The Olive Opinion

Marvel Studios' second live-action series adapts an iconic character that defines the current generation of comics with a leading female character who also happens to be Muslim. Ms. Marvel's 6 episodes continue the inclusion trend within the MCU in the best ways possible. The new faces widen the franchise introducing new terms, stakes, and themes that proves that this phase is indeed the most experimentative one yet.  Despite the writers changing comic book origins when it comes to Kamala's powers, (YES, we are heading into spoiler territory but we will get back to that) the six-part series is humourous, enjoyable, and charming overall. Kamala as well as her family is a nice change of pace, demolishing the orphan trope of the superhero genre. Even outside her overprotective and religious home, her relationship with friends Bruno and Nakia definitely flesh out what made the source material so special to teens at the time gaining Spider-Man-like status.   This is Iman Vella...

The Gray Man was probably one of the most anticipated Netflix original movies this year as it distracts you with hard-hitting action sequences and big stars, all helmed by the Russo Brothers in their return to action thrillers. Netflix has a track record of having at least one or two big-budget movies like this to show off how the streaming services have gone beyond their reliance on good storytelling to having spectacle visuals. Unlike Stranger Things which has grown in quality in both aspects, Netflix action thrillers have always been on the losing end more often when it comes to compelling stories. The Gray Man is no exception. The film shoves its way with aimless bombastic sequences instead of providing the right ingredients that made the spy genre so popular. The Gray Man is more of a commemorative gesture than creating its own space within the likes of the Bond and Mission Impossible franchises. One thing is for certain is that this is a Russo Brothers flick. From their camera wo...

Buzz Lightyear is one of the most iconic characters in animation and a staple character within the Toy Story franchise. Fans were excited when Pixar decided to make a movie entirely focused on Buzz, The Space Ranger in a space opera-like feature. As anticipation rose, many countries including Malaysia were not going to be able to see it on the big screen after 3 years of Pixar skipping exclusive screenings. A month later, audiences can finally watch Lightyear for themselves.  With a character that is as widely known as Buzz, fans of Toy Story will consider rewatching films beforehand. However, this is not a good idea. Buzz in this solo act is a different character entirely compared to the Buzz we grew used to as a toy. To remind you, Buzz is no longer a toy in this film, he is a character going through his own narrative and arc as a futuristic adventurer of the stars. Some people will find this frustrating, which is why it is imperative to at least try to leave behind the character...

The Minions have been a worldwide phenomenon amongst children and adults alike since Despicable Me first graced our screens. As a sequel to the prequel, Minions: The Rise of Gru stylizes itself as the more prominent setup for towards the Gru trilogy. This sequel starts off immediately at where we left off with the Minions finally meeting their longtime boss, Gru as an eleven-year-old.  Audiences would be expecting this Minion sequel to be more Minion-Esque, especially focusing on Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, but a huge chunk of the plot spends more time with young Gru on his rise to becoming the established villain we know him to be. However, this cannot be pooped on for that "The Rise of Gru" is on the subtitle of the title card. Nonetheless, there are a tad too many easter eggs and cameos from the main movies and exposition plot points towards Gru's eventual life as opposed to having more shenanigans with the only three Minions we knew by name. (With the exception of meeting...

It's finally here, the finale we have been waiting for. Stranger Things 4 premiered a month ago and finally gave Netflix the punch it needed after the stock issues the streaming service had been facing. But let's not get technical here. To keep the momentum for the season raging on, Netlfix decided to air the last 2 episodes on July 1st. So was the anticipation worth the wait?  Both episodes 8 and 9 clocked about 1 and a half hours and 2 and a half hours respectively, totaling up to four hours of content. The epic finale continues where volume 1 left us by leaving more unresolved plotholes yet pleasing fans with its surprising successful attempts at what seems like perfect continuity while answering a lot of the questions have had since season 1. In two episodes, The Duffer Brothers (who wrote and directed these pair of episodes) manage to, at least, tie up the season in epic and gargantuan ways.  It is clear here that Stranger Things 4 functions as the penultimate adventure b...