Dear Readers, Writers, and Critics,

Hi, it’s Lizzy…and this is something I’ve been dying to share; because why keep these gems hidden…?

Let’s be real. In 2020, there was a phase where movies had become less…everything. Less emotional. Less relatable. Much less worth it to go see. Not only did they have terrible stories, but there were simply no exciting movie ideas.

What movies or TV shows came out before 2020? Well, we got quite a few interesting films like the original Puss n’ Boots and Coraline.

During 2020, we got…well…nothing too worth it if I remember correctly. There was a huge Disney mess that included so many terrible Marvel movies and TV shows. According to IMDb, the top worst movies include mainly Marvel: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Black Widow, Thor: Love and Thunder…Marvel wasn’t doing very good at the time.

After that rough era, we got so many amazing films that we never dreamed we’d ever get: FNAF, Puss n’ Boots: The Last Wish, Transformers One, The Super Mario Bros Movie (and now we have the Mario Galaxy Movie!), and of course the latest Marvel movies, Thunderbolts*, the Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Doomsday coming out this December.

Now I specifically stuck with Marvel here because they used to create masterpieces. Every single film since Iron Man to Infinity War was spectacular (don’t you dare try to convince me Endgame was good). Then they sucked for a while when they started killing off characters. Have they redeemed themselves? Read until the end to see…

On a personal note, I want to go over 5 movies that I expected to disappoint me, but turned out to be phenomenal masterpieces that I simply can’t stop rewatching.

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#5: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

My first time watching the first Puss n’ Boots movie was sometime after, or around the time, the second movie came out. The first movie was alright. But the plot twist where Humpty Dumpty was the villain was kind of boring. Out of all the fairytale characters, it could have at least been someone a little bit more scary. DreamWorks usually does a really great job with character development and storylines, but this movie was a bit drawn out, and yeah, the villain really made it suck. When a movie makes you feel like this, it makes you question the second movie. I kept asking myself, “should I even watch the second one?”

The only reason that I did sit down to watch the second movie with my family was because my older brother kept promising to me that it was not only better than the first, but much different. It was, in fact, much different. It had way more characters, balanced humor, better villains (not to mention, Death was one of the best animated villains of all time!), fantastic animation style, and of course, the story following Puss in Boots’ attempt to save his final life with the Wishing Star.

I can’t admire this movie enough; the character arcs between Puss and Kitty; Jack Horner, the Three Bears and Goldilocks all going after the star for their own purposes, Perrito being the perfect emotional support for Puss during hard times…so well tied together. Personifying Death as a wolf made him the perfect enemy to Puss and his arrogance with his lives, as wolves are one of the most common and terrorizing predators to cats.

In general, I love that the story was such a simple idea of using the “9 lives of a cat” and using well-known fairytale characters one the side. Speaking of the other characters, can I just say Florence Pugh voicing Goldilocks was one of the best casting decisions? Her accent made her character so distinct and was a cool feature to give her. If I remember correctly…even the bears had a British accent? That was crazy…

Speaking for Perrito, side characters, especially the comic relief, can get annoying very quickly. Perrito did get slightly annoying at sometimes but he never crossed the line. There were “break” scenes were he’d be helpful and more serious, like when Puss had a panic attack.

Finally, Jack Horner, the other villain after Death, was a nice addition. It kept the “worldly” plot moving, while Puss’s motive came from Death. Each group (the bears and Goldi, Kitty and Puss, and Jack Horner), were all motivated by something very different. Jack Horner only wanting the star for greed was an understandable and common motive for anyone who has too much power.

Therefore, despite not caring for the first Puss in Boots, The Last Wish easily earned its spot on my list of masterpieces I'll constantly rewatch.

#4: FNAF 1

How could they possibly turn this mobile game into a movie? Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of the most popular and highly rated horror games and has been played by almost every known gamer or streamer. Despite it’s popularity, no one knows the real story behind the mascots or characters. Honestly, the only characters that really have names are the animatronics. We know a few others like Mike and William Afton, and Vanessa (from Security Breach). Elizabeth Afton is another somewhat known character, and is said to possess Circus Baby after she was accidentally killed. Then we have the animatronics and their possessors: Freddy (possessed by Gabriel), Bonnie (possessed by Jeremy), Chica (possessed by Suzie), and so on…

There are endless theories and rumors about the stories and characters. Not only are there video games, but websites, books, graphic novels, and other canon FNAF content out there that was made by the founder, Scott Cawthon.

So how were they able to make a movie? Let me begin by reminding you that Scott Cawthon was involved with creating the FNAF movie. According to the games and the characters I mentioned above, the movie really did not follow much of it.

From what I know, based on only watching the first film, Mike is not William Afton’s son. Mike has a sister named Abby. Vanessa is William’s daughter. We all know Vanessa was only in the Security Breach game, and I agree with most people that she was a little unnecessary in this movie…

Besides the character choice and the songs used (the fort scene made me cringe by the way…), the movie was overall scary for a PG-13 film. I loved the animatronic designs. They looked exactly like the ones in the games, so to whoever designed them, thank you! And thank you Blumhouse for not hiring whoever designed the first Sonic (whoever that was better be fired).

The movie followed the five nights played in the game, where the difficulty slowly gets more intense every night. Like I mentioned for Puss in Boots, they did a really good job turning “five nights of security watch” from a video game with literally no backbone, into an almost 2 hour movie.

