Benz Eye View: Peacemaker

Pros:

1.) The chemistry between all the main characters is great. They all have serious baggage, especially Christoper Smith a.k.a. Peacemaker (played by John Cena). From being murderers to being utterly stupid, these people have good reason to not get along, but they end up doing so anyway. They are a group of dysfunctional people (sounds like a certain superhero group in a galaxy), but more seriously and disturbingly, they get along just fine. These actors are fantastic, and it is easy not to forget these people because of them.

2.) Normally, I do not like this type of raunchy comedy and writing (i.e., Deadpool, but if the writing is poor), but the story is surprisingly heartfelt. It is funny and the writing is fantastic, but the one big reason why I love this show is that it balances the comedy and the drama. When it is funny, the comedy does not overstay its welcome (certain comedic sketches have extended jokes at the end credits of each episode). When something serious happens, the characters will tell the comedic ones to shut up and listen. While the main plot is typical, its execution is well-handled thanks to the compelling characters that could have easily been stereotypes or cliches.

Let’s talk about the main character himself: Peacemaker. As mentioned before, he could have easily been a stereotype of a tough dude bro who is actually broken inside, but there is more to him than that. He may be broken inside, but it is much more complicated than that. From his abusive and racist father to a certain tragic moment in his childhood, there are several reasons why he covers up his weaknesses with his manly and misguided charm. The writing is fantastic with little flaws to speak of here.

3.) The action scenes are fantastic and brutal to watch. If you wondered why Peacemaker is a guest DLC character in Mortal Kombat 1, this TV show will show you why, because people get shot in the face and torn apart. The fights are well-choreographed to the point where some look a bit painful as though the actors actually got hurt. From gunfights to hand-to-hand combat, there is nothing much to complain about here…

Cons:

1.) …Though there is almost nothing to complain about, because there are a few fight scenes that are shot slightly too close or the lighting is poor. When characters are in hand-to-hand combat, there are only a few fights where it is shown too close to the point barely anyone can see. If those fights have poor lighting and the characters have dark costumes, it is even harder to see what is happening. There are not many of these, but those few stand out.

2.) While the antagonists are threatening, they are not compelling. I saw a comment on YouTube about these villains (that I will keep vague on purpose in case you have not seen it) that are compared to a certain type of failed villainous group in the MCU, but it actually pays off. I agree with this comment, but compared to the main characters we follow in this show, they are typical villains. I do not want them to be replaced with Peacemaker’s dad, August Smith a.k.a. White Dragon (played by Robert Patrick) since he is a great side villain, however, it would have been nice if they were written better, which the show slightly did in the season finale, but it was a little late. They are not amazing villains, but at least they are a threat.

3.) The one character I was slightly intrigued to see but the show did not get much to do with is Judomaster (played by Nhut Le). He seems connected to the main antagonists and wants to protect them for his own reasons, but the show does not explore it. The second-to-last episode makes it look like he is heading into the final battle, but he only appears in the aftermath. Maybe this is foreshadowing Season 2 of the show, but I am not sure how that works since the DCEU is about to be rebooted to the DCU. We will see what happens, but until then, this character seems wasted in this show.

Overall:

I know I am late to review this only DCEU TV show made in 2022, but since I finally have the opportunity to watch it fully, I might as well review it now. A character that I do not know anything about, Peacemaker was probably the most popular character in The Suicide Squad who eventually got his own TV show (or probably got it due to John Cena’s popularity). Regardless of why it was made, I am guessing showrunner James Gunn saw potential in this character and made a show about him. After finally watching all eight episodes, that potential paid off, because this show was awesome. Be warned that this a bloody and raunchy TV show, and James Gunn was not holding back especially when you compare it to his Guardians of the Galaxy films. This is one of the better DCEU-related media out there that is somehow getting a second season despite the DCEU getting rebooted, but regardless of what happens moving forward, this peace is worth watching.

Watch It

Benz Eye View: Echo

In this next MCU Marathon, we will focus on a new MCU TV show under the Marvel Spotlight: a banner that focuses on shows that are more “grounded, character-driven stories” and have little to do with the MCU as a whole. The first show will be about Echo, a character not exactly compelling in the Hawkeye show which is one of the more boring shows in the MCU. Will her own show make up for her bad start, or is she doomed to have this reputation until someone does justice to her? Let’s find out in this TV show: Echo. 

Pros:

1.) I will say that the show gives a good sense of community through these characters. They all have good chemistry because the actors perform like they have known each other for a long time, even with Maya Lopez a.k.a. Echo (played by Alaqua Cox) despite not having seen her for twenty years (which makes their connection pretty weak, but I digress). I will give credit to these actors; they are trying. 

2.) I slightly appreciate the darker tone for this show. There are a couple of shows in the main MCU that go into more serious territories like Moon Knight and Secret Invasion, but Echo attempts to go through a darker tone in the same way that the MCU Netflix shows have. How it was delivered is another question entirely, but I will give Marvel Studios a little credit for actually bringing in darker elements into the MCU.

3.) The only character I legitimately like in this show is Henry “Black Crow” Lopez (played by Chaske Spencer). He was the more logical character of the group of people we meet in this show; he points out many of the flaws in Maya’s plans and he has to deal with some of the consequences of her actions by fixing them if possible. Henry also has to deal with the fact that he reluctantly works for Wilson Fisk a.k.a. the Kingpin (played by Vincent D’Onofrio), so he struggles to work with his boss while keeping Maya safe. I sympathized with him throughout the entire show, and I wish he had a better realization in the story. 

