June 2026 [15-21]
Captain America: Civil War, Black Widow, Spider Noir S1
- Captain America: Civil War [2016] - 77
Another of this franchise that I would have placed high on my list before starting, Captain America: Civil War will likely still make it somewhere into the top, but also has some very goofy aspects that make it a difficult watch. Though billed as a “Captain America” movie, it’s actually an ensemble closer to one of the Avengers films with a bit of a highlighter over his journey specifically. Featuring more of the excellent choreography and bad editing of Winter Soldier, Civil War promises a lot more than it delivers during its action sequences, though they do remain fun to watch and better than much of the MCU in general. Introducing both Black Panther and Spider-Man in the same film is an interesting decision that somehow works, but also not attempting at all to mange Vision’s level of power is really silly and distracting. I like that this movie rounds out to be about the internal disbanding of the Avengers by someone no more powerful than you or I, but some of the steps to get there require intentionally deceptive storytelling to keep information from the audience, and I cannot stand when films do that. So, all in all, Captain America: Civil War does still hold a higher spot than several other things because it’s just so damn fun, but it suffers greatly from Marvel’s constant inability to have a serious conversation about anything or to allow proper development of any given concept.
- Black Widow [2021] - 58
I’d love to begin and end this review by saying “And then there was Black Widow,” and moving on, but I won’t. Similar to my issues with Civil War, Black Widow has interesting concepts, great characters, and wants to tell a meaningful story, but gets so wrapped up in trying to be a spy-thriller/found-family drama that it forgets how to be any of those five words, much less all of them. Awful VFX plague already wretched pacing and stupid plot points, and it’s really awkward to have your titular character entirely overshadowed by her supporting cast [antagonist, Taskmaster, included]… Even though that’s ultimately fine because, both Red Guardian and Yelena Belova are overall more interesting, funnier, and less one-note characters [Huzzah for Thunderbolts*]. Black Widow is also one of the only films to open moments after the previous with a direct tie-in to contextualize events… But that concept is instantly thrown away and the Sokovia Accords are forgotten just as fast as they’re remembered… Something the rest of the MCU will continue to do because meaningful conflict is hard.
- Spider Noir S1 [2026] - 60
And then there was Spider Noir. Not part of my MCU journey, but something we’ve been watching during meals and such, Spider Noir is… Fine. It’s kind of fun at times, it’s kind of funny at others, some of the effects are cool when watching it in B/W, and the color treatment is unique in its own way, but the whole thing is just sorta “OK”. Annoyingly hand-holdy elements of the story are both distracting and pointless, the visual style is never taken far enough or used boldly enough, and the whole production feels too modern and kitchy to be of much interest beyond a simple “well that’s sorta neat”. I’ve gone back and watched the final episode as well, because I had an inkling that it was the only one you truly needed to get the story… And it is. Sure, everything else gives context to the events therein, but they aren’t necessary to understand what’s happening. Accolade? Criticism? I lean more to the latter as it makes me feel the rest of the show wasted my time but, like most shows, I guess that makes my largest complaint about Spider Noir that it’s too long and too empty. Oh well.
