@@WindupchronicI like it, but reviewers who've seen it said the pacing is extremely different from episode to episode. That scares me as a fan; not knowing if we'll get something as exciting from the first episode. I'll watch this season anyways, then I'll give my own overall opinion. If I don't like something (aka Ms. Marvel) I won't watch it in entirety, but I hope it's good.
@@WitchMaster-vi4kpSorry I don't think that's true. I could go on and on with a list of RUclipsrs that use ChatGPT to write their scripts. Dan puts in actual work to create charts and does the math to let us know how much movies made.
Just an observation; 1.5k views out of 4.5k in 2 hours were done in the first 15 minutes after the upload, that’s some amazingly genuine engagement Dan. Goes to show your viewers aren’t just blowing in but they are genuinely waiting to hear from you. ❤
@@Fuuntag I'm glad he has so many members after the company that handled his sponsor deals turned out to be a scam. But super glad that he has so much engagement regardless. He honestly deserves better. Love the channel
Sounds like the same issues all the MCU shows have. I agree that Kang is turning out to be a poor villain in execution. Thanos worked because we saw so little of him so when he took action in Infinity War it felt significant. Seeing Kang over and over again is just exhausting and repetitive.
It's also because Thanos had a plan and we knew what it was, we could follow the villians journey. When an Infinity Stone made an appearance we knew Thanos eventually wouldn't be far behind. With Kang.....we have no idea what he's doing.
@@WitchMaster-vi4kp Kang is Kang to me regardless of the performance. It creates for a cheap gimmick rather than a fleshed out villain. Kang is still scheduled to be the villain of the next Avengers film and by that point he will have been present in like 10 projects prior. It’s not very exciting to me.
Love your work Dan and almost always agree on all counts.. not that we must agree for me to enjoy your reviews! That said, this is I believe the first time I disagree and am quite impressed with the four episodes thus far! It doesn't seem to me that they cut the budget, in fact recreating the world's fair in the 1800s, the scenes from the 70s, the myriad of extras in period costumes..etc... and the expanded TV as well as special effects in general, I think are all knockouts! I can see your point on Majors' broad characterization, but feel it works more in episode 4 than episode 3. where the bit onstage felt slow due to his delivery. Episode four I think is fantastic across the board...creatively, narratively, technically and for its twisty shock factor value! Excited for the last two episodes! Thanks again for all of your thoughtful reviews.
You want to save money and tell emotional stories? Focus on your street level heroes and stop making all threats universe ending. Make them more personal.
Majors was fantastic is season 1 episode 6. In fact, i re-watch that episode every few months. He was also the best part of Ant man 3, but thats not saying much.
I think 4 out of 6 episodes is enough to pass judgment on the series for sure. So many other quality shows that from the first episode you just already now the quality of visuals, dialogue your getting from the show and you dont think about it when it comes to recommending it to friends and family to also watch. So, definetely... 4 out of 6 is enough even if theres posible changes in directions or plotwist at the end
Loki S1 ultimately felt pointless (Not because of the universe, but where the characters ended up and the road leading up to it) So even if this is an improvement, I don't really care about the main characters, and that's what made the early MCU, that even the side characters were interesting to watch progress, suffer, and triumph. I would be more interested in a Moon Knight follow-up.
Just glad to have more Loki And Mobius together. Can't wait for this and hope to get Hemsworth's Thor, Grant's Loki, Kate Dickie As A Older Variant Of Sylvie, Alligator Loki And Deadpool.
All Disney+ shows except Andor leave too much to do in the final episodes. I just finished Ahsoka and once again I was left thinking really? That’s it? All these threads are just left hanging? 🤦♀️
Perhaps Marvel should ask Foundation producers how they managed to create an epic Sci-Fi TV series at $85 million for a total of ten episodes for season 2 and around $69 million for season 1, while Loki season 2 has a budget of $141 million for just six. Marvel spent $212 million on Secret Invasion. This is clearly a management issue.
@@TheMetalGaia I mean, I’d say it’s still worth a watch if you have some time. I really like futurism & scifi (to an extent) & there’s some neat concepts (it’s based off an Asimov book) The visuals, as I had mentioned are good. As a “grown male” I personally could go without every single “love” thing but hey, some may like it I guess..
Not a single MCU show (including Loki season 1) has nailed the landing. I love WandaVision, and her goodbye to Vision is lovely, but the rest of that episode was pretty meh. The stinger on the end was a harbinger of how Multiverse of Madness was going to do her dirty. Loki season 1's last episode completely lost me. I found it undercut the entire show. Falcon and Winter Soldier's final episode was also very meh. Moon Knight was awesome, but the finale was definitely the weakest part. I haven't watched any more MCU shows because I got tired of holding out, waiting for them to get good. If these first four episodes are just ok, I sincerely doubt the last episodes will save the show. My experience has been that MCU show middles have been consistently the best part, and if those are eye-rolling, then the show isn't worth it. Also, it doesn't surprise me that they don't know what to do with Sylvie. The MCU has really struggled to make compelling, interesting, complicated female characters. They either become punching bags of tragedy prepped for the fridge or sudden, inexplicable villains. Or popsicle stick female empowerment puppets.
Having gone through the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) and then relatively quickly having the world shut down for a time, we immediately want to see the breadcrumbs of what the next saga will bring us. But we are collectively too zoomed in to see the big picture. Complaints about script issues and budgetary impacts of special effects are valid but they aren’t enough on some level to discouraging my excitement over the future of the MCU. The most engrossed that I have been post-Endgame have been with Majors on screen - Loki’s episode with HWR and the implications of the end of Quantumania. I want to see this season of Loki succeed and I want the same for the MCU as a whole. And I’m excited for whatever journey that we take to get there.