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#3: Transformers One

I wish I could put this movie, along with the next, as number one all together…I had a hard time sorting these last four movies out, but I did my best with it. Around six or seven years ago (sorry…), I watched the live action Transformers. I was younger, and this was one of the first live action movie I ever watched alone; I was intrigued. I enjoyed the fight scenes, transformation scenes, and Megatron was my favorite character. Present-day me didn’t realize how cringe Megan Fox was in the movie…I’d honestly never go back and watch it again because of her.

In 2024, Transformers One came out, and oh boy! I was excited for this movie for real. Starring Chris Hemsworth as Optimus? and Scarlett Johansson? I just finished watching the MCU before watching this movie, so I was really looking forward to this cast.

This movie gave the same vibe as the Lego Movie, but with a much more relatable and less “kid-friendly” message. Optimus and Megatron’s (at the time, Orion Pax and D-16) relationship was extremely relatable. How they met at work and became best friends. Their arcs flowed so smoothly; Optimus leading to hero and Megatron leading to villain. Although Megatron became the villain, it’s honestly understandable to realize exactly why he did. His backstory and transformation (character transformation, not literal transformer transformation), were valid. His build-up to despising Sentinel Prime, only to become just like him once he tasted true authority and power, was devastatingly well-written.

I could personally relate to Megatron in this movie, and if I’m being honest, I’d have a hard time too if I was given the opportunity to change something that was controlling me. I think we all could relate to his character’s feelings in a sense (maybe not in such an aggressive way though). What I love most about this movie, was how clean it was so that really any age could watch it, but the message was so deep, that even older generations would find it personally relatable. The struggles presented in this film were literally identical to the problem’s we face everyday with real power and control that the world has.

#2: The Mario Galaxy Movie

Before you tell me the first Mario movie was better…no…no, no, no…

The first Mario movie was, in fact: good. But it lacked (or had too much) of certain things that the Mario Galaxy movie fortunately fixed.

Starting off with the characters lives, Mario and Luigi’s introduction in the first film wasn’t bad. They were in New York, we got to see Pauline on the news, and they had a family. Mario hated mushrooms. Was that detail necessary…? I mean, I guess, considering he HAD to start eating them more if he wanted to be in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Can we all agree Toad was slightly annoying in the first movie? He kept talking…he could not shut up—

And this is why I loved the Mario Galaxy Movie better: Yoshi. He. did. not. SPEAK! I was so so grateful they chose to keep him with only the “Yoshi sounds”. Yoshi also took the spotlight from Toad in this film and was extremely funny. He was my favorite character…I’m not kidding when I say every Yoshi scene made me crack up.

All of the new characters coming in so fast in just the second movie were so exciting: Rosalina, Bowser Jr., Yoshi (whom I already mentioned), and even the un-Mario characters: Star Fox, R.O.B., the Pikmin, Little Mac, Mr. Game and Watch?? No way we’re going to have a NCM (Nintendo Cinematic Universe!! 🤭🤭🤭). That would be craaazzyyyyyy! Oh, and we’re already getting Daisy in the next film??

Usually I don’t like when movies shove a whole handful of characters in a single movie at once (especially for marketing purposes), but we all have our “Mario childhood” and I’m certain everyone went crazy over the character reveals.

If you want to read more about our thoughts on the Mario Galaxy Movie, read Mena’s article below 👇

Honorable Mention: Coraline

Before getting to #1, I want to do what all “top (whatever)” lists do online, and add my personal, honorable mention. Coraline is an older animated film that came out in 2009. It’s a stand-alone film with a "beautiful Tim Burton aesthetic" that focuses on the story of a young girl who hates her current life and family. It was quickly considered a modern classic, and it’s a family friendly horror favorite that my family and I love to rewatch during October. My first time watching this, I was fourteen or fifteen years old, and it gave me goosebumps. The button eyes were a terrifying signature that Coraline was forced to comply with if she wanted to stay forever with her “better” family.

The film had so many crazy and disturbing scenes. The fact that Coraline noticed the button eyes the first time she saw her "other family” but she didn’t let it bother her. She continued to visit this alternate world to feel happy. I have no words to describe how eloquently this film was written.

Tim Burton never fails with his films. Therefore, if I had to add a few more honorable mentions I’d go with Corpse Bride, Alice Through the Looking Glass (just like how Death was personified in Puss in Boots 2, Time was also portrayed effectively in this film), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and, although this one is not created by Tim Burton, Van Helsing (this is another film like Coraline with that gothic “Tim Burton” aesthetic).

There are so many amazing older films that are literal masterpieces that can be rewatched over, and over, again. A remake could never do these films justice.

#1: Marvel’s: Thunderbolts*

I have a hard time deciding whether The Dark Knight, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or Thunderbolts* is the best movie ever written, but for the sake of this specific article (films that surprised me and were actually masterpieces), Thunderbolts* was a film I was ready to start criticizing and complaining about.

Florence Pugh? ugh.. (I don’t know why I had personal beef with her before watching).

Who’s U.S. Agent? Where the heck is Captain America? (I saw the posts about how Walker looks like Carl from Up).

Okay…that Bob looks okay I guess… (I thought he looked a little like Tom Holland).

Oh my gosh! Ghost is in this? She sucked in the second Ant-Man! And who’s the other lady with a mask?? (Taskmaster, who died early…yay!)

Why is David Harbour in this movie? (I just could not see Hopper from Stranger Things as an actual Russian).

Bucky? Why is he with these weirdos? (Bucky was my favorite MCU character and I was not ready to hate on him…).

