Under The Skin (4 Stars)

I've mentioned before that my local cinema has a monthly "Best of Cinema" feature, in which a classic film is shown. There are actually three monthly features in which old films are shown:

Best Of Cinema: The first Tuesday every month. These classic films are usually at least 20 years old. They're films that are generally recognised as great films.

Cine Futuro: The second Monday every month. They're films which are supposedly an indicator of the future of cinema. They're usually relatively recent films from the last 10 years, sometimes only two years old. They're mostly films which are unknown.

Weird Wednesday: The third Wednesday every month. They're films which are intended to shock the viewer. They're mostly low budget horror films.

I try my best to visit every "Best of Cinema" and "Weird Wednesday" film. I'm picky with "Cine Futuro", but "Under the Skin" is a film I couldn't afford to miss. It was a bold film for Scarlett Johansson. She made it just as she was beginning to break through and become recognised as an A-List actress. It's possible that she would have turned down the film five years later.

Despite being a relatively low budget film, it still lost money. Before the film was shown today we were given some background information. The German distributors bought the rights to the film on the basis of Scarlett Johansson's popularity, but when they saw it they decided not to release it. They thought the film was too cerebral and wouldn't be understood by cinema audiences.

Do I understand it? Not really. The things that happen seem very random. There are two aliens in Scotland, in and around Glasgow. The female picks up men and kills them. The male cleans up after her. We can only speculate on the reason for this. Is it for food? Is it to absorb their knowledge? Your guess is as good as mine.

If you read the film reviews, you'll see that everyone has a different opinion about the film's meaning. The director Jonathan Glazer seems to have remained out of the discussions. The film is based on a book, but only loosely. The book can't be used to explain the film. It's all about the atmosphere and the imagery.

After the film we were offered a glass of Sekt (German champagne) in the foyer while we stood discussing the film. We didn't come to any conclusions, but we were all impressed by what we'd seen. The future of cinema? Not really. I doubt anything like it will be made again.

Success Rate:  - 1.8

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Jojo Rabbit (5 Stars)

"Jojo Rabbit" is such an evil film that I'm surprised it was ever made. It's a comedy, but so much of it is a portrayal of things that really happened. You need to have a twisted sense of humour to enjoy what's shown. That explains why I like it so much, but it doesn't explain the film's huge box office success.

Johannes Betzler, nicknamed Jojo, is a 10-year-old boy who lives in Germany during the Second World War. Based on the events, it probably starts in autumn 1944 and continues into May 1945. As a blue-eyed Aryan boy he loves the Führer. He's a member of the Hitler Youth and loves going to their outdoor camps. It's just like the boy scouts, except that the boys shout "Heil Hitler".

Another difference is that there are girls at the camps. Jojo is at the age where he's beginning to tell the difference.

One... two... three... all together now! "Heil Hitler!"

Jojo sits next to his best friend Yorki, who doesn't look quite as Aryan. Don't worry about it. Hitler didn't look Aryan either. But what are they listening to so attentively?

The beautiful Fräulein Rahm is showing the children what a Jew looks like. On another occasion she tells the girls that she's had 18 children for Germany. And yet she's still a Fräulein, not a Frau? I wonder if the children were from 18 different men.

Before the children go to bed, they indulge in exciting activities like burning books.

Then comes Jojo's big test of manhood. He's told to pretend that a rabbit is a Jew and snap its neck. He can't do it. Everyone has his limits. He lets the rabbit go, and everyone laughs at him. The camp leaders give him the name Jojo Rabbit, and it sticks.

But there's one thing that makes Jojo special: he has an imaginary friend. It's not just any imaginary friend, it's Adolf Hitler himself. Adolf appears to him and gives him advice on how to be a good Nazi.

I've been told that it's common for young children to have an imaginary friend. It's not a mental illness, it's a normal part of growing up. I can't relate to this, because I personally never had an imaginary friend. Is it normal to speak aloud to the friend, as Jojo does? I don't know. It's something I need to read about.

