SureCommaNot

So many shows, at this point in their trajectory, make desperate attempts to be edgy or relevant or what have you, resorting to odd gimmicks or hyperpolitical messaging or questionable physics in the name of exciting action. But this episode just sticks to Rick & Morty roots, with some socio-religious jabs here and there but mostly just keeping things fun, and that's really refreshing. It's that perfect blend of smart and chaotic that keeps the show from going stale, and other shows (including other favorites of mine) would honestly do well to take note.

There is no denying that Marvel has struggled to make the magic that had so captivated the hearts of the fans in the first three phases of the MCU. But this episode didn't suffer from forced interconnectedness, nor from being so disconnected the story feels arbitrary. Instead we got a part of Wakanda's backstory so ancient it reconnects us to those dangling threads of Hercules, Black Knight and the like. This is exactly the level of connectedness I've needed. And it was enjoyable not seeing, until the very end of the episode, how this fit into the previous episode (and its placement in history).

The result was what currently seems to be an enjoyable one-off (just like the comics do), that may later matter more or less.

We were also presented with multi-layered ethical quandaries between the main characters here, as sometimes the people who genuinely care for each other may also have ulterior motives and disparate missions.

The choreography of the fight scenes was also really well done, as was the overall composition of the shots (whether or not one cares for the artistic style and its use of texture and shape). And the music is excellent too.

So while this didn't move me nearly as much as X-Men '97, it's still a very decent animated short run, worth watching for fans of the fictional world of Wakanda, and its related lore.

I can see I'm not the only one who saw the new version and was excited to revisit the old! The new one didn't take any risks or do anything unexpected, and that's where the 2005 version really shines. The first act in particular is exploding with personality and fun! And unlike the new version, this one always had me really feeling for the characters.

Unfortunately, the second act spends a lot of time spinning its wheels, admittedly. But it comes together in the end, and got us excited for the sequel too.

Ultimately an enjoyable movie that achieved what it set out to do. And its shortcomings can honestly be forgiven, given what expectations the world had on comic-book movies back then. I'd like to see the newer installments taking notes on what these older films were unafraid to do.