All of these thoughts were going through my mind when I started the movie. I was ready to pick on the smallest details. But to my surprise, I was surprised! I hated that Yelena was such a cool character. The fight scene filmed from the top down? That was an experience Marvel hasn’t offered. It was giving John Wick 4 when they did the overhead shot for a full shoot out scene.

The story was so “old times MCU”. Remember when Marvel used to have grounded fights? Less CGI? When the actors did their own stunts? I admired Florence Pugh when I found out she actually jumped off of the Merdeka 118 building. She is now my favorite female actor. She’s got a pretty cool personality (and accent, like I mentioned for Goldilocks).

Moving through the movie, Bucky wasn’t exactly an MC. I enjoyed that he was a side character more because it just made more sense for his narrative arc. Bob is a whole other story. His depression and addictions made him an emotional character. He had an eccentric personality and I loved his relationship with Walker. Their hate for each other was valid, and Walker was a well written character based on his events from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Ghost was redeemed in this movie, and she, along with the rest of the group, had a well structured character arc. From criminals, to enemies, to friends, and finally to becoming a family and the new Avengers, the Thunderbolts* really proved that Marvel could pick itself back up.

This movie didn’t get the love it deserved while in theaters (I do think Marvel deserved this for their past films and shows), but enough people did go and see it and were able to spread their positive experience about it. I chose this to be my number 1, because this was probably the only film ever that I judged based on the cover (the trailer, posters, critical reviews, past Marvel films…).

I really can’t explain how shocked I was when I finished watching Thunderbolts*. I wanted to go back and rewatch it immediately after it was over. This is one of the only Marvel movies that I’ve rewatched more than three times already (and it’s a newer one…) 🤭

Closing…

To summarize my shock, these films are real masterpieces that I didn’t think I needed. Just like I say whenever I find a new song: “Who was keeping this masterpiece from me??”

Thank you guys so much for reading! Let me know in the comments what movies you were expecting to despise, but ended up loving and rewatching hundreds of times.

I’m sure a lot of you have seen the new Mario movie in theaters or will be watching it on streaming soon. You’ve probably heard from critics that the movie had great visuals but a lack of plot. First, I would advise you to watch the movie yourself without reading the reviews, and then judge it as I did myself. I think some people go into the theater with the critics in their ears saying how bad it is and they start to look for it. So - judge it for yourself first. Don’t let people tell you what to think.

Another piece of advice - listen to me. I don’t think the movie was that bad! Seriously, it was a pretty good and I’m going to get it into that in just a second. But first, let me tell you about the day.

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Our Wonderful Day…

My sister and I realized we were off the Friday of opening weekend so I bought us tickets. It was at a smaller theater in our city so they were pretty cheap. We both decided we were gonna need some snacks, specifically popcorn, to enjoy it thoroughly, but you know how expensive that movie theater popcorn is. So we made some ourselves! Two flavors: a salty, garlic, yeast flakes, and a cinnamon, maple syrup, nut flavor. Yes, we managed to sneak these into the theater but honestly, they could care less about the snacks you bring in.

Before we went to the theater though, we went to an ice cream shoppe since we had coupons to use. I know this sounds like a lot, and it was but we shared seven different flavored scoops of ice cream. Here’s a pic of them.

The flavors were coffee, dragonfruit slushie, cookie butter, Mexican chocolate, Blondie, chocolate peanut butter brownie, and toasted coconut. Lemme just say, all of them were amazing!! They had flavor unlike some ice cream that just tastes like a mouth of sugar.

Random, but we were listening to Lana Del Rey that day, and it gave it a certain vibe, specifically her album, Honeymoon. My sister says this is one of her favorite days we’ve ever spent together.

My Review of the Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Now, onto my honest review of the Mario Galaxy Movie. I loved it. Yes, the visuals were amazing, colorful, and I think true to the games. But I also appreciated the new characters, the music, and the humor. Let’s go through some of the characters…

The new characters

Yoshi - We’ll start with none other than Yoshi, who was teased at the end of the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Yoshi may be my favorite character in this movie, as he was the most accurate to the games and he was also funny. Lizzy loved him; she laughed every time he showed up. Donald Glover did an amazing job with the voice. I was afraid he was going to talk when they first found him but he stuck to his Yoshi noises.

Bowser Jr. - Perhaps my third favorite new character, Bowser Jr. was also pretty true to himself. His voice was close to how he sounds in the games and I love how he used the paintbrush to create, and trap characters when he was fighting. I know his plan to destroy the universe was a little bland, but I do appreciate that they highlighted the relationship between Bowser and Bowser Jr. Bowser Jr. has been one of my favorite characters in Mario Kart and Smash so it was amazing to see him on the big screen.

Fox McCloud - My second favorite new character and not technically a Mario character, is Fox. I think he fit well where he was placed in the movie. I know people argue that he shouldn’t have had so much screen time, but he didn’t really take over the story. I liked how his personality was portrayed, and he reminded me of a mix of Star Lord and Thor.
Lizzy found him relatable when his ship crashed and he was crying over it, telling himself, “It’s just a dent…” She loves her “baby” (our Mini Cooper) that much as well.

Rosalina - This is where I slightly agree with the critics - I think Rosalina needed more screen time as the movie is called the Mario Galaxy Movie. Her character was pretty good though - protector of the cosmos, “mother” to the Lumas, and sister of Princess Peach. I know some people don’t like the sister of Peach part of the story, but I don’t mind it. It wasn’t really confirmed canon either way so whatever they decided.
I just hope that Brie Larson voicing her isn’t to make the public like her again so they can put her in Doomsday…I don’t want Captain Marvel in that movie.

