherwise, skip this series, and watch the Kingdom of Attilan go down with all its glory.

Skip It

Benz Eye View: Mortal Kombat (2021)

Pros:

1.) Mortal Kombat is known for its gore and violence, and this movie gives exactly what you want. There are plenty of moments where it looks painful, and there are definitely moments where blood and guts are spilled. While few of the fight scenes stand out more than others (mainly because of the editing), those scenes are what fans of the games are waiting for since the original movie back in 1995.

2.) If you are a fan of the games, the fan service is strong here. There are plenty of references from other characters like Nightwolf to Kotal Kahn to famous lines like “Finish Him” or “Fatality” to the mention that Kombat is spelled with a K. While I wish that some of the more popular lines are said in more fitting ways and certain characters appear instead of teases, I appreciate the acknowledgement of the world of Mortal Kombat, and it may possibly foreshadow something if a sequel is made.

3.) If I have to pick one character I really liked in this movie, it is Kano. Here are three reasons why: his actor, his interactions with other characters, and his rivalry to Sonya Blade. He is the only character that has the most charisma, and his reactions to certain magical moments are pretty funny. His arc with Sonya Blade may not be the most compelling thing ever, but it is at least one of the more entertaining things you can see considering how much the two do not like each other. Kano himself is a great character that I like to see more in this movie.

Cons:

1.) The pacing goes by too quickly, making so many emotional and character moments lose any impact. It feels like the movie wants to speedily move on from the exposition and important plot points to get to the fight scenes, but many of the characters who could have been potentially interesting lose their worth in the process. I barely know anything about Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Raiden, Shang Tsung, Mileena, etc. Instead, most of the focus is on Cole Young, Sub-Zero, Scorpion (to a certain extent), Kano, and Sonya Blade; even then, it is not enough. Only people who have played the games will recognize these characters, though there are certain things from the movie that are different from the video game version (you can probably blame Kronika for changing them in a different timeline…play Mortal Kombat 11 if you do not understand).

2.) Speaking of Cole Young, he is a movie-original character that never appeared in any of the games (and he is not Johnny Cage, just in case some people were wondering). Of all the people they could have chosen to be the main character for this movie, why did they have to make an original character that is nowhere as potentially interesting as the other characters? (SPOILERS) The one thing that is interesting about him is that he is a descendant of Scorpion. (END SPOILERS) The rest of his character arc is that he is losing MMA fighter who wants to protect his family and he got dragged into Mortal Kombat. The filmmakers should have picked Johnny Cage or Sonya Blade to be the main characters, have their own arcs like a failing Hollywood actor or a search for the leader of the Black Dragon, and they got dragged into Mortal Kombat in the process. Cole Young is not a compelling enough to lead this movie, and if he ends up in the video games at one point, I honestly could not care less.

3.) As much I appreciate the fan service that this movie provides, that is the one of the few things that holds it together. Fans will have some appreciation for it, but casual viewers will probably only enjoy the fight scenes. The movie assumes you know the games for the most part, so it barely explains much about the world of Mortal Kombat other than certain details. If you want to know certain characters and what Outworld is, you are going to get bare minimum of an explanation. Fan service is nice and all, but if it cannot be backed up with great writing and characters, they are pointless.

Overall:

I have been a fan of Mortal Kombat ever since I played Mortal Kombat 3 as a child. Ever since then, I have played all of the mainline games from the first Mortal Kombat to Mortal Kombat 11, and I even watched the Mortal Kombat movies and the shows. With the announcement of a new Mortal Kombat movie, I was excited like any other fan. Now it is released in theaters and HBO Max, I can say this: at least it is better than Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. I compare this movie to Godzilla vs. Kong: the fan service and the fight scenes are what make this movie strong, but it does not help that the pacing, the writing, and the characters are below average. Warner Bros. needs to do more with their movies, because fan service can only go so far. I recommend this movie more to the fans than to casual viewers, and I still prefer the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.

4/10

Benz Eye View: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

We return once again with another MCU show starring two of Captain America’s closest friends: Sam Wilson and James Buchanan Barnes. Can both of these heroes uphold Steve Rogers’s legacy in this show? Let’s find out in this next addition of the MCU Marathon: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Pros:

1.) I like the chemistry between the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Their bantering was annoying for the first two episodes that they were together, but the comradery and the respect that these two give each other (especially thanks to the acting between Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan) are established well as the series progressed. They both know Steve Rogers, so it is understandable why the two fit well as partners and why they have issues with each other considering what Falcon does in the beginning of the show. I compare these two with Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon films with Riggs (Winter Soldier) being not as insane and Murtaugh (Falcon) living up the legacy of his predecessor. These two are good partners despite their character flaws.

2.) The show raises an interesting question in the MCU: with half of the world coming back since the Blip, how does the entire world recover from that? It was bad enough that half of all life vanished, and then they all returned five years later; it brings in serious ramifications. Its dilemma affects some of the characters in the show with Falcon and his sister, Sarah, Karli Morgenthau and the Flag-Smashers, and John Walker. It brings up some interesting questions that leaves some of it unanswered and leave the audience to decide (the questions that are answered…I will get to that in the cons). It something interesting to explore in the MCU, and this show does a decent job at it.

3.) I like the arcs with Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and John Walker a.k.a. “Captain America.” For Falcon, he has to learn that he was chosen to be Captain America by Steve Rogers for a reason despite his own reservations. For Winter Soldier, not only he has to move on that his best friend is gone, but also get over his time as a mind-controlled Hydra agent. As for John Walker, he is ecstatic that he has become the new Captain America, only to find that he may not be able to handle it nor does he understand the mantle (though I feel that the show has skipped a couple of necessary scenes on his downward spiral to madness). These arcs are what help make this show stand for me, and I like to believe many people would like to know more about these characters other than their Captain America’s sidekicks (other than John Walker)…

Cons:

1.) …However, I think Winter Soldier is more interesting than the Falcon for two reasons: their characteristics and arcs. Bucky a.k.a. the Winter Soldier has so many issues that he has to overcome, every time that there is a scene focusing on him (like flashbacks), I am very drawn to his character which adds to his emotional weight to his arc. Sam Wilson a.k.a. the Falcon does not have the same treatment as Bucky. While his character arc I do like, his characteristic is not as interesting. He just wants to do right in the world from fighting terrorists to helping Sarah on their boat; making him a Boy Scout in certain ways like Steve Rogers. However, Steve Rogers had to adapt his beliefs in a timeline where the United States barely believes in freedom anymore (also realizing that Bucky is still alive), while Sam Wilson has to deal with people who no longer believed in it; basically, the same issue just not as interesting nor emotionally strong. It does not really help with his character, but not to the point where I do not believe he should be the next Captain America…though it is tempting to make me wish that Bucky should be the next Captain America instead.

2.) Karli Morgenthau as the leader of the Flag-Smashers and the main antagonist of the series is not really that interesting. While there is some depth to her since she wants to help people, who survived the Blip and got screwed over by their governments when half of the world returned, she ultimately seems weak to me with her typical excuses on why she hurts and kills people who stand in her way. It does not help that two other antagonists: John Walker and Zemo are more interesting than her. Walker wants to help his country stop the Flag-Smashers, but he has own PTSD issues that he never got over that made it clear that he is not worthy being Captain America. Zemo hates that there are Super Soldiers walking around the Earth, so he wants to make sure that they are dead and no more are made since he fears they would be like the Avengers or Hydra dealing tyrannical actions like what happened with the Battle of Sokovia in his eyes. While Karli poses a good threat for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Walker and Zemo are the more interesting antagonists.