Here after episode 4, no spoilers- I think it's a bit unfair to put the expectations of the entire MCU's future on a tv series, even though Loki s1 was excellent. This was also the series I was looking forward to most since s1 ended, and so far the story in itself I feel has been going as expected, they need to find HWR's variant, and ep 4 ended on a real cliffhanger (the only unexpected thing so far for me), similar to the s1 finale. Sylvie is angry and unsure of everything since she stabbed HWR, so it makes sense to me she doesn't really know where to go next. The first 4 eps did feel unevenly paced to me, esp ep 3 when they took such a long time to eventually get where they needed to. That said, I am awaiting the last 2 eps just like you, and while I don't expect an earth-shattering finale (they haven't done those in a while now), I still hope there's better resolutions for people like Mobius, b-15, and definitely Loki and Sylvie. At this point, Loki definitely feels like a hero of a group- who would've thought? 😂
I really appreciate the way Dan articulated his opinions about Jonathan Majors' performance. To peel back the curtain a bit, as a black person, I'm (apparently) expected to love any performance by any black actor. It's silly, but it's really no different than any other expectations thrown onto anyone by the tribe they're associated with, either by nature or nurture, personal desire or peer pressure. I appreciate Disney doing diversity casting, but if you make me choose between quality or diversity, between a good actor or a popular one, I'll choose the former in both cases. I sort of resent Disney for putting us in that position. They just keep fumbling the ball. Anyway, I just think Majors' acting style is old school. It lacks nuance. He's like that in everything I've seen him in. That style may very well be suited for the stage, but for screen acting you have to strip that down. I remember that final episode of Loki Season 1, when Tom Hiddleston and Sophia Martino were sitting in chairs delivering their dialogue, while Majors was jumping on the desk doing... whatever he was doing. I was like, "Bro, why are you standing on the desk? What in the 'Willy Wonka' are you doing?" 🤦🏾♂️
I couldn't disagree with you more, but art is subjective so I respect your opinion. However, I think the way JM portrayed He Who Remains was brilliant. He's a being who has lived millions of years and has seen the worlds history unfold from beginning to end. We meet him on his final day of life, alone, at the end of time. I would've been disappointed if he acted stoic or bland, like let's say The Architect from The Matrix Reloaded.
"What in the 'Willy Wonka' are you doing?" Thank you for this phrase. I struggle to come up with a way to explain behavior like S1 FInale Kang. Willy Wonka-ing just nails it.
@@ricebrown1 Right! When I first saw that, I was like, "Are You even in the same scene with the other actors?" Which, now that I think of it, with green screen and modern digital compositing, maybe he wasn't in the same room with the other actors 🤔
@@David.Andrew I see what you mean. I guess I would have preferred him taking the direction of a wise person that has seen it all, that can hold his power stoically. Something like Gustavo Fring in 'Breaking Bad'.
"Lacks nuance" is apt. The script called for HeWhoRemains to be over the top and Majors delivered flatly on that. Him clowning around didn't convince me that he's been on every edge of time. That character in Ben 10 did it better.
I actually liked He Who Remains' performance/presence/character a lot. I liked Kang too, but to a significantly lesser degree. I guess He Who Remains was more my kind of flavor of villain, with more complexity and philosophy etc.
I loved Majors as "He Who Remains" in season one, and thought he was pretty good in Antman 3 (one of the better parts honestly). I was kind of stunned when Dan said he didn't like him in season one and that he is kind of mehish towards season two so far in general. I usually agree with him. Luckily he seems to be in the minority, although I am a little more nervous now. I will have to see it for myself obviously. *fingers crossed*
I guess I'm with Dan all the way. I thought He-Who-Remains was too silly and Majors played Kang in Quantumania was a standard cartoon villain. Well, the (lousy) script demanded that but he didn't add anything more it.
@@AnessaSellsHouses Disagree 100% about him in Loki season 1, but agreed on Ant-Man 3. I still think he was one of the better parts of a mediocre movie though. To each their own I guess.
Yeah, I definitely disagree with Dan so far. Really like(d?) Victor Timely and Majors performance. Episode 4 was easily the best of the season. What an amazing episode! Can't wait for episode 5 and 6.
I dont even plan on watching this. MCU has just become…tired? And without consequence. All the shows are fine, but nothing really worth watching. Youre not missing anything. And another thing: despite major complaints on every newer movie/show, the RT scores always seem high.
I'm only saw the first 2 episodes from season 1, i didn't like it how they handle Loki and the legacy of the first 3 fases. I wonder if it's really necesary catch up with season one.
I'm trying to avoid these kind of review lately. I am curious and have a serious question for you.... Do you think this kind of access journalism is actually one of the reason why people are growing bored of Marvel/DC ? I mean, you have seen half of the season even before the public has seen the first episode, we're already being flooded with reviews/breakdown everywhere and it feels like it's only good for Marvel's because it generate free advertising, but it doesn't feel good for the public.
Access journalism? I’m a critic. I don’t do it for the access and if I didn’t have it, I’d say the same things I said in this review. Critics generally get to see things early and review them. That’s our job. If people are getting tired of our reviews, they have the choice not to watch them and I understand that. I don’t think it’s fair to lay any sort of weariness of the MCU at our feet. We were doing the same thing when Marvel was at its peak.
@@DanMurrellMovies My intent was not to insult you by using the words "access journalism". I do believe you are one of the good one which is why I am subscribed to you and not to so many others. Let's not dwell on that detail any further. The goal of my question was to have your input about IP coverage oversaturation on a platform like RUclips/X and it's effect (negative and positive) on viewership of said IP. I know it's a complicated issue, but I feel like it does have a growing negative impact and it's rarely discussed by content creators on RUclips.