Cons:

1.) Now let’s get to everything wrong with this show. For starters, the fight choreography is not impressive. There are so many moments where these fights could have finished earlier or gone in a different direction, but because the writing says so, these fights lead to unbelievable results. I can provide three examples: Echo’s fight against Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox) (this is not a spoiler; this happens early in the first episode) looks pretty bad with attacks clearly not hitting or are weak (if you have seen that leaked footage, you know what I mean). A Choctaw woman was shooting at a bunch of people while she was completely wide open when everyone else was in cover, and she still managed to kill her enemies. Maya does something to one character, and he shouts at her, “What did you do to me?” then it cuts to that character heading to his vehicle and driving off (this is technically not a fight scene and more of an editing mistake, but the fight scene before it was not great either). 

These stunt coordinators and directors needed to plan this out better, because other than the first action scene (which in itself has holes), the action as a whole is bad. 

2.) I am confused about how Maya’s powers work. In the comics, she has similar powers as Taskmaster’s: photographic reflexes, or the ability to copy other people’s exact movements. In this show, I am not sure how they function: she sees a vision of her ancestors and gets stronger and/or shoots better. It took me a while to understand what was happening, and I am still not completely sure how it works. Maybe stick to her original powers in the comics instead of making new ones up, especially when these came out of nowhere and made me question where were they since the Hawkeye show. 

3.) Speaking of questions, there are so many I can think of since this show has dreadful writing. The premise of this show is that Maya Lopez is declaring war against Kingpin and the rest of his empire, and she plans to take it over even if it means taking the battle to her hometown of Tamaha, Oklahoma. The biggest problem with this is that it does not go too far with it; it plays the safest route in this show. Maya does not go too far to the point where her friends and family do not get hurt, Fisk and his men make the dumbest decisions to take out Maya, and even Maya is not clear on how she wants to take over other than blowing up a train full of Fisk’s weapons. I have plenty more issues, so brace yourself: why is Kingpin so close to Maya when they do not exactly give a good reason other than she is like a daughter to her and not much else? He tries to fix his relationship with her by saying that their special relationship is built on trust, but she knows that he killed her father, and she still does not kill him despite several opportunities to do so. 

The show makes a big deal that Maya has been close to her cousin, Bonnie (played by Devery Jacobs) since childhood, and there are several instances of her friends and family asking her why she has not met with her yet since they have not seen each other for twenty years. Other than a couple of interactions (both of them involved Bonnie being kidnapped), the show does not do anything with this relationship, and I thought these two are a couple if were not for the fact that the two are cousins. A speech by one character speaking to Maya in the last episode is so dumb in context to what Maya has done in this show and in Hawkeye that I would not be surprised if Disney came in and wrote that. I am sure there are plenty of other writing issues that I did not mention like how Maya got her powers is unclear and convenient, but you got the point. If I can think of a better premise for this like having Maya become a monster to take over Fisk’s empire to the point where she hurts her community, then you know the writers have messed up. 

Overall:

When the Hawkeye show was made, we were introduced to a new character named Maya Lopez a.k.a. Echo. When she first appeared, I had not heard anyone talk about her, especially since no one was talking about the Hawkeye show. When it was announced that she was getting her own show, I was perplexed considering that no one I have ever heard thought she was interesting enough to get her own series despite being a major Marvel comic book character. After watching all five episodes, my perplexity turned into amazement at how bad this show is. The writing is unfocused and lazy, the action scenes are disorganized, and Echo herself is absurd as a character. If the rumor is true that Marvel Studios had to reshoot the entire show due to how bad it was, then the better idea was to cancel it, because all this show did was make me want to watch the rest of the Marvel Netflix shows, and further the decline that is the MCU to the point where it may go deaf to what is left of the audience. 

Skip It

Benz Eye View: What If…? (Season 2)

While I doubt this show will do anything to revitalize the interest in the MCU, it may be a good distraction just like last season. However, will it actually be a good distraction to await future MCU movies and shows that are actually good, or will it remind us how the MCU (and Disney) is falling apart these days? Let’s find out in the next MCU Marathon with the second season of What If…? 

Pros:

1.) The animation is still decent, though a few of the episodes stand out more due to the lighting. The biggest stand out to me is the first episode, “What If…Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” Since this takes place in a quarantined Xandar, the lighting is noticeably grim and can be bright in certain areas, making that episode look amazing. Other than that, the animation is similar to last season; great character models with the background still looking like they are concept art. 

2.) This season is arguably a little more creative than last season. While it is technically more true in the first season, the second season does a little more wild concepts to each episode from Nebula (voice by Karen Gillan) joining the Nova Corps to earlier versions of the Avengers to a new superhero named Kahhori (voiced by Devery Jacobs) having her own episode. Not all of them are big hits, but at least there is some attempt to do something different and interesting in each episode which is the point in this series. 

3.) I criticized some of the voice acting in the last season, especially from some of the main cast members who are clearly not used to a voice acting booth. Fortunately, those same actors have improved a bit in the season. It is not perfect since some of the deliveries lack conviction, but they have improved like Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter / Captain Carter. The voice actors replicating the original actors in the MCU like Josh Keaton playing Steve Rogers still do not sound like their originals, but at least they act better than the live actors voicing their characters in this show. The live actors are learning, but still have much work to do. 

Cons:

1.) I said that this season is a little more creative than last season, but there is a cost to that: this show is clearly making stuff up as it goes. From Happy Hogan (voiced by Jon Favreau) saving Christmas from Justin Hammer (voiced by Sam Rockwell) to all the shenanigans happening in the last episode, I doubt every idea will work for everybody…

2.) …Even if some ideas work, the execution is another story. There are two episodes, “What If…Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?” and “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?” that I believe to be the worst in this season. The Iron Man episode sucks, because it attempts to have the same humor as Thor: Ragnarok, but it acts more like Thor: Love and Thunder, resulting in excruciating annoying comedy that made every character (especially the Grandmaster (voiced by Jeff Goldblum)) insufferable. The Hela episode was bad, because she suddenly has a sense of humor like Thor did, and her motivations that are revealed in this episode make her less interesting. This season does not need another “What If…Thor Were an Only Child?” and it seems like the showrunners did not learn their lessons here. 

3.) Once again, it is easy to nitpick these episodes with many of their plot holes considering the scenarios they are in. Without going to major spoilers, here are a few I noticed: where was Gamora when Nebula joined the Nova Corps? How did Justin Hammer get out of prison around Christmas? The biggest issue I have been noticing in these What If…? episodes is how Thanos is treated like a chump since he apparently has been beaten so many times, it makes me wonder how the Thanos from the main MCU managed to get lucky from his quest to eradicate half of the universe. If these details bother you, then you will definitely not like this show in general. 

Overall:

As I said last season, I can definitely see why they want to keep this show going since there are infinite possibilities of what each episode could be. The problem with that is if the audience is willing to care to see what happens depending on what the scenario is, especially when the MCU is slowly waning in interest. Putting that aside, I think the second season did just as good of a job as the last season: it is an adequate distraction despite its flaws. If you did not like the first season of What If…?, then you are definitely not going to like its second season. If you do, then these new scenarios will provide some entertainment. I do hope that this show alongside the MCU does not regress further, and will make everyone wonder, “What If…the MCU is still a great film series?” 

Occasional Viewing

Benz Eye View: Loki (Season 2)

Welcome back to the MCU Marathon where we will now look at what is arguably the most popular MCU TV show’s second season. Will Loki hit a second home run and reinvigorate interest in the MCU, or is he just delaying the inevitable? Let’s find out in this next addition: Loki (Season 2).

Pros:

1.) Not only is Tom Hiddleston as Loki doing a fantastic job as usual, but all the other actors also did an amazing job. It is thanks to their performances that these characters have nearly perfect chemistry from Loki to Mobius (played by Owen Wilson) and Victor Timely (played by Jonathan Majors) to Renslayer (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw). I would love to see more of these people interact in the MCU…

2.) …What also helps is that nearly all major characters are compelling in their own ways. The most obvious ones are Loki, Mobius, Victor Timely, Sylvie (played by Sophia Di Martino), Miss Minutes (voiced by Tara Strong), and a new character named Ouroboros (played by Ke Huy Quan). From their reactions dealing with the fall of the timeline to their conflicts and motivations constantly pushing them, these characters stand out. Loki is trying to stop the timeline from collapsing for personal reasons, Mobius is being pushed to see his original variant counterpart despite him insisting that he is not interested, Victor Timely is an innocent man who could turn into He Who Remains if tempted by Renslayer and Miss Minutes, Sylvie wants no part of the TVA and the timeline’s downfall despite all of the conflict is her fault, Miss Minutes is possibly one of the creepiest characters in the MCU, and Ouroboros is one of the most charming nerds ever. I like most of these characters, and they waste no time to take action and stand out.

3.) I mentioned in the first season of Loki that I am not a fan of timeline movies/TV shows (with a few exceptions) when they go to more complicated areas of time traveling, but this season actually makes the timeline jargon easier to understand for the most part. Putting aside that the concepts of the TVA and time traveling in this show are still cool, the writing makes it easier for the simple layman to understand what is happening, especially when the TVA and the timeline are collapsing thanks to Sylvie’s actions. The danger has escalated since the last season, and you do not need to be a timeline guru to understand that thanks to the better writing…

Cons:

1.) …However, the writing is not done perfectly. There is still some technical jargon that is hard to understand, and this is because when the exposition is long, it drags and sounds complicated. It can be overwhelming at times, but this gets fixed as the season progresses. The writing has gotten better in some places, but it still has its faults.

2.) This show does have some slow-pacing issues. This was fine in the last season because the conflict did not have that big of an urgency. This season involves the entire timeline falling apart and the TVA may face its end, and there are scenes where characters are talking about the current situation and their feelings on any matter while the timeline is about to collapse. These characters need to hurry or everything will be doomed. It is fine if a show/movie takes its time on certain issues, but not when there is a time limit where everything falls apart at any given moment.

3.) A small nitpick here, but I wish this season focused more on Kang the Conqueror (Victor Timely does not count) rather than fixing the timeline as the main conflict. Kang and his variants are out there trying to take over the multiverse and that seems to be a bigger issue than the timeline falling apart. I can understand why it is not the main focus since that issue will be dealt with later in an Avengers movie, but I wish that it is, especially when this season did a fantastic job showcasing Kang as a threat compared to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania where he was a wimp. I am willing to wait a bit, but considering the current state of the MCU, my patience is wearing thin.

