2018 - The Highlights (lionsroar)

Films watched for the first time and reviewed in 2018

Note: Since Trophy Unlocked has to pay for most of the movies we see in the theaters and for most of the films we watch at home, we don’t have the scope of a newspaper reviewer. We don’t see everything that’s out, so our ratings of films are based on what we decide to spend our money on.

The Highlights, in no particular order:

The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro's take on the Creature from the Black Lagoon gives it a definite Cold War twist.  Imaginative to say the least. A tour de force for actress Sally Hawkins who goes above and beyond in her depiction of Elisa Esposito, the mute cleaning woman who befriends the beast. Michael Shannon's performance as Col. Richard Strickland is also very good as well. A horror film with a heart, this film won Best Picture honors at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Avengers: Infinity War

For a film that was the 19th in a series that has been going on for ten years, there was a lot riding on Avengers: Infinity War. Over that time, seeing Marvel films was a lot like school, I began to feel like I had to see the films rather than wanted to see them. However, Infinity War is a good partial payoff for all the time invested. The story is not concluded, but this was a very entertaining film.

Deadpool 2 and Once Upon a Deadpool

Deadpool 2 may have its flaws but our favorite merc is back and Cable has come with him. I believe I saw this film at least three times this year in its various versions, including twice in the theater with the original and Once Upon A Deadpool versions. Ryan Reynolds is the driving force behind this and deserves much of the credit for making a successful R-rated Superhero franchise. The PG-13 version released at the holidays uses the same wraparound story that The Princess Bride used, complete with Fred Savage reprising his role. 

A Star is Born (2018)

Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut with yet another A Star is Born remake. Lady Gaga plays the protege who surpasses her mentor becoming the bigger success as he drifts into alcoholism. The end result is a very strong film that will definitely be remembered during Awards season. Looking forward to seeing what Cooper does when he takes a path less trodden and directs something original.

Bumblebee

After five live-action films, the Transformers series moved from Michael Bay to director Travis Knight, perhaps best-known for the stop-motion films made at Laika Studios. While the film relies less on special effects than previous films, there is also a better human character at the center of the story, Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld. I would strongly recommend them to keep making movies with her in the lead and Knight behind the camera. This is the best of the Transformers live-action films. One hopes that the franchise hasn't found its footing too late.

The disappointments, in no particular order:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

For a film that was nominated for Best Screenplay, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) was a second act looking for a third. More of a character study than a complete film. The film has what I consider to be a lousy ending, leaving unresolved what I would assume was the point the film was setting up.

Early Man

I am normally a big fan of Nick Park's work, but this seems to be one of the weaker of Aardman Animation's films. Entertaining, the plot was very predictable. You expect more from them than the usual underdog sports film. Good, but it could have been a lot better.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Remember when Star Wars films were few and far between? In their rush to capitalize on the franchise, Disney has been making one-offs in addition to the main series. Sometimes these are very good, like Rogue One. Other times they are rather ill-conceived like Solo: A Star Wars Story. This film seems like a money grab from the get-go but fails to deliver the goods. While I'm a fan of Alden Ehrenreich's, I would say he was miscast as Han Solo and the altered origin story doesn't necessarily jibe with what is already out in the Star Wars universe.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

After the success of Wreck-It Ralph, it seemed unlikely that there wouldn't be a sequel. Too bad that it turns something somewhat original into an internet version of The Emoji Movie. Not only did they miss out on the obvious sequel title Ralph Wrecks the Internet, but they turned it into something desperately close to a commercial about Disney.com.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

There is so much wrong with this film that I'm not sure where to start. The film starts with the dinosaurs that, by the way, kill and eat people, are in danger when a volcano explodes on their island. Instead of rejoicing that these man-made genetic mutants are going to go extinct, there are plans to try and save them. Dumber still would be to try and weaponize them, which they try to do in the film as well. The film sets itself up for a trilogy since you've got to have one these days, but I think I'll stay home next time. Time for this franchise to go extinct as well.

Avengers: Infinity War

After 10 years of buildup across 18 previous films, Marvel Studios has finally released Avengers: Infinity War, the movie where the Avengers finally confront Thanos. While this highly anticipated movie is a landmark event for the superhero genre, I was unable to see it until this weekend and had fortunately dodged just about every spoiler until now. With that said, Infinity War was well worth the wait, but with an unfortunately large caveat.

Immediately following the events of Thor: Ragnarok, Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his lieutenants are onboard Thor and Loki’s ship. While Thanos uses his attack on the ship to obtain one of the six Infinity Stones, Heimdall (Idris Elba) is able to send Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) back to Earth to warn others of Thanos’ arrival. On Earth, the Avengers subsequently become involved in the fight against Thanos in some form or another while, out in space, the Guardians of the Galaxy become wrapped up in the conflict after following an Asgardian distress signal.

The overall plot for Infinity War is actually pretty easy to follow in spite of the enormous cast. What helps is that the characters are actually split up in groups across multiple locations, which helps to keep the settings fresh and the encounters with Thanos and his minions unique. The execution is also a large contrast with Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). In Ultron, the story bogged itself down with an overly complex layering of individual plotlines and very slow pacing. In Infinity War, while there are various subplots, they’re all kept simple and to the point, which quickens the pace and allows them to more easily tie together in the end.

What also helps the pace is how Infinity War manages to incorporate humor without diminishing the tone of the story. Most of the humor comes from the various character interactions, especially when the Guardians of the Galaxy are onscreen. In the case of the Guardians it helps that they sound like how they did in their own movies, courtesy of James Gunn, who had written their dialogue despite being uncredited. Even outside of that, the movie knows exactly when to have a funny moment and when to take itself seriously, which allows the more powerful moments to stand out.

On that note, there is a rather large caveat that should be mentioned for anyone wishing to see this film. If you have not seen all 18 previous films in the MCU, you will undoubtedly become confused about one thing or another; it’s like having a test that’s inclusive to an entire school year. While Infinity War does try its best to be enjoyable in a vacuum, it features nearly every major character that has appeared in previous movies and, as a result, also involves plot threads that go as far back as Phase One. However, even if you have seen all 18 prior installments, there is a chance you will have forgotten something if you haven’t seen some of them in a while. Therefore, to get the best enjoyment out of Infinity War, it’s best to have seen all the other movies in the MCU, preferably as close together as possible.

Without spoiling much of anything, the acting from just about every character is very good. Of particular note is Josh Brolin’s performance as Thanos. Since he now has a lot more room to work with the character, he’s able to deliver an amazing, and occasionally emotional, performance that adds a lot more depth to what we had seen prior. Additionally, Thanos’ lieutenants all have distinct designs and performances, but good luck remembering their names (for the record, they are Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive).

Avengers: Infinity War is a great example of a movie that can actually live up to its hype. The story is rather easy to follow, Thanos is a highly memorable and surprisingly complex villain and the movie is able to balance its humor such that powerful moments retain their impact, as well as its characters such that they are easy to keep track of. On top of that, the visual effects are absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, Infinity War will more than likely be confusing to those who either have not seen all of the previous MCU movies or are for some reason jumping into this one completely blind. I would highly recommend this for existing fans of Marvel Studios, as it really pays off for that audience, but everyone else has some serious movie watching in their future, if only to stave off confusion.

Avengers: Infinity War Primer

Note: This article contains spoilers related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

April 27, 2018 marks the release of the highly-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War. This release is not only significant in that the Avengers will finally fight Thanos, but also because it represents the culmination of a decade of continuity, going all the way back to Iron Man (2008), six of those being spent toward the actual buildup, beginning with The Avengers (2012).

However, the anticipation for Infinity War is tempered a bit by the fact that it will likely rely on the audience having seen a whopping 18 previous films. This includes the recently-released Black Panther (2018), which will likely still be in theaters by the time Infinity War drops (unless Disney rushes a home video release). This sort of buildup means that it can be time-consuming for someone to re-watch everything or for someone new to catch up. Watching every film is very beneficial for understanding all 60+ characters slated to appear in Infinity War, but even then, some of the details for the upcoming blockbuster may have been forgotten with time.

In preparation for Avengers: Infinity War, we at Trophy Unlocked have created this handy guide to finding many, if not all, of the smaller details which are the most beneficial for viewers going in. Below we will list the most relevant films alongside their most relevant moments, as well as a brief description of what happens in each scene and why it was chosen. For veteran viewers, this guide will be more of a refresher. For newcomers, this will venture into spoiler territory, but may help as a roadmap of sorts.

Note: For Black Panther, I’ve consulted descriptions on the internet since it's still in theaters.

Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)

Scene 1: Loki converses with the Other.

Partway through the movie, the Avengers are slowly coming together. Loki (Tom Hiddleston), meanwhile, uses the power of his staff to contact the Other (Alexis Denisof), a being who resides in Sanctuary in the middle of space. The Other needs Loki to lead the Chitauri in an invasion of Earth, though Loki, while confident, doubts their strength. The Other hints at a greater power who gave Loki the staff and tells him that his ambition pales in comparison to what this other being has planned. Loki points out that they do not yet have the Tesseract, which puts them in a worse position. In response, the Other threatens Loki with a fate worse than death should he fail to retrieve the Tesseract.

Significance: This scene is the first hint that throughout the entirety of The Avengers, there was always a threat greater than Loki lurking around the corner. Before this threat was first established, it also hinted that there was more to the Tesseract, which first appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) as the Cosmic Cube, than anyone knew.

Scene 2: Mid-Credits

The buildup continues with the culmination of Phase One of the MCU. Partway through the credits, after the major names have gone by, we see Sanctuary once more. The camera pans on the Other while he speaks to a hidden figure about how the humans are not only more resilient than they had anticipated, but also unruly. The second figure stands up from a chair and the Other says, rather ominously, “To challenge them is to court death.” The second figure then turns to the camera with a smile, revealing their identity as Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Significance: This scene was the very first glimpse the audience would ever get at Thanos, creating the carrot-on-a-stick that kept moviegoers returning throughout Phase Two and Three in case any future film could tell them more. Though some would do this job better than others, re-watching this scene is a good reminder of where all of the buildup and hype for Infinity War began.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Scene: Mid-Credits

Throughout Thor: The Dark World, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who rules the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, has threatened both Earth and Asgard with the Aether. Once the major names have gone by in the credits, the Asgardians Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) and Sif (Jaimie Alexander) are introduced to Taneleer Tivan, aka the Collector (Benicio del Toro), who already knows why they have come. He asks why they don’t store the Aether back on Asgard, to which Volstagg says that they already have the Tesseract and that it is unwise to keep two Infinity Stones so close together. Once the Asgardians entrust him with the Aether and leave, the Collector ominously states, “One down, five to go.”

Significance: This scene is the first to formally acknowledge the existence of the Infinity Stones within the MCU. At the same time, it suggests that the Tesseract (the Space Stone) and the Aether (the Reality Stone) are two of them. For a lead-in to Infinity War, this scene confirms that the Reality Stone is currently within the possession of the Collector.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Scene 1: Ronan meets Thanos

At this point, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an assassin sent by Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), has unsuccessfully attempted to steal The Orb from Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and has landed in the Klyn, an interstellar prison. In this scene, the Other contacts Ronan and informs him that his partnership with Thanos is at risk since Gamora appears to have her own plans for The Orb. Ronan is summoned to Sanctuary, where he insists that he has nothing to do with Gamora’s supposed betrayal. When the Other tries to put Ronan in his place, Ronan kills him, which grabs the attention of Thanos. Thanos, who shows no remorse for the Other’s death, berates Ronan for his attitude and threatens him with death should he not retrieve The Orb as promised.

Significance: This scene establishes that the Other will not return within Infinity War, and why, and also gives us a look into Thanos’ personality. More specifically, Thanos is the type who cares not for the well-being of those who serve him. Later movies would fail to expand more on this, but it’s at least something.

Scene 2: The Guardians meet the Collector

After escaping from the Klyn, Star-Lord and company go to Knowhere to sell The Orb to the Collector. When they finally have an audience with him, the Collector explains the nature of The Orb. He explains that six singularities existed before creation, but after the universe exploded into existence, their remnants became six concentrated ingots known as Infinity Stones. The power of the stones is so destructive that only beings of great power are able to wield them without being destroyed. When the Collector goes to retrieve the payment for the Power Stone inside The Orb, one of his servants, Carina (Ophelia Lovibond), grabs the Stone as a power grab, but is erased from existence as the Stone’s power destroys most of the Collector’s collection. Once the dust settles, Gamora retrieves The Orb and suggests giving it to the Nova Corps.

Significance: The origin of the Infinity Stones is explained and the power of the Power Stone is destructively demonstrated. Background visuals related to the origin of the Infinity Stones also more firmly confirm the status of the Tesseract and Aether as two of the Stones.

Scene 3: Closing Montage

After the defeat of Ronan, the Nova Corps speaks with Star-Lord and drop hints for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. During a closing montage set to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, we see a shot of Nova Prime (Glenn Close) placing an orb containing the Power Stone into a vault.

Significance: At the risk of sounding redundant, this moment, though brief, confirms that the Power Stone is currently in the hands of the Nova Corps.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Scene 1: Thor has a hallucination

While the Avengers are trying to subdue Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, the latter uses her powers to cause most of the Avengers to see hallucinations. In Thor's hallucination, in which Heimdall calls him a destroyer, an image flashes of four of the six Infinity Stones as well as a close-up of Vision's face.

Significance: While not significant to Infinity War on its own, it does provide context for the next scene.

Scene 2: Thor travels to the Water of Sight

After the Avengers take refuge at Hawkeye's (Jeremy Renner) abode, Thor takes off to find an answer to his hallucination. With the aid of Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), he reaches the Water of Sight and states that he'll be able to return to his vision should the spirits of the water accept him, though Selvig is unsure it'll end well. As Thor struggles with the power of the water, he continues his vision, which shows him the Infinity Stones. He sees the Mind Stone come out of Loki's staff, followed by the Power Stone in the Orb, the Reality Stone form from the Aether and the Tesseract burst into the Space Stone. The four stones align within a cloud in space which resembles the Infinity Gauntlet.

Significance: Thor gains information about the Infinity Stones, which ties into his decision in the next scene. As for its context for the MCU, it confirms that Loki's staff contained one of the Stones and reconfirms that the Aether was another Stone.

Scene 3: Thor brings Vision to life

At this point in the film, the Avengers fight amongst themselves to prevent Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) from activating a synthetic body containing J.A.R.V.I.S. (Paul Bettany). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) appears to activate the body, Vision, and, after a brief altercation, explains that the gem which powers Vision is the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, which he had seen in his earlier vision.

Significance: This scene confirms both that Loki had wielded the Mind Stone throughout The Avengers and that the Stone currently resides within Vision’s forehead.

Scene 4: Mid-Credits

After the major names have gone by, we see light flood into an opening vault with a mysterious object, an empty Infinity Gauntlet, at the center. Thanos reaches into the vault and slips his hand into the Infinity Gauntlet. He states simply, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.”

Significance: Simply put, Thanos has now gone from a passive observer and armchair general to active participant in his plan to collect and wield the six Infinity Stones.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Scene: The Whole Movie

Significance: Unfortunately, it’s difficult to pick out any specific scene or scenes in particular that are more important for Infinity War. It is highly recommended to watch the entire movie, since the events of Civil War establish the character relationships and alliances that will echo into the beginning of Infinity War (at least among the characters on Earth).

Doctor Strange (2016)

Scene: Doctor Strange learns about the Time Stone

After defeating Dormammu (Benedict Cumberbatch), Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) returns the Eye of Agamotto to Kamar-Taj in Nepal. Once the Eye is placed onto a special pedestal, Wong (Benedict Wong) appears and tells Strange that the Eye is actually an Infinity Stone. Strange expresses confusion and Wong tells him that in spite of his gift for the mystic arts, he still has much to learn, adding that death will spread through the Multiverse if the Earth does not have a Sorcerer Supreme to protect it. Strange assures Wong that they will be ready.

Significance: This scene establishes that the Time Stone currently resides in Kamar-Taj in Nepal.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Scene 1: Loki revives Surtur

During the climax of the movie, Loki goes to the Asgardian vault to retrieve Surtur's crown. On his way to the Eternal Flame, in order to revive Surtur to cause Ragnarok and defeat Hela, Loki passes by the Tesseract and briefly stops to look at it.

Significance: This scene implies that afterwards, Loki is in possession of the Space Stone.

Scene 2: Mid-Credits

At the end of the movie, Thor, the new king of Asgard, has chosen to take his people to Earth to rebuild their civilization. When this scene begins, Loki asks Thor whether or not it's a good idea for him to return to Earth. Thor says it probably isn't, but he's confident everything will work out fine. As soon as he says this, a much larger ship, Sanctuary II, appears before them.

Significance: This scene confirms the current location of Thor and Loki.

Black Panther (2018)

Scene: Post-Credits

Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) wakes up in a tent in a Wakandan village and wanders out. He is met by Shuri (Letita Wright), who begins to help him with his recuperation.

Significance: This scene re-confirms that Bucky Barnes is currently within Wakanda and that he’s recovered in time for his appearance in Infinity War.

I hope this guide has been helpful. Have I left anything out or made a mistake in the descriptions? Any other scenes of note? Are you looking forward to Infinity War? Feel free to leave a comment below.