ENTERTAINMENT

WANDAVISION ABSOLUTELY MARVEL-OUS BY PETER CARAM

As 2021 is starting, Marvel is also investment in the storyline will most likely result in a kicking off the year with its new big payoff. show streaming on Disney Plus, My personal impression of this series is that it WandaVision. WandaVision is really amazing--I really enjoyed this show. I love is the beginning of phase four of the MCU how the overall theme of this series is sitcom-styled (Marvel Cinematic Universe) franchise. This because we no longer make classic, sitcom-styled show has a lot to live up to in order to continue the MCU’s shows today, and I love the tension we get in this show. new storyline after its 2019 cinematic finale, Avengers It may be a sitcom-styled show, but that does not stop Endgame. The twist of this series is in its sitcom-like setting, where Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (played by Paul Bettany) are the stars. Marvel from adding twists and turns to the series. I enjoy so much of the humor in this show such as Wanda repeatThe “Unusual Couple,” move edly making funny magic. I into a small town to live a also enjoy Olsen and Bettany’s small, simple life togeth- portrayals--they were made to er. But the couple faces the play these two superhero charday-to-day struggle of how acters. to fit in with the town and The most important thing its people because they are that I personally enjoyed when both gifted with superpowers watching this show is the nosand are worried what peo- talgia that is in it. There are ple will think of them if they plenty of Easter eggs for Marget exposed to their powers. vel fans to find in each episode, Luckily they are not alone; and I’m a big fan of the dedithey have two friends named cation to the style and cineAgnes (played by Kathryn matography of classic sitcoms Hahn) and Jeraldine (played starting in the 1950s; you can by Teyonah Parris). But the feel the plot and storylines two friends act strange and evolving with each decade. My are keeping something from overall score on this show is a the couple that they know. 9.8/10 simply because it is fanBut the question is what is it? The “unusual couple” makes tastic and I’m a diehard Marvel Could there be more to this TV more entertaining. fan. The only flaw is a tiny one: town than meets the eye or is the adjustment that long-time it just a suspicion? MCU fans need to make to a

This show is entertaining for audiences on its own new, slower style because it’s different than previous Marmerit, but there will be some people who dislike this se- vel movies and shows. But with each passing episode, ries because it’s not action-packed like the MCU films that adjustment becomes easier and easier to make as you that came before it. My advice for those audiences is to realize you are watching a modern, Marvel-ous masterhave an open mind when watching the series because the piece.

DISNEY PLUS SET TO DOMINATE BY MOLLY PETRINA

When streaming services dominated the entertainment industry, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only a matter of time before Disney made a move of their own. Unlike other streaming services, Disney never had to go looking for content to fill their portfolio. They already had a long legacy of beloved films and shows to offer, and an extensive plan for new content on the way. According to the Disney Plus website, the service will have over 500 films and 7,500 episodes of different series by the end of their first year in business.

Despite all of the excitement that Disney Plus brings to the entertainment industry, it will also bring limitations as well. The most impactful effect of this transition will be seen in the movie theater industry. Now that Disney is sending its feature films straight to streaming, movie theaters may become obsolete. Disney Plus has already been used to release and promote movies like Soul, The One and Only Ivan, Lady and the Tramp, Stargirl, Artemis Fowl, and the long-awaited release of Hamilton. On top of this, movies that would have gone exclusively to theaters, like Mulan, are now being released on Disney Plus for subscribers to buy as well. According to an article in CNBC, Disney was responsible for 40% of the box office revenue in 2019. With extreme drops in revenue, movie theaters that were struggling even before the pandemic are in danger of going out of business.

Disney Plus had an eventful entrance into the streaming industry, almost immediately beating out more experienced companies with their loyal following. Disney Plus is thought to have an audience of around 87 million subscribers, but a recent projection from Digital TV Research estimates 294 million by 2026. Ultimately, the war is occurring right now between Netflix and Disney Plus, with Disney Plus predicted to be the ultimate victor. Not only will Disney Plus surpass all other streaming services, but Disney Corp. will also own another big company, Hulu. Beyond this, Digital TV Research also points out that Disney Plus will soon enter more of the global market with a plan to supply at least 13 new Asian countries by 2026. Ultimately, these statistics will give Disney Plus the most revenue of the streaming industry, giving them more freedom in the new projects that they pursue. Disney Plus has just begun rolling out endless new content, whether it was made for their platform or originally meant for the silver screen. While other streaming platforms have explored investing in projects made for all types of audiences, Disney has decided to stick to its label as a child-friendly platform. While this is normally wonderful, it also limits the types of content that Disney Plus, soon to be the most profitable streaming platform, can invest in. Very recently, Disney held their annual Investor Day, where they announced many of the upcoming projects coming to Disney Plus and also established that the platform was their main focus amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a brand new target of over 100 new titles per year, and plans for original content, including 10 European productions, Disney stockholders were impressed.

Although the new wave of content is exciting, it is very derivative and tends to be dependent upon existing franchises and stories. Disney is taking further advantage of their ownership of LucasFilms as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe by creating spin-offs and series galore. According to the Disney Twitter account, “Roughly 10 Marvel series, 10 Star Wars series, 15 Disey live action, Disney Animation, and Pixar series, plus 15 all-new Disney live action, Disney Animation, and Pixar features will be released directly on Disney Plus.” Despite the lack of non-derivative content, shows like The Mandalorian and Wandavision have gotten rave reviews upon release. Shows like these seem to be exactly what the subscriber’s wanted.

Overall, the entrance of Disney Plus into an already competitive industry has introduced change in the movie theater industry as a whole, as well as shaken up competitors who have been in the industry for much longer. Disney Plus is growing extraordinarily fast, and will only continue to expand in the next few years. With plans to expand the distribution of the service into Asia and sign contracts with European filmmakers, Disney Plus is widening its reach into the global market. With the freedom of extreme amounts of revenue and ownership of many popular and established franchises, Disney Plus is setting high expectations for their original series and features. While some may say that the derivative nature of the new content is disappointing, it seems that it is exactly what Disney Plus subscribers have been waiting for.

WONDER WOMAN 1984 STRIKES GOLD IN NEW YEAR BY PETER CARAM

After many Covid-related delays, Wonder Woman 1984 is out in theatres and sticks the landing to kick off the new year. The plot of the film starts off in a land called Themyscira, the Greek home of an all-woman land called the Amazons, where Diana Prince (played by Gal Gadot) is a young girl and competes in an Olympic-type game for the chance to win a rare set of armour worn by an old Amazon warrior named Asteria. Leading through much of the race against older, more athletic competitors, Diana has a misstep that should cost her the victory but decides to cheat, resulting in her learning a lesson that you can not avoid the truth when lying.

Flash forward to the year 1984 where the main setting of the film takes place and Diana is now Wonder Woman. She gets involved in solving a mysterious crime that appears to be a jewelry store robbery but is really about artifacts smuggled from other countries including a wishstone that was made by the Greeks. The stone makes wishes come true, leading to a series of events, including the return of Diana’s boyfriend, Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine) who had died in WWII and Diana’s newfound colleague and friend Barbara Minervera (played by Kristen Wigg) to turn from hesitant and clumsy to cool and amazing like Diana. Things take a turn for the worse when the stone falls into the hands of Maxwell Lord (played by Pedro Pascal), an unsuccessful businessman and the villain of the film who is in search of unlimited power. Lord’s power play endangers life as the world knows it (in 1984, of course). Viewers wonder if his ascent will lead to world domination or will unlimited power turn out to be fool’s gold in the vein of King Midas? Critics of WW84 say the film is flawed and is particularly marred by slow pacing. The pace of the film is slow, but the pace enables the audience to always be up-to-speed with exactly what is unfolding on the screen without struggling to catch our breaths. In my opinion, this film was pretty amazing especially as a woman-led film in the Superhero genre. This film corresponds with the comics incredibly accurately unlike some other recent DC films (like Batman V Superman and The Justice League). I also really enjoyed the fact that Wonder Woman has a weakness - which is getting hit by bullets - that she needs to figure out how to overcome. There is an additional standout moment I cannot reveal due to spoilers that brought me back to being a kid reading about Wonder Woman and when I saw it on the big screen it was an amazing moment to me. The acting in the film was excellent, particularly Gal Gadot, who seems to have been born to play Wonder Woman, and Pedro Pascal’s performance as Maxwell Lord was appropriately over the top. The cinematography was spot on to the era and the action sequences were amazing, especially Diana’s battle with the jewelry store robbers in the beginning of the film. My overall score for this film is a 9/10 - we were long overdue to see a superhero on the big screen again, and Wonder Woman did not disappoint. Slightly quicker pacing would probably help the film’s appeal, especially for younger viewers hungry for action.

I highly recommend seeing this film - and all superhero films - in theatres, but if you are afraid to go out during the pandemic that’s okay because it’s also streaming on HBO Max as well. It’s a wonderful way to spend a cold Cleveland winter’s evening!