Overall:

Despite having a few issues here and there, I thought the first season of Loki was excellent alongside building up Kang the Conquerer as the new big MCU villain. Now that the second season is out, I can safely say that this season is just as good as the last season. While there are a few new issues here and there, it is made up by fixing some of the old issues from last season and improving on this season as a whole. I am still not a fan of time-traveling movies and TV shows, but Loki (and many of the time-traveling movies and shows before it) has proven that it can be done right if written well. If you like the character and the previous season, you will definitely like the second season since it is filled with glorious purpose.

Watch It

I will say that the one thing that hurts this season of Loki is the current state of the MCU. People may not care as much since the quality of the MCU has been decreasing, and I am hoping (yet also doubting) that the payoff of Loki Season 2 is worth it. Then again, with the next MCU movie that just came out, this may be a fragile hope.

Benz Eye View: I Am Groot (Season 2)

These shorts about Baby Groot did well enough for a second season. Will it be just another series of shorts that are average at best, or will they do something surprising and exciting? In this next MCU Marathon, let’s find out about what Baby Groot is up to again in these collective shorts: I Am Groot Season 2.

Pros:

See my first season review of I Am Groot linked below:

I Am Groot

Cons:

See my first season review of I Am Groot linked below:

I Am Groot

Overall:

I apologize if this review is short and lazy, but I honestly cannot add much to what I said in the first season of I Am Groot. The only things I can add are that the fourth episode, “Groot’s Sweat Treat” has some pretty good music and that the first con of the first season does not really apply here other than a few CG hiccups here and there. Otherwise, I will repeat what I said in the last season: If you loved Groot as a child, you will definitely love this series. It is certainly better than the last MCU TV series about a fantastic potential gone to waste.

Occasional Viewing

Benz Eye View: Secret Invasion

Welcome back to the MCU Marathon where we are going to look at the first Phase 5 MCU TV show. Will this show have much of a critical impact as its comic-book counterpart with such a fantastic concept about the Skrulls disguising themselves as your favorite characters to invade Earth, or will it be wasted potential just like how the MCU (and Disney) is going through these days? Let’s find out with the new MCU TV series: Secret Invasion.

Pros:

1.) I will give this show this: Secret Invasion is taken completely seriously. I mean that there is no indication of the typical MCU humor that has been plaguing the universe for a long time. I appreciate that Marvel Studios is actually willing to do a more serious tone that has not been around since The Incredible Hulk. It is not going to save this show, but I will give it credit.

2.) If there is one character I actually like, it is Sonya Falsworth (played by Olivia Colman). She is not only shown to be competent in her job compared to Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), but she does with a confident smile that makes her seem a bit sadistic considering what she does to the Skrulls. She is what I expected Nick Fury would do in this show with the exception that she is more brutal than I expected. She was cool, and I am somewhat hopeful to see Sonya again assuming that Marvel Studios gets a better-talented crew.

3.) The idea for this show is a fantastic one. In the comics, the Skrulls are invading Earth by disguising themselves as many people from the Avengers to the X-Men to the Fantastic Four to the members of the Sanctum Santorum to the people in the US government to many people on Earth. This causes a huge conundrum in figuring out who is the ally and who is actually a Skrull; which leads to the tagline, “Who do you trust?”

Even the marketing for the Secret Invasion comics was fantastic.

While it is understandable that the show has to take some different liberties due to the changes made with the Skrulls and the MCU itself, it still has a great idea to be a fantastic political thriller that involves the Skrulls infiltrating the governments and causing a war with the entire world. It is unfortunate that it was changed to a smaller scale compared to the original comics, but if the MCU version of Civil War is done well in its own way compared to the comic book Civil War, I am willing to give this version of Secret Invasion a shot…

Cons:

1.) …However, I am sad to say that this show is riddled with issues. Firstly, I believe Nick Fury is completely out of character here. This man is articulate in his planning which may not always go well, but he is determined to keep on going even if he does not make any friends along the way. This show makes him look like an idiot, and many characters keep saying that he lost his touch and is too old for this job. They came up with a reason for the Blip affecting his decisions, but he did not seem to be the type to let that affect him, especially the last time we saw him was him relaxing in a Skrull base. Nick Fury felt neutered here and he became less interesting in the process, and I am not looking forward to how he is done in The Marvels.

2.) The main antagonist, Gravik (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir) is as compelling as Karli Morgenthau in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and that is not a good thing. These characters wanted a better world for their people, so they are willing to cause trouble in order to make things better for them even if it means killing others in the process. That is not an interesting character, and I am frankly tired of relatable antagonists in the MCU, especially when they are the same motivations as that. I argue that Gravik is even worse than Karli due to the fact that he seems to despise his own race to the point where even some of the Skrulls call it out, and none of them want to leave him. Add that he also makes some dumb decisions like Karli, and he is one of the more forgettable villains despite the actor doing his best.

3.) I am amazed how they used an amazing story and idea in the comics and somehow made it boring. It had a decent start in the first episode, but it went downhill from there with characters that are not that compelling, plotlines that are boring and predictable, twists that people will see coming, questions will be raised on how the Skrulls did not have a bigger role in the MCU considering what they have done (other than they were not created until Captain Marvel), topics that are brought up that does not fit for Nick Fury and this show, and character deaths that I surprisingly do not care about especially since they have been around for a long time. In fact, considering the context of why the Skrulls are attacking Earth, Nick Fury and Captain Marvel did a terrible job helping these people find a new home (you see how much I am not excited for The Marvels?). This should have been an Avengers film that sticks more closely to the comics, but what we got is a boring show that has wasted potential.

