“WandaVision”: It’s just like a dream

“WandaVision”：the first work of Marvel’s fourth stage，are you satisfied with it?

It’s been almost a week since “WandaVision” has been broadcast. Fans who are crying for the beautiful love of the magic red, are you still sad?

As the first Marvel American drama broadcast on the Disney+ platform, it also serves as the fourth stage of MCU production after the epidemic.

“WandaVision” continues the follow-up story of “Vision” and “Wanda” since their first appearances in “Avengers 2: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America 2” respectively.

At the end of the play, I summarize it in one sentence: “It’s like a dream. I wake up for a long time and I am still very moved. I still want to be protected by you from the pain in my heart.”

Originally, the first work in the MCU stage was “Black Widow”, but the world was unpredictable, and the release of cinema movies was postponed due to the outbreak of the epidemic.

Related Post: “WandaVision” was awarded the best limited drama by the Hollywood Film Critics Association.

“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” was originally going to be the first, but because the show was filmed in Europe, the completion time was later than “WandaVision”, which was only filmed in the United States.

So “WandaVision” became the first film and television work in the fourth stage.

Kevin Fitch expressed his satisfaction with this order change and felt that “WandaVision” would make the MCU transition from the film industry to the TV industry better.

And Fitch even admitted that through the events in this play, “Red Witch” Wanda has also become the most powerful member of the Avengers.

At the end of 2017, when Disney finally completed the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the copyright returned to the dust.

The name of “Red Witch” and her most classic comic style can finally officially appear in the world of MCU, appearing in “WandaVision”.

The story of the whole drama follows “Avengers 4: Endgame” and takes place in 2023. It also pays tribute to sitcoms from different eras in American history.

These include “I Love Lucy” from the 1950s.

Ken Whittingham, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch Movie in the 1960s.

Mary Tyler Moore and The Partridge Family in the 1970s.

“Growing Pains” in the 1980s.

“Full House” in the 90s (the heroine is the two sisters of Omei, the famous Olsen twins Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen).

“Malcolm in the Middle” of the 21st century and so on.

And in recent years, the more familiar “Modern Family” and “The Office” have been full of traces in the play.

The director of this play previously said that “WandaVisionn” was also affected by “The Truman Show”.

In terms of production, “WandaVision” is basically in line with MCU movies.

For example, in order to restore the style of classic American sitcoms, the crew specially invited the legendary sitcom actor Dick Van Dyck mentioned above as a consultant.

When filming, just like many sitcoms, the laughter in the background is not “canned laughter”, but from the audience watching the filming process on the spot.

And in the black and white part of the series, in order to make the red illusion look more realistic, Paul Bettany was painted blue this time.

In order to cover the 7 different eras in the play, the photographer used a total of 47 different lenses to maintain the accuracy of the era.

In terms of lighting, the most commonly used tungsten lamp of that era was used during the filming in the 50s and 70s, and then until modern scenes, the more advanced LED lamp was used.

With a budget of US$25 million per episode, “WandaVision” surpassed “The Pacific” in 2010 and became the most expensive series in the history of American dramas.

The frame ratios of the series are also different in different periods.

For example, in the 1950s and 70s, it was 4×3, and in the 80s and 2010s, it was a full-frame 16×9.

On the other hand, the frame of the screen outside the play is deformed 2.39:1, presented in (letterbox), which means that there are black screens on the top and bottom of the screen.

After the episode was broadcast, “WandaVision” soon became the most watched American TV show in January this year, and it also got 91% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, as the plot progresses, the play is in the third episode (Wanda is pregnant and gives birth, and Monica is “pushed” out of Xijing Town at the end, and the picture changes color for the first time).

Episode 7 (Wanda’s house keeps changing ages, and at the end, the virgin neighbors are exposed and sang the villain song of “My mother is Agatha”), ushered in two low evaluations.

Finally, after the ninth episode of the finale aired, it reached the lowest.

Is “WandaVision” really good? Does it match our expectations before the broadcast?

“WandaVision” shortcomings collection

About sitcoms

Due to a series of changes caused by the epidemic, it is said that the original 6 episodes of “WandaVision” was forcibly expanded to 9 episodes.

If this news is true, it explains why the “feeling of water injection” in the first half of the play is so strong, especially since it did not jump out of the real world, it only happened in the first three episodes of “Xijing Town”.

Many viewers have been impatient and persuaded to retire after watching unintelligible sitcoms. It would be better if the plot is tighter.

Compared with American dramas, this drama is more like a movie, giving people a feeling of “we are creating this drama according to movie standards”.

This is a good thing in terms of production level, but the final presentation is not like a movie, more like a half movie.

Whether it is a first-line or a second-line hero, in fact, TV series are not suitable for Marvel’s superheroes.
The quality of the small screen and the big screen are different.

Since the 21st century, after Marvel made this theme popular, they planned to use the resources of the big screen to show the charm of superheroes.

Unlike “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” which is more “extraordinary”, “WandaVision” is directly a story that takes place in the MCU’s main universe.

If the audience expects it according to the standards of Marvel movies, the gap will be huge.

Boy Paper: The biggest feature of superhero movies is the mature special effects.

On the small screen, even if you focus on lighting, designing costumes, paying tribute to classic American dramas, and trying to stay close to the styles of different eras, the greatest advantages of Marvel Super British movies have not been well reflected.

The investment in “WandaVision” is already the highest in American dramas, but it is still not the same as MCU movies.

The American drama “Daredevil” released before is not the same. As a series that is closer to real life and less fanciful, it does not require high special effects.

The creators also basically focused on the plot, making it into a crime film, but it was pretty good-looking.

“WandaVision” is neither like a TV series nor a movie. Fitch didn’t figure out what he wanted to do, but just made an innovation in form-Nan Ke Yimeng.

It may have something to do with the audience’s expectations for this show. The target audience of this show may not be so many people who are loyal fans of sitcoms in the old age. They think they will see another wonderful show after “Avengers: Endgame”. Big show.

If a sitcom is just an appetizer, an embellishment, or a tribute to a certain episode, it may make people’s eyes shine, thinking that the MCU is so different from even filming American dramas, breaking the rules of the game blah blah blah.

“Daredevil” is more “realistic”

But this time sitcoms are regarded as the main course. To give an inappropriate example, if I am a person who likes to watch sitcoms, would it not be good for me to watch dramas like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory”? At least they are really funny.

Why should I find it in a series like “WandaVision” that does not show funny comics, but only shows comedy scenes? So it’s mainly the expectations of the audience.

Boy paper: It stands to reason that the rhythm of American TV dramas should be to solve a so-called “problem” in each episode, and then the audience will look forward to the next episode on this basis.

But the feeling of “WandaVision” is that the filmed content is divided into nine episodes according to the length of time.

At the end of many episodes, you will feel that this episode has talked about everything, but it didn’t solve any problems.

Especially in the first four episodes, hints and stinger fly to the sky, but what about the story? It’s too much to walk the monkey.

About the role

MCU has been trying to do this for so many years. If the audience hasn’t watched the first and second “Iron Man”, they can understand the third one directly.

But if you haven’t watched many Marvel movies before, you really don’t understand “WandaVision”.

After talking about it for a long time, it was finally back to the original point. “People can come back to life” can be thrown out.

Doesn’t this make the sacrifice of the character reduce the value? It completely violates the law of the story.

And where did the characters grow up? After Bai Huanshi got the memory of Hong Huanshi, he ignored the jailed Wanda and the children and flew away and disappeared?

At the end of the series, Wanda just got a magic book to start learning. This is obviously a large trailer for “Doctor Strange 2”.

The so-called “feelings” is an excuse for a smashed shot, which violates the taboo of superhero movies.

“WandaVision” is a second-line superhero with a story about a nine-line superhero. As a result, after the show, not only did the nine-line not be brought up, but the second-line was pushed down instead.

The two have no sense of CP in the movie, and they are more twisted than Black Widow and Hulk.

I thought I would tell the story of Wanda when he was a child, but it turned out to be the story after “Avengers: Endgame”.

Many love stories of the protagonists in MCU movies are not good, and Iron Man is okay.

The love of the American team happened 70 years ago, and Jane Foster became Thor’s unexistent girlfriend).

Hawkeye’s family emerged out of thin air, the Black Widow and the Hulk….

Marvel is much better than female casting in male casting. Thor, the US team, and Iron Man are all perfect, but the shaping of female characters is really not as good as DC.

DC’s Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn can stand, Marvel’s side is also okay with Black Widow, Wanda and Captain Marvel can’t stand, the role positioning is very embarrassing.

It always gives people a feeling of forcibly adding drama in order to highlight their strength.

After “Avengers: Endgame”, the theme of “WandaVision” is healing, this is no problem.

However, when the relationship between two people is too abrupt, I can’t be moved by the so-called “tragic love” in the play.

Filming this drama is quite inexplicable. Wanda and Vision are not successful characters. The planning is problematic, and it’s more like coping.

And if you shoot too much, the power system becomes chaotic. Wanda becomes the Red Witch, who can create a world with a wave of his hand. The US team also uses shields to smash people and fight.

Fortunately, Paul Bettany’s fanfare is really tolerable or unbearable-he once revealed that there will be major roles coming to guest appearances, not Fast Silver or Doctor Strange, but “I am most eager to cooperate in my life.” Actor”.

He gave everyone great expectations. He felt that if the last guest star was not at the level of Fasha Magneto or Old Professor X, it would not be exciting enough.

Then the result? He said that the actor who is most eager to collaborate “is himself” because he played both the phantom and the white phantom.

At the end of the day, the audience will find that not only there are no heavy guest roles, but the emergence of another “Quick Silver” has nothing to do with “Linkage with the X-Men Universe”. There is really only an inexplicable Skrull. It collapsed.

Why “The Mandalorian” has a better reputation

It is also an American TV series. Why does “The Mandalorian” have a good reputation and ratings?

Because compared with the old “Star Wars” movies of the 70s, the new century “Star Wars” movies are too bad.

“The Mandalorian” is better shot than “Star Wars 8” and “Star Wars 9,” and it’s not that difficult to be honest.

Moreover, “The Mandalorian” and “Star Wars” are bluntly weakly related, with a lot of room to play, and they are more of a side story.

“WandaVision” is directly a part of the main universe, and it is also the pioneering work of the fourth stage. Its plot and characters cannot be released at all.

If “WandaVision” is a story outside the main universe, for example, after “Avengers: Endgame” is over, Wanda goes to another place (such as other countries) alone, and has a new adventure /Adventure and travel, the final effect may be more interesting.

“The Mandalorian” is really a big cameo…

“The Mandalorian” does not affect the main universe plot of “Star Wars”, and has no obligation to serve other film and television works even in the same universe.

It has a complete story for each episode, which is more of a TV series production method.

“The Mandalorian” is essentially the same as “Star Wars”, without breaking away from the action/sci-fi genre.

“The Mandalorian” is still the problem of the target audience mentioned earlier, but the style and type of “WandaVision” have indeed been separated from other MCU movies.

And there is also the ability to direct. Jon Feiru found a cool feel in “The Mandalorian”, which is a bit like a Japanese cartoon.

It doesn’t mention anything profound, just posing, this is the way, and then it can shape Baby Yoda.

In one sentence, everything you want to see is there.

And they really have heavy guest appearances, not fake guest appearances…

Highlights of “WandaVision”

Due to copyright issues, the most classic look of the Red Witch cannot appear in previous MCU movies.

In the past, her leather clothing style did not reflect the charm of Wanda. To be honest, she was a bit misogynistic and looked a little dusty. The new uniform was much better!

And the theme of healing is well presented, everyone has a way to deal with grief.

Iron Man may have burnt all his suits, Captain America chose to go back in time, and Wanda created Nanke Yimeng.

It is not love that touches people, because Vision has already died once.

I really like the final farewell between Wanda and the children. She said thank you, which meant that she was letting go.

The acting of the villain Agatha Agnes is also great!

She is the kind of actor (Catherine Hahn) whose name you have seen in many places, but the wickedness of witches, madness, and neighbors’ bluffs are all vividly shown by her.

The tribute to sitcoms is very fresh and interesting. Unlike watching movies, it takes a year to wait for a new Marvel movie, but it only takes a week to wait for a new episode of “WandaVision”.

Appropriately lowered my expectations for “Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, so that people can see that there are many possibilities for MCU American dramas, and they are also trying different new styles.

Related Post:Kevin Fitch, President of Marvel pictures, gives a guide to “WandaVision”.