The Cameos - I found myself enjoying the cameos in this movie despite critics claiming it was a “cameo heaven”. Fox’s cameo, of course, was great. R.O.B.’s cameo was funny; it reminded me of the sloth in Zootopia. My mom loved this scene in the movie. The quick glimpses of other characters we got were cool as well - Pikmin, Little Mac, and Mr. Game and Watch - it feels like they are building an NCU, Nintendo Cinematic Universe. Daisy’s cameo was unexpected at the end but also expected, as I was wondering when she would show up.

The Music

The music in this movie was far better than the first - no unnecessary 80’s pop songs, but rather music from the games. It gave every scene the right feel. When Mario and Peach were forced through Bowser Jr.’s obstacle course he created, it didn’t play a random pop song but stuck to the Mario Galaxy scores. Illumination seems to have paid attention to what the fans wanted in the first movie.

The humor

This is one of the hardest parts to get perfectly in new movies. They seem to always overdo the humor because they think no one will enjoy a movie if they aren’t laughing every five minutes. I thought this movie did a pretty good job balancing the humor with the seriousness.

Toad wasn’t as annoying as he was in the first movie. He was loyal to Peach, staying by her side throughout the whole journey, and was genuinely hurt when Mario and Luigi found a new friend. Speaking of Peach, I thought her lines were less cringe than in the first one as well. Since Bowser wasn’t constantly after her, she had something else to focus on, and Bowser did as well. She focused on Rosalina, while he focused on Bowser Jr.

The Visuals

I LOVED the “levels” the characters went through - Peach and Toad in the cube-shaped casino. It felt just like a “level” in one of the games. Bowser Jr. drawing the level for Mario and Peach was also well done as it showed it in 8-bit and then what they were doing in real life. I also enjoyed the scene when Mario and Peach had to pass Bowser on the bridge. And then he turned into Dry Bowser?? I just wish the design for Dry Bowser was better, closer to the Mario Kart version or the Mario Party 10 one.

What I didn’t like

One thing I didn’t care for in this movie was the way they excepted things too fast. It made the plot feel sped up or like they couldn’t decide if they wanted a certain thing to last too long.

For example, when Mario meets Fox, who is about to take Peach and Toad to the Space Junk Galaxy, he is jealous at first, but then suddenly decides Fox is cool. It’s like they weren’t sure if they wanted jealously to be a theme but then decided on the spot.

Another scene where this happened was when Mario and Luigi found Yoshi. Yoshi was scared of them at first but then just decides they are cool once again. They also like him pretty quickly as well; besties at first sight.

Bowser was also making quick decisions - being good to Mario I thought was a trick, but he was genuinely good. When Bowser Jr. shows up, however, he decides to go back to his old ways - just like that.

Overall, the movie was fun, visually pleasing, and enjoyable when you want to forget your worries. I highly recommend watching if you haven’t already! Can’t wait for more movies in the NCU if this is what it’s going to be. Let me know what y’all thought about it.
This will probably be a video as well in the future; I’m glad I have somewhere to get my thoughts out for now though.

When I watch the MCU back in 2024 I was impressed with Avengers 2012, so much that I thought nothing could top it - nothing did. But in my head I thought these movies must keep getting better and better since everyone loves them so much. Sadly, I was disappointed. After I watched Infinity War, which was amazing by the way, I was so hyped for Endgame but then I watched and to me it just fell off.

And that’s what we’re gonna be looking at today. A dive into why Avengers Endgame didn’t feel the same as the others and why it ruined the MCU afterwards. We will also look at the best part of Endgame for me.

Nostalgia Bait

First of all, let’s look at Endgame as a whole. It was more of a fanbase haven than an actual good story. It was a crowd pleaser movie from the nostalgic quotes, to the time travel scenes where we got to visit the past MCU movies again, and the most fan requested scenes.

It was a replay of famous lines like: “I am Iron Man”, “On your left”, “Avengers, assemble” and “I can do this all day”. When these quotes were said, they honestly didn’t fit the scene. It was more of the movie saying, “remember this?” or “remember you liked this?”

Also, random thought: how did Sam know he would be on Steve’s left? Did he specifically ask Doctor Strange about it?

Sam: “Hey, man, can you make sure the portal opens on his left?”
Doctor Strange: “Why?”
Sam: “Just do it, man. It has to be on his left.”
Doctor Strange: “Sure…” -proceeds to open it on his right-
Sam: “On your lef-wait-COME ON, MAN”

Another focus of this movie was the shots with certain characters or team ups. For example, they focused on everyone being in the same frame when Steve said “Avengers! Assemble…” rather than how everyone got there and once again how Doctor Strange knew where to place people.

Also during the battle the all female team up made no sense. How did they all get to the place at the same time for the sake of the shot? Weren’t some of them busy fighting in another section of the battle? How did Pepper suddenly know how to operate an Iron Man suit?

The Snap

When Thanos snapped in Infinity War, it was in fact not random like he claimed. This man said, let me keep the main six Avengers - Tony, Steve, Natasha, Bruce, Thor, and Clint - and delete the rest. How did it erase Clint’s whole family and most of the Guardians? I think we could have gotten a much more interesting movie if some of the originals were gone or if we got stuck with the side characters.