3.) The show can be a bit preachy on certain subjects and messages without them having some clear thoughts. I am not going to talk about all of it, so I will focus on one moment in the last episode. Without giving too much away, Falcon gives a small speech that I get what the writers were going for since it basically sums it up to be better on what you are doing with what is going on with the world. The problem is that the issues that are brought up in this show are so complicated that a good-sounding speech that Falcon just made does little to change the issues that the world has at that point. I would talk about it more, but that may require another blog post and some spoilers. The show raises some questions and gives answers that need more thought and better writing.

Overall:

I admit when I heard they are making a show about the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I was interested on what they are going to make. However, the trailers did not make it seem appealing, but I was still willing to watch this six-episode series. Now that I finally watched the entire series, I say that this series is OK. There are many things to like about this show, but there are plenty to dislike about it, which is probably a good reason why it did not get as much appeal as Wandavision. It is a show that requires you to watch at least twice to appreciate some good things there, but to a small degree. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may or may not make you agree on Captain America’s replacement, but it most likely make you yearn for Steve Rogers again.

Occasional Viewing

Benz Eye View: Persona 5 Strikers

Pros:

1.) Beginning with the gameplay, it is a musou game instead of a role-playing game. Meaning, instead of taking turns on who attacks first as well as upgrading your stats and bonds just like in the original game, this game is a hack-and-slash fight between the Phantom Thieves and enemy Shadows with elements of the original game spread across like switching Personas and sneaking up to enemies. While it took me some time to get used to the mechanics and quick battles, the gameplay is fast and wild, and it can be quite fun. Each Shadow has their own strength and weaknesses that you can exploit, but they can do the same thing to you as well, so you have to move quickly if you have a Persona/partner that has a weakness that your enemies can use. This fast-paced battle and exploration gameplay may be different from the original games, but it does its own thing well with some similarities.

2.) Just like its predecessors, this game has an amazing number of visuals and style. The menus are colorful and dynamic, the fights are chaotic and quick (especially with the all-out attacks), and the Phantom Thieves look as stylish as ever including the new members. The graphics look great with 60 FPS, though you can choose the game mode settings to focus on either frame rate or graphics (I prefer graphics, because I had a couple of crashes in my experience).

Not only that, the music is just as upbeat and fits well with the musou gameplay. The new remixes are a welcome addition that they are sometimes better than the original versions.

This game looks and sounds as cool as it plays.

3.) The interaction between the Phantom Thieves just shows how well these characters know each other and how strong their chemistry since Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. Many great moments are between these members, including some hilarious ones like how they make fun of Zenkichi’s age. Speaking of Zenkichi, he is one of the newer members alongside Sophia, and I like them both. I prefer Zenkichi more, because he is an interesting arc over all of the Phantom Thieves’ arcs due to his being about his daughter and his search of his wife’s murderer. As for Sophia, I describe her as a less-interesting version of Aigis from Persona 3; she is fine, but I do have some issues with her. It is good to see the Phantom Thieves, and the newcomers are a welcome addition.

Cons:

1.) There is something wrong with the audio, specifically the English audio. There are times that the English audio is not as loud as it is supposed to be; it is barely audible enough for me to hear what the characters are saying. I tested it with Japanese voices, and their voices are clearer and louder than the English ones. Here is a video I found comparing the voices, but be warned that this video has MILD SPOILERS.

This is especially an issue when the Phantom Thieves are speaking during boss battles. These characters are talking to each other about what is right and wrong about what the villains are doing, and it is hard to hear and get invested in that conversation when the player is more invested in the battle that is more audible than their speeches. I do know that the English voice actors had to act at their homes with audio equipment sent by their employers during the pandemic, but the crew could have either asked the voice actors to set the equipment properly and set in the booth or set the voices higher so we can hear them (though that option does pose some risks like hearing a little of the white noise). The English audio is distracting when you start noticing the imbalance.

2.) The story and the writing are not as strong as its predecessors to the point where it is a bit cliched and predictable. The Phantom Thieves do not really have much of a connection to the antagonists and villains (with a couple of exceptions which those are clearly the best ones) other than similarities in tastes and jobs. The masterminds of the whole conflict are predictable to the point of insulting, like they are presented as good people when anyone who at least played the originals know that they are the villains. Many of the plot points are not done in an interesting way mainly because the game borrows many of the story elements from Persona 5. Even the plot twists are predictable to the point where I wondered why some of the Phantom Thieves did not see them coming, especially one that involves a certain app that Futaba Sakura should have realized something was wrong with it. It is not an awful story or writing, but it certainly does not impress me at least.

3.) While the gameplay can be fun and wild, one infamous thing that musou games are known for is its repetition and this game is no exception. It is especially noticeable when you are trying to level up everything; it is going to take you a long time to complete this game, and fighting the same group of enemies over and over again easily gets tedious. You have to spend several hours leveling up your characters, Personas, and BOND system (a system that can grant you special bonuses like increased stats) in order to get everything at MAX level (there are ways to level your characters and Personas faster, but not the BOND system which takes longer to max out than the others). It is the same feeling I got when I played Fire Emblem Warriors, it was fun up till I finished it, and it became annoyingly tedious when I tried to complete it (and I have not got into this yet, but I heard that the hardest difficulty: Merciless, is annoyingly difficult even on New Game+). Expect to have this happen to you when you play any musou game.

Overall:

I apologize that this took a while; I had some things to deal with like reviewing movies and TV shows as well as taking my sweet time with this game. When I heard that this game was coming to Japan (which is known as Persona 5 Scrambles: The Phantom Strikers), I await the announcement for its imminent arrival to the United States. After a long wait, it has finally arrived despite current worldly issues. As a longtime Persona 5 fan, what did I think of this sequel/spin-off? My answer is that it is a great game, but it comes with a few caveats.

This game is still as fun as the original in its own way, but considering that this is a musou game, it can get very repetitive. The Phantom Thieves are just as charming as ever, but the story itself is not as interesting nor compelling as the original with a few plot point exceptions. It has plenty of style and looks great with its visuals, but there are issues with the English audio. While it may not be perfect, I think this sequel/spin-off did its job by giving us fans a continuation of the Phantom Thieves’ adventures in an action role-playing game. The Phantom Thieves have stolen the Desires of the public just like before, though they have stumbled a bit in the process.

7/10

Benz Eye View: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After several months of watching this show, I have now returned with something that started back in 2013 and ended in 2020. Yes, we are now going to see a show that does not really get much attention other than when it was announced. Welcome to the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in this upcoming addition of MCU Marathon.

Pros:

1.) Let’s get the easiest pro out of the way: I like how the show acknowledges the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Iron Man 3 to Ant-Man and the Wasp, there are plenty of references from characters like Iron Man and Captain America to certain events like the Battle of Sokovia in Avengers: Age of Ultron to objects like Extremis from Iron Man 3. It truly shows that the world of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has plenty of things to show and possibilities to explore (to a limited degree). It is cool to see, and it may be possible that some of the things in this show will appear in the MCU (which there is…sort of…I will get to that in the overall section).

2.) There are certain episodes that truly stand out for this show. Here is what I think are great episodes: the second half of Season 1, nearly the majority of Season 3, Season 4 itself especially when Aida is involved, Season 6×06 “Inescapable,” Season 7×09 “As I Have Always Been,” and Season 7×13 “What We’re Fighting For.” Those episodes I completely recommend you watch over all of the other episodes due to some fantastic writing. While some of them do require context by watching the other episodes, they are still enjoyable on their own. When this show has good episodes, it does them well for the most part.

3.) While they are flawed, in some weird way, I grew attached to the main characters as the show progressed. While some characters are more interesting than others, their chemistry with each other was genuine and great. Seeing Agent Phil Coulson working in S.H.I.E.L.D. and leading the group was fun to watch at times, Skye growing from a loner hacker to an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a potentially interesting character arc, Melinda May is more of a warrior/solider than an agent, Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons are a great scientific duo/couple, and many more have their own interesting quirks at times. Thanks to the actors, these characters’ chemistry makes me buy that they are genuine friends and agents that will watch their backs.

Cons:

1.) There are plenty of good ideas that this show has introduced from the emergence of the Inhumans to the involvement of certain races and characters like Asgardians and the Kree. However, many of these are marred by the fact that they are executed poorly. There are many reasons why that I will talk about in the other cons, but it surprises me that there are characters, races, ideas, and episodes that had so much potential only to be squandered by bad writing. Examples include that there could be some interesting villains here, but they are written as evil because they are evil, or a race of super-beings would be awesome but barely anything was done with them. There are ideas that are executed well like the Framework, Aida, Ghost Rider, and Hydra’s takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D. Unfortunately, that is not the only problem this show has…

2.) …Another big issue is the leaps in logic, insane jumps of conclusion, inconsistent rules (Season 2 and 5 are the worst parts of the show due to that), and cliched emotional reactions that occur most of the time for the sake of melodrama (i.e., none of these agents seem to follow orders so many times). For a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, they really do not keep their emotions in check (there are exceptions where their emotional moments are legitimate, but it is hard to believe these “professionals” cannot keep a clear head in a hard situation when I found a solution that they should have figured out earlier). As much as I complimented these characters in the third pro, their choices and reactions test my patience at times to the point where the only character I truly liked throughout the series was Melinda May due to her logic, patience, and cold personality (though even she suffers the melodrama at times). I do like these characters, but some of their decisions are cliched and stupid.

3.) I fail to see the sense of scale when it comes to the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. For three to possibly four of the seasons, I saw plenty of other S.H.I.E.L.D. members from time to time, but I usually keep seeing the same core members doing their jobs and barely anyone else (you can argue that maybe half of those agents are actually from Hydra, but there is got to be some remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents left or they could have just hired some people). While the show did a good job containing their conflicts only for these agents to handle, there were a couple of moments I felt that the Avengers should have been involved instead of S.H.I.E.L.D. This is supposed to be global agency, not Coulson and friends.

Overall:

I remember when this TV show was first announced and it showed that Agent Phil Coulson was alive and well after the events of The Avengers; that got my attention. After watching a few episodes, I lost interest and moved on. After hearing that the series is finally over, and I watched and reviewed Agent Carter, I decided to watch all seven seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I have to say that it has been an interesting ride. For one thing, I appreciate that it is the first Marvel Television series to expand the MCU as well as having an outsider’s perspective on events like the Battle of Sokovia or the civil war between Captain America and Iron Man. The cost is these agents and their adventures are not as interesting as the MCU itself, but it is appreciated nonetheless. In fact, I recall that Conan O’Brien said that this show is about a group of less interesting characters in the foreground while the most interesting characters are in the background; even Robot Chicken made fun of that.

I watched this show alongside some of the MCU films that took place where Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be (from Iron Man 3 to Avengers: Endgame in timeline order), and I have to say that the films are much better than this show by a mile even the worst ones (I should probably re-review Thor: The Dark World). While it can be entertaining at times, I cannot ignore the glaring flaws that it contains to the point I wonder how this series has seven seasons while Agent Carter only had two. It is nice to see Agent Coulson alive and well, and his group of agents are interesting at times, but what they go through is usually cliched, melodramatic, poorly executed, and inconsistent. Maybe Coulson should have stayed dead all this time, because this show does not seem to get that much attention other than Marvel die-hard fans, and even then, the ratings has been going down throughout the years. However, despite all my ramblings about this show, I am strangely going to miss it.

While the characters may push my patience, I appreciate them in some weird way, and that is partly due to the fact that some parts of the show are legitimately great. While the writing is nowhere near perfect and the show has plenty of problems, I enjoyed watching these characters going through their duty as agents even if some of their adventures are generic. I come to realize that by the series finale, I would not mind seeing them again in an MCU show or film, because they have some potential in an odd way. However, as a reviewer, I still need to rate this, and as much as part of me does not want to, I cannot really recommend this show to anyone UNLESS if you are willing to forgive many of its flaws. I see plenty of potential in this show, I just wish that it was executed better.

Skip It*

*: However, I say Skip It with an asterisk: as I said before, there are some great episodes here, so if you are still curious but do not want to watch the entire series, look to my second pro on what I recommend for you to watch.

One thing I am wondering is that if this show (and many others before the MCU shows like Wandavison and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is going to be acknowledged or still considered canon in the MCU in general since Disney has enough money to make huge shows at this point in time. The closest we have gotten is that Edwin Jarvis from Agent Carter had a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, and the Darkhold that appeared in Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (as well as Runaways, but I have not seen that show) is seen in Wandavision (albeit with a different design). We will have to wait and see, but I am hoping it does.

Benz Eye View: Godzilla vs. Kong

Pros:

1.) You wanted to see Godzilla and Kong fight each other, right? You are definitely going to get it in this movie, because their fight scenes are awesome. It is because those scenes are backed up by a combination of three things: cinematography, CG effects, and fight coordination. Their fights are brutal and fun to watch, and it is the main reason why the movie exists. For those who want to see these two titans fight, you are going to get your wish here.

2.) The idea of having an underground world filled with titans and giant monsters opens up plenty of possibilities on what to do with the MonsterVerse. Plenty of hints and potential are seen in this Hollow Earth that could lead to more popular monsters (say Gamera) fighting either Kong or Godzilla in the future (more likely, Godzilla will face these monsters). It is a good setup for future MonsterVerse movies.

3.) There is a surprise guest in this movie that I will not spoil, but if you are a fan of giant monsters, it is good to see this thing come in the movie. I do have one issue with this guest coming in, but it brings in more of that good action that plenty of people will like to see.

Cons:

1.) The MonsterVerse has been trying throughout its movies, but none of the human characters are interesting (the closest being Joe Brody in Godzilla (2014) and a few of the humans from Kong: Skull Island), this movie is no exception. It tries its best make these people relatable, but even a couple of the returning characters are more like exposition instead of interesting characters with their own arcs. It is kind of sad that the monsters are more interesting than the humans.

2.) Plenty of the plot points and arcs are cliched and predictable. Let’s see if you can guess the cliché here: a large corporation claims innocence of doing nothing wrong…you know what is coming. Here is another one: there is a child who understands and speaks to Kong…already you can tell what is going to happen. I can probably add more, but I may end up spoiling some things for you. I wish the writers can a bit more creative other than those arcs are used as an excuse to get Godzilla and Kong to fight each other, and I am sure the filmmakers know this considering the pacing is a little quick.

3.) There are plenty of conveniences to be had here and I am sure you can point out some plot holes here and there, but let’s face it, it is made up with Godzilla and Kong fighting each other. While I do wish that those conveniences are written better so that it can make the movie better, the fights are what make up for those issues, so I doubt that people will notice that much.

Overall:

After three movies in the MonsterVerse, here comes its big crossover: Godzilla vs. Kong. Was this seven-year wait worth all the trouble? From what I can say, if you wanted to see two of the most popular monsters fight each other to a brutal beatdown, you are definitely going to get it here. While there are plenty of things that this movie clearly has not learned from its predecessors, it is still so much fun to watch these fights and well worth the wait. Still, ignoring those pros, I say the cons make the movie have so many issues with it. I genuinely want this cinematic universe to be more than just monsters fighting each other similar to what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing with their characters, stories, and fights. However, what we got is still entertaining. Go watch it if you want to see those fights for yourselves. Otherwise, I will just wait for those fight scenes to be posted on YouTube (which there already are) for me to watch over and over again.

5/10