benheer

I decided to give the movie a try because Jeremy Jahns said he liked it enough to watch it again. And then I heard that Michael Giacchino scored the film, which automatically bumped it to priority for me. He's the same guy that scored The Incredibles and Ratatouille, and he seems to be very selective based on the film's plot, themes, and messaging, which gives much more incentive to watch FF. And it did not disappoint.

This is by far the best Marvel product since Endgame, and Giacchino's score gives it such a cool and unique feel. Not perfect, and in a different world it would be pretty mid. And Disney/Superhero/Pedro Pascal fatigue are all real, but if you're on the fence with an inkling of hope left, this is your film. Disney appears to have massively course-corrected with this one. They got the message by scrapping "the message". The visuals are tonally consistent too, like a rich chocolate cake compared to the skittles Marvel has been feeding us lately. It's definitely good for the whole family, too.

Cringe. I was pretty excited for this marketed "stand alone" movie, and I was sure it was going to develop throughout. Nope. Apparently this is a pilot, and I really wanted to convince myself that I wasn't giving it enough grace, based on what is previewed at the end. However, there is no reason to watch the rest of the series.

As a religious conservative myself, I really wanted to like this movie. But when the girl's "can I...pray for you" line was delivered awkwardly and distantly to the guy seeking comfort after his mistake (instead of her leaning in to offer a touch, hug, or even a quiet ear to listen), I laughed, then I groaned, then I lost all hope that the rest of the movie would be able to portray a good message convincingly. Sorry to say, this is Angel's first big flop, mostly due to its deceptive marketing, disjointed narrative, and failed dialogue (not to mention, the morality of message is very inconsistent).