Like imagine Star Lord, Drax, Mantis, Doctor Strange, and Peter Parker have to get back from Titan to Earth. And then they team up with Bucky, Wanda, Sam, T’Challa, Groot, and Shuri. That would be chaotic but fun and it could also set up the future MCU projects much better than they were.

Think about it: the next projects were Spider-Man: Far From Home, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Wakanda Forever, Wandavision, and Guardians 3. These characters could have been explored better and could have become the next Avengers they are going to be anyways.

The Time Jump

Why did Endgame start with Thor killing Thanos, and then a five year time jump? Before I get into the time jump, Thanos was killed to early. Period. He was killed within fifteen minutes, right? Like that’s it? He snapped and then was beheaded. I do understand why Thor did it so quickly though-that was the most believable move from a grieving person-not just forgiving the villain and letting them get away.

The buildup from Infinity War was wasted. It felt like everything just calmed down and became normal again. Like it took the Avengers five years to do anything about what happened? They needed Ant Man to get them off their ass-sorry no swearing, butts?

What were they doing this whole time anyways? Tony started a family, ok. Clint became a Ronin - like Lizzy. Bruce turned himself into an idiot - well an in between of himself and the Hulk - basically an idiot. Natasha and Steve did nothing. Thor became a drunkard and gained weight, which I honestly find the most valid. He killed Thanos yes, but that did not give him his brother back or the rest of his planet.

So they waited for the little guy to tell them what to do, and then suddenly Tony figured out time travel!

The Time Heist

Speaking of time travel, I don’t think it should have worked. They basically cheated to fix everything back to the way it was. Thanos collected the Infinity Stones fair and square, which surprised me in Infinity War. I didn’t think he would actually be going to get them. I thought he would send people to get them for him. Kudos to Thanos-he should’ve won.

Also, during the time heist, when they went back to 2012, why did the Ancient One decide to give the Hulk the time stone. Why did she suddenly trust him?

That’s it? Her job is to protect the stone. It doesn’t matter if Strange gave it up. And she hadn’t even met him yet. How did she know to trust him?

When Thor took his hammer from 2013 when he was talking to Frigga, what happened to that Thor? Did he just lose his hammer?

Why wasn’t Loki allowed to create another branch in the timeline? The Avengers messed it up as well. Why did the TVA tell him they were just “supposed to”? So Loki’s birthright was once again to die just like Odin told him?

How did Thanos bring an entire army with him to time travel to 2023 with just one Pym particle from Nebula? Did she ever tell him which year to go to?

The Character Arcs

Like I mentioned before, the characters did not have great arcs, especially Thor and Hulk. Captain Marvel was unnecessary but I’ll get into that in a bit.

First of all let’s look at Thor’s character. Thor’s arc was depression because he lost his brother, Heimdall, and the rest of his planet. It’s not that I don’t understand this arc, I just find it boring for Thor. He just became a drunkard and gained weight? I feel like old Thor would have kept fighting to get his rage out. He also handed over the reign of Asgard or the Asgardians to Valkyrie and became simply just silly, leading to the infamous Love and Thunder movie.

Next let’s look at the Hulk. Hulk or Bruce became smart Hulk - the worst decision Marvel could’ve made for this character. He lost his complexity, anger, and seriousness. He became a nerd that just likes to take pictures with fans. What happened to his love for Natasha? I feel like after she died he should’ve Hulked out as normal. All he did was throw something. What happened to “I’m always angry”? I also feel like he was there just for humor, so the audience would have something to laugh at. Isn’t this the same guy that tried to kill himself at one point because he couldn’t find a solution to the Hulk? He didn’t care that half the universe got erased and that it was partially his fault?

Finally, we got Captain Marvel - the most unnecessary character in Endgame. She doesn’t even have a character. She was just there to move the plot when it got stuck, for example, when Tony and Nebula were stuck in space, finding Thanos, and then appearing at the end for the final battle. She didn’t even help during the final battle. Wasn’t she supposed to be extremely powerful? Why didn’t she snap? Thanos survived and I’m sure she was more powerful than him.

The Character Deaths

After looking at the character’s arc, I think we need to examine the deaths in this movie. Natasha, Tony, and Thanos to be specific.

Natasha’s death was cheapened since they went back to 2014, grabbed a Gamora and brought her to the present. If we got Gamora back, who was also sacrificed to the Soul Stone, why can’t we go back and grab Natasha? I thought her death was sad until Gamora came back and ruined it. The Soul Stone also doesn’t make sense because if you are willing to sacrifice the one you love, you don’t love them. It should have been more of a trick question - do you love this person enough to sacrifice yourself for them? Just like Clint and Natasha did - but neither of them should have died. When Thanos did it he should have gotten nothing.

Tony’s death - the most dramatic and saddest of them all - at least according to some people. I didn’t feel his death like everyone else did. First of all, the addition of Morgan Stark felt like they were trying to add to the weight of it. I think it could have been heavier with just Pepper as she was there since the beginning of his journey to becoming a better man and Iron Man. It almost felt like he didn’t think of the daughter he would leave behind with no father and that he didn’t love Pepper as much anymore. After all his message at the end was directed to Morgan with “I love you 3000”.

They also decided to cut the scene that would’ve made this death feel like it was worth more. The “Take a Knee” deleted scene hit me harder than the rest of the movie. Even the most of them saw Tony as egotistical and the one to not make the sacrifice play, they were all proved wrong. What hit me the hardest about this scene was that Captain America, who never agreed with him, T’Challa, an actual king, Doctor Strange, who had a comparable ego, and everyone else bowed to him, acknowledging his sacrifice.

The last death I want to look at is Thanos’ death at the end. It didn’t feel the same as this wasn’t our Thanos-this was just some 2014 ghost that didn’t really do much yet. It wasn’t satisfying to kill this Thanos as he didn’t snap and like he said, “I don’t know who you are…” to Wanda.

Honorable Mentions

A few other thoughts I had before I get to the best part of Endgame. Bucky should have became Captain America. He was Steve’s childhood best friend after all as I highlighted in my previous article “Love”. Didn’t Steve see his change from being a killing machine back into the man who was once his best friend? He overcame 70 years of brainwashing to what? Be a sidekick again?

Steve deciding to stay in the past also ruined the timeline. Why was he allowed this when Loki wasn’t? Also he didn’t know Peggy that long but he decided to go back in time and risk everything to be with her? Did he let Bucky get captured by Hydra again or did he go back and save him before that? That would have created another Bucky, right?

The poster was misleading…

Extremely random thought: how did Loki know what Tony smelled like? In the Loki show he said he knew there was another Tony Stark in the room when he took the Tesseract. He only talked to him once. Does Tony where that much cologne? Also why did Loki’s character change so much in the show? He was still the one right after the invasion of New York. He became the nicest guy ever - no more tricks. I think this needs its own post…

The Best Part of Endgame: Rhodey and Nebula

Finally I bring you to my favorite part of this chaotic movie: Rhodey and Nebula. I loved that this movie focused on them, two side characters. Like I said they could’ve done, they brought out their characters extremely well in this movie.

Rhodey had the best humor in the movie compared to Hulk, Thor, and even Scott. His “So he’s an idiot” was the funniest line to me. Rhodey’s “Why don’t why kill baby Thanos?” was better than going through that whole complicated time heist. He thought of all the lives that could be saved by simply doing this. They all made questionable decisions so why was this one any worse?

Rhodey and Nebula’s conversation on Morag is grounded, serious, and interesting. They share the trauma of having cybernetic parts: Nebula’s body parts were replaced or “upgraded” according to Thanos, while Rhodey’s legs were fixed by Tony after his fall in Civil War.

Nebula: “I wasn’t always like this.”
Rhodey: “Me neither. But we work with what we got, right?”

This conversation hits harder than any that Thor or Hulk had. It’s deep without that need for silly humor.

Nebula’s arc was also fascinating as she has to fight her past evil self to help her present one and her sister that still hates her here. She had to confront her past while Steve and Tony got to see good parts of their pasts: Peggy and Howard. She is the one that suffers the most during the Time Heist. She has to kill one of her halves while Bruce decides to put his two halves together to create “smart Hulk”. Her character couldn’t rely on nostalgia since she wasn’t in many of the older movies. She is evidence of characters Marvel used to create.

Conclusion

I know everyone loves this movie so fight me in the comments but also this is just my opinion. Let me know what else you guys noticed. I was also thinking of doing a video on this on our new YouTube channel Lizzy and Mena. Maybe if we reach 50 subs I’ll do it but I need the support. I also need the space for it since our family is always so nosy…

Anyways! leave your thoughts in the comments.

Choosing a college major had to be something “professional” rather than “creative.” It was fine, I guess... but for a while, I really regretted not going for fashion design. That was until I took it up as a hobby and realized: Thank goodness I didn’t put my money towards it! After a few attempted gowns, I was finally getting the hang of it on my own terms.

I’m a very visual person, so when it became hard for me to see how a gown should fall or find a new style for sleeves or a collar, I started looking to characters for inspiration.

What collection of movies has a better library of characters than Marvel? The Avengers were my first muses. Their suits are exaggerated, their uniforms have unique color palettes, and their personalities are so distinct that the gowns practically designed themselves!

My first model was The Hulk. I studied a few things:

the purple and green color story, his massive anatomy, and his aggressive mood.

The result was a puffy, over the shoulder gown, with super large sleeves, and a showy top. Then I did Iron Man…Captain America…Thor…Bucky…until I did literally every single Avenger. Gotta admit, they got more and more impressive :)

Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America were the first three gowns. For Cap, I was having second thoughts about the skirt... I originally wanted it wide and puffy, but it never clicked. Once I tried a drape-around style, I knew I’d found the one. For Tony’s gown, I added gold roses at the hips to give it a richer feel.

I even themed the hairstyles because why stop at the gowns? The full presentation really makes a difference…

Since Natasha (Black Widow) liked Bruce in the movies I sort of made it like her hairstyle from the first Avengers movie. The hairstyles for the Iron Man and Captain America ones are a mockup of Tony’s and Steve’s hairstyles, just slightly longer and for a girl.

Deadpool’s gown was so fun to draw! The end result had an almost Victorian twist to it, but the bodice was almost, if not, identical to Deadpool’s suit. Then of course I added his logo/mask on the gown to make it a little more obvious.

For Wolverine’s gown, I took his entire outfit and reshaped it. The sleeves are sticking up at the shoulders to mimic his mask. The hairstyle is rugged and “ripped” because why not? It matches his attitude and his blades.

Johnny Storm aka Human Torch was a challenge. I know the new Fantastic Four came out, but I really liked the old Johnny’s suit better. The dark blue just suited him more. And it was Chris Evans, who really did an amazing job in this role. Sooo when I colored this gown…I had to study fire very carefully AND how colors, specifically marker, worked on paper. It had to be done in specific layers: dark over light. The beauty of coloring fire is that it glows. So I colored the base with a yellow marker, then gently used an orange color pencil to add depth and the actual flame. Finally, I added light strands of white to separate the orange and yellow and give it more of a 3D look. It’s hard to describe…but it worked out so well!

The next three gowns were inspired by Spider-Man, Ant-Man, and Thanos. I had a slight headache when I was drawing the Spider-Man gown, so I technically just copied his suit and featured a sheer draping around the waist to mimic a web.

I wanted Ant-Man’s to look like a bug, so I went with a baby doll style skirt that puffs out at the sides. Maybe it’s just me, but I think it makes the silhouette look shorter and more youthful, just like a bug. Didn’t really need to do too much. And the little black shoes were the perfect finishing touch.

When I drew Thanos’ gown I was so excited to finally use my purple markers. I’ve gotten new black, blue, and red markers so many times, but purple was pretty rare. Now this one is obvious: the infinity stones on the pants, the golden gloves, the high boots…and of course the majestic sheer shawl and the deep purple, royal looking cape in the back. Those features definitely call for attention and power.

I could NOT find a style for Loki! I’m still thinking about remaking his…Yeah, yeah, like to everyone else’s gowns, I mainly copied Loki’s general outfit, but I still want it to look a little more elegant. Maybe if I remake it I’ll do it long? Perhaps a fitted one like Captain America’s? But a little fluff to it at the shoulders? I really should have done something for his helmet too like I did for Wolverine’s. It really would have made it a bit more “Loki”.

Thor and Dr. Strange…those were both pretty good too. Started running out of black marker while coloring Thor’s 😭. The blue lightning is so pretty though next to his shoulders.

And for the last three: Peter Quill, Katniss, and Soldier Boy. Of course I moved beyond just Marvel…why stop there? To ME, Peter Quill’s gown is a little “meh”. The moons on the skirt were such a random addition because it looked boring with nothing. And the red marker did not match his jacket either…

I had to do the fire for Katniss’ gown just like Johnny Storm’s. I gave her some kind of feather drape in the back because of the mocking jay.

Last but not least, is Soldier Boy from The Boys. Jensen was really funny in this show. His random swearing thrown in at the most random times was so stupid and hilarious. When me and Mena watched Supernatural after this show it felt a little weird when Dean (Jensen) kept his tone and language to a minimum. Speaking of the gown inspired by him, I really loved the arm cape. That’s a pretty unique style and makes it different from the rest.

What character gown should I do next? I’m currently thinking about Castiel, Nebula, or even Sam Winchester. Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Black Widow are definitely coming soon.

I want to hear from you: If you’re a fashion designer or illustrator, what tips do you have for me? I value any advice that helps me improve my craft!

Sometimes, a Ronin has to go back to school. That’s me…

I recently finished a project that was fun; but also a headache! The mission? Create a functional infographic for something…anything. Naturally, I chose Marvel Studios.

Last semester, I wrote a marketing plan for Avengers: Doomsday, so I decided to dig deeper. With the 2026 landscape shifting toward “quality over quantity,” fans are feeling the “superhero fatigue.” They don’t need more content, but rather a Utility Map to tell them what actually matters. Now, what made the research fun and easy, was that I was able to go back to my Doomsday marketing plan and double check certain things.

The Assignment: From Brainstorm Infographic

The goal was simple but the execution was a challenge. I had to:

1. Learn from the audience: I spent time online to track what fans were asking: “What do I actually need to watch to understand the next Avengers?” This was the main question.

2. Outline the Pillars: I broke the massive MCU lore into three essential paths: The Street-Level Arc, The Multiverse Legacy, and The New Guard. This was so confusing. 😭

3. Execute the Vision: Using a high-contrast visual hierarchy, I had to turn 18 years of continuity into a single, scannable briefing. Thank goodness for Canva; that’s the best design/marketing tool :)

The Result: The Guide to Doomsday

My Reflection

And there you go. Now I’ll be honest: this was as fun as it was exhausting. Trying to distinguish between clashing timelines, character arcs, and upcoming releases felt like trying to navigate a collapsing multiverse in real-time🥲 .

How difficult was it? I started with a template to give myself something to work off of, but the real struggle was the “Multiverse Issue.” When stories clash, the layout gets crowded fast. It was so easy to confuse myself, even though I watched almost every movie and understand most of the storylines.

My solution was to treat the key characters, the “High Priority Targets,” adding crosshairs to icons like Kingpin, Sentry, and the Hulk. It gave the map a technical, “tactical briefing” depth without drowning the reader in a wall of text (very important, according to my professors! Visuals are much more relaxing to literally “see” over a massive piece of text).

The Verdict: Even my professor enjoyed the chaos! Her feedback:

“That is a very exciting infographic. Very creative!”

In the end, it’s all about organizing the noise so the audience can find their way.

The Multiverse is collapsing. Are you ready? Mena and I are so excited to get our theater tickets in December 🎬🎞️🤭🍿

— Lizzy the Ronin

The Midnight Watch Log

It’s crazy that me and my sister are all of a sudden halfway into Season 5. It’s also crazy to think that if we’d been watching this in real-time, we wouldn’t have known there were another ten seasons coming. But for now it’s getting intense. Sam and Dean may become vessels for Lucifer and Michael? Here we go again with so many of their annoying “no’s” then finally that “yes” in the finale..(right?)

I’ll admit it: this show is my guilty pleasure, especially after closing at work around 10 PM. Every night, I get home, freshen up, and sit down with my sister, Mena, to see what the Winchesters are up to.