@@SteveR-w1q It's too easy to say that, but since you didn't made an effort for a proper argument, I won't. Please go back to the children table dear and eat your carrots :)
I really enjoyed the first episode of Loki Season 2, mostly because it focussed on the relationship between Loki and Mobius (which is great as ever) and Ke Hey Quan's performance as OB (which is great) but Episode 2 with its incredibly messy pacing that was so jarring it felt like we missed an entire episode, story choices that come out of the blue, and one-dimensional characterization (Hunter B-15's entire character is just "No we can't prume timelines, that's murder!") makes me worry that this season is going to be just as much of a disappointment as most of the MCU's recent shows. It just feels like they're trying to cram too much into these episodes: already it feels like we've had four episodes worth of plot in just two episodes.
I think that the Loki season 2.... most episodes seem to aim to look and have the feel of a Wes Anderson movie. It's mostly kind of strange and doesn't have much action.
Well the first episodes out, I give it a 6 out of 10... I think I'm tired of MCU because,,, I loved Loki season one.. Just didn't care about the episode but it was great seeing The one character from a different franchise the last time I saw him he was a little boy in Indiana Jones was great seeing him definitely the best part of the episode
I have no doubt in 20, 30 years there will be a documentary about the rise & fall (and rise again?) of the MCU that goes over these past few years and everything that happened which led to a declining view of the MCU and super hero fatigue in general.
Imagine having 4 out of 10 of the highest grossing movies of all time (7 if you’re counting Disney as a whole) and thinking you have to cut the budget of what should be one of their best performing shows.
It's amazing how the same actor can do amazing work in Creed, but not in another role, although I was impressed by him in the Ant-Man movie. Despite your praise of him in Creed, I didn't see that movie, because of what's happening in real life.
This could also be the fault of either bad script or poor directing from the directors. I thought Jonathan Majors acting in Creed 3 was great, but I really disliked his character in season 1 of Loki. (Haven't seen Quantumania, so I can't judge his performance there.) Unfortunately, there's only so much an actor can do in a show/movie if the writing is bad.
I'm so disappointed that the crew from season 1 didn't really return. The first season of Loki was so good. I'm keeping my expectations low since the MCU has been so mid and doesn't show signs of getting better.
Dan, since you started watching the boys late. Dont sleep on GenV (spinoff of the boys). First episode is fire (literally at one point). Would love to see you review it while its current! Greetings from a longtime belgian fan!
Sylvie was a large part of what ruined Season 1, and while I’d prefer they’d fix the character, I’m fine with cutting back her outsized role from Season 1 to let the other characters breathe (and so they have something to do other than talk about how great she is). Really disappointing how female characters are handled by Marvel, and Sylvie is one of their worst and most insulting to watch. I hope for better for us viewers and the actresses in future than what Sylvie was.
I stopped watching (to avoid spoiling my impression) after you said the Mobius/Loki relationship is back to being core; that's literally all I'm looking for from this show.
After the first 3 episodes its bad but it's not great. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere it is like the writers and just filling time with busy work. Nobody seems to stay on task it's kinda boring when there is no direction.
Interesting, I think at this point I'll hold off watching and wait for re-reviews after episode 6 comes out, I was the biggest fan of season 1, though I completely agree that the Loki/Mobius chemiestry was the highlight, but the script was very week. Thanks for the review Dan!
This 6 episode a season nonsense needs to stop. Its killed every show Disney has tried putting out. It's simply not enough. Andor hit a sweet nice spot. Not 22 episodes like we used to get on cable television, but enough time to develop these characters and tell a cohesive story. With these 6 episode seasons there's never enough time for characters to be themselves, to reflect, to grow. Instead we have to sprint to the finish line and doing that causes characters to come off as one dimensional. Its so sad because the concepts these shows tackle are pretty cool but theres never enough time for the stories to feel satisfying. None of the Marvel shows has felt satisfying to me, even the ones i thought were fairly good like Wandavision. At the end they all feel rushed, cheap, and lacking any innovation.
my best guess is these writers have gotten too comfortable writing extremely thin stories/scripts. Soo much so that that they have to stretch it out, and even then it cn barely cover less than 10 episodes. I think thats why soo most Disney shows seem to drag, with episodes that barely advance the story because they're mostly filler. The best shows are dense with well written plot and story. I went back and watched some of my favorite shows, GOT seasons 1 to 3, The Expanse (after season 1) zip along, their episodes are just packed with good stories, scripts, subtext, themes, etc. The live action One Piece is the latest example of this.
Very disappointing to see the creative staff not returning. It felt like they had some rare magic there in season 1, so to destroy that for no reason seems foolish.
I wasn't impressed by Kate Herron's directing (and whole of S1) and given their filmography, I thought Benson and Moorhead always seem more fitting. But with the way Disney's been running the MCU, I can't say yet if Benson and Moorhead could give in their usual magic.
@@WitchMaster-vi4kp I don't know the reasons why they didn't want to come back but it seems unlikely that they didn't have to do with money on some level.
I think I may wait for everything to be out and watch reviews again then before I dive in. S1 I watched every episode as soon as they came up, but after the other shows being badly reviewed and massive disappointments, I’m a bit on the fence about sinking a lot of time into this if the last episodes an absolute stinker.
im just happy endgame stuck to landing and am very grateful to feige for the first ten years of mcu with the OG avengers, that if i dont ever see another great superhero film from this on, i am okay with that.
It's becoming ridiculous how they keep trying to hype Kang as the next big bad, but each time he shows up it's just Jonathan Majors overacting a performance that belongs in a Peter Sellers comedy. Or he gets killed by ants.
Unfortunate but not surprising. Im a huge fan of the MCU, but I see them just releasing meh after meh, with some hits and stinkers mixed in at this point. Not sure they can capture the magic in a consistant fashion without really putting in the time and work, and at this point the machine just may be moving too fast to course correct.
I’m so close to dropping interest in the MCU at this point & Loki’s performance will ad/subtract from this even if unfairly so..We all trust Dan, so shocked that it was said Mayers wasn’t so good cause so far he’s been doing nothing but fighting Marvels bad writing. Imho, he was the best part of the letdown that was antman quantumania
I'm mostly bored during the episodes. So much talk with nothing really happening. The interrogation scene was just way too long. They went for pie. Nothing of real substance was talked about. Long drawn out scenes for no reason, then back to talking a little bit, then Sylvie being weird wanting to kill Kang, again, then Kang escapes off on a boat to his secret lab, yet EVERYONE finds their way there. Renslayer, Loki and Morbius, and even Sylvie just pops up out of nowhere. The whole issue with the season is that they can't track each other that well, but when the plot needs them to they're spot on. And so much unnecessary talk about the Loom and being in the TVA is just talk, and talk, and talk. Did they forget that Marvel is a comic book series and we read them for their good stories, not just the dialogue. Also Loki being out of breath every time he has to convince someone is a little odd. And why does Sylvie look like she doesn't even want to be in the show.
Counterpoint: Sylvie is not one-dimensional, she represents the anarchist side in Season 2's examination of the harm potentially oppressive institutions can cause and if those institutions are worth saving. (Also, in fairness, Mobius is well-established as a junk food enjoyer.)
I feel like most Disney+ shows are not made or thought out well to be series. They end up most of the time feeling like bloated movies. Ahsoka is so infuriating for it lately, with long pauses, drawn out battles, inconsistent episode lengths, etc. And now hearing that maybe where we are in episode 4 would have been done by ep 2 for Loki season 2 might be a symptom of this too. The early projects specially WandaVision made the best of the format, but most other projects all feel like movies stretched and only to their own detriment.
Thank god Waldron and Herron are gone. But the head writer now was responsible for some the worst-written episodes of the previous season, which was already in contention for the worst-written Marvel show. Very nervous for this show. I need it to redeem Season 1, not the MCU entire.
Brup commercial insider. This one opens pretty real real. Sure we're in fantasy but umm... like we have all had jobs before? You used to work for someone before right? Your gamble... how'd it go? Keep on keeping on. It'll come back around.
What a bummer, I had high hopes for this show. I'm not a fan of Kang at all though. So far he's been a terribly boring villain, maybe I had to read the comics to care about him or something?
That's how you know Marvel has failed at introducing their next big, bad villain. Audiences who didn't know a thing about Thanos were already hooked by his debut and didn't have to pick up a comic to have their interest piqued. Meanwhile, Kang already got defeated like 4 times since we saw him in Loki and they're building towards two Avengers movies with everyone battling against him
I don't need it to redeem the MCU. I just need it to be good. That's it. Just be good. That's all I want.
Judging by the reviews it wont be
@@TheSeagull78 Most reviews are positive and it currently has an 83% on rotten tomatoes so I don't know what you're talking about lmao.
@@TheSeagull78 I’ll make up my own mind about what I think is good. If I like something the internet hates, all I care is that I like it.
Sylvie seems like the Loki we used to have, and our Loki is actually going on a character arc.
@@WindupchronicI like it, but reviewers who've seen it said the pacing is extremely different from episode to episode. That scares me as a fan; not knowing if we'll get something as exciting from the first episode. I'll watch this season anyways, then I'll give my own overall opinion. If I don't like something (aka Ms. Marvel) I won't watch it in entirety, but I hope it's good.
With the amount of work you put into every video you should have at least a million followers.
fun fact : every youtubers put a lot of work in making there videos
Amen
@@WitchMaster-vi4kplol NOPE
@@WitchMaster-vi4kpSorry I don't think that's true. I could go on and on with a list of RUclipsrs that use ChatGPT to write their scripts. Dan puts in actual work to create charts and does the math to let us know how much movies made.
@@aarongutierrez7705trust me, everyone does
Just an observation; 1.5k views out of 4.5k in 2 hours were done in the first 15 minutes after the upload, that’s some amazingly genuine engagement Dan. Goes to show your viewers aren’t just blowing in but they are genuinely waiting to hear from you. ❤
Probably uploaded for members and patreons before it was opened for public
@@wordsinahandle I realised this might explain part of it but I think Dan genuinely has some stellar engagement stats.
@@Fuuntag I'm glad he has so many members after the company that handled his sponsor deals turned out to be a scam. But super glad that he has so much engagement regardless. He honestly deserves better. Love the channel
Thanks for the thoughtful and honest review Dan.
Sounds like the same issues all the MCU shows have.
I agree that Kang is turning out to be a poor villain in execution. Thanos worked because we saw so little of him so when he took action in Infinity War it felt significant. Seeing Kang over and over again is just exhausting and repetitive.
It's also because Thanos had a plan and we knew what it was, we could follow the villians journey. When an Infinity Stone made an appearance we knew Thanos eventually wouldn't be far behind. With Kang.....we have no idea what he's doing.
i don't feel repetitive, he who remains is completely different from kang the Qonqurer.
it seems like victor timely is also different
@@WitchMaster-vi4kp Kang is Kang to me regardless of the performance. It creates for a cheap gimmick rather than a fleshed out villain. Kang is still scheduled to be the villain of the next Avengers film and by that point he will have been present in like 10 projects prior. It’s not very exciting to me.
Hope they replace him in the Avengers movies with another formidable villain
Please just give us X-Men even if you have to make Professor X Black but I am already sick of multiverse.
Glad to say I disagree, these 4 episodes blew me away and as some one who stuttered there whole childhood I think victor timely was played very well
"M-mocking isn't necessary" was hilarious, he thought she was mocking him. Very well played, what a hero, sad he's gone
I always try to guess Dan's feeling about the reviews by the thumbnail pics. 😂😂
Lots of meh shrugs 😅
Love your work Dan and almost always agree on all counts.. not that we must agree for me to enjoy your reviews! That said, this is I believe the first time I disagree and am quite impressed with the four episodes thus far! It doesn't seem to me that they cut the budget, in fact recreating the world's fair in the 1800s, the scenes from the 70s, the myriad of extras in period costumes..etc... and the expanded TV as well as special effects in general, I think are all knockouts! I can see your point on Majors' broad characterization, but feel it works more in episode 4 than episode 3. where the bit onstage felt slow due to his delivery. Episode four I think is fantastic across the board...creatively, narratively, technically and for its twisty shock factor value! Excited for the last two episodes! Thanks again for all of your thoughtful reviews.
You want to save money and tell emotional stories? Focus on your street level heroes and stop making all threats universe ending. Make them more personal.
You'd like Hawkeye
The apple pies were soooo much better back in the 80s so I am fine with him saying that
Majors was fantastic is season 1 episode 6. In fact, i re-watch that episode every few months. He was also the best part of Ant man 3, but thats not saying much.
Great work as always Dan and looking forward to your Ahsoka review.
Damn, I wish Disney+ would loosen the purse strings and give this show 8 - 10 episodes per season. Then wouldn't have rushed or overstuffed feel.
Can't wait to see Mobius x Loki meet Pool x Wolvie!
Owen, Tom, Hugh & Ryan could be a CRAZY combo!
I think 4 out of 6 episodes is enough to pass judgment on the series for sure. So many other quality shows that from the first episode you just already now the quality of visuals, dialogue your getting from the show and you dont think about it when it comes to recommending it to friends and family to also watch. So, definetely... 4 out of 6 is enough even if theres posible changes in directions or plotwist at the end
Loki S1 ultimately felt pointless (Not because of the universe, but where the characters ended up and the road leading up to it) So even if this is an improvement, I don't really care about the main characters, and that's what made the early MCU, that even the side characters were interesting to watch progress, suffer, and triumph.
I would be more interested in a Moon Knight follow-up.
Loki was the second best MCU show (WandaVision being n. 1) but it's hard to trust it going to be as good, especially with the Kang situation
Just glad to have more Loki And Mobius together. Can't wait for this and hope to get Hemsworth's Thor, Grant's Loki, Kate Dickie As A Older Variant Of Sylvie, Alligator Loki And Deadpool.
All Disney+ shows except Andor leave too much to do in the final episodes. I just finished Ahsoka and once again I was left thinking really? That’s it? All these threads are just left hanging? 🤦♀️
Perhaps Marvel should ask Foundation producers how they managed to create an epic Sci-Fi TV series at $85 million for a total of ten episodes for season 2 and around $69 million for season 1, while Loki season 2 has a budget of $141 million for just six. Marvel spent $212 million on Secret Invasion. This is clearly a management issue.
Foundation also looked fantastic, like one of the best of recent visually. - The story & the forced twilight love stuff on the other hand…not so much
@@mopnemdammit, I was considering watching Foundation, too.
@@TheMetalGaia I mean, I’d say it’s still worth a watch if you have some time. I really like futurism & scifi (to an extent) & there’s some neat concepts (it’s based off an Asimov book) The visuals, as I had mentioned are good. As a “grown male” I personally could go without every single “love” thing but hey, some may like it I guess..
@@mopnemyeah I got issues with the plot & writing. How sad when it looks beautiful.
If the rest of S2 is anything like the fast paced 1st episode, we're in for some good stuff!
Not a single MCU show (including Loki season 1) has nailed the landing. I love WandaVision, and her goodbye to Vision is lovely, but the rest of that episode was pretty meh. The stinger on the end was a harbinger of how Multiverse of Madness was going to do her dirty. Loki season 1's last episode completely lost me. I found it undercut the entire show. Falcon and Winter Soldier's final episode was also very meh. Moon Knight was awesome, but the finale was definitely the weakest part. I haven't watched any more MCU shows because I got tired of holding out, waiting for them to get good. If these first four episodes are just ok, I sincerely doubt the last episodes will save the show. My experience has been that MCU show middles have been consistently the best part, and if those are eye-rolling, then the show isn't worth it.
Also, it doesn't surprise me that they don't know what to do with Sylvie. The MCU has really struggled to make compelling, interesting, complicated female characters. They either become punching bags of tragedy prepped for the fridge or sudden, inexplicable villains. Or popsicle stick female empowerment puppets.
Having gone through the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) and then relatively quickly having the world shut down for a time, we immediately want to see the breadcrumbs of what the next saga will bring us. But we are collectively too zoomed in to see the big picture. Complaints about script issues and budgetary impacts of special effects are valid but they aren’t enough on some level to discouraging my excitement over the future of the MCU. The most engrossed that I have been post-Endgame have been with Majors on screen - Loki’s episode with HWR and the implications of the end of Quantumania. I want to see this season of Loki succeed and I want the same for the MCU as a whole. And I’m excited for whatever journey that we take to get there.
Here after episode 4, no spoilers- I think it's a bit unfair to put the expectations of the entire MCU's future on a tv series, even though Loki s1 was excellent. This was also the series I was looking forward to most since s1 ended, and so far the story in itself I feel has been going as expected, they need to find HWR's variant, and ep 4 ended on a real cliffhanger (the only unexpected thing so far for me), similar to the s1 finale. Sylvie is angry and unsure of everything since she stabbed HWR, so it makes sense to me she doesn't really know where to go next. The first 4 eps did feel unevenly paced to me, esp ep 3 when they took such a long time to eventually get where they needed to. That said, I am awaiting the last 2 eps just like you, and while I don't expect an earth-shattering finale (they haven't done those in a while now), I still hope there's better resolutions for people like Mobius, b-15, and definitely Loki and Sylvie. At this point, Loki definitely feels like a hero of a group- who would've thought? 😂
I really appreciate the way Dan articulated his opinions about Jonathan Majors' performance.
To peel back the curtain a bit, as a black person, I'm (apparently) expected to love any performance by any black actor. It's silly, but it's really no different than any other expectations thrown onto anyone by the tribe they're associated with, either by nature or nurture, personal desire or peer pressure.
I appreciate Disney doing diversity casting, but if you make me choose between quality or diversity, between a good actor or a popular one, I'll choose the former in both cases. I sort of resent Disney for putting us in that position. They just keep fumbling the ball.
Anyway, I just think Majors' acting style is old school. It lacks nuance. He's like that in everything I've seen him in. That style may very well be suited for the stage, but for screen acting you have to strip that down.
I remember that final episode of Loki Season 1, when Tom Hiddleston and Sophia Martino were sitting in chairs delivering their dialogue, while Majors was jumping on the desk doing... whatever he was doing.
I was like, "Bro, why are you standing on the desk? What in the 'Willy Wonka' are you doing?" 🤦🏾♂️
I couldn't disagree with you more, but art is subjective so I respect your opinion. However, I think the way JM portrayed He Who Remains was brilliant. He's a being who has lived millions of years and has seen the worlds history unfold from beginning to end. We meet him on his final day of life, alone, at the end of time. I would've been disappointed if he acted stoic or bland, like let's say The Architect from The Matrix Reloaded.
"What in the 'Willy Wonka' are you doing?" Thank you for this phrase. I struggle to come up with a way to explain behavior like S1 FInale Kang. Willy Wonka-ing just nails it.
@@ricebrown1 Right! When I first saw that, I was like, "Are You even in the same scene with the other actors?"
Which, now that I think of it, with green screen and modern digital compositing, maybe he wasn't in the same room with the other actors 🤔
@@David.Andrew I see what you mean. I guess I would have preferred him taking the direction of a wise person that has seen it all, that can hold his power stoically. Something like Gustavo Fring in 'Breaking Bad'.
"Lacks nuance" is apt. The script called for HeWhoRemains to be over the top and Majors delivered flatly on that.
Him clowning around didn't convince me that he's been on every edge of time.
That character in Ben 10 did it better.
So far this is easily the most 'negative' review I've seen for this so far so I've still got hope I'll enjoy it as much as season one.
I’ve been on the edge of my seat! Will watch if you review episodes 5 & 6.
Just saw the first episode. I liked it a lot. It's an 8/10 for me.
Marvel definitely just needs to slow down on the content and focus on quality man
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have reserved feelings for season 2.
I actually liked He Who Remains' performance/presence/character a lot. I liked Kang too, but to a significantly lesser degree. I guess He Who Remains was more my kind of flavor of villain, with more complexity and philosophy etc.
Hey there Dan!
I loved Majors as "He Who Remains" in season one, and thought he was pretty good in Antman 3 (one of the better parts honestly). I was kind of stunned when Dan said he didn't like him in season one and that he is kind of mehish towards season two so far in general. I usually agree with him.
Luckily he seems to be in the minority, although I am a little more nervous now. I will have to see it for myself obviously. *fingers crossed*
I feel the same way. Loved Majors in season 1 and Antman myself. Hope it works for me here as well.
I guess I'm with Dan all the way. I thought He-Who-Remains was too silly and Majors played Kang in Quantumania was a standard cartoon villain. Well, the (lousy) script demanded that but he didn't add anything more it.
@@AnessaSellsHouses Disagree 100% about him in Loki season 1, but agreed on Ant-Man 3. I still think he was one of the better parts of a mediocre movie though. To each their own I guess.
Yeah, I definitely disagree with Dan so far. Really like(d?) Victor Timely and Majors performance. Episode 4 was easily the best of the season. What an amazing episode! Can't wait for episode 5 and 6.
I dont even plan on watching this. MCU has just become…tired? And without consequence. All the shows are fine, but nothing really worth watching. Youre not missing anything. And another thing: despite major complaints on every newer movie/show, the RT scores always seem high.
UK viewer - love your views and opinions Dan. Up there with Kermode and Mayo as top tier reviewers.
You know its an alternate universe when the milkshake machine is working...
a shame that they cut budgets rather than just taking more time and care with each project
Bopping my head like Jayz at your entry sound bit
I'm only saw the first 2 episodes from season 1, i didn't like it how they handle Loki and the legacy of the first 3 fases. I wonder if it's really necesary catch up with season one.
Well the majority would disagree with you
@@Ravvox That's not a problem for me, i can live with that.
As an actor, I really liked what Jonathan Majors did in season 1. I'm hoping the 2nd season does turn around things for Marvel in a good way.
She should be working in a Moobys.
I'm trying to avoid these kind of review lately. I am curious and have a serious question for you.... Do you think this kind of access journalism is actually one of the reason why people are growing bored of Marvel/DC ? I mean, you have seen half of the season even before the public has seen the first episode, we're already being flooded with reviews/breakdown everywhere and it feels like it's only good for Marvel's because it generate free advertising, but it doesn't feel good for the public.
Thank you, this is an excellent comment and I believe you're right.
Well don’t watch the reviews, and there’s no problem
Access journalism? I’m a critic. I don’t do it for the access and if I didn’t have it, I’d say the same things I said in this review. Critics generally get to see things early and review them. That’s our job. If people are getting tired of our reviews, they have the choice not to watch them and I understand that. I don’t think it’s fair to lay any sort of weariness of the MCU at our feet. We were doing the same thing when Marvel was at its peak.
@@DanMurrellMovies My intent was not to insult you by using the words "access journalism". I do believe you are one of the good one which is why I am subscribed to you and not to so many others. Let's not dwell on that detail any further. The goal of my question was to have your input about IP coverage oversaturation on a platform like RUclips/X and it's effect (negative and positive) on viewership of said IP. I know it's a complicated issue, but I feel like it does have a growing negative impact and it's rarely discussed by content creators on RUclips.
