The Good vs. The Bad is a simple concept. I take a particular film, franchise, or potentially any movie-related subject and break down the three best things about it (the good) and the three worst (the bad). Like I said, simple but hopefully fun.

With “Avengers: Endgame” fresh on everyone’s mind and still blistering the box office I thought it to be the perfect time to kick off the GvB series. Today I’m looking at the best and worst of the MCU villains. You could argue that Marvel has had a tough time giving us good worthwhile antagonists. But there are a couple of instances where they definitely got it right (I should mention that Winter Soldier would without question be among the best, but there’s a little too much gray area with him). So let’s get going.

THE GOOD

1. Loki

He’s been around for a while now, but the mischievous Loki has never worn out his welcome. What makes Loki such a great villain is his utter unpredictability. One minute he sickens you with his sneaky, vile and self-serving acts. The next minute he’s standing side-by-side with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It also helps that he was played to perfection by Tom Hiddleston. I love me some Loki.

2. Thanos

I still get tickled at seeing Josh Brolin’s face among the heavy prosthetics and CGI. But there is no denying the impression Thanos has left on the MCU. Hints of Thanos have been tossed out for years but in “Infinity War” and “Endgame” he shows up in full force. He’s a fascinating character who I think is best described as a megalomaniacal idealist. He’s far from shallow and he is certainly unforgettable.

3. Killmonger

“Black Panther” can be praised for a number of things. High on that list would be Michael B. Jordan as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens. He’s not a galactic threat nor does he seek universal domination. His motivations are emotionally grounded and deeply personal which makes him all the more compelling. It also helps that Jordan gives such a strong performance.

THE BAD

1. Aldrich Killian

“Iron Man 3” had a number of issues but none were bigger than its villain. Things looked promising out of the gate with the casting of the always good Guy Pearce. But director Shane Black makes some bizarre choices in regards to his antagonist. He destroys a classic Marvel villain and exchanges him for a jacked-up, fire-breathing Killian. Such a disappointing misdirection resulting in an utterly ridiculous bad guy.

2. Yellowjacket

Here’s another case of a good actor giving a good performance but the material just isn’t there. The first “Ant-Man” was full of weird decisions that veered far away from the comics, but their version of Yellowjacket was probably the biggest. It looks really cool and Cory Stoll gives it his all, but you can only do so much with a villain who militarizes a suit of armor and offers to sell it to terrorists for what amounts to nothing more than daddy issues.

3. Ronan the Accuser

Ronan is a really cool Marvel baddie who was terribly shortchanged in 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”. In fact, it’s funny how many people can’t even remember the villain from that film. Actor Lee Pace is a good fit for the role (notice the trend) but he’s mostly just an aimless bad guy with a personal axe to ground. There is still hope for Ronan. This year’s hit “Captain Marvel” seems to indicate that the MCU isn’t quite done with him yet. Fingers crossed.

The long-time gamer in me cant help but be at least a little intrigued by the new trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog”. The video game debuted way back in 1991 on the Sega Genesis and I played it for countless hours. Since then there have been numerous sequels, comics, and several animated series. But now we have a live-action movie and it looks……bizarre.

To be clear I’m not sure if it’s bizarre in a good way or bad. But it looks completely ludicrous which is kinda what you need it to be. And who is the ringleader of the nuttiness – Jim Carrey playing Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Robotnik and he is in full 90’s Carrey mode. Again, whether that’s good or bad remains to be seen. But so far…I’m curious enough to give it a look.

“Sonic the Hedgehog” speeds into theaters on November 8th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

Somehow between “Black Panther” and his several appearances in the “Avengers” films Chadwick Boseman found time to make “21 Bridges”, a hard-boiled crime thriller which is co-produced by Marvel’s Russo brothers. The trailer dropped today and the film looks tough, gritty and sports a pretty interesting cast. In addition to Boseman we get J.K. Simmons, Sienna Miller and Stephan James among others.

The film follows a New York police detective (Boseman) who shuts down the 21 bridges in and out of Manhattan in order to catch a group of cop killers. But as he gets deeper into the manhunt he learns that (surprise) not everything is quite as it seems. There looks to be plenty of action and so far I’m liking the old-school police drama vibe.

“21 Bridges” hits theaters on July 12th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

I’m sure the mere mention of a new Ang Lee film starring Will Smith is enough to stoke the excitement of many movie lovers. Personally I’ve always found both Lee and Smith to be pretty hit-or-miss. But while the premise of “Gemini Man” may seem a little familiar on the surface, the first trailer gives just enough to at least tickle my interest.

From what I understand Smith plays an assassin looking to get out of the business. But retirement proves to be difficult when a visibly younger clone of himself shows up and throws a wrench in things. The trailer shows off a pretty interesting supporting cast of characters including Clive Owen and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Both the action and the setting look cool and the science fiction element has real potential.

“Gemini Man” doesn’t hit theaters until October 11th but you can check out the trailer below. Give it a look and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

I can’t say I’m all that familiar with author Shirley Jackson’s work but her final novel is now being adapted to the big screen. The trailer for “We Have Always Lived in a Castle” has dropped with an intriguing premise and starring two impressive young actresses, Taissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario.

The film looks to be a rather twisted thriller set mostly in an remote family estate in New England. The Blackwood family has been stricken with tragedy and there is no shortage of talk coming from the judgmental local townsfolk. But their isolation is threatened when a peculiar cousin (Sebastian Stan) pops up. Let’s just say weird stuff ensues.

I like the vibe it gives off and the tone is both eerie and a bit off-kilter. It looks promising. “We Have Always Lived in a Castle” opens May 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

One of the highlights of the movie year for me happens in a town of 73.000 people on the French Riviera. Sadly I’ve never been to the Cannes Film Festival but I’ve always enjoyed the announcement of films showing there along with some of the first reactions to them. It serves as a nice barometer for movies from all around the globe.

The bulk of the 2019 lineup has been announced with a few more movies certain to be added before the festival begins on May 14th. Some big names will be showing their work including Terrence Malick, Pedro Almodovar, and Nicolas Winding Refn among other. While I’m excited for a new (and hopefully return to form) Malick, the names that thrill me most are the Dardenne brothers and Jarmusch. Being able to see their new movies alone would be enough for me.

Again, the Cannes Film Festival begins May 14th and below you can check out this year’s lineup (so far). What do you think? Which films and/or directors excite you the most? Let me know in the comments below.

Opening Night Film

“The Dead Don’t Die” Jim Jarmusch (also in Competition)

In Competition

• “A Hidden Life” (Terrence Malick)
• “Pain and Glory” (Pedro Almodovar)
• “The Traitor” (Marco Bellocchio)
• “The Wild Goose Lake” (Diao Yinan)
• “Parasite” (Bong Joon-ho)
• “Young Ahmed” (Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne)
• “The Dead Don’t Die” (Jim Jarmusch)
• “Oh Mercy!” (Arnaud Desplechin)
• “Atlantique” (Mati Diop)
• “Matthias and Maxime” (Xavier Dolan)
• “Little Joe” (Jessica Hausner)
• “Sorry We Missed You” (Ken Loach)
• “Les Miserables” (Ladj Ly)
• “Bacurau” (Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelle)
• “The Whistlers” (Corneliu Porumboiu)
• “Frankie” (Ira Sachs)
• “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (Céline Sciamma)
• “It Must Be Heaven” (Elia Suleiman)
• “Sibyl” (Justine Triet)

Un Certain Regard

• “Invisible Life” (Karim Aïnouz)
• “Beanpole” (Kantemir Balagov)
• “The Swallows of Kabul” (Zabou Breitman & Eléa Gobé Mévellec)
• “A Brother’s Life” (Monia Chokri)
• “The Climb” (Michael Covino)
• “Joan of Arc” (Bruno Dumont)
• “A Sun That Never Sets” (Olivier Laxe)
• “Room 212” (Christophe Honoré)
• “Port Authority” (Danielle Lessovitz)
• “Papicha” (Mounia Meddour)
• “Adam” (Maryam Touzani)
• “Zhuo Ren Mi Mi,” Midi Z
• “Liberte” (Albert Serra)
• “Bull” (Annie Silverstein)
• “Summer of Changsha” (Zu Feng)
• “Evge” (Nariman Aliev)

Out of Competition

• “The Best Years of Life” (Claude Lelouch)
• “Rocketman” (Dexter Fletcher)
• “Too Old to Die Young” (Nicolas Winding Refn)
• “Diego Maradona” (Asif Kapadi“Belle Epoque,” Nicolas Bedos)

Special Screenings

• “Share” (Pippa Bianco)
• “For Sama” (Waad Al Kateab & Edward Watts)
• “Family Romance, LLC” (Werner Herzog)
• “Tommaso” (Abel Ferrar)
• “To Be Alive and Know It” (Alain Cavalier)
• “Que Sea Ley” (Juan Solanas)

Midnight Screening

“The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” (Lee Won-Tae)