The Vibe we go for: Lights off. Curtains closed. A cup of tea🍵 . It’s the perfect late-night binge; though some episodes are scary enough to keep me from even walking to the bathroom until morning.🙁

Now here is my first impression in one sentence: I was EXTREMELY, yet pleasantly, surprised at the intense, gory scenes for a TV-14 show. I expected “family-friendly” ghostbusters; I got graphic, bloody, and humorous; the relationship between Sam and Dean is so me and Mena by the way…

The Brother Breakdown: Sam vs. Dean

Team Dean or Team Sam?

Easy answer. Dean of course! Like I just mentioned, my sister and I resemble the Winchester’s so much. Me being older but shorter (and usually much sillier) like Dean, and my sister, Mena, being the younger but taller one. She is also much more knowledgeable about certain things. Unlike me, who, like Dean, doesn’t understand some of Sam’s research. But that’s another thing: sometimes it could be the other way around. I usually enjoy healthier foods like Sam and I also enjoy research. But then again, my sister does love to read WAY more than me and I tend to be hungry quite often…

Thankfully, my sister doesn’t take my music taste as a joke like Sam. Rather, we share the same exact music taste which makes a drives a lot funner.

Up to what I’ve watched (season 5, episode 13), Sam and Dean’s relationship is much stronger than it was in the previous season and the beginning of season 5. Currently, they’re at one of those moment where the angels, all very annoying (except the adorable Cass), are convincing the brothers that they will say “yes” and become vessels. The trust issues from previous seasons were so obnoxious though; Considering my sister and I forgive each other so easily; but they’re getting through it 😅. Every time they argue, Mena and I find ourselves telling them: “Suck it up and make up!” because we know exactly how they both feel.

As for my favorite side character…it’s obvious that Cass stole the show for me…and my heart…

AHEM!

Cass was someone I was hoping wouldn’t turn up until much later in the show because I was enjoying Sam and Dean together. I thought when Cass showed up, he’d sort of steal one of their spots. But he’s proven otherwise. The fact that Cass has been the only trustworthy angel, makes it feel safe whenever he shows up. Bobby’s another awesome character too! Another absolute legend. I was so upset when he lost his ability to walk.

Whether Dean or Sam has the better vibe is obvious too…Dean’s leather jacket, his hot 67’ Impala, and his music taste are GOLD! And the fact he always knows exactly what to eat, whether it’s apple pie, a simple burger with fries (and extra onions!), or a salami sandwich, makes me hungry on the spot.

The Monsters vs. The Lore

The Funniest Episode so far: Season 5, Episode 3 (Free to be You and Me). Cass in the bar was hilarious. Gotta admit, this is something my sister and I were praying would happen to him. I guess we do resemble the Winchester’s so much because we’d have pranked Cass as much as the boys did. His monotone "That wasn't me" after the whoopee cushion was hilarious too. Also, Dean screaming at the cat in Yellow Fever lives rent-free in my head. Also, in Mystery Spot when Sam is copying Dean; that was written and acted out perfectly👌. If I had to pick a season that had me cracking up the entire time, I’d say season 5 has done the best job with humor.

The Scariest Episode: Bloody Mary for sure. Ghosts that look almost human but ghastly make me terrified of the dark.

The Lore: I enjoy the "side quest" legends and ghosts, but the Heaven vs. Hell structure is fantastic too. It’s emotional, thrilling, and has just the right amount of humor. As usual, perfectly written storyline as well! The characters, too, are like a family and the love and support they show for each other is beyond words.

Predictions & Theories

• Who is safe? Well, too bad for me, I know 10 season come after this and both Winchesters and Cass will show up. As for Bobby? I’m not so sure…

• The Ending: Based on where I am, I’m 99.9% to 100% sure they will both become Lucifer and Michael vessels. Every season they fight to do the right thing but it ALWAYS ends up where they do the wrong thing, or what they said they wouldn’t do. (re-read this article and realized I was wrong about them becoming vessels..)

• The “What’s Next”: In the last episodes of season 5, I’m just hoping there will be more funny pranks on Cass, Sam and Dean learn to trust each other, and honestly, I hope Zachariah dies. (Again...I re-read and yay…he died)

  ---

The “Watch List” Sidebar (Magazine Feature)

Now for fun! If you haven’t yet watched the show here are my favorite things we like to do while binging:

You need snacks of course :)

• Season 1-2 Snacks: Keep it simple. Maybe a pizza or a bowl of ramen.

• Season 5 Snacks: Something to munch on? Chex Mix (or Trail Mix if you’re like Sam🙄), ham and cheese rolls, glazed doughnuts, or a chocolate bar with mixed nuts and caramel.

• Dean Food… : Heavy road trip snacks like pigs in a blanket, beef jerky, or pretzels with mustard.

• Drink: If the episode is too heavy, go for a calming honey-sweetened chamomile tea 🍵.

• The Vibe Songs 🎸Just my opinion…

  • The Classic: Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas.

  • The Emotional Hit: Stay - Florida Georgia Line (Perfect when someone dies).

  • The Dean Vibe: I Love This Bar - Toby Keith.

  • The Banger: Heat of the Moment - Asia. (The best song/scene in the show)

  • The Supernatural Vibe: Thriller - Michael Jackson (speaks for itself, considering it’s the shows exact kind of vibe?)

Let’s Chat! 💬

Have you finished the show? Who was your favorite character?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments!