First off this is not a post where I try to find every Easter egg and buried reference in the trailer. My knowledge base is far from deep enough to challenge those who perform that service much more completely than I even could obtain.

Second, I remember when a teaser trailer was really brig, but as withy everything else Hollywood things have gotten larger and louder to try to break through the cacophony that is our modern life.

So, here’s the trailer.

While I really loved the first two Sam Rami Spiderman film, that third one we do not speak of anymore, I adore that the MCU version of the character has remained set as a story centered around Peter Parker high school character. This is the heart of the character and even though they will eventually have to transition away from that setting delaying that inevitable leap is a good call.

This trailer looks really fun: it appears to have the heart, soul, and spirit of the first film and deepens the connections of the larger MCU.

In that connection to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe it is clear that many of not all of the major effects of Infinity War is going to be undone. That is no surprise. The slate of announced films and simply understanding that a major corporation, particularly The House of Mouse, is not going to discard franchises worth billions of dollars of revenue on an artistic achievement. That said the real key to the upcoming Avengers: End Game  is not if they reverse those action but how do they achieve the desired conclusion. If the gimmick is simply use the Time Stone to rewind time, that will be unsatisfactory to me and likely quite a few others. I adore Superman: The Movie  but the turn back time robs the ends of real emotional power. I have faith that the Russo Brothers and their writers are going to give us something better than that.

2019 looks to be packed with films worthy of anticipation.

Avengers: Infinity War has sparked debate and most of that debate, when it is not centered around Peter Quill’s actions, has focused on Thanos, his emotional life and his objective. For me I had not issues with Thanos either in his motivation, his plan, or his twisted, destructive, and maladjusted emotional landscape. This essay is more about how I see it and not how you should. I am not trying to convince you that I am ‘right’ and you, if you do not agree, are ‘wrong.’ In the matter of art no honest reaction can be wrong, it is how the piece resonated with you.

Naturally this post will contain spoilers but I will try to moderate them as much as possible; proceed at your own risk.

Is Love Objective?

This is the critical question when considering Thanos and his relation to his children, particularly when we look at his daughters, Gamora and Nebula. That Thanos is an abusive character is without question. Throughout their lives Thanos pitted the two daughters against each other in violent combat, making the loser, always Nebula, suffer surgical alteration and mechanical implants to ‘strengthen’ her. Gamora he stole from her home after murdering half of it population. That both of these woman emerged with any sort of functional moral compass is a testament to their strength of character. Thanos always favored Gamora, rebuking Nebula’s status in her presence by referring to Gamora as his ‘favorite daughter.’ When confronted by the guardian of the Soul Stone Thanos murders his favorite daughter to posses the Infinity Stone, but did he love her?

Can love be measured any outside observer? Is there a test for when a person loves another that can be objectively quantified? I do not think so.

Let me be clear, in my book abuse is never ever love. Thanos does not live by my book. Thanos, a character warped and twisted by trauma seems incapable of any true empathy and mistakes his anger, his displacement, and his terrible abuse for sympathy, for caring, for love. In that terrible when confronted by the Red Skull Thanos believes that he loves Gamora, his belief drives that scene not the objective reality that he is a terrible abuser. It is a quintessential example of the villain being the hero of their own story. Gamora is right when she says that Thanos does not, by any definition that an emotionally healthy person would use, love, but Thanos’ truth is not ours. Thanos is so twisted by his own trauma he is incapable of recognizing his true nature is it any surprise he cannot tell love from abuse?

Does Thanos’ Plan make any Logical Sense?

In a word, no, but when does logic matter to someone who has already become convince that they are right? Again to me the answer is in Thanos’ own trauma, the destruction of his home and the death of his people. Once Thanos became certain of his own vindication no amount of logic or objective fact could dissuade him. We can look around at our real world and see Thanos reflected from all too human behavior over and over again. Perhaps there had been a time when a reasonable person could doubt the safety of modern vaccines but that time has long since passed. Look around on line and you can find a photo of smiling women still promoting the idiotic and thoroughly disproved theory that vaccines harm, they are children of Thanos. There was a time when one could have legitimate doubts about climate change but every argument against humanity changing the climate has failed but those who cling bitterly to their denials are the children of Thanos. There was never a time when you could credibly believe in a vast world wide conspiracy that Jewish people controlled everything and yet the Nazi believed it so utterly that when the Enabling Act made Hitler into the dictator Gobbles Goebbels write in his diary that they were ‘free’ they too were children of Thanos. Certainty becomes monomania and impervious to reality this is the core of Thanos’ plan to ‘save’ the Universe. He knows he is right and there is no confluence of facts or logic that can dissuade him from his crusade.

