One of these speeches, as Maw walks among dozens of murdered Asgardians, is the very first line spoken in the film after the "Marvel Studios" title card. During Thanos' massacres of the Zehoberei and the Asgardians, Ebony Maw can be heard speaking over the carnage, giving grand speeches about how the victims should be grateful that they were privileged enough to be chosen to be "saved" by the Great Titan and that even in death, they are all Children of Thanos.And then you realize that one of the bodies lying at Thanos' feet is a beaten up Thor, who Thanos picks up by his collar and carries as if he's a small child. The only Asgardian left standing is Loki, who stares petrified at someone in front of him, who is then revealed to be Thanos, reciting his sympathetic monologue. We see the Asgardian ship getting fired at with its shields failing, and then we cut to someone's feet walking over Asgardian bodies while an ominous voice praises Thanos and declares that the dead should be grateful, until Ebony Maw's face is revealed.
The way the first shots of the movie are filmed and the whole situation is revealed to the viewer bit by bit is also quite tense.If fans could drop everything to start their chronological MCU marathons in the lead-up to "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," then there is no excuse to avoid carving out some time to experience the manic glory of the entire "The Matrix" trilogy to prep for the highly-anticipated legacy sequel! Thankfully, Hulu is obliging and carrying the original three movies all the way until the end of December, perfectly coinciding with the release of "The Matrix Resurrections. and also find yourself on the right side of history, along with the rest of us who appreciate the messy, inconsistent, but gloriously Wachowski sequels for everything that they are. That's why I'm cheating here a bit and including the entire trilogy in this entry. The rapid approach of December also means we're entering "The Matrix" season, people! With "The Matrix Resurrections" set to bow just in time for the holidays, there is no better time to catch up on the original film that started it all.
The onset of the cold and bleak winter months isn't all bad, you know. Neither Pine or Taylor Sheridan have ever been better than they are here. Despite being considered as a "revisionist" Western, "Hell or High Water" embraces the tropes of a bank-robbing spree, a lawman who's this close to retirement forced to follow their trail, and an inevitably tragic conclusion that - one way or another - ends messily for all involved. That's not to say that it doesn't have a way of sneaking up on you and hitting you hard, however, as it steadily draws viewers into its story about a pair of aimless and wandering brothers who become desperate to do anything to save their family's Texas ranch. Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western, starring Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham, is far more slower-paced than you might expect. Everyone knows him from his "Star Trek" movies or playing an impressive second fiddle to Gal Gadot in the "Wonder Woman" films, but it took me until "Hell or High Water" to finally recognize him for the deceptively brilliant character actor that he can be, when the material calls for it. In a time when genuine movie stars have become a dying breed, Chris Pine has to be considered one of our best, most charismatic leading men around. Director Alexandre Aja ("The Hills Have Eyes," "Piranha 3D," "Oxygen") keeps a steady hand on the wheel throughout the film's gory action and cleverly-staged thrills, delivering a tightly-wound horror/thriller that may just make you afraid of the water again. The results aren't quite as lofty as those heights, admittedly, but it's not trying to be, either. "Crawl" sets almost all of its action within a single flooded basement in a sinking house, using the geography of the carefully constructed setting to attempt to do to gators what "Jaws" accomplished with sharks. Naturally, this unleashes a pack - herd? Flock? I don't know, man - of extremely hungry alligators that quickly descend upon hapless victims. 2019's "Crawl" is no exception, starring Kaya Scodelario in her horror movie debut as an encroaching hurricane causes Florida floodwaters to rise precipitously.
What more could you want! There are many particular joys to be found in low-concept B-movies that otherwise take their premise (perhaps a bit too) seriously and deliver as much exciting action as they can. Terrifying gators, some neat claustrophobic and incredibly tense set pieces, and all coming in under an hour and a half.