Thanks to YouTube Ronald Mitchell for hosting this video!
Not only does this episode have a Super Hero Squad version of the Punisher, and he is as intense as I imagine the censors would allow.
The sweet part of the episode is when the Squadies are looking for a new place to stay, they head over to Repit’s house and we see a slew of posters on his walls.
We see Kitty and Lockheed as posters!
Of course, Doctor Strange is a huge part of the episode but the whole episode stays in my memory due to that moment at the 8:11 mark.
Speaking of which, this is – of course – one of the Marvel 25th Anniversary cover!
Just like the Transformers issue, Carlin does a great job of introducing the characters by having everyone state their name or address the other person by their full time. Sometimes both.
Issue opens with Prince Adam and Orko having a friendly competition with Rio Blast and Snout Spout. I feel like I own Rio Blast’s action figure but I know for sure that I own Snout Spout, Prince Adam and Orko.
Seeing Prince Adam’s sword, took me right back to being a kid and how the art team did a great job of making everyone look just like their action figure plus accessories!
Rio Blast mistakes Snout Spout’s nose for a snake and we get the first of three references (in two pages!) that he really hates snakes. Which makes sense as Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom is still fresh on people’s mind.
Rio Blast isn’t going to have a good time as this issue is titled, Snakes Alive!
At one point, Prince Adam calls Orko, Ork and that doesn’t seem right. Did he do that on the cartoon? I get that it makes it seem like they are friends but it sounds wrong in my head.
So the winning duo are named, but they keep bickering with each other.
Meanwhile, at Snake Mountain. Which is the right name, but looks nothing like the cartoon. Here it is like a small village, whereas the cartoon has it being a giant mountain, the shape of a snake.
Skeletor is tired of coming up with all the schemes. He brings in Kobra Khan. He tells Skeletor about the legendary Snake Men.
I own these toys – King Hiss, Tung Lashor and Rattlor.
Kobra Khan came with a pack on his back that would spray water.
King Hiss, from the waist up, will break off – revealing a torso of snakes.
The Snake Men agree to help Skeletor find He-Man, in hopes that the hero will help them thwart Skeletor and they can be the Masters of the Universe.
They find our heroes and capture Cringer.
Adam was about to transform when Rio Blast and Snout Spout shows up to help. The duo split up and Adam does his thing.
How amazing does that page look? Wilson and Janke really did an excellent job with this entire issue.
The duo even split up from each other, they bicker that much!
Orko, unlike the cartoon, is able to successfully perform magic and teleports the two to Snake Mountain.
/
I owned Castle Grayskull and my wife was cool enough to own Snake Mountain. If only we knew each other then. We also own She-Ra’s palace.
I also owned Skeletor’s two gauntlets, Snap-Dragon.
He-Man gets distracted by the Snake Men and Skeletor grabs his sword of power.
The duo are now regretting splitting from each other, almost as if there is a lesson there!
Skeletor sends the Snake Men to fight the duo. The heroes, once united, defeats them. Rio Blast is able to overcome his disdain for snakes.
Orko casts another spell, giving He-Man, his sword back.
Orko wants He-Man to kill Skeletor. He-Man isn’t going to do that. Weirdly, Skeletor says aloud, “He is stalling! He never ends our conflicts. Curse you!” Does Skeletor want He-Man to kill him? Bizarre!
There is a page of Spider-Man saving a kid who was trying to crawl down a wall. Don’t do that kids!
The Snake Men leave. Snout Spout grabs Skeletor, but he vanishes. The day is saved.
Pretty good issue, brought tons of memories back for me. Now I am in a mood for more He-Man!
This website has the entire comic, you have to work to read it in page order but still, a great resource.
. . .
I can’t do a He-Man post without having the awesome theme song represented!
Thanks to YouTuber Its a Blast from the Past for hosting the video!
Also, one of my favorite aspects of the franchise is the He-Man / She-Ra Secret of the Sword origin story. Mostly for the incredible song that I can never get tired of, and I am happy to finally have an excuse to post it on here.
Thanks to YouTuber silvap for hosting it! Love how the film makers went all out to make the opening sequence feel like a real movie.
So cheesy but I love it so much.
YouTuber gutz1981 compiled the entire movie and put it on YouTube. That’s pretty thoughtful!
Not as cheesy as the Christmas special. Oh man, that is terrific too!
YouTuber He-Man Official is hosting that video as well! I remember learning that He-Man’s mother is from Earth blowing my mind.
I’ll end this revisit to my childhood mentioning the Masters of the Universe with Dolph Lundgren and a young Courtney Cox.
Thanks YouTuber kegorogers for hosting the movie trailer.
The film is okay, and I get why Orko and Battle Cat are not present and that they had to get Earth involved as non-cartoon lovers wouldn’t see a movie based entirely on the children’s cartoon.
If you watch it as if it was a lame adaption of a beloved animated series or as a weak Jack Kirby’s Fourth World film.
Apparently they are in development for another He-Man film but I will believe it once casting officially begins.
There has been additional He-Man cartoons.
Thanks to YouTuber joezilla1995 for hosting this video, bless you!
1990’s New Adventures of He-Man – no good
Thanks to YouTuber CartoonIntro, the animation is very good!
The 2002 series, which was interesting but I couldn’t get over the fact that I may be too old for it now. Plus, I feel like Cartoon Network moved it around the schedule too much and I didn’t have a DVR to just record new episodes easily. Now, I could totally follow it.
By this point, I had stopped buying New Mutants as Magik had graduated to the big league and was a member of Cyclops’ Extinction Team. I had heard this was a great crossover, with it winning the Best Crossover Award over at the Comic Book Resources X-Books forum.
This was at the time when the Asgardians were living in Broxton, Oklahoma. I’m not sure why they are there, I vaguely remember it was due to that being where they were reborn after Ragnarok. My only interaction with it was during the Siege crossover as that is where the bulk of the story takes place.
The cast of characters are :
Journey into Mystery – Loki / Thor / Hela / Tyr / Leah / Fandral / Volstagg / Hogun
New Mutants – Warlock / Sunspot / Magma / Cypher / Dani / X-Man
The recap page is done by a young boy who is doing it as if it was a board game, which makes sense in the middle of the comic when we see him again. This is the only part of the crossover that I own (or will own) so any unanswered questions are just going to have to be that. Though it does a decent job of exposing the world.
This issue opens with the New Mutants, in San Francisco, and some people have disappeared, as Dani says. Doug corrects her, a running theme of the issue, that when gods disappear – they are banished. oh Doug, learn to read a room!
Dani wants to call the Broxton police as they will know who to contact in the Asgardian community to let them know that Aesir and Disir are either dead or banished.
Dani’s next step, and the reason why I bought this, is to go to Utopia and get Magik. Magik can trace the energy signature and be able to send the team after the trail. Sunspot pipes up stating that she is their resident magical guru.
Just then, they are home again and eating Doug’s muffins. They are acting as if that’s what they have been doing this entire time. Actually, the muffins are from next door but Doug is going to use his power as food is a language and he can get the receipe via eating it. I’m not sure if that is how his power can actually do, I know it is in a comic and he said it but from what I’ve read Abnett & Lanning, collectively known as DnA (their first names – though I do wonder if Lanning ever doesn’t care for it as it is essentially just Abnett’s initials), they really pushed Doug’s power to some high limits.
Dani also questions if that is how his powers works, which may be a meta message as Gillen might be questioning his partner writers in Doug’s powers.
X-Man walks into the room and slaps the muffin out of Dani’s hands (he’s a jerk!) and he explains how today is Saturday and the last thing everyone should remember is that it was only Friday night mere seconds ago. Doug pipes up that he can also see that time has been rewritten.
Dani starts speaking aloud, about how Sigurd had unrolled a piece of paper. To which Doug corrects her that it is called, a scroll. Oh Doug, if you ever had a chance with Dani – you are losing it!
The doorbell rings and there is a blonde mechanic outside, apologizing for the delay in fixing their vehicle. He’s speaking with the Asgardian font – which get use to it as once we leave the team, everyone talks in that font.
The mechanic had to repair the church and so that caused the delay in their car repair so he knock a few hundred dollars off. The church is where a woman support group meets, which that group gets mention later in the issue as well.
Magma is given the keys to the car, as they are mesmerized by the mechanic. He is force to comment on how they are just staring at the poor guy. He leaves as he is given no response.
Once he is gone, Sunspot shouts that was Thor and they all run after the mechanic. The mechanic has made it to his garage, so the New Mutants must have been staring off at him for quite some time.
I’m being confused by the setting of the story, are they in San Francisco or are they in Braxton with the Asgardians? Or is there a weird divide and they can be in two locations at the same time? I’m sure those types of answers were established in the first story.
So the New Mutants confront the mechanic, he laughs at being called, Thor. He is a blonde mechanic with a giant hammer, he gets a lot. He also makes a reference to the awesome Elizabeth Shue film, Adventures in Babysitting.
Thanks to YouTuber geligniteandallies for hosting the video!
Yes, that is Vincent D’Onofrio! He’s going to be the Kingpin in the Netflix Daredevil series.
I still wonder what made the scriptwriter, David Simkins, write Thor into the script. So funny now, back in 1987, Marvel would have let anyone use their characters (hence the reason why FOX owns X-Men and Fantastic Four and Sony has Spider-Man) but Disney made Adventures in Babysitting (via Touchstone Pictures) and now they own Marvel, so they can have Thor be in all of their films. If only!
Speaking of Thor, I like the character, I just have some caveats. I like him on Earth, for the most part. I get he’s an Asgardian but I have no real interest in the day to day of that. I mostly like him in team environments or when he is surrounded by other known characters, like in a crossover event. The only time I ever bought his solo ongoing was after Heroes Return when Dan Jurgens (of Superman fame) and John Romita Jr. was on art. That was such a great series! Plenty of guest stars and they did do Asgard but they made it interesting.
Anyway, what I’m getting at is that I really like Adventures in Babysitting and I’m surprised it took this long to make a reference to it in Thor related comic. Unless it happens more than I know but I doubt it.
So the Asgardians (who I’m not sure know that they are Asgardians or if they fake it in case people are ease dropping) dress in everyday clothes and have regular jobs. Fandral enters the garage and speaks with Thor about the mistaken identity. Fandral’s name is Andy and Thor’s is Arthur (get it?)
In another house, young children named, Luke and Leia (yep) are in their house alone. Luke is playing a board game of strategy and Leia is tired of him playing with himself (the comic makes the joke!). I get the impression that Luke is the one who is behind all of the mysterious goings on.
Leia gets bored of him and goes into their mother’s recycling truck as she just showed up. Helen shouts, bring out your dead (so she must be Hela) and Leia comments on how that makes everyone around them uncomfortable.
Luke apparently was dragged along on this quest. He goes into a bakery as he wants some glazed doughnuts. We see that Volstagg is the baker and that he has eaten all the glazed doughnuts as his face, belly and hands are covered in glaze.
A blonde lady enters the bakery (this must be the same baker that Doug was talking about) looking for the gluten-free, unseeded, non-dairy, unsugared, unleavened buns. Volstagg, of course, hasn’t eaten those and thus, the buns are available. She is buying them for the support group.
There is a cute moment when the blonde lady says that Volstagg looks delicious and he asks her to repeat it and she says the buns look delicious.
Luke leaves disappointed and gets chased by a dog.
Tiffany offers Luke to join her self-defense class and he turns her down. Another man states that he is happy with that decision as Luke is already a handful.
Luke runs into the New Mutants. Apparently, he is a fan of them. He is glad that he ran into them as he was thinking of stalking them. He likes that they are hated and feared and wonders if that means they get better service now. Poor Luke is hated but he’s not feared.
Luke goes on to comment about how he is half mutant and sent in an application to the Jean Grey School. Then he doesn’t know if that is insulting or not, and asks them which side (of the Schism) are they on.
Dani tries to put a stop to this one sided conversation but Luke keeps going on about how he was Wolverine for Halloween.
Dani finally breaks in and says that he is Loki. Which didn’t even dawn on me. Maybe because I’ve been saying it to myself as Luke in the traditional sense but sometimes the caption boxes call him “Luc” like “Look” which would make more sense.
Luke / Loki states that she has the wrong guy. So in the previous issue, is when Loki become Kid Loki – and started on his path of capturing the hearts and minds of comic fans. Dani is a Valkyrie and can see Kid Loki for who he really is. She tries to remind him about Sigurd and what happened the previous night.
Doug announces that he is the trickster of Asgard and no spell can hold him back. Poor Kid Loki goes into a spasm.
Magma gets bad at Doug, he was only trying to do what Magik would have done in this situation.
Kid Loki now remembers who he rightfully is. He wants a helmet to fell complete again.
Dani wants answers, Kid Loki tells them that they need to all go to Sigurd’s abode and search for clues – just like they do on television.
At Sigurd’s place. Doug has found some armor. Sunspot found a bunch of take-out food. Kid Loki arrives in a Grant Morrison styled X-Uniform. which is way to big for him.
Sigurd shows up, he’s hungry. Dani starts asking a slew of questions. She wants to know what happened to the Disir. Whenever Sigurd says the name, it is written D-i-s-i-r, I have no idea the significance of that.
Apparently the Disir eat Asgardians, so they are the woman who are starving themselves. So he cast a spell that made all Asgardians forget who they are. Magma states that there were good Asgardians who now don’t know who they are. Sigurd’s only response is that that is a shame. Dani’s comeback of, you took out one of the greatest heroes in history and all you can say for yourself is that it is a shame. That’s a funny line!
Sigurd isn’t a magician, he bought the spell so the dealer should have a counter-spell.
Kid Loki needs some time to come up with a counter-spell.
Sigurd starts hitting on Dani, she is the hot one of the group, even with Magma standing right there. Oh, the irony!
In an alley, a dog is barking at a cat. The blonde from the bakery picks up the cat and devours it. So the Disir are cats, I guess? Now the starving women have something to eat, they should all be happy!
That’s how the issue ends, seems like it should be a pretty good story but I’m out of it.
After two months of no music videos being played, in the store, they have come back in full force!
My favorite has been, Leon Bridge’s Better Man –
Thanks to LeonBridgeVEVO for hosting the video.
This song makes me smile, everytime it comes on.
Metric’s The Shade, is also super catchy. The video Hastings airs, is just a picture of “The Shade” that I wish they will update to the official video, but they won’t.
Thanks to metricmusic for hosting their video.
See how the second one isn’t all that exciting? You look at it, and just keep on shopping.
This third and final one, took me a few listens before coming around on it. That’s the thing about Hastings’ tron, it will always wear you down.
Robert DeLong’s Don’t Wait Up
Thanks to RobertDeLongVEVO for hosting his video.
Took some work, to even figure out who he was, and what the song was called. I’ve been referring to it as “Restless Mind” but that’s not the title.
I’ve heard this song only twice now, on the radio and I sort of love it. It is so unique on the Top 40 station, and I completely get why it isn’t played more often. I also like how someone took the time to write a song about Peter Pan, not for a related film but just because, that’s pretty awesome.
My wife, who is a big Peter Pan fan – not as big as she is of The Little Mermaid – she wasn’t as impress with this song but she’s coming along. Now I just want to see this song a few more times before it is off the airwaves.
There is an Original Trek meets Original X-Men (plus Bishop, Storm and Wolverine – of course) but that one doesn’t involve Kitty so it lacks being in my collection. This one, involves the best series of the Star Trek franchise – The Next Generation. Largely due to them having the best captain, Jean-Luc Picard. Though those first two seasons are hard to watch, largely due to the heavy focus on Wesley Crusher and Data. So the next generation of the Enterprise meets the next generation of the X-Men.
This story takes place a minute after Star Trek : First Contact –
Thanks to YouTuber Nathan Travis for hosting the trailer!
In that film, old nemesis (and possibly the most dangerous) The Borg go back in time to stop humans “first contact” with an alien race. Hence why this is titled, Second Contact. The Enterprise is in back in time, already but not only go further in time but they also go into an alternate universe where the X-Men are.
In fact, this comic starts one minute after the end credits of that film. Which I really need to see if I can find a copy of the film to watch.
The cast of the two teams are –
Star Trek : Next Generation : Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William T. Rider, Commander Data, Commander Deanna Troi, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge, Lt. Commoner Worf and the Borg. X-Men : Wolverine, Storm, Angel, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Banshee, Kang, Sentinels and the Thunderbolts.
Captain’s Log. April 5, 2063 – or so. The Enterprise is trying to wade through time to get back to their present. Once out of warp, they notice they are not near their Earth.
Editor “Continuity Chief” Timothy Tuohy lets us know that this issue takes place before X-Men Zero Tolerance, Heroes Return and Thunderbolts 10 – so we know exactly where we are.
Their attempt to go forward in time has caused them to go backwards in time. Geordi informs them that they need to replace their processing core. Crusher tries to explain that this primitive Earth shouldn’t have that type of continuity. Riker corrects her, there is Shi’ar tech that has been located and will work. Little do they know how much alien life has come into contact with this Earth. Picard is going to send two away teams – to the two locations in North America that has the technology they need.
The first team – Worf, Riker and Crusher, come across the Thunderbolts. In the late 90s, in Star Trek time, New York City should be in the Eugenics War. The three have come to the Baxter Building, which is currently the homebase of the Thunderbolts. Their twelfth issue is so great.
Since the first team came across costume folk, they abandon that goal and try a nice country home in Westchester.
Banshee likes that the X-Men have come together, not during a time of crisis, but to just hang out. This really is a decent group of seven X-Men. Angel serves as the Original Five placeholder; Kitty, Kurt and even Colossus represent Excalibur as well as the inclusion of Storm and Wolverine adds to the 35th Anniversary era. Banshee is the lone holdout, except he adds another face from the Second Class of X-Men.
Kitty likes it when they gather too.
The second away team is – Geordi, Data and Troi. Geordi locates the Shi’ar tech behind a panel. Before he can make much progress, Wolverine pops his two outer claws around Geordi’s throat. Data grabs Wolverine by the shoulder and merely flings him across the room. We get a fun match up between Data and Colossus. Colossus throws a punch, Data tries to catch it but ends up on the other side of the room, as well.
Troi gets between the boyz and quickly explains that they are from the Enterprise. Wolverine recognizes the name of the starship from the previous teamup.
Later, Picard can’t believe that he is following in the footsteps of his most illustrious predecessor.
Such a great double splash page of two groups together. The X-Men took the time to get dressed, as did Geordi, Data and Troi.
We get a very quick recap of the previous crossover. Picard also recaps his film, so now everyone knows what happened before they each woke up this morning.
Kitty, as the smartest person in the room, announces that the Enterprise being here is causing a major upset in the timestream.
I love how much Wolf and Wolverine (who are great together) are so over timelines and alternate Earths. A stable of both franchises.
Troi states that an evil presence is is about to arrive.
That force is . . . Kang! An Avengers villain but the X-Men don’t really have a time traveling foe so the villain borrowing makes sense. Always better to use an established character instead of creating a new one.
Is only Banshee facing Kang? That’s not good staging on Kang’s behalf.
Kang doesn’t waste too much time explaining the stakes. There is a grave disruption in the time space continuities, so the two franchises’ histories are about to mix. As fun as it is to read, it isn’t great for the characters. There are two huge anomalies that need intimidate attention.
I do like Picard and Storm having asides with each other.
Riker’s providing a log. Kang gave them eight chronal compass watches, so there will be two groups of four characters. Team One is – Colossus, Picard, Troi and Kurt. Team Two is – Wolverine, Data, Storm and Worf. A bit of an odd grouping for both sets. At least Wolverine and Worf makes sense. Surprised the writers didn’t try to put Colossus and Data on the same teams, or some other fun combo like Picard and Storm on the same team.
That leaves poor Kitty, Angel and Banshee just standing around on the Enterprise-E.
Team One goes to the Days of Future Past timeline – the most famous of the X-Men’s alternate histories. Makes sense that Colossus is on this team as his future self is in the storyline. Storm was too so she really should have been on this team. I guess Wolverine and Kitty could have been there too.
Kurt talks about this as if it makes perfect sense, I guess Rachel probably painted a very visual telling of this future. 2013 is still the far future, in the late 90s. Filthy flatscans begin to throw rocks at the mutants and Starfleet officers. Sentinels arrive on scene and everyone scatters.
Team Two. Data recognizes that they are in the middle of The Battle of Wolf 359 –
This happens during Star Trek Next Generation’s Best of Both Worlds Part II and Deep Space Nine’s pilot, Emissary, during Captain Sisko’s flashback. Picard was assimilated into the Borg fold at this point. The Borg use his knowledge of Starfleet to make short work of the opposition.
The battle from Emissary –
Thanks to YouTuber Psyker Sith for hosting this video.
The aftermath (and the lead up) from Best of Both Worlds, Part II –
Thanks to YouTuber Mad Monkey for hosting this video.
So for those folks who are not familiar with Star Trek / Borg canon, that’s the best I can do. I hope it helps.
Worf and Wolverine start tearing into the Borg. Storm whips up a tornado, which may not be the smartest move on a spaceship. With a lightning strike, the Borg are taken out.
Days of Future Past. Picard takes down a Sentinel. As do Colossus and Kurt. Troi feels like something is missing. Kang, talking aloud, to himself. He reveals, to himself, his own plans, that the anomalies are keeping history together, so once the heroes fix those two pieces – history should be for Kang’s taking.
On the bridge of the Enterprise. Two officers are getting restless, as Kitty has to watch on. Just then, Wesley Crusher and the Traveler arrive.
Traveler explains how Kang is tricking them into doing his bidding. The anomalies need to stay in place, as time fixes itself.
I do like the idea of Wesley and Kitty being a pair. Traveler is going to guide the Enterprise to where Kang is. Mr. Crusher and Ms. Pryde are going to warn the teams.
As the two youngsters leave, Banshee and Angel reflect on how Kitty has grown up.
Battle of Wolf 359. Sisko is giving orders to Thunderbird, so we know he is the anomaly. Now we just need Sunfire and all of the Second Class folks would be present. Well, and Cyclops too, I suppose.
Wolverine is about to kill Thunderbird (as he’s better than Count Nefaria, I guess). Luckily, Kitty arrives and hugs Wolverine. Wesley is forced to yell at Data to not do anything that Kang told them to do. Storm wants an explanation, I would have just taken Kitty at her word. I’m good like that.
Just then, Sisko is about to be killed when Proudstar takes the hit – like a champ.
Data suspects that Kang wanted Sisko to die so that he never becomes the Emissary of the Prophets. Wesley tells them to use their watches to go back to the Enterprise. Kitty and him need to catch up to the other team. Worf respects how brave Kitty is.
Kang breaks a monitor, as the Enterprise attacks. Kang isn’t gong to go down quietly.
Days of Future Past. We get to see Tasha Yar filling in for Rachel Grey, as Kate Pryde sleeps. Well, as she’s back in the 80s and it is really Kitty’s mind that is taking the nap.
Kurt is able to work in the phase “Days of Future Past” which can’t be easy to do.
Troi confirms this isn’t their Tasha Yar.
Picard can’t bring himself to kill Yar. Wesley and Kitty arrive to stop what Picard has already decided to not do.
Borg inspired Sentinels break through the walls.
I don’t quite get how Tasha Yar was able to send Kate’s mind back to the past, that isn’t part of her skill set. She was a kick arse Security Chief.
Troi volunteers to replace Yar and get the two Prydes minds back to their rightful bodies.
Colossus and Kitty are taking out SentiBorgs.
Wait, did Colossus fastball special Kitty? He’s been doing that since before Whedon did it, that’s pretty awesome.
Kitty destroys a head of a SentiBorg and lands. She sees Troi syncing Yar and Kate’s minds.
Kitty, for the first time, witnesses the event that has been a pretty pivotal moment in her history. One of the first real defining stories of hers.
Wait, am I reading Troi’s dialogue correctly? Kate’s mind is going back to Tasha Yar’s younger mind? Shouldn’t this have been Rachel doing this to a sleeping Yar? That would have make more sense.
Riker, Banshee and the Traveler are on Kang’s ship. As soon as Traveler is finished tampering with Kang’s ship, the come back to the bridge. Picard and the gang are waiting for him.
The two ships begin a fire fight. The Enterprise ends the duel with a win.
Captain’s Log, Kang’s ship imploded onto itself. Kitty kisses Wesley on the cheek! If only we could get a tad more of that relationship. The two teams say their good byes.
The X-Men return to Earth and one second later, are beginning the adventure of Planet X, which we’ll be reviewing in a few days.
Thanks to YouTuber I am a Robot Slave! (and How!) for hosting the video.
Not sure if this is who originally was behind running this ad but I saw it plenty in Arizona and it was at the head of two or three DVDs that I own.
The line that haunts me is at the :10 to :13 second mark. With the DJ Player that says “hip and cool” and then does the classic DJ vinyl scratching.
I’m not sure what it is about it that has stuck with me for so long but every so often, I want to say “hip and cool” and then follow it up with some sweet DJ pantomiming.
The YouTube info box states that it was published on August 22, 2011 – which may be how long it has stuck with me but I feel like it has been more than three years so I’m not sure.
I’ve never smoked as I was a Nancy Reagan kid with the whole “Just Say No” campaign. Though I was never offered it either so I never got to say those words but that’s good for me. Also a graduate of the DARE program and I want to say my junior high school (shout outs to Gila Vista Junior High) started the GANG program in eighth grade but I don’t recall if we completed it. I just know we had three visits from police officers (maybe two?) and we learn what the different street names for drugs were and what they looked like.
There was also this one statistic that I read when I was ten, perhaps, that said that if you never smoke by the age of nineteen – you will probably never will. So that was my main goal growing up. Well, a background goal. An ongoing goal. One of those.
My policies with drugs have always been that as long as the person can handle their high, then that’s fine by me. Just don’t endanger me and mine.
Thanks to justintimberlakeVEVO for hosting his video.
Like most people, I’m sort of addicted to this song. It is super catchy! I type that as someone who isn’t a huge JT fan, most of his popular songs don’t sound like songs to me. Like Sexy Back, is he even singing on that track?
This song is for DreamWorks’ Trolls, that should be out on November 3rd, I believe. I’m hoping the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trolls make it to the film.
I’m not sure if that movie is working under the rules of the Lego Film wherein they have the rights to everything Troll but those were the only ones I ever bought. I’m sure I was given some or gotten one for free but I wasn’t ever swept up in it. My sister had a subscription to Troll magazine and had a lot more of them.
The Trolls film I had already decided I wasn’t going to track the film but then this song came out and I had to look the film up.
There is a more star studded music video –
that VEVO channel hosted this video too.
The stars are – the beatufiul Anna Kendrick, the funny late night host Josh Cordan, Gwen Stafani, @Midnight alum and super funny Ron Funches, Big Bang Theory’s Kuanal Nayyar. The two ladies with the puppies, I didn’t know but that’s Icona Pop.
I know I’ve posted this before but –
Saturday Night Live’s (who hosted this video) Dongs All Over the World, features Anna Kendrick and has an appearance by Icona Pop. Such a fun song!
JustinTimberlakeVEVO hosted this video as well.
I wouldn’t mind if they posted the full video of the stars dancing but they smartly released Anna Kendricks and it is awesome! Is there anything she’s not great in? I doubt it as I’ve seen a lot of her films.
Special thanks to our friends, Tina & Damian for watching Walker Dennis for nearly four hours before we made it back to pick him up. Without them, we’ll never watch movies in the theater.
This film is an absolute blast!
We are going for full spoilers here.
In 1991, we see Winter Soldier being sent on a mission to kill two targets.
In Largos. The film puts the year and the countries’ names in giant white text, which feels like a bold choice. I really like how we first see Captain America leading his team of Avengers – Falcon, Black Widow and Wanda. They are chasing Crossbones and we see some great team dynamics. Everyone gets a moment to shine. Unfortunately, one of Wanda’s moments is that Crossbones tries to kill himself (and Cap) and she starts floating him to the sky. He doesn’t quite make it there and explodes, taking out an entire floor.. Seven Wakandans were in the building, and are now dead.
At MIT, Tony gives a speech and a demonstration of a new therapy tool. It lets you essentially have a holodeck session from Star Trek Next Generation. He relives a moment with his father (returning John Slattery) and his mother, played by the beautiful and elegant Hope Davis! I’ve liked Hope Davis ever since I saw Mumford – one of my all time favorite films! We see a young CGI Robert Downy Jr. that looks like it could have been from one of his earliest films. Though the scene lasts too long and I start thinking about how it is only slightly better than the face lifts that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan received in X3. We get the first hints that Tony and Pepper are no longer a couple.
Jim Rash, of Community fame – who the Russo Brothers directed this film (and Winter Solider AND the next two Avengers films) also directed Rash in several episodes of Community.
General Ross, now the Secretary of Defense, has come to the Avengers Compound with news. I like how William Hurt came back to reprise his role. He is there to tell them about the Sokovia Accords. Cap is not a fan of the Accords. The UN is run by dudes, and dudes have agendas. What if they don’t approve of a mission that the Avengers really want to go on or are told to go on a mission that they don’t want to be involved with.
I’m not sure how anyone can be Team Tony but I’m definitely Team Cap, I was back in the original comic storyline and I’m still committed.
Vision makes a few good points but he’s wrong as he is on Team Tony. Vision makes an argument about escalation, buy does his best not to use that word as that is how Batman Begins ended with that incredible speech of Commissioner Gordon’s.
I do like Vision and Wanda together, I wish it had more romantic undertones, instead of me reading too much into their moments.
Him wearing that sweater is pretty great too.
If they don’t sign the Accords, those members will no longer be Avengers.
The character who will later be revealed to be Baron Zemo – played amazingly by Daniel Bruhl, torments a retired Russian general. I sort of recognize him from Inglourious Basterds, at least, I can visualize him from it. I need to watch Rush to see him with Chris Hemsworth. I’ve never seen this before but he hangs the general upside down, so that his head is in the sink. The sink continues to fill so that, ideally, the water will rise to the point that it goes above his nose. Seems like a truly gruesome way to torture someone and to die. He really wants to know where Winter Soldier was kept in 1991. Oh, we saw earlier that Winter Solider can be controlled by repeating 12 words in a certain sequence.
Cap gets a message that Peggy Carter died in her sleep. We go to LONDON for her funeral. We see the lovely Emily Vancamp from Winter Solider and ABC’s Revenge. She’s back as Sharon Carter. She recites the amazing speech from Amazing Spider-Man 537 –
Such a great speech and Emily really nails it. We can see that Cap likes her too, she’s Peggy’s niece.
We never see her wear this –
but bravo someone tricky her to get into this outfit and getting photographed.
Vancamp and Chris Evans have great chemistry together. There is a moment where the two kiss and Falcon & Winter Solider totally see it and give Cap thumbs up, like jerk best friends. We don’t get enough of this but whenever Falcon and Winter Solider are together, their rivalry is so fun to watch. They are both best friends of Steve’s and they know it and hate it.
Vision is alone with Wanda, she doesn’t know it yet but she’s not allowed to leave. She likes Vision and we can tell he likes her, but there isn’t enough romantic tension for my taste. Wanda is playing the role of Nitro in this but is then quickly forgotten about, for a sizeable chuck of the film. I guess that happened to Nitro too, in the first quarter, he was mentioned a bunch but then the story moves away from him and he’s forgotten. Outside of the Wolverine tie-in issues, of course.
VIENNA. The Accords are being signed by like 119 countries. We meet T’Chaka, the current King of Wakanda. So we know something horrible is going to happen to him. He seems very friendly. T’Challa is standing by a window and sees an oddly parked white van. The van explodes and T’Chaka dies. The world suspects that Winter Soldier was the cause of the explosion. Cap and Falcon go off to bring him in, ahead of the military and police. Black Widow tells them not to as they are not signed Avengers.
T’Challa is played by Chadwick Boseman who was Jackie Robinson in 42. A film I still need to watch. I know him from a nonhit NBC show, Persons Unknown, that we watched on Hulu or Netflix, years later and I still think about to this day, like three years later. He was also on Lincoln Heights, a show my wife started watching, as she watched nearly everything on ABC Family but not so much now that it is Free Foam. At first, T’Challa is bad arse but it isn’t until the final scenes of the film when I became all about Black Panther. I do like the character, especially written by Christopher Priest and his “Sturm und Drang,” Black Panther Volume Three Issues 26 – 29. Such a great storyline that involves all of the Kings of Marvel – Black Panther, Magneto, Namor and Doctor Doom. So great!
We are introduced to Everett Ross, played by Martin Freeman, Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit films. I wish we got a scene with Everett Ross and T’Challa, that would have been fun for this Christopher Priest fan. I really need to watch BBC’s Sherlock, especially now that Freeman (Watson) and Benedict Cumberpatch (Sherlock) are now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also, Doctor Who’s Steven Moffat is heavily involved in the series. Plus, the seasons are way short so I should be able to do so. I’m working my way through X-Men Evolution Season Two (expect to see that post one of these days) and the OC (a show I’ve been wanting to watch for a long time and Hulu now has) then maybe I can watch Sherlock then. If my wife doesn’t want to watch it as well. We like Elementary so she might want to see Sherlock, same characters but that’s all they have in common.
The chase sequence with Winter Solider being chased by Captain America, who is being chased by Black Panther who is being followed by Falcon, is so great! Black Panther, in action, is a real treat to see. That stairway sequence that starts it, and how Cap doesn’t want to fight the German police but he has to protect his friend Bucky, is so much fun.
BERLIN. Cap and Tony are arguing about what to do. Zemo reads the twelve words and now the Winter Soldier is his. I like how Cap and Tony are about to reach an agreement but Tony says one wrong thing and Cap backs out of the deal. Tony’s dad mentioned a bunch over the years, how he knew Captain America, in his younger days. The government has taken Cap and Falcon’s equipment. Steve chases Winter Solider and has this great moment, on the roof, when he grabs a rail and the helicopter that Winter Solider is using to escape and Steve actually prevents the helicopter from taking off. He’s so strong!
Bucky, finally under his own control, reveals that Zemo wants the other five would-be Winter Soldiers.
We begin the sequence of heroes recruiting heroes to fight their friends.
Sharon Carter gives back Cap and Falcon’s weapons. Cap recruits Hawkeye, who recruits Wanda. She takes out Vision, at the Avengers Compound. Hawkeye also recruits Scott Lang, Ant-Man and Paul Rudd’s first minutes are instantly classic. The film really takes a depature here as we lead up to one of the best scenes in a film, possibly ever. We’ll get to that in a few paragraphs. Ant-Man shakes Captain America’s hand, way to long. Lots of jokes here and I want another Ant-Man film, so quickly.
Meanwhile, Natasha and Tony chat. She wants to recruit Black Panther and Tony wants to recruit someone else. QUEENS. In a very small apartment, we see Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. I honestly thought we weren’t going to see the character outside of the airport scene so this entire scene (and how long it lasted) was a very pleasant surprise. We of course, meet Tom Holland, the third actor to play Peter Parker, in fifteen years. He sort of looks like a young Tobey Maguire – they both have wide faces. Maybe I’m crazy.
Turns out, RDJ and Tomei dated back in their early acting days. Both were together for films “Only You” and “Chaplin” which I’ve seen the second one but don’t quite remember Tomei being in it. I’ve liked Marisa Tomei but when I look at her films, I haven’t seen that many of them so I’m not sure where I really like her from. I didn’t care for My Cousin Vinny, not when it came out (I was too young) and I couldn’t get into it a few years ago either. Too much that Joe Pesci, I like mine a little more controlled like in JFK or in smaller doses like in the Lethal Weapon films. What Women Want, The Guru and Anger Management, I’ve seen her in, not large parts but she’s the aspect in those films. I don’t quite remember her from both Wild Hogs or Loverboy but I’ve seen those. She was interesting in Lincoln Lawyer, a film I couldn’t get into. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a good film, while she’s on screen. She was great in Crazy, Stupid, Love. I still want to watch the Wrestler. She had a small part in the great, The Big Short, film too.
Tom Holland is a new face to me, he’s great as Peter Parker and sign me up for that upcoming Marvel / Sony Spider-Man film. He tries his best to not repeat “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” when Tony asks him why he fights the good fight. Have to save that for his solo film, I suppose. I like how small their apartment is and how Peter had to build everything he wanted. Tony has great chemistry with Peter too, I’m glad RDJ is signed on for Spider-Man : Homecoming. I imagine at some point, that film will have a dancing scene in it.
The Airport Scene. So many great scenes leading up to this and out of this but this scene, I just want to watch again, if that’s possible without spending twenty dollars.
Thanks to Tumblr user, ageofsuperheroes, for the following images.
We get Team Cap –
vs Team Tony –
Plenty of images of Team Cap but it was so hard to find an image of Team Tony, I imagine due to Spider-Man.
It really is a great costume redesign –
I really like how they kept the white eyes, that’s crucial ever since Amazing Spider-Man did it right. I like the bold reds and the blues and how separate they look. I know there are smaller details that might bug me but overall, it is a costume I can approve of. I’m hoping that we don’t get too much of the make-shift outfit in his own film – I”m also hoping we don’t get an hour of origin story either – and so his solo film takes place 30 minutes before Civil War and the rest of his film takes place after the film.
We get some great matchups here. Spider-Man gets plenty of time to banter. Falcon has to tell him to stop at some point. Ant-Man gets flung from one of Hawkeye’s arrows into Iron Man’s suit. Black Widow fights Hawkeye. Black Panther gets to fight Winter Soldier. Falcon v War Machine. Ant-Man turns into Giant-Man, as there is an ant in every giant. That’s a WordWorld reference for you folks that don’t young children.
Thanks to YouTuber Abdoukarim Bonitzer for hosting that video!
Vision phases through Giant-Man, and Scott Lang freaks the heck out. I wish Kitty got to fight this much, like Vision does, in the X-Men films.
Captain America and Winter Solider steal the Avengers Quinjet, after Black Widow lets them do it. In the chase, Vision misses Falcon and hits War Machine, knocking him out of the sky. Poor Rhodey is nearly crippled by this action. Tony is sad that his friend is hurt.
I kept waiting for this meme to take place in the film, but that would have been too much fun in a film that is already pretty fun.
Black Widow knows she’s going to be in trouble and leaves. Spider-Man’s mask is lifted, providing a reason to have Holland on set, as he clearly could have been CGI-ed up to that last part, but clearly he was present as he has such a presence.
Bucky tells Cap, in the Quinjet, that he remembers all of his kills.
Tony, in his own jet – and this reminds me that I do sort of like Iron Man’s new armor. Mostly red with yellow highlights. He learns that Bucky was set up and that it was Zemo, dressed as Bucky, that blew up the United Nations. Tony goes to The Raft, where Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wanda and Falcon are being kept prisoner. Falcon reveals where Cap and Bucky went but only if Tony promises to go there as a friend and ally. Tony is all committed to this. Which I have to remember that we have yet to get the Cap/Bucky shield fight with Iron Man, which I can’t imagine how they get to that point. When they do, it is spectacular!
All the heroes, including Black Panther following Iron Man in a jet, make it to the snow base that Zemo has been trying to get all movie long. He killed the five would-be Winter Soldiers, he never wanted them. Behind a glass plated door, he starts a devastating film. We see the beginning of the tape from the beginning of the film, but now we see who Winter Soldier killed. Winter Soldier straight up killed Tony’s parents! Including Hope Davis!
If Cap was a good friend, he would let Tony beat on Bucky for like ten minutes and then break up the fight. Tony realizes that Bucky was under mind controlled but Winter Solider killed his mother so a beating must be thrown down.
Zemo, not a German (which is a real shame) is from Sokovia and has been listening to voicemails throughout the film of his wife about their son. They died, and by the time he got back to his family (he was on a mission) the Avengers were gone and his father were holding Zemo’s wife and son’s dead bodies. He thought they were safe living so far out of the city but since the entire country was air lifted, no one was safe. Zemo wanted to take the Avengers out from within. Which may not have completely worked but the Avengers have definitely said and done things that no one will be forgetting anytime soon.
Since Cap won’t let a rightful beating happen, he prolongs the fight by getting involved. At the end, Tony wants his dad’s invented shield back and Cap drops it. Iron Man took off Winter Soldier’s cybernetic arm.
Zemo is about to kill himself but Black Panther stops him and it is this moment that I really dig the character. His fight was never with Bucky so he changes to the proper target. Something Tony tried to do but his mother’s murderer is standing in front of him so justice must be beaten out.
Everett Ross has Zemo (who I also wish had some sort of purple fabric on) in the same prison cell that Winter Solider was in earlier. Zemo’s plans may have been stopped but he hints that he may have additional plans that are still playing out.
At the Avengers Compound, Tony got Rhodes some cybernetic leg braces. Stan Lee, as a FedEx carrier, asks Tony if he is “Tony Stank” which I and Rhodes enjoys. In the box, is an old school phone from Steve and a letter. Whenever Tony needs these (Secret) Avengers (that’s what I’m calling Cap’s team, in my mind) they will be there. As Cap is breaking out the Avengers from The Raft.
Credits start to roll and we get the mid-credit sequence wherein Black Panther agrees to put Bucky on ice until they can find that red Russian notebook with the twelve words. Cap’s cool with it but it seems an odd choice.
So then two minutes of credits and I have to use the bathroom so we missed the after credits scene.
Thanks to YouTuber Closery for hosting this video so that I could pee with peace of mind This would have been fun to have seen in proper quality and sound.
I forgot how Spider-Man and Cap shared that fun exchange about Queens / Brooklyn, that was a nice touch. Spider-Man also got to make a Empire Strikes Back reference too.
This was such a great film, lots of humor and great characterization. Everyone got a moment to shine and clearly the Russos know how to handle this many characters so we don’t have to fear for the space Avengers films.
I believe that captures all of my thoughts on the film. I’m not sure if I’ll get to watch X-Men Apocalypse, but who knows at this point.
Shadow and Flame with Magik 