Jojo's world falls apart when he finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the house. She looks nothing like the Jews described by Fräulein Rahm. She doesn't have horns or fangs. Jojo falls in love with her. His friend Adolf is furious, telling Jojo that Jews have the power to mesmerise their victims.

"Jojo Rabbit" is a comedy. It's a coming-of-age drama. But it's also a picture of what life was like in Nazi Germany. What would I have been like? Would I have been a Nazi? Probably. I've never had to live in a country where I'm subject to propaganda every day. Only a beautiful Jewess could change my ways.

It wasn't just about the society. Hitler himself was overwhelming. Ernst Hanfstaengl said of him, "What Hitler was able to do to a crowd in 2½ hours will never be repeated in 10,000 years. Because of his miraculous throat construction, he was able to create a rhapsody of hysteria". There have been many populists over the centuries, but none as powerful as Adolf Hitler.

Let this scene from the film be a stark warning of the dangers of a Nazi ideology. "Never again!" That's what people say. And yet Russia has become a Fascist country, led by a dictator called Vladimir Putin. He holds speeches against the Nazis in order to hide the fact that he's one himself. He's brainwashed his people to believe that he's only invaded Ukraine to protect Russia from NATO. When we hear them giving interviews they sound stupid, but don't be so fast to criticise them. If I lived in Russia and were subjected to Fascist propaganda 24 hours a day, would I be any different to them? I hope I would, but I can't guarantee it.

Success Rate:  + 4.5

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Asteroid City (2 Stars)

What is the director Wes Anderson trying to do? Does he want to entertain the audience or just provoke us? I honestly don't know. I felt provoked. There were two young women sitting in front of me who felt just as provoked. Every time something strange happened in the film they turned and looked at one another. About half an hour from the end one of them put on her jacket and wanted to leave, but her friend tugged at her and told her to stay. It's a film that I almost walked out of. As it was, I was the only person in the cinema who remained seating to watch the bird hopping around during the final credits.

It's a film within a film, or rather a play within a film. It's about a playwright who writes, casts and directs a play about a group of people, mostly stargazers, who come together in a fictional city in the desert. While being told about an asteroid that fell in the desert thousands of years ago, an alien arrives and takes the asteroid away.

It's deliberately left unclear what's part of the play and what's really happening. It's possible that a real alien arrives while the play is running.

Wes Anderson has put a lot of work into the visual effects of the film. That's the only reason I haven't given the film a one star rating. I didn't enjoy it, and I have no intention to ever watch it again.

Jojo Rabbit (5 Stars)

Disney Wednesday #18

After watching "Jojo Rabbit" on Disney Plus today, I have two questions:

1. Why haven't I watched it since 2020?

2. Why isn't it in my top 100 films list?

I'll watch it again soon and decide where it deserves to be in my list. But please don't hold your breath while you're waiting?

Success Rate:  + 4.5

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Thor: Ragnarok (4½ Stars)

Disney Wednesday #14

How many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films have been made so far? I guessed that it was 32, but I had to check before I continued writing. I was right. Thirty-two films. It looks like even more then I write 32 in words. I couldn't put them in the right order. To help myself, I've put a little green sticker with the number on the spine of my MCU Blu-rays.

While I'm in England I'll be watching the Marvel films (MCU or otherwise) in random order. My son-in-law Mehdi hasn't seen them all, so I'll leave the decision up to him what comes next. "Thor: Ragnarok" is a good choice.

Success Rate:  + 2.7

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Black Widow (5 Stars)

What age was Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, supposed to be in this film? The actress Scarlett Johansson was 34 when the film was made, but she looks much younger, thanks to the miracles of Hollywood makeup. In the picture above she looks like she's 22 at the oldest.

Speaking of myself, I went through two phases in my life. In my early years, up to when I was 35, Scarlett's age, people always thought I was younger than my real age. For instance, on my 23rd birthday I was waiting at Stuttgart's main train station in the early morning for a friend to arrive. I got into a conversation with some strangers while I was eating a snack, and they didn't believe I was 23. Their estimates ranged from 16 to 18. When I was 45 I returned to England, and everyone I met thought I was older. Their estimates ranged from 55 to 60.

What made the difference was my hair. At 23 I had long blond hair. I started growing my hair long when I was 18, but it was probably at its longest when I was 23. (I cut it short less than a year later, one of the biggest mistakes of my life, but that's a story for another day). My hair made me look young. In my late 30's I had a slowly advancing bald patch, and by the time I was 45 my remaining hair had turned grey. My hair made me look old.

"Black Widow" wasn't released until 2021. It was delayed by the Coronavirus pandemic. It was a posthumous film, as far as the Natasha Romanoff character was concerned. She'd already died in 2019 in "Avengers: Endgame". The post-credits scene shows her sister Yelena mourning at her grave.

Where does Black Widow (the character) go from here? At first I expected Yelena to adopt the role and become the new Black Widow. Now I don't know. The whole Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is fragmenting. The Marvel comics have a large lore to draw upon, with hundreds, maybe thousands of characters that can be used in films. Just being able to do this doesn't mean the MCU has to do it. Less is more. (I like that quote, but there's no consensus about who said it first). For me the breaking point was "The Eternals", totally unnecessary characters in the MCU.

Just writing about this makes me feel sad. There have been complaints about the Marvelization of Hollywood, complaints made by big directors like Quentin Tarantino. I don't think it's a bad thing in itself. It's all about films. I wouldn't mind if Hollywood were completely Marvelized, as long as the films are good. The word Marvel used to stand for quality. Today it stands for making money. I used to be excited whenever I heard the news about a new Marvel film. Now I just shrug my shoulders and hope it won't be too bad.

"Black Widow" is a good film. But it could be one of the last good Marvel films.

Success Rate:  - 0.1

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Black Widow (4½ Stars)

This year's Amazon Prime Day has come and gone. Usually I'm excited about it. I don't buy things at random. I have a shopping list that I've been preparing for months, and when Prime Day comes I go through my list to see what's on offer. Usually I buy a lot. This year I didn't. The selection of films on Blu-ray was very meagre. The only items on offer from my shopping list were Marvel Blu-rays: Buy two, get one free. Better than nothing.

I clicked around the web site to see what else was on offer. I could have bought an Echo device or a Kindle, if I hadn't got them already. There were 55-inch televisions for less than 300 Euros. Very nice, if I'd needed one. Then I found that Clarks shoes were on sale. I don't know if any of my friends have noticed, but I always wear the same shoes. I have very wide and very high feet, so it's difficult to find shoes that fit me. I've been buying identical shoes for the last 20 years, the Clarks Recline Free. In England I bought them from the Clarks shop in New Street. In Germany I buy them from Amazon. The Prime day offer was 33% off Clarks shoes. I already had two pairs which I wear alternately, but I ordered another pair while they were still cheap.

The Clarks Recline Free are beautiful shoes with a leather lining and leather inner material. Best of all, they're very wide, wider than the "extra wide" varieties of other shoe brands. I can strongly recommend them to any of my readers who have awkward feet. My feet have been a curse all my adult life. My feet are size 9 (EU size 43), but for years I bought size 10 in order to get my feet into the shoes. Then I discovered the Clarks Recline Free shoes, and I can finally wear the correct size.

So the only items I bought on Prime Day were a pair of shoes and three Marvel Blu-rays. I'll watch the other two soon. "Black Widow" is the first film.

When "Black Widow" was made in 2021 the character was already dead. She sacrificed herself in "Avengers Endgame" (2019). Chronologically, "Black Widow" takes place shortly after "Captain America: Civil War" (2016). Natasha Romanoff is a fugitive, because she refuses to accept the Sokovia Accords that regulate the activities of superheroes.

Natasha is sent a package by her younger sister, who she hasn't seen for 20 years. It's a collection of vials which contain a gas capable of undoing the brainwashing carried out in the Red Room. A Russian general called Dreykov has gathered hundreds of young women that he calls widows, an army which he'll use to conquer the world. They're beautiful and they're deadly, and most importantly of all, they've been brainwashed to obey Dreykov unconditionally. 

Is Natasha's sister Yelena intended to be her replacement as the new Black Widow in the upcoming Marvel films? That would be good. Florence Pugh is a beautiful actress with poise and charisma. I just hope she'll drop the fake Russian accent. It sounds silly.

Their father is the Russian super-soldier called the Red Guardian. In the original comics he's terrifying, but the film shows him as inept and overweight. No, I don't want to see him again.

The Black Widow that we see in the film is far removed from the comic book character, so I have to watch the film in its own right. It's a top notch spy thriller, not a superhero film. It's one of the better Marvel films made in recent years. Let's hope Marvel returns to its former glory.

Success Rate:  - 0.1

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Black Widow (4½ Stars)

Disney Wednesday #2

I admit it. I'm getting annoyed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The whole concept of filming Marvel characters is flawed. The idea is as follows:

Take a character from Marvel comics. Put him (or her) in a film. Keep the name, but give him a new costume. Give him a different background. Change everything. Then say it's the same character from a different part of the Multiverse.

This concept is most obvious in the recent film "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings". Shang-Chi in the film has nothing to do with Shang-Chi in the comics. Nothing at all. At least the MCU's Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, could be associated with the comics book character while her background remained vague. Now this film, the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has made the mistake of giving us information about her early life, emphasising that it's a completely different character.

In the early years of Marvel, from 1961 until the late 1970's, everything was simple. It was a consistent universe, carefully crafted by Stan Lee, and continued by other writers. It wasn't even an alternate universe. Stan Lee wrote everything as if it were happening in our own world. There were occasional references to current political events and world leaders. This was in contrast to DC Comics, in which the characters lived in fictional cities, such as Gotham, Metropolis and Star City. Marvel's heroes (with the exception of the Hulk) were based in New York City, so there were frequent landmarks to give the reader an anchor to the real world. Later on the catchphrase "Marvel Universe" was invented to name the alternate place where the Marvel heroes live. Even later, this universe was numbered. The Marvel Universe is Earth-616.

Marvel itself (the comics company) justifies the deviations in the MCU by saying that they take place in a different part of the Multiverse. This is a list of the relevant alternate universes.

Earth-1218 -- the real world where you and I live.

Earth-616 -- the world where the Marvel heroes live in the comics.

Earth-199999 -- the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Do the numbers look as random to you as they do to me? The rest of the Marvel films have other designations:

Earth-730911 – "Spider-Man" (1977)

Earth-96173 – "Doctor Strange" (1978)

Earth-58470 – "Howard the Duck" (1986)

Earth-58627 – "The Punisher" (1989)

Earth-697064 – "Captain America" (1990)

Earth-94000 – "Fantastic Four" (1994)

Earth-26320 – the Blade films and TV series (1998-2006)

Earth-10005 – the first five X-Men films and the first two Wolverine films (2000-2016)

Earth-96283 – Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films (2002-2007)

Earth-701306 – "Daredevil" (2003) and "Elektra" (2005)

Earth-400083 – "Hulk" (2003)

Earth-58460 – "Man-Thing" (2005)

Earth-121698 – the Fantastic Four films (2005-2007)

Earth-121347 – the Ghost Rider films (2007-2012)

Earth-120703 – the Amazing Spider-Man films (2012-2014)

Earth-TRN554 – "Fantastic Four" (2015)

Earth-TRN404 – "X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016) and "Dark Phoenix" (2019)

Earth-TRN414 – the Deadpool films and "New Mutants" (2016-2020)

Earth-17315 – "Logan", the third Wolverine film (2017)

Earth-TRN688 – "Venom" (2018)

I've listed all of those, even though I consider them nonsensical. The proliferation of universe numbers is only intended to be a justification of the lack of continuity in the films.

As for the Black Widow film, I might write something about it next time I watch it. For now I'll just say that it's a good film.

Success Rate:  - 0.1

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Rough Night (4 Stars)

Amazon Friday #18

When did hen nights (called bachelorette parties in America) become so popular? They've always existed, but when I was young they were quiet, demure affairs where a bride had a few drinks with her friends before her marriage. If they decided to have a wilder party, they kept it secret and went wild behind closed doors. That's not what happens now. On hen nights the bride and her friends go out partying in public, wearing gaudy dresses and waving plastic penises in the air. When did this start? The first time I became aware of it was about ten years ago, but it's possible that it started much earlier.

That's what this film is about. The girls night out in the title is a hen night. I should call it a bachelorette party, because it takes place in America. Jess, Alice, Frankie and Blair were sorority sisters. They were best friends. At graduation they promised they'd stay together forever, but that's not how things happen. The four girls went their separate ways. Jess is a politician, campaigning for the state senate. Alice is a school teacher. Frankie is a political activist. Blair seems to be living off her wealth instead of working.

Now Jess is about to get married. She meets her three friends for a bachelorette party in Miami. Also invited is her friend Pippa from Australia. That makes five girls going wild in Miami. Drinking, dancing and drugs. Despite Jess's protests, they take cocaine together. They relax in their holiday apartment by the beach to enjoy their stripper. But there's an accident. Alice jumps on his lap, he falls over and bangs his head, and he's dead immediately.

Blair, Alice, Jess, Frankie and Pippa

When I watched this film two years ago I only gave it two stars. Ever since then it's been stuck in my head, and I thought I should give it another chance. I've rated it more highly this time. Last time I said the script was dull, and it is, but this time I appreciate the humour more.

The film starts off dull, but after the stripper's death it's a hilarious comedy. What do you do if you have a dead body in your apartment? The sensible thing would be to call the police and tell them it was an accident. The trouble is that Jess is running for office, so she can't afford the police finding her under the influence of cocaine. So they decide to hide the body until morning. Not a good idea. Then they try to dispose of the body, but it's not as easy as they think.

Kate McKinnon is perfect as Pippa. We expect nothing less from her. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Scarlett Johansson is capable of comic timing. It's a good film, if you can put up with the slow start.

Make sure you don't miss the after-credits scene. It's important.

The photo at the top shows an alternate title. The film's original title is "Rough Night", but it's called "Girls Night Out" in most other countries. "Girls Night Out" is a better title.

Success Rate:  + 0.4

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On a different note, I think I'll watch more films on streaming platforms, starting next week. I've subscribed to Netflix for the last five years. I occasionally watch films, but more commonly television series. In most cases I didn't even mention in my review that I watched a film on Netflix, unless it was a film exclusive to Netflix. I share my Netflix account with my two sons, and they both use it more than me, because neither of them owns a DVD player. My older son subscribes to Disney Plus, and he lets me use his account. So far I've just used it to watch Marvel series, but there are a few films on Disney Plus that I'm interested in. My plan, starting next week, is to have a Disney Wednesday, Netflix Thursday and Amazon Friday. DNA. Perfect! As always, I'm not promising that I'll watch a film on a streaming service every week. I'll see how it turns out as I go along.

Black Widow (5 Stars)

When I went to the cinema tonight there was a trailer for the new James Bond film. The Black Widow film that followed was more of a high octane spy thriller than James Bond could ever be. The similarity is deliberate. The action jumps from country to country (USA, Cuba, Norway, Hungary), before finally settling in Russia.

Is the story faithful to the comics? Not really. I was grinding my teeth in annoyance when the Red Guardian was shown to be Natasha's father by adoption. In the comics he was her estranged husband. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised that the Red Guardian's costume was so similar to the comics. Here's what he looked like in his first appearance in August 1967.

The Black Widow has gone through many costume changes over the years, but none of them are like the white leather outfit she wears in the film's posters. She first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #52 (April 1964), wearing a sexy long dress, looking like a sultry Russian spy from 1950's films.

How many of you understood the significance of Yelena mistakenly calling her father the Crimson Dynamo? It made me chuckle. When the Black Widow first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #52, she was sent to assist the Russian super-villain Crimson Dynamo.

After their defeat at the hands of Iron Man, the Crimson Dynamo returned to Russia, but Black Widow remained in America. At first she acted alone, but in Tales Of Suspense #57 (September 1964) she teamed up with Hawkeye, who was still a villain at the time. Hawkeye was immediately love-struck, but Natasha was only using him. It wasn't until a few years later that a genuine romance developed.

This is Black Widow's costume in Tales Of Suspense #64 (April 1965). Hawkeye was considering giving up crime, but she tempted him to attack Iron Man yet again. He called her darling, but she felt nothing for him. He should have known better than to trust a woman who calls herself Black Widow. He gave up crime and joined the Avengers a month later in Avengers #16 (May 1965).

In Avengers #30 (July 1966), Natasha claimed that she'd been brainwashed by the Russians and now wanted to defect to America. After that she often aided the Avengers in their battles, but she didn't become an official member until Avengers #111 (May 1973). For months she worked for SHIELD, which separated her from Hawkeye. During this time she met and fell in love with Daredevil. Daredevil and Black Widow were partners from Daredevil #81 (November 1971) to Daredevil #124 (August 1975).

Hawkeye was jealous, understandably. Notice that the title of Daredevil's comic was temporarily changed to "Daredevil and the Black Widow". This was from Daredevil and the Black Widow #92 to Daredevil and the Black Widow #107. It makes things awkward for collectors.

Natasha's inviation to become an Avenger in Avengers #111 was one of the steps in their eventual breakup. Daredevil wanted to turn down Natasha's membership on her behalf. This is typical of the writing of Steve Englehant in the 1970's. Stan Lee had written about super-heroes with weaknesses, such as Daredevil being blind, but Steve Englehart took it a step further. He showed that heroes could have character faults, such as wanting to boss women around. Natasha was a strong, independent woman and didn't stand for it. She accepted the invitation and became an Avenger.

This is the tearful break up of Daredevil and Black Widow in Daredevil #124. Couldn't they have been given a little privacy?

After breaking up with Daredevil, Natasha left the Avengers and formed a new group called the Champions with Hercules, Ghost Rider, Angel and Iceman. I shan't go into it here. Black Widow has a long history in Marvel comics, too much to write about in a short review.

Nevertheless, the film is very good, and I'll write more about it when I own it on Blu-ray.

Lucy (4 Stars)

There are films I like. There are films I don't like. Then there's "Lucy". Today is the third time I've watched it, and it still puzzles me. It's not the film itself that puzzles me, it's my reaction to the film.

After the last two viewings, in 2014 and 2016, I remembered it as a great film. Then I began to watch it today, and I thought to myself, "It's not so good after all". It continued, and I began to like it more, but I still had mixed feelings. I just couldn't make my mind up.

Visually, it's a beautiful film. The colours are bright and appealing. Morgan Freeman's appearance as a university professor gives the film class. The Korean gangsters add action to the film. But I still have the feeling that it's all hollow inside.

The problem is that despite the high budget and lavish production, there's something intrinsically trashy about the film. It's a cheap B-Movie with big budget trappings. That's not bad in itself, but it makes the film unsettling. I can't decide how to rate it.

Lucy conquers time. She can travel backwards and forwards in time at will. I realised today for the first time what Lucy was doing with the monkey. She touched it to pass on her knowledge to it, copying the symbolism of "2001: A Space Odyssey". Effectively, she was creating mankind. Who needs God when you have Lucy?

I don't think "Lucy" is a film that everyone will like, but I still recommend that everyone should watch it at least once. Then leave a comment below and tell me what you think about it. It's a film I'd like to discuss.

Success Rate:  + 9.9

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Captain America: Civil War (5 Stars)

As most of my readers know, Chadwick Boseman died of cancer two days ago, aged 43. It was a shock to everyone, because he kept his illness secret for years. When I saw it reported on the BBC website yesterday morning, my first reaction was disbelief. I even suspected it of being a hoax. How can someone so young and (seemingly) so fit die so suddenly?

Since he's best known for his role as the Black Panther in four of the MCU films, I've decided to watch at least two of them to remember him, maybe all four. I haven't decided yet.

The Black Panther is a character who was first invented by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, appearing in Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966. He became a member of the Avengers in Avengers #52 (May 1968), while Roy Thomas was the regular writer, but it wasn't until September 1973 that he was presented as a true African super-hero. The unknown young writer Don McGregor started to write solo adventures of the Black Panther in Jungle Action #6 which took place in his homeland of Wakanda, not in America. Readers consider the 13-part Panther's Rage story (Jungle Action #6 to #18) to be one of the best stories ever published by Marvel.

Chadwick Boseman is the living representation of the Black Panther as we see him in the Panther's Rage story. He's strong, he's noble, but above all else he's African. This is most obvious in his solo film, "Black Panther", that I'll be watching tomorrow. "Civil War" is an outstanding action film, but "Black Panther" is an African film.

Chadwick Boseman
November 29, 1976 – August 28, 2020

Success Rate:  + 2.6

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Captain Marvel (4½ Stars)

This was the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be released after Stan Lee's death. It begins with a tribute to Stan Lee built into the opening credits. The words "Thank you, Stan" at the end of the credits are a massive understatement. His contribution to modern culture can't be overestimated. My three-year-old grandson doesn't yet know the name Stan Lee, but he knows Spider-Man. He wears a Spider-Man jacket. Stan Lee's name will be remembered long after Martin Scorsese is forgotten. I would go as far as to call him the greatest man of the 20th Century. He will live in the hearts and minds of his fans forever.

The film contains a brief cameo that was filmed before his death. He's sitting on a bus attempting to learn the line for a film script. The line for this very film? Maybe. Captain Marvel walks past him and smiles down at him.

This is out of character. There's no logical reason for Captain Marvel to pay attention to an old man on the train when she's in the middle of a battle with a Skrull. This is Brie Larson smiling at Stan Lee. She loves him. Who doesn't? Every actor who ever appeared in a film with Stan Lee was in awe of the great man, a giant towering above normal mortals.

This film tells the origin of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel, but in a way it also tells the origin of Nick Fury. In 1989 he was a young agent, new in his job at SHIELD. He didn't believe in aliens from other planets until he saw one with his own eyes.

Captain Marvel has spent the last six years believing she's a Kree. Now she finds out that she's a human. She's had dreams about Earth, but now she finally discovers why. The dreams have been revealing to her the secrets buried deep in her mind. She comes to Earth to pursue the Skrulls, the arch-enemies of the Kree, but she discovers that she's been fighting on the wrong side of the war. The Kree have been the bad guys all along,

In the comics themselves it wasn't so clear. Both the Skrulls and the Kree are evil races, determined to conquer the universe. In the film the Skrulls aren't conquerors, they're just refugees fighting to survive. The Skrull leader, Talos, admits that he has blood on his hands, but it was in the past. Now he just wants to spend time with his family.

"Captain Marvel", the film, is yet another example of how Marvel has adapted the comics for the big screen. Random names are copied from the comics, but they're completely different characters. For instance, in the comics Mar-Vell is a male Kree warrior who comes to Earth and adopts the identity of Dr. Walter Lawson, a scientist who he witnesses being killed. In the film, Mar-Vell is a female Kree scientist who lives on Earth, calling herself Dr. Wendy Lawson. I frequently complain about the MCU getting the skin colour of its characters wrong, but mixing up the gender is a whole different level of blunder. Usually the word blunder is reserved for accidental mistakes, but I call this mix up a blunder, even though it's deliberate. I understand that it was a deliberate decision, intended to make "Captain Marvel" even more of a feminocentric film. All the major characters are female, and Captain Marvel herself is the most powerful character in the MCU. I'm surprised Nick Fury didn't turn into Colonel Nicola Fury. What about casting Octavia Spencer as Colonel Fury? Hmmm..... somehow that doesn't seem so bad.

That's a nice shirt, but don't you think it would look better without a bra? Aren't the women in the Kree Empire liberated enough to burn their bras?

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