@@SteveR-w1q It's too easy to say that, but since you didn't made an effort for a proper argument, I won't. Please go back to the children table dear and eat your carrots :)
The Mcdonald's stuff felt so clunky!
I really enjoyed the first episode of Loki Season 2, mostly because it focussed on the relationship between Loki and Mobius (which is great as ever) and Ke Hey Quan's performance as OB (which is great) but Episode 2 with its incredibly messy pacing that was so jarring it felt like we missed an entire episode, story choices that come out of the blue, and one-dimensional characterization (Hunter B-15's entire character is just "No we can't prume timelines, that's murder!") makes me worry that this season is going to be just as much of a disappointment as most of the MCU's recent shows. It just feels like they're trying to cram too much into these episodes: already it feels like we've had four episodes worth of plot in just two episodes.
I think that the Loki season 2.... most episodes seem to aim to look and have the feel of a Wes Anderson movie.
It's mostly kind of strange and doesn't have much action.
Well the first episodes out, I give it a 6 out of 10... I think I'm tired of MCU because,,, I loved Loki season one.. Just didn't care about the episode but it was great seeing The one character from a different franchise the last time I saw him he was a little boy in Indiana Jones was great seeing him definitely the best part of the episode
I have no doubt in 20, 30 years there will be a documentary about the rise & fall (and rise again?) of the MCU that goes over these past few years and everything that happened which led to a declining view of the MCU and super hero fatigue in general.
No there will not lmao
that would be an interesting documentary
Probably about Disney as a whole
i don't usually disagree with you but will have to disagree with this one. 1st 5 episodes are really good. waiting for the 6th
Imagine having 4 out of 10 of the highest grossing movies of all time (7 if you’re counting Disney as a whole) and thinking you have to cut the budget of what should be one of their best performing shows.
It's amazing how the same actor can do amazing work in Creed, but not in another role, although I was impressed by him in the Ant-Man movie. Despite your praise of him in Creed, I didn't see that movie, because of what's happening in real life.
This could also be the fault of either bad script or poor directing from the directors. I thought Jonathan Majors acting in Creed 3 was great, but I really disliked his character in season 1 of Loki. (Haven't seen Quantumania, so I can't judge his performance there.) Unfortunately, there's only so much an actor can do in a show/movie if the writing is bad.
@@amorra6024 You're right about that. I do recommend Quantumania just on the basis of his performance alone.
I'm so disappointed that the crew from season 1 didn't really return. The first season of Loki was so good. I'm keeping my expectations low since the MCU has been so mid and doesn't show signs of getting better.
Bravo, Thank You! Dan
Eh... I loved Jonathan majors. He who remains at the end of Loki season 1. I'm hoping he plays it similar in season 2
Having seen the first 4 eps, the most disappointing part is definitely how they make Sylvie a bystander.
victor timely is from the future he's not from the 80s or 90s , so ofcourse he's not acting as in past people used to
That’s….not what they’re setting up.
Dan, since you started watching the boys late. Dont sleep on GenV (spinoff of the boys). First episode is fire (literally at one point). Would love to see you review it while its current! Greetings from a longtime belgian fan!
Sylvie was a large part of what ruined Season 1, and while I’d prefer they’d fix the character, I’m fine with cutting back her outsized role from Season 1 to let the other characters breathe (and so they have something to do other than talk about how great she is). Really disappointing how female characters are handled by Marvel, and Sylvie is one of their worst and most insulting to watch. I hope for better for us viewers and the actresses in future than what Sylvie was.
There are significantly more spoilers in this then you suggested
excellent content😃
I stopped watching (to avoid spoiling my impression) after you said the Mobius/Loki relationship is back to being core; that's literally all I'm looking for from this show.
Would have been hilarious if MacDonald sponsored your video :D Thanks for a great review.
How/Where did you see Episodes 2-4? Disney+ might as well just released them for all of us to see.
Critics often get multiple episodes for review purposes. This is standard practice.
After the first 3 episodes its bad but it's not great. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere it is like the writers and just filling time with busy work. Nobody seems to stay on task it's kinda boring when there is no direction.
Interesting, I think at this point I'll hold off watching and wait for re-reviews after episode 6 comes out, I was the biggest fan of season 1, though I completely agree that the Loki/Mobius chemiestry was the highlight, but the script was very week. Thanks for the review Dan!
I will wait until the season is over to watch all at once, I came to dislike these very short-formatted episodes. Would rather watch it as a movie.
How come you were able to see 4 episodes when only the first one got released ?
Critics are often sent multiple episodes for review. It’s standard practice.
@@DanMurrellMovies never seen that before, lucky you ! 😄
This 6 episode a season nonsense needs to stop. Its killed every show Disney has tried putting out. It's simply not enough. Andor hit a sweet nice spot. Not 22 episodes like we used to get on cable television, but enough time to develop these characters and tell a cohesive story. With these 6 episode seasons there's never enough time for characters to be themselves, to reflect, to grow. Instead we have to sprint to the finish line and doing that causes characters to come off as one dimensional. Its so sad because the concepts these shows tackle are pretty cool but theres never enough time for the stories to feel satisfying. None of the Marvel shows has felt satisfying to me, even the ones i thought were fairly good like Wandavision. At the end they all feel rushed, cheap, and lacking any innovation.
my best guess is these writers have gotten too comfortable writing extremely thin stories/scripts. Soo much so that that they have to stretch it out, and even then it cn barely cover less than 10 episodes. I think thats why soo most Disney shows seem to drag, with episodes that barely advance the story because they're mostly filler.
The best shows are dense with well written plot and story. I went back and watched some of my favorite shows, GOT seasons 1 to 3, The Expanse (after season 1) zip along, their episodes are just packed with good stories, scripts, subtext, themes, etc. The live action One Piece is the latest example of this.
Very disappointing to see the creative staff not returning. It felt like they had some rare magic there in season 1, so to destroy that for no reason seems foolish.
can't do anything if they themselves doesn't want to come back...
anyways they seem to have good goodbyes
I wasn't impressed by Kate Herron's directing (and whole of S1) and given their filmography, I thought Benson and Moorhead always seem more fitting.
But with the way Disney's been running the MCU, I can't say yet if Benson and Moorhead could give in their usual magic.
@@WitchMaster-vi4kp I don't know the reasons why they didn't want to come back but it seems unlikely that they didn't have to do with money on some level.
Dan the man.
I think I may wait for everything to be out and watch reviews again then before I dive in. S1 I watched every episode as soon as they came up, but after the other shows being badly reviewed and massive disappointments, I’m a bit on the fence about sinking a lot of time into this if the last episodes an absolute stinker.
My Excitement levels for this is at........
im just happy endgame stuck to landing and am very grateful to feige for the first ten years of mcu with the OG avengers, that if i dont ever see another great superhero film from this on, i am okay with that.
It's becoming ridiculous how they keep trying to hype Kang as the next big bad, but each time he shows up it's just Jonathan Majors overacting a performance that belongs in a Peter Sellers comedy. Or he gets killed by ants.
I loved He Who Remains waaay more than Kang personally
I hope we get a Gen V review from you Dan.
Unfortunate but not surprising. Im a huge fan of the MCU, but I see them just releasing meh after meh, with some hits and stinkers mixed in at this point. Not sure they can capture the magic in a consistant fashion without really putting in the time and work, and at this point the machine just may be moving too fast to course correct.
Your mic is upside-down.
Silvie was the weakest link of S1 the less of her the better
How’d you get to see the next 3 episodes already?
Critics are often sent more than one episode for review purposes.
@DanMurrellMovies Kind of you to answer with a real answer instead of just replying MAGIC!!!! (which is probably what I would do lol).
Where’s the box office recap?
Expectations adjusted 🤐
soon we'll be having one episode seasons
Movies?
I’m so close to dropping interest in the MCU at this point & Loki’s performance will ad/subtract from this even if unfairly so..We all trust Dan, so shocked that it was said Mayers wasn’t so good cause so far he’s been doing nothing but fighting Marvels bad writing. Imho, he was the best part of the letdown that was antman quantumania
I'm mostly bored during the episodes. So much talk with nothing really happening. The interrogation scene was just way too long. They went for pie. Nothing of real substance was talked about. Long drawn out scenes for no reason, then back to talking a little bit, then Sylvie being weird wanting to kill Kang, again, then Kang escapes off on a boat to his secret lab, yet EVERYONE finds their way there. Renslayer, Loki and Morbius, and even Sylvie just pops up out of nowhere.
The whole issue with the season is that they can't track each other that well, but when the plot needs them to they're spot on. And so much unnecessary talk about the Loom and being in the TVA is just talk, and talk, and talk. Did they forget that Marvel is a comic book series and we read them for their good stories, not just the dialogue.
Also Loki being out of breath every time he has to convince someone is a little odd. And why does Sylvie look like she doesn't even want to be in the show.
Counterpoint: Sylvie is not one-dimensional, she represents the anarchist side in Season 2's examination of the harm potentially oppressive institutions can cause and if those institutions are worth saving. (Also, in fairness, Mobius is well-established as a junk food enjoyer.)
Are you going to do Gen V?
I feel like most Disney+ shows are not made or thought out well to be series. They end up most of the time feeling like bloated movies. Ahsoka is so infuriating for it lately, with long pauses, drawn out battles, inconsistent episode lengths, etc. And now hearing that maybe where we are in episode 4 would have been done by ep 2 for Loki season 2 might be a symptom of this too. The early projects specially WandaVision made the best of the format, but most other projects all feel like movies stretched and only to their own detriment.
Aw, man. I was really looking forward to this and now I'm feeling disappointed. Who knows though, I may still love or at least really like it.
Seaaon 1 was good for all of 2 episides. My expectations are low.
We really don’t need comedic characters
Loki ❤❤ marvel studios never disappoint.. 👍 👍
Wait, I thought we hated female loki now we want her to shine?
“We” never hated Sylvie. I thought she was quite good in season 1.
Thank god Waldron and Herron are gone. But the head writer now was responsible for some the worst-written episodes of the previous season, which was already in contention for the worst-written Marvel show. Very nervous for this show. I need it to redeem Season 1, not the MCU entire.
i fell asleep during the first episode so i have nothing more to say
Brup commercial insider. This one opens pretty real real. Sure we're in fantasy but umm... like we have all had jobs before? You used to work for someone before right? Your gamble... how'd it go? Keep on keeping on. It'll come back around.
How were you able to view these early.
I’m a critic, the episodes get sent early for review.
They need to get rid of Sylvie but I wonder if they won't do it because they're scared that her fans/Loki x Sylvie fans will stop tuning it if they do
Where's my charts Dan?😡
What a bummer, I had high hopes for this show. I'm not a fan of Kang at all though. So far he's been a terribly boring villain, maybe I had to read the comics to care about him or something?
That's how you know Marvel has failed at introducing their next big, bad villain. Audiences who didn't know a thing about Thanos were already hooked by his debut and didn't have to pick up a comic to have their interest piqued. Meanwhile, Kang already got defeated like 4 times since we saw him in Loki and they're building towards two Avengers movies with everyone battling against him
This is the only negative review I’ve seen so far.
It’s not a negative review.
@@DanMurrellMovies Although for some reason everyone is taking it negatively