Overall:

The Secret Invasion storyline in the comics is one of the most interesting events that happen in Marvel Comics. If you have seen the two videos I posted on the last pro, that event was frightening considering that your favorite superhero could potentially be a Skrull in disguise planning to take over the Earth. With the announcement of a Secret Invasion show, I was slightly excited but worried considering that this is a lower-stakes version of the comics. After painfully watching through all six episodes, I can safely say that this show has completely wasted its potential. Instead of our favorite Marvel superheroes and many parts of Earth being potential Skrulls trying to take over to fulfill a prophecy, we got a boring revenge plot that we have seen many times except the Skrulls are involved now. Nick Fury is not the man we once knew, the Skrulls are barely interesting thanks to the changes from villains to refugees due to Captain Marvel, and a great storyline from the comics has been reduced to a story that might as well have been part of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (and I thought that show was all right).

The only reason I would recommend this show is that it may be mentioned in the upcoming The Marvels movie, but is anyone looking forward to that? With few exceptions with its films and TV shows, the MCU’s future is looking bleak, and this so-called Secret Invasion is hardly one at all.

Skip It

Benz Eye View: The Punisher (Season 1)

Other than the first episode of Daredevil (Season 3), this is as far as I went to the Marvel Netflix series before I got tired of watching these shows. I only got up to the first three episodes until I decided to move on. However, in this following review on MCU Marathon, I have just finished watching the first season of The Punisher. Will this Marvel anti-hero show make me regret stopping part way through, or was I right to stop watching it years ago? Let’s find out in the MCU Marathon with Marvel’s famous anti-hero getting his own show: The Punisher.

Pros:

1.) You would think a comic book show about a man who lost his family to some corrupt American operatives would not have that much emotional conflict, but it surprisingly does. Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher (played by Jon Bernthal) is the clear highlight of this show mainly due to his actor himself. This man has faced so much from his time in the military to much of the illegal work he has done for his soon-to-be enemies to having those same enemies kill his family. He shows no mercy when he lets out his anger and frustration to anyone who crosses him. However, he does have his quiet and kind moments with others, especially with the Lieberman family and Karen Page (played by Deborah Ann Woll). Jon Bernthal uses guilt, anger, frustration, kindness, quiet, and determination emotions throughout his performance, and he does such an amazing job mixing them in this entire season.

2.) There is surprisingly little action in this show, because the main focus is on the characters and themes that it is discussing, and most, if not all, of them are interesting. If I have to put a quick description of what the first season of this show is, it would be Captain America: The Winter Soldier in a much darker tone. The chemistry from all the characters from Frank Castle and David Lieberman a.k.a. Micro (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to Billy Russo (played by Ben Barnes) and William Rawlins (played by Paul Schulze) to Dinah Madani (played by Amber Rose Revah) and Sam Stein (played by Michael Nathanson) are fantastic since they play well with each other despite major differences like what they believe in. It works alongside the themes involving taking the law into your own hands, protecting others especially when the government is out to get you, the traumas of war, and learning how to let go of your past mistakes. While it ends up being a bit slow in the process, the show has a great payoff by the end thanks to how invested the story is.

3.) When there is action, it is more brutal than any of the previous Marvel Netflix shows. People get shot in the face, stabbed in the neck, exploding people, and many other fights involving bloody murder or injury. In certain cases, many of these scenes are similar to some of the John Wick action scenes considering how these characters move with precise gunfights and vicious melee fights. It is not as bloody, destructive, and over-the-top as the action scenes in Punisher: War Zone, but it does touch on it slightly and it is a little more realistic. The show uses its action sparingly and well.

Cons:

1.) As much as I love the writing and story, one subplot that had a poor setup was with Lewis Wilson (played by Daniel Webber). He is a former soldier with severe PTSD and wants other soldiers returning from war to be treated well, but he looks up to the wrong person and ends up committing terrorist acts to stop the anti-gun movement. The payoff with this character is great when he goes against the Punisher, but his build-up felt exaggerated. I get where it was going, but considering the show cuts to the subplot constantly that showed little point (other than thematically) over the more interesting main plot and other subplots. Some of his actions felt overemphasized to the point they seemed overplayed, it almost felt like a forced message that is happening in many TV shows and movies lately. Frank’s PTSD issues were done better than Wilson’s because he was not losing it in an exaggerated manner compared to Wilson’s (though to be fair, the point was to show the difference between the two characters of how to treat or not treat a PTSD victim). As I said, the payoff makes up for all of it, but I wish the setup was better.

2.) Throughout the show, Frank has visited the Lieberman family under an alias from time to time due to how he relates to the loss of David Lieberman, he is ordered by David to watch over them, and he gets some R&R after dealing with some corrupt American government officials. My question is this: how in the world is the Lieberman family unable to recognize that the man visiting them is Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher? I can understand not recognizing him the first time since he had long hair and a beard, but when he cuts those off, they should have known who he is. They should have realized that the man who committed several murders toward gangsters and mafia members and has been seen throughout the news during his trial is the guy who has been hanging out with them for a while. They should have heard about him in the news, especially when the world realizes that Frank Castle has been alive this whole time. Maybe this is seen as a nitpick, but it does bother me how these people cannot recognize an infamous vigilante was in their midst.

3.) It is one thing that the mafia was having a hard time defeating Frank Castle, but it is another when the American government is also having a hard time as well. Unlike the mafia, the FBI/CIA/DOA/Anvil have resources that can help track Frank and have huge numbers to take him down. The government officials having some difficulties were fine when they did not know that he was alive, but when they find out that he is, these people are going to hunt him down, and they still cannot catch this one marine (to be fair, he is assisted by Micro, who is a former NSA analyst that is assumed dead). Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, and I am still willing to do that here, but it is ridiculous when you think about it.

Overall:

The Punisher in the second season of Daredevil is one of the best aspects of that season, so of course they were going to make a show about this character. He already has two non-MCU movies on his belt, so giving him a show that explores more of this character can be compelling if done right. After several years of delay, I am sad that I did not watch the rest of it when it came out because I think the first season of The Punisher was fantastic. It has the same great quality as the first two seasons of Daredevil and the first season of Jessica Jones; the writing is fantastic, the action is sparingly used well, the characters are compelling and have great chemistry due to their actors, and its themes are explored well with topics that would have done poorly if it was done today. There are a few holes here and there, but it is an enjoyable watch about one of Marvel’s most popular anti-heroes. You should give this a watch; it is a show about a vigilante that shows his own meaning of punishment.

Watch It

Benz Eye View: Star Wars: Visions Volume 2

It has been a while since I had a Star Wars Marathon, but other than the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review I am currently working on, another season of Visions will have to do. Welcome back to Star Wars Marathon where we will look at another season of the animated anthology series. Will this season do much better than the last, or will only a few episodes do as well as the previous? Let’s find out in the second season of Star Wars: Visions where I am a day late from May the Fourth…Sorry.

Pros:

1.) Once again, I will give it to a variety of animation teams that gave it their all in this anthology series. This time around, the animation studios are from around the world from Spain to South Africa, and their talent shows. All of them have unique animations ranging from 2-D animation to stop-motion and clay animation. Regardless of story quality, almost all of these episodes are artistically amazing.

2.) Since this season has a variety of animation studios from around the world, their culture reflects clearly in their episodes. Just like last season which was solely Japanese-made, this season has international perspectives as mentioned before. The countries involved are Spain, Ireland, Chile, the United Kingdom, South Korea, France, India, Japan/United States (one episode has both countries working together), and South Africa. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think these episodes show each of their cultures well, and I congratulate them for their hard work artistically and culturally.

3.) If I have to pick my favorite episodes, it would be Episode 1: “Sith,” Episode 2: “Screecher’s Reach,” and Episode 4: “I Am Your Mother.” For Episode 1, the animation and artistic style are great enough to reinforce the story it is telling. Episode 2 has a good horror tone to it, and the ending implies something dark despite the main character getting what she wants. Episode 4 differs from one of the things wrong with this series (more on that in the cons), it is just a mother-daughter racing story that is actually pretty funny. These are my recommended episodes for this season…

Cons:

1.) …As for the worst episodes, those belong to Episode 3: “In the Stars,” Episode 7: “The Bandits of Golak,” and Episode 8: “The Pit.” For both episodes 3 and 7, they rely on child characters who are so optimistic in their fight against the Empire that they take actions that the writers think that is noble when it is actually stupid and should have gotten them killed, but there are convenient ways for them to get away with them. These child characters are annoying since they caused more problems for other characters; there is a difference between optimism and stupidity. As for Episode 8, it has a good plot if iffy animation until near the end when the characters solve their problem in the most convenient way possible, I wish Han Solo would come in and say:

I do not recommend these episodes while the rest of them are fine…

2.) …However, I did notice something as I was watching each of these episodes: there is little variety in terms of plot. Most of them have the same plot: the main character has to deal with the Empire/Sith Master by herself (or with someone), and she is likely going to use the Force to beat them. Out of the entire season, 7 out of 9 episodes use the same plot. The last season had more variety of plotlines than this one. The writers need to be more creative than this, otherwise, I will just go back to the last season that did more than this season.

3.) As much as I like the animation, I did notice one thing wrong with them: the frames of animation are not consistent. Most of the time, the animation on the characters seems to be missing some frames, making them look as robotic as the battle droids. I would somewhat accept this for the 3D animations, but this is happening in the 2D animations as well. I am not sure if this is an artistic choice or an animation error, but it is distracting nonetheless.

Overall:

On May 4, 2023, Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions was released. The first volume of Star Wars: Visions was an interesting watch with a Japanese perspective, though for me at least, a few episodes were better than others. With the release of the second volume, it has a more international perspective with plenty of variety of animation. After watching this, this volume has similar critiques that I gave the last volume: it is a bunch of animated shorts with a Star Wars skin instead of Star Wars with an animated skin. To be fair, this volume is done slightly better to lean towards the latter, but some things do hold it back (i.e., a few bad episodes, lack of variety of writing, and inconsistent frames of animation).

If you are not a fan of Star Wars: Visions Volume 1, I doubt Volume 2 will change your mind. I can recommend this to anyone with a taste of animation, but not much to Star Wars fans despite this being non-canon. This galaxy has some creativity, but there are some things that clearly hold it back.

Skip It*

*= If you are going to watch it anyway, I recommend Episode 1: “Sith,” Episode 2: “Screecher’s Reach,” and Episode 4: “I Am Your Mother.”

Benz Eye View: The Defenders – MCUM Review

After five different shows in the past two years, the four superheroes: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist finally come together in one big TV show. Does this show hit as hard as the first Avengers film, or was it a waste of everybody’s time? Let’s find out in the next MCU Marathon with The Defenders.

Pros:

1.) One thing that is noticeable throughout the show (especially the first couple of episodes) is the color tone throughout each of the main heroes. Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox) has a red tone, Jessica Jones (played by Krysten Ritter) gets a blue tone, Luke Cage (played by Mike Colter) receives a yellow tone, and Iron Fist (played by Finn Jones) obtains a green tone. These visual tones are lifted from their respective TV shows (though I do not recall Iron Fist showing a green tone at all), and I appreciate the consistency from the TV creators here.

2.) I enjoy the chemistry of each of the members of the Defenders. All four of them play well because the actors work well with each other (even Finn Jones has improved from his own show). The best chemistries are Luke interacting with Danny and Daredevil interacting with Jessica (I should also add Jessica and Luke’s relationship considering their past romance). Luke and Danny are complete opposites, but they are both willing to help people in different ways; Luke with his street smarts and Danny with his company powers (that he finally uses well). Daredevil and Jessica seem like a pair that would never be friends (especially with Jessica’s rude attitude), but they work together despite their differences. All four characters are worthy to be part of the Defenders thanks to their characteristics and performers.

3.) For the first half of the show, I was enjoying it. From the buildup in the first episode showing what the other heroes have been doing since we last saw them to these characters slowly meeting to all four heroes officially joining together, these first four episodes were pretty strong in their writing. Matt Murdock has retired from being Daredevil and is actively avoiding it, Jessica Jones is still solving cases, Luke Cage has returned from prison and is protecting the people of Harlem, and Danny Rand returned to New York to find and defeat the Hand. Add that many of the side characters from each show have returned briefly (some having more time than others), and this show is off to a great start…

Cons:

1.) …Unfortunately, the second half is where it starts to get dull. For starters, the pacing is slow and long. It was acceptable in the first half because it was building up to the Defenders meeting and knowing each other for the first time. After that, the narrative slowly slogs with many emotional moments that were already established, and not all of them need repeating. However, that is not the only reason why the slow pacing is terrible…

2.) …The main villainous group, the Hand is surprisingly uninteresting. Their main goal is to continue living forever by finding a substance in New York (which will destroy the city when it is gone) and live long enough to return to K’un-Lun. None of the leaders of the Hand have that great of chemistry considering how much they bicker at each other, which I know is supposed to parallel the Defenders’ relationships, but it would have been better if they are unified despite their issues with each other at first and then their relationships ending up souring when they are losing. Not even Sigourney Weaver as Alexandra, the leader of the Hand, stood out with her weak character and motivation, and when she was killed by Elektra (played by Élodie Yung), all I thought was that she was a waste of great talent. Elektra was a little better as the main antagonist, but her motivation was a little confusing since she apparently does not want to die again, but she quickly changes her mind somewhat easily when she loses to Daredevil. The nice thing I can say about them is they are not Loki because none of the leaders do not stand out much.

3.) The show did well in the first half, but the second half suffers due to some poor fight scenes and writing. Other than the last episode (which is slightly ruined by an out-of-place hip-hop song), these fight scenes are done poorly by its cinematography; the show relies on close-up shots that obscures many of the fights, making them boring and lack any impact (i.e., any fights involving Madame Gao (played by Wai Ching Ho) is automatically terrible due her inability to fight and covering them up with shoddy camerawork). As for the writing, it is hard to put much suspension of disbelief when certain plot points are done poorly and would not work if it was done in the other MCU Netflix shows (i.e., Elektra knocks out Luke Cage easily (this is poorly explained how the Hand can manage this), Daredevil should have noticed Jessica taking pictures of him as he was escaping, Colleen Wing (played by Jessica Henwick) somehow manages to get the police evidence room unnoticed and steal C4 without anyone noticing, etc.). Even side characters (other than Colleen Wing, Misty Knight (played by Simone Missick), Claire Temple (played by Rosario Dawson), and Stick (played by Scott Glenn)) is only utilized when it is convenient for the plot. The show could have done well if the script was revised a little more and the cinematography in action scenes are done better.

Overall:

After two years of buildup, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist finally meet for the first (and possibly only) time in these Marvel Netflix shows. Despite some ups and downs in each show, does this crossover in The Defenders pay off in the end? In this person’s opinion, I thought the show was fine. While the show did a fantastic job bringing these characters together and having them work well with each other despite their major differences, it is unfortunately barred down with weak villains and the second half of the story. I would not mind seeing these characters meet up again in the MCU and meeting other heroes like Spider-Man or Thor (maybe Daredevil: Born Again?). As it stands, the show does a decent job of having these heroes cross over, but it is not on the same level as the first Avengers film.

Occasional Viewing

Benz Eye View: Iron Fist (Season 1) – MCUM Review

When I first watched this show several years ago, I remember it as one of the worst MCU-related media I have ever seen. Now, I am rewatching it again for this MCU Marathon, and has my opinion changed since then? In this next edition of MCU Marathon, let’s find out where I will review the first season of the Immortal Weapon himself: Iron Fist.

Pros:

1.) There are very few characters that I…tolerate in this show. Here are the four: Madame Gao (played by Wai Ching Ho), Harold Meachum (played by David Wenham), Davos (played by Sacha Dhawan), and Claire Temple (played by Rosario Dawson). For Gao and Harold, it is because their actors are trying their best to be intimidating despite the many weaknesses of the show. For Claire, I enjoy that she shared some of her experiences from the other MCU Netflix heroes to Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist (played by Finn Jones), and pointed out many of the dumb mistakes he is making. Davos has clear motivations and actions since he tried to convince Danny to come back to K’un-Lun despite how much he despises him for getting the mantle of the Iron Fist and abandoning his post in order to come back to New York. At least there was an attempt to give a few characters some interesting traits and depth.

2.) While not the best characters ever, I do somewhat like the chemistry between the Meachum family. The actors did a decent job with them acting as a family despite how many issues they have, especially with Ward (played by Tom Pelphrey) and Harold. Despite how much Joy (played by Jessica Stroup) is loved by her father, the same cannot be said with his son, Ward, especially in the last few episodes. I am not saying they are the best group of characters in this show, but at least there was an attempt at an interesting emotional conflict with all three of them.

3.) The last three episodes are the best parts of the show because SOMETHING was happening. They basically consist of stopping the Hand or Harold Meachum from their evil plot to take over the world/Rand Enterprises. I am not saying it is well-written, but that is saying plenty when the last three are the best compared to the rest of the show…

Cons:

1.) … This is exactly one of the biggest problems of this show: the writing and story are terrible. The main premise is that Danny Rand has left his adoptive home, K’un-Lun, in order to come back home to New York in order to get his company back and fight an evil organization called the Hand that may or may not have been involved with his parents’ murder. That sounds like a decent idea of a plot, but the show’s pacing is WAY TOO SLOW. How bad and slow? Due to many factors, I was ready to stop watching the show by the second episode. In this con’s case, it is hard for me to care about any of these people because the show does not give me a good reason. All of the characters are bland at best and stupid at worst.

These characters are so boring that I was more interested in this K’un-Lun that Danny keeps talking about over and over again. That place makes New York City look boring in comparison, especially with the bad writing and characters we are constantly seeing. It does not help that many of the characters’ choices throughout the show are so stupid I cannot believe that some of these people are in charge of a big company like Rand Enterprises. However, the writing and most of these characters are not the biggest problems, which we will get to in a moment.

2.) This is supposed to be a martial arts show, right? Why is it possible for these people to screw this up, especially with such talented stunt performers? Martial arts are supposed to be about balance and speed, and yet they move like one of those fake martial arts masters who think tripping a guy is a master skill. The biggest guilty contributors are the main actors who are clearly not fighters. I cannot buy that these people are martial arts masters (maybe amateurs if that is how they are written, but they are not) due to the speed of their attacks and the imbalance of their postures. Compare how the main celebrities are doing with the stunt performers, and the differences are like night and day.

Another way to make these fight scenes bad is the cinematography. Many of the shots are done poorly to the point it shows more of the main characters’ inability to fight properly. There are wide shots when they should have been medium shots, close-up shots when they should have been wide shots and many more mistakes that make this martial arts show look terrible. In fact, the previz of these fights is better than the actual fight scenes.

That is just one example of how bad the fight scenes are. You do not get a clear sense if the hits had any impact due to the performers getting in the way of the shot and weak sound effects. You would think that these people would learn how to shoot martial arts properly, but they cannot. For some better constructive criticism, here is a video by Corridor Digital:

3.) All of the issues I mentioned lead to the biggest problem of this show: Danny Rand a.k.a. the Iron Fist is one of the most unlikeable characters in the MCU. He abandons his duties in K’un-Lun to go back to New York in order to reconnect with his past there and eventually learn who killed his parents, but he leaves K’un-Lun defenseless for the Hand to attack (he does reveal why he left…on episode 11…way too late for anybody to care). He takes over Rand Enterprises but makes the poorest of business decisions by selling a life-saving drug cheaply that will cost his company millions (adding alongside the board members’ answer against Danny’s choice with one of my least favorite cliches, “It’s just business”). Danny helps Colleen Wing (played by Jessica Henwick) fight against the Hand while Ward and Joy are dealing with the consequences of Danny’s actions with Rand Enterprises, making him a terrible friend and business partner. He could have used his power as the majority shareholder to stop and replace his board from firing Ward and Joy, but he does not do anything about it since I do not think he knows how to do it (I know he does not have much business experience, and I do not care that he acknowledges that he is a bad business person by the last episode, it is far too late for that). He is such a poor character that I cheered for other characters who have called him an idiot so many times because he is.

As for the actor, Finn Jones, I hope for his sake that it is the director’s fault (which is more than likely since the other actors did a decent job), but when his character is supposed to be tough yet unsure and anguished, he ended up looking weepy and angry when it is inappropriate, making his performance bad. Also, it has been reported that Finn Jones did not do any martial arts training, and it clearly shows through weak and exaggerated kung fu stances (even actors like Jessica Henwick and Sacha Dhawan actually trained for their roles despite not being the best I have seen). Seriously, look at the elevator video above; a 10-year-old rookie martial artist can take him on. The biggest problem is with Danny Rand and his actor, and that is a terrible thing for a show if your lead character is incompetent.

Overall:

As mentioned before, when I watched the first season of this show went it first came out, I thought it was one of the worst MCU-related properties I have ever seen. Rewatching this again, I have not changed my mind. I can list a few more things wrong with this show from cheap settings and lighting (the show seriously used a mental hospital setting by reusing the hospital from the Daredevil show) to cheap preachy messages about helping the poor; this show is that bad that it goes alongside other terrible MCU properties from Thor: The Dark World to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. If you want an MCU-related property that has great martial arts and a decent story, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is your best bet. If you want a show that has a similar premise as Iron Fist, my dad (who watched this alongside me so I do not have to suffer alone) recommends Kung Fu (1972) starring David Carradine. I hope for Danny Rand’s (and Finn Jones’s) sake that The Defenders will make it up for him because this show should have been called Bruised Fist.

Skip It