These two elements strengthen not weaken the power and impact of Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War.

Marvel Studios continues proving that their juggernaut of interlocking franchises as an unstoppable cinematic force with this weekend’s release of Ant-Man and The Wasp. Returning a lighter tone after the dark themes of overpopulation and scare resources presented in Avengers: Infinity War, AMTW deals the personal fall-out for Scott Lang, and his family, along with Dr Hank Pym and his family from Scott’s adventures with Captain America in Captain America: Civil War.

Having run afoul of the global empowered individual legislation The Sokovia Accords, Scott Lang is sweating out the final days of his house arrest while Doctor Pym and his daughter Hope, estranged from Scott, are fugitives refusing to abide by the accords. The Pyms discover that Scott holds the key to rescuing a long lost member of their family launching them into a desperate race against international arms dealers and a mysterious empowered villain.

Payton Reed returns as director and the short version of this review is if you enjoyed Ant-manthen you are likely to enjoy Ant-Man and The Wasp. Paul Rudd continue to bring is easy likable style to Scott Lang providing both an empathic character and a voice for the audience. Marvel’s special effects wizards again demonstrate mastery at their ability to digitally ‘de-age’ an actor in younger versions of themselves. I do find it curious that Marvel can create digital make-up and faced that transcend the uncanny valley and Lucasfilm’s attempt fell short rendering a Tarkin and Lea that were less than convincing.

This film does not deal with heavy themes and that is not a detriment. While I love movies like Captain America: Civil War it is good to occasionally go to a movie and simply have a good time, something that this movie delivered.

Now we come to what I feel are the best films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These last ten years have produced a number of entertaining movies and as I have said before even the lowest ranked MCU entries are still fun exciting movies but it is these four, presented in no particular order, that I think represent the pinnacle of what the studio has achieved.

Captain America: The Winter Solider: Winter Solideris a terrific throwback to the political thrillers of the 70s. Filled with twists and betrayals that echoed across the face of the planet, this movie up ended what was established and expected as constants in the MCU. A particularly bold movie considering it was released shortly after the debut the television seriesMarvel’s: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Not satisfied with all that the filmmakers, screenwriter and directors, also infused Winter Soliderwith a powerful theme about the dangers of trading freedom for security.

Captain America: Civil War: Civil Wargave us the big massive cross over battle which is a staple of a long running line comics. Torn by governmental actions our heroes find themselves suddenly battling each other in the sort of big, splashy, and thrilling manner fans had waited years to see. Before the airport fight in Civil warthe closest fan came to this experience was the fight between Zod and his henchpersons against Superman in Superman II. As with Winter Solider, again the story underneath was representing a powerful theme, the duties of friendship, loyalty, and the terrible corrosive power of secrets. I adore that the third act in this movie was not about a city or a world or a galaxy in danger but about the disintegration of a friendship.

Black Panther: Introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther’s first solo outing stunned the world. A compelling combination of Afro-Futurism, comic book science-fiction, familial drama, and an indictment of colonialism, Black Panther, proved that a story that was about something, something very sensitive, could not only entertain but also reach millions with ideas that they might never have been exposed to without this film. Breaking box office records and preconceptions this movie is truly one of the finest examples of the power of genre cinema.

Thor: Ragnarok: Including the MCU’s most off-beat comedy as part of the top tier may but an unexpected move but comedies have a long tradition of truth telling. It was the function of the court jester to say what no one else was allowed and in many ways that is the part played by Thor: Ragnarok. Like its brother Black Panther, is a film about something, just with Ragnarok, the timeless themes of family, ones who are born into and the ones we choose, along with the corrosive nature of hidden crimes, is buried under a plethora of gags, farcical characters, and amazing action.

The running commonality among my selection for the best of the MCU movies is the presence of a strong theme. The best stories not only entertain but also illuminate some essential element of the human condition. Some may have notice an absence on this list, Avengers: Infinity War. Infinity War is the fist part of a two part story, when the conclusion arrives in 2019 I’ll slot the singular story in my ranking.

With the Mid-Grade films behind us we move into the Honorable Mentions, those movies of the MCU that are a cut above the rest but do not quite reach the heights that the Top Tier films achieve. I find it curious that each film in this category is initial outing of its particular franchise. Though considering how often sequel fail to match their originals perhaps that is not so much of a surprise.

Iron Man: The first of the MCU movies, the project that was derided in Hollywood, still ranks as one of the better outing. Iron Mancreated the basic template of the MCU movies, establishing that mix of action, character, and comedy that continues to this day as the ultimate crowd pleaser.

Doctor Strange: Expanding the MCU into the supernatural, Doctor Strange, is an inventive cinematic trip. While following the character arc from Iron Man, an arrogant man learns the meaning of his life, Strangelights of the screen with dazzling performances and a third act where a cities to rebuilt instead of destroyed in a massive battle.

Captain America: The First Avenger: Steven Rogers, like Superman, is a very difficult character to write and perform. Unlike many other superhero characters, Steve is in no need to learn how to be good; he is inherently a good man. Too often such characters come off from anywhere Lawful Boring to sanctimonious. The script inThe First Avengercombined with the considerable talents of Chris Evans instead gives us a true hero, someone worthy of not only admiration but emulation as well.

Guardians of the Galaxy: When Marvel Studios first announce their plans for a Guardiansfilm I was among those who thought that had finally bitten off more than they can chew. Characters that were for the most part unknown to the wider public, including a gun-crazy intelligent raccoon, sounded like a film destined to fail. Instead with flair, style, and heavy doses of comedy, Guardians presented us with a new style of hero for the MCU and gave us the most screen-time for upcoming big bad Thanos. After it’s release we are all Groot.

Marvel’s: The Avengers: This film proved that the team-up movie was not only viable but a box office goldmine. Bringing back fan favorite Loki as its principle villain, The Avengers, gave a larger role for S.H.I.E.L.D., robbed us of a fan favorite in Phil Coulson, and mixed larger than life characters and egos in a manner that both entertained and supported their individual natures. The success and events of this movie would echo throughout the MCU up to and including Infinity War.

The Mid-Grade MCU movies are solid films without major flaws that tell their stories competently with flair and style that we come to expect from this franchise. Not surprisingly this is the largest number of MCU movies in a single category.

Ant-Man: This film is charming with a deft, light tone that makes this one of the more fun movies. I very nearly moved it into the ‘Honorable Mention’ category full the child’s bedroom fight alone.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2: It would have been nearly impossible to be as fresh as Guardians of the Galaxy, and hampered with a required that no major changes can occur due to its placement in the overall multi-film plot Vol 2still manages to tell a compelling story and explore deeper into established characters, putting one on the path to if not heroism at least fighting against the coming big bad.

Iron Man 2: A good solid follow-up to Iron Man, IM2doesn’t suffer from the ‘grab the girl’ cliché as Iron Man 3did, it deepens our understanding of Tony conflicted nature with his father Howard Stark, and broadens the MCU itself.

Spider-Man: Homecoming:SMHis a joy because it brings Peter Parker back home to the MCU instead of suffering intolerable studio dreck produced over at Sony. The decisions top return Peter to a high school student and to skip over one of the most well-known of all origin stories elevates this film. The plotting is a little flabby with one extraneous action set-piece and Peter’s actions are a little too consequences free otherwise this would have floated up into the ‘Honorable Mention’ slots.

Thor& Thor: The Dark World:  Both of these films do a fine job of presenting the mythological/cosmic settings of the MCU. The casting is well done and of course Loki instantly became a fan favorite. Thematically both films are a little flat without greater impact than the characters’ lives themselves. Perfectly watchable with enjoyable performances nothing in these movies either elevates or sinks them. They are very nearly the Platonic Ideal of  Mid-grade in the MCU.