Wandavison: The Future Of The MCU Is On Disney + ?

Written by Luke Barnes

Wandavison is a superhero TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Matt Shakman. The plot follows on from the events of Avengers Endgame that saw Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), lose the love of her life Vision (Paul Bettany), in the fight against Thanos. This makes things odd when government agency S.W.O.R.D starts picking up reports of a town that has been turned into a sitcom, with Wanda and Vision at the centre of it- what is going on?

So this was the big first series of the Disney + Marvel era, how was it? Well for the most part it was solid and just what you would want out of the MCU, however, there was also a tinge of disappointment as I finished the series. Now as I am writing this series review, I am torn.

First things first, the opening few episodes won’t be to everyone’s speed. They are very different from the wider MCU, and instead focus on being a faithful homage to different classic sitcoms, with Marvel easter eggs being thrown in to keep people invested. If you are a lover of classic American sitcoms then you will definitely get more out of this show. However, with episode 3 things start to progress quickly, and crazy shenanigans begin.

That brings us to my first little issue with the show, so for the most part these shenanigans are good, and they nicely feed that MCU itch we have all had for over a year now. However, the series has far too many characters, and can’t balance its cast at all. This becomes an issue when you have the return of Kat Dennings’ Darcy, who yes, has a few moments in the lime light but for the most part feels relegated to a bit player when she could have been so much more.

This is contrasted with the main performances from Bettany and Olsen, who both benefit from more screen time and a wider focus on their characters. Olsen and Bettany really make the show as good as it is, and the final scene they share is a testament to both of them as actors, a dry eye will not be found in the house.

The ending of the show poses, a few interesting questions about where Wanda is going in the MCU, and what we might see from her in the future. With the final post credits scene (there are two), being particularly interesting. Also the new costume is rad as hell.

I found myself disappointed by the finale, not because like many I had read theories online and expected all kinds of crazy nonsense to happen, but rather because I was expecting the finale to be bigger to feel more impactful. Yes, the ending we get is intimate and personal and serves as great character work, but I really thought the ending of the first Disney + Marvel series was going to end with more of a bang. Maybe my expectations were too high.

Overall, as long as you realise that for the most part this is atypical MCU fare, and don’t read articles online about wild character reveals, there is plenty to like here especially if you are a fan of American sitcoms or the wider MCU.

Pros.

The intimate love story

The crazy mystery

Olsen

Bettany

Peters

Cons.

The ending doesn’t have as much of a bang as you would want or expect

There are a few too many characters

4/5

The Wind: Sleep With A Shotgun In Your Hand, Just To Be Safe

The Wind is a western, horror film directed by Emma Tammi. The plot centres around a frontier couple who begin to experience increasingly alarming supernatural happenings, with Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) believing it to be the workings of a demon.

The Witch is probably my favourite horror film and is my second favourite film generally; Lost Boys is my favourite film and would be my favourite horror film though I don’t really view it as one. So, when I read that this film was basically a western version of The Witch, I was intrigued and put it on to see if it could live up to the high standard set, and I am pleased to say dear reader it more than did.

In the beginning the time hopping narrative didn’t make a lot of sense and I was lost, but as the film goes on it all wraps together nicely. The issue is that though we might be seeing a flashback, or a flash forward the film does not announce it as such, which can be a bit jarring.

The demonography of the American Frontier is fascinating, and I am surprised other films haven’t explored it more deeply before. I thought the film benefited from creating a very isolating atmosphere, that worked perfectly with the threat of the film and the idea of constantly being under siege. The larger scares towards the end of the film when we actually get to see the demons, in their human vessels, is incredibly menacing and actually managed to unsettle me; not an easy task as I have become quite desensitised over the years of watching horror films.

Overall, I think this is a superb horror film that more than deserves its comparison to Egger’s masterpiece. A must watch!

Pros.

The scares

The atmosphere

The demonology of the American Frontier

Gerard

Cons.

The timeline is a little confusing

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Watchmen: Nothing Ever Ends

Watchmen is a superhero drama series created by Damon Lindelöf, it continues the narrative of Alan Moore’s acclaimed graphic novel, rather than trying to remake it. Watchmen tells the story of Angela Abar (Regina King), a costumed detective of the Tulsa police department, who tries to stop the evil plans of far-right terrorist organisation the Seven Cavalry. Whilst doing this there is a wider mystery at play, that involves some of the original characters from the graphic novel.

First off, I just want to say that yes, this show is political, but unlike a lot of other entertainment shows and films it doesn’t ram it philosophy down your throat, the writing is far too subtle for that.

I think this show was criminally under watched when it was on, as someone who is a huge fan of the graphic novel, I have often wondered what life would be like in a post-squid world and this show scratched that itch for me. It was fun seeing Silk Specter (Jean Smart) and Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) again, I liked what the show did with there characters and thought that all of the Ozymandias scenes when he was off world were really intriguing.

What the show did with Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) was good, I liked the romance angle between him and Angela, my only issue with his character was that we didn’t really get a good look at his powers, but that is probably because it was confined to a TV show budget. My other little gripe is, because the show brought back all these classic characters the new characters they introduced really needed to standout and in the case of Angela this was a detriment. Though Angela had some interesting scenes a lot of the time I was begging the show to return to Ozymandias or show me more of other characters as I found her to be a bit dull.

However, the best character on the show was one of the new characters, Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson). Looking Glass or Wade, is a fascinating character to watch on screen, as he has been emotionally and psychologically scarred by the events of squid night and watching him deal with that over the course of the season and then seeing him learn it was all one big plot is one of the best things I have seen on television recently.

Overall, this is a masterpiece of a show, it successfully follows up the great graphic novel in a way that feels new and fresh, adding something to the world overall. I am glad it is not coming back for season two as it works better as a one of thing. Must See TV!

Pros.

Looking Glass.

How it deals with returning characters.

The world it sets up.

Fascinating character work.

Cons.

Angela isn’t the best lead character and is often out shadowed by others.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke