After a tormeting 2023 movie season, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Quantum Mania, bunch of deceptions 2024 is full of hopes and I would love to have more action movies, comes in Civil War (2024), what looks to be a very promising movie not only because of the action side but because of all the drama that will carry since its view from the perspective of those out of the army, reporters, family, something that at the end not only will entertain your eyes but also put some reflection into your mind.
Civil War a science fiction movie directed by Alex Garland with a great cast including Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura, who doesn’t like this guy after Narcos or if we go back Tropa de Elite 1 and 2. Setup, the United States is going through a rapidly spreading civil war that has taken over the entire nation, a team of journalists attempts to infiltrate a heavily fortified capital.
“Civil War” shows us a fractured United States, a nation divided by ideological differences between sides, on the edge of collapse due to all of political and social problems that hammers hard the country. Part of the movie follow a family’s journey through the divided country trying to escape the dangers that come with this war that many didn’t ask for or support but they are in the eye of the storm, making their story a moving drama bringing probably in the perspective of what happens within the enemy lines, how people survive this hard moments.
From what I have seen on the trailer it doesn’t give that many details of why all started and who are part of each side, meaning the states, but I did notice a flag with two stars only, searching online also found information that says that there are two sides led by Texas and California, the Western Forces separate, creating their own republics and using sophisticated weapons, while the United States Loyalists, including Oregon, Washington and others, remain in alliance with the federal government.
I did mention that the story is covered by journalists in this case one of them is Kirsten Dunst who plays the role a reporter and Wagner Moura head of a rebellion, cover attacks to Wahshington D.C, the movie also involve hackers who in the middle of the conflict will take sides, this is a modern Civil War so it was expected for hackers to play a big role same as online media, on the trailer we see a lot of shooting, tanks, soldiers with a very familiar faces like Jesse Plemons who plays captain John Miller who is still loyal to the President and his target is to control the rebellion but it doesn’t end there, Miller is Kirsten ex-husband so figure out the drama, probably she demanding more info from him to cover up the story.
This movie will probably serve as a message, for those involve into conflicts most likely wont pay attention to it but to the global community of movie fans, send a message of reflection for everything that had happen in the past five years, there are high expectations for the movie to work out.
Civil War most likely will have a few side stories happening at the same time, the cast is just awesome including talents such as Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons and Nick Offerman, each bringing to life supporting characters that fill out this side stories.
It is a theme that very few times is brought to the screen involving the country itself, most of the time this theme war movies are more like a fantasy, similar movies: Children of Men, The Hunger Games, The Purge. If we think about it they all represent how broken the society is in their own way to the point to promote chaos as the solution but this time the film bring this into a more “real” stage.
I really have to say that after the first trailer I personally have a lot of expectations for this movie, although I’m more of a TV Series guy I rarely put so much interest in a movie, there will probably be two more trailers with more scenes before the movie release in April, currently schedule for April 26. There are many questions that I have like for example when and why all this started? does the President die? other countries come in? could there be a second part to then movie into a World Wide event? I just can’t stop my brain from imagening what else is into this conflict.
Episode five of Secret Invasion gives me a good idea of why viewers and fans were so mad about this series because you don’t necessary need to be a hard core fan to get to that conclusion, things really pick up a pace here and it was just too fast, the series at least might need another two episodes so it doesn’t feel that way, things did happen but they were closing matters scene after scene, probably concluding things just too fast.
Gravik is still after the Avengers DNA, he has a couple of abilities so far like transforming his lengths, arms; into roots so he can massively extend himself, pierce and make them also way bigger and heavy, another power he has is to regenerate himself from creating energy and what looks like super strength beast type but he still after other super powers but if you actually think about it Iron Man is very smart, Gravik is already strong as Hulk, may be control lighting like Thor but is that an ability of the hammer or himself?, the rest of the Avengers they all have suits or some other weapon except Captain Marvel and Captain America so what would he really need? only one I can think of is Captain Marvel’s powers so he could fly? he keeps talking about the Harvest but not Gravik or Fury go deeper of why unless they only fear/want the outcome mix of powers that could end up into something extraordinary, I feel like the episode has lack of meaning or motivation because the war between humans ain’t happening at this point after Fury clear things up by rescuing the President and soldiers saw Skrulls on the field, is up to Rhodey try to convince the president to start war against Russians.
I found really cringe how after saving the President Fury feels all tough takes a chair and puts in front of the hall door where the president’s room is at the hospital, not only because I knew he was not going to do shit, after all he is just human and for sure would not kill Rhodey on the spot if he comes close, besides he is never alone.
I suspected right, Rhodey did show up and was not alone, he is a Skrull, has the government infiltrated so either all the agents with are human tricked thinking Rhodey is himself a human or a bunch of Skrull that are up to date of whats really going on, he has Fury by the balls with the video that shows up him killing Maria at the Russia Bombing trying to put more dirt on Fury, he had no other option to leave before getting killed of before people come after him when the video goes public so yes Fury didn’t do shit and that’s why the scene of him sitting at the hospital looking all mean was worthless. I don’t appreciate when writers take a character and make it look what he is not, Fury has only one super power, same as Batman, Iron Man, that’s his mind so been tough is not it.
At Skrullos, Gravik is back and desperate, his plan to attack the US President and make it look like it was the Russian failed, although he did kill Thalos but Pagon, we can say Gravik second Skrull in command; was kind of mad at him and call him out because he had the chance to kill Fury and never did like he still a child waiting for Fury approval of attention. I have to give it to Gravik, Pagon was not looking at the big picture, Fury is the only one who knows where is the Harvest. To give a bit more of context, The Harvest is the recollection of the Avenger’s DNA after the New York attack, Gravik knows of its existence because he was one of the Skrulls that work on that mission, lead by Fury a group of Skrulls were send out to collect and clean up Avenger’s DNA from the battle field, I can’t imagine how they did that, the reason? not sure either because as I mention only a few really has super powers, the rest are humans with great skills using special suits or weapons.
At MI6 Sonya is cleaning up the house, taking down every Skrull she can find starting with the SIS chief Derrik, at first even Fury himself though that governments infiltrated by Skrulls was very unlikely although not impossible but after Thalos told him there were a million Skrulls at Earth, that number change things for him and put him and Sonya on alert that anyone could be a Skrull, but Sonya was a bit ruthless, shooting first and asking question after, its like she can smell them, latter on you will see why I say this.
Back at Skrullos after Gravik kill Pagon in front of the rest of his soldiers a revolution started, a group of other Skrulls understood Gravik was wrong, only those who were brave try to take him down but it was too much for them, Skrulls special ability is to shape shift, they are stronger than humans but not at Super Skrull, not at Gravik’s level, when they jump Gravik and he loose his human form intermediately he got a bit taller and bigger, everything about him compared to other Skrulls that have show up so far look stronger, eventually he beat up everyone and make an example out of Beto, a Skrull who G’iah got into the camp; cuts his throat in front of everyone. I know this series could be intended for teenagers too but the fighting and killing scenes are just a bit turn down, there is not much blood, after fights characters don’t look beat up and specially with Gravik fight scene there is something that I constantly criticize and that’s how the transformation scenes are soo short you cant really appreciate it, its just seconds until he turns back to normal, that’s really disappointing.
On her journey to clear up MI6, Sonya now locates Dr. Rosa Dalton, who is the lead scientist of Gravik’s Super Skrull experiments, she was working with her husband but here jumps in Sonya who right away knew Dr. Dalton is not himself anymore neither, after taking all the info that Sonya need she burn down their house and took them with her but Dalton attempt to take his “wife” Rosa as hostage and put a gun to her head trying to escape, little did he know and Sonya puts a bullet to his head some how she knew he was a Skrull. At fist I thought I would not like Sonya, this was back when she came up on episode one and had a conversation with Fury but I really like her, she is funny AF and always ahead of others.
In his attempt to get the Harvest, Gravik tries to use Skrullos as leverage, ordering Rhodey to get the president to bomb Skrullos with the excuse that its a Skrull hideout at Russian soil, only problem is that the right way to proceed is to have the Russians work with US to take out the Skrulls but then again who is not a Skrull? they just hold this scene and nothing really happens about it on this episode, I’m ok with that, I don’t think they are going to blow up Skrullos, not because there are Skrulls but because that would be start a war with Russia at the same time.
There was a very cool shooting scene at Priscilla’s place, G’iah goes looking for her to bury her father Thalos, Skrulls has certain ways and traditions, some of them G’iah didn’t know about but she wanted to give her father a traditional Skrull funeral, G’iah might disagree with her father believes but still love him very much and now feels she must avenge him, bring down Gravik, after all Thalos was the OG Skrull general on Earth but he became old and soft.
This last scene with Fury and Sonya getting up to date after she picks him up from the air port was cool, it gives more context to the Harvest, he gave her more details on how things really happen and why Gravik knows about it, but the part that I like the most is how Fury explains his only super power is his mind and that he doesn’t need anything else to beat Gravik here comes the phrase “We cant keep depending on these superheroes”
First four episodes of secret invasion were fine, I didn’t see any problem that was critical to me, the story was at an ok pace and not many details were lost but episode five turn things around, as I mention there was a void like some scenes needed more time to digest, I also think that from the start some how the story should make clear that the Avengers were not coming to help period, I think that probably mislead some viewers but not necessary the reason why I feel things start to rush, the Sonya scenes trying to clean up the UK and their agencies felt bit short, now that I think about it, it has been the same every time she shows up, the Fury scene at the start of the episode didn’t help at all, I would prefer if it was the opposite saying he go and look for Rhodey and face him or something different but sitting there like he is Captain America make his character look stupid.
I look up the ratings per episode at IMDB and you can tell how episode five and six are what took Secret it Invasion from a solid seven to a six down the drain, so I do not expect things to get better, some say its super hero exhausted but its really not, its the attention to detail and taking the time to explain things at a pace that viewers don’t feel things are rushing up, this are the moment I would expect them to milk the story and they don’t, if it had to do with lack of time because they were short on staff, Hollywood strike; then it was better just not to release and do it properly,
