The Reel Rejects - WHAT IF? Season 2 Episode 4 REVIEW & BREAKDOWN!

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Starting point is 00:01:16 And even better, you only pay for results. There's no need to wait. Speed up your hiring with a $75 sponsor job credit at Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. citizens of the reject nation it's christmas today it's christmas today is it today i think conceptually are they watching this at midnight i don't know how they counted i don't understand presents did santa come merry christmas holly jolly even if it's a day after merry we don't even know what's time what does it matter it's the season of giving today is the day jesus was born

Starting point is 00:01:52 scientifically speaking they woke up he said what up jesus ladies and gentlemen we don't know the episode title that's how we've been going into these about jesus i don't know what if jesus was in the emcee you do uh leave a like that would be very much appreciated also tell us in the comments you've seen this episode before we have what did you think about it did you like it where would you rank it what is your what if christmas scenario subscribe and click that notification we'll get notified when our reactions for the next episode is up on the channel we were powering through them thank you to prep for help let's edit down these highlights you guys don't deserve a day off thank you to all who have joined us on our patreon page you're coming super sex to read

Starting point is 00:02:28 Or there you get the full-in-th reaction watch for a long story sync up with your own copy of What If. And John and I cover several things over there exclusively with highlights and watch-alongs included. Coyson, you ready? To all the good night. I don't know how I feel about the Thanos saga being null and void by a single attack, but... I mean, that's what if does. That's true. You got to carry on the what-if tradition.

Starting point is 00:02:51 You're not wrong. You know what other tradition people should carry on? What's that? Getting themselves some art. are apparel the space babies of the galaxy are marvel inspired shirt coy's got a whole bunch of shirts and he's choosing to pull out that one that i'm already wearing and flashed on camera and look put that one you know here's just some photos on screen because we got like our you know patron pascal space babies at the galaxy of coy i'm trying to shout out whoa whoa oh this is so glad you're

Starting point is 00:03:26 Here, hey, could you find a bucket? A bucket and a mop. Spunge me up. I need to be absorbed by something. Oh. It looks hand-drawn. That was fantastic. Gross.

Starting point is 00:03:38 Looks like cheese. Oh, I like that. Last one. It's the House of the Dragon one. My favorite of the Game of Thrones. Yeah, these were all handpicked by Greg for me for Christmas. Yeah, buddy. We also got our Pedro Pascal one that everyone loves so much.

Starting point is 00:03:53 And a whole bunch of other ones. And we saw some Marvel apparel as well. But, yeah, guys, it's personally my favorite way. You can go ahead and support the channel. You look good while doing it, and we're involved with all the designs as well. What did you think of the episode? It was all the fun of the Christmas one for me, but with a little bit more story. Like, it felt more like an important issue.

Starting point is 00:04:15 Like, sometimes in comics, issues are fun and they serve the purpose of, like, entertaining. But you know, it's not going to really be, like, referenced. So when you say issue, you mean, like, comic book issue. Oh, sorry. Yeah, yeah. Not like mental issue. yeah like an issue of comics um i do find that like the fun ones sometimes don't feel like they further their plot and that's that's okay like it doesn't bother me but this episode felt like an actual what if universe that there could be a sequel to this felt like an issue that had some weight

Starting point is 00:04:40 tying into other issues while also having the fun of the christmas one so i think this and the christmas one are almost like tied for me because i didn't love the very very ending um but reg brought up an immediately good point in that it is like a what if where that is that is a great way to give it stakes and tie things in together and make it have import but um I liked that the bookends served that purpose where it was like how does this

Starting point is 00:05:04 really get to Gamora and then like oh I'm shocked they're bringing them and then like it was a bit of a twist it was a bit of surprise so I liked it I forget what the setup is of that Gamora in what the opening is is oh yeah I forget is she like is her thing that she killed her dad

Starting point is 00:05:19 is that like her setup of the character because they're not fighting Thanos than the Avengers three years. It's been a while, right? It's been a long time since what if season one. Yeah, I don't remember. Also, do you remember when they announced what if season two, they said everything was going to relate to phase four? And they were like, everything from, like, remember they said season one was all of phase one through three? And then they're like,

Starting point is 00:05:37 season two really focused on phase four. None of these have been about phase four yet. No, not at all. I wonder if they like completely changed their plan after their... It was a good call. Because, uh, it's so far it's way better than season one. I'm loving this so much. Yeah, it's so much better in season one. I agree. I think on, on every level in terms of what I really wanted them to do is utilize animation

Starting point is 00:05:58 you know like when I watch the Incredibles for the first time I remember thinking oh at the time of when the Incredibles came out what they were doing with demonstrating these superhero powers their overall prowess you could only do an animation at that

Starting point is 00:06:14 time and make it feel believable because you are being in the medium of animation as opposed to watching live action and watching this juxtaposition of something that feels like a cartoon CGI, I think. And here, they're actually utilizing that with their camera angles, with a lot of these great shots that might look a little bit wonky in live action, especially with the time they allot for their visual effects artists a lot of the time.

Starting point is 00:06:36 And pay. Yeah, and pay. So, yeah, I think that what they've been doing here, like with the car racing sequences that have this like Mad Max, Mario card, bit of like, they're in the Star Wars. I don't even watch it, but the Star Wars, like, animated shows like Tales of the Jedi. It's not pod racing. There's some called Riot Racing, I think it was called. Why would they just put a pod race?

Starting point is 00:06:56 I mean, it's because it's a different kind of thing, but it's the same thing, kind of thing. Like a barbaric type of pod racing. And this is sort of the vibe that I have here, but they have these sweeping angles and precision on their editing that I absolutely adore. But that all can be still, I think that could all be null and void if you don't have an interesting story. And I think what they are doing really well. The only one that kind of let me down a tad bit has been episode two. This one, I thought it was so smart to have the whole thing with the heart of like missing pepper at the very top. That way they're reminding the audience.

Starting point is 00:07:32 Like, no, we haven't forgotten about the characterization of what point in time we are with this guy. And what would Tony be feeling? I felt like I was actually watching Tony Stark carry on from that first Avengers movie. We got Iron Man back. And it wasn't in a way that I felt like sacrificed the Iron Man sacrifice. Yeah. And that's so, you mean, I've talked about that at no. I'm tired of mentioning my issues

Starting point is 00:07:53 with bringing back them for secret wars. Yeah, multiverse things. It's just so weightless. It doesn't, you don't bring back the actor because your brain's not going to go, that's not my Tony Stark. You're going to go,

Starting point is 00:08:04 Robert Tony Jr. is Iron Man. And this is managing because it's a different medium to feel like Iron Man and feel like the spirit of Downey Jr. brings us back to Avengers 1. Yeah. It's so good.

Starting point is 00:08:15 It's really well done. And the way they pay attention to their characters of how would, How would Grandmaster interact with Tony Stark or vice versa? How would Tony Stark interact with Valkyrie? How would he respond to Cork? I really feel like they... I get the impression the writers actually love the characters they are portraying here.

Starting point is 00:08:34 You know what? At the least, they watch them. At the very least, they watched them. I feel like these people watch all of WandaVision. I get the impression they actually like the characters because they feel accurately portrayed from the movies. Which is the difference for me from what if season one to what if season two? Exactly.

Starting point is 00:08:50 What if season one felt like they were making an MCU thing to make it? And season two has felt like the comic books where it's like a writer that loves a character has a weird take they want to play with. That won't be in continuity. They felt like the very definition, not all the time, but some of the time, a good amount of the time I would say, of when they were bringing over like a character, when they were bringing over like a storyline or continuity from a movie. I'm not talking like Strange Supreme, which is like a very different take, you know. I'm talking about whenever they would cut to Tony Stark. in season one, it often felt like a cameo

Starting point is 00:09:24 or some type of caricature. It didn't feel like a caricatur. Yeah. And this felt like a character. And I found myself getting lost in it and just believing I'm watching Tony Stark again. And I think the depth of animation heightening is allowing a little bit more immersive.

Starting point is 00:09:41 Because we're like more in. Like this animation is stunning. It's so much better. And I don't know how people think it's the same because it's the same style. But it's night and day. for me, more immersive. It's the same thing you say about

Starting point is 00:09:52 into the Spider-Vers and across Spider-Bers. It's the same style, but it's one more defined and rich and more depth. They've advanced it with that time. And it makes a world of difference. I'm in love at this season.

Starting point is 00:10:03 I think this is going to be, you know, if they keep going at like, you know, one, three, and four caliber, two's not bad, but like two feels more like season one. Yeah. If they keep going at this level, this will be in my like second third.

Starting point is 00:10:15 Like I see the Marvel, the quality as like, you know, first tier, is for me like winter soldier guardians guardians three spider man um three but then tier two is the good stuff like you know the the captain america first avenger the the stuff that's like solid but i i don't find myself rewatching it as much and then there's the stuff that i've i've been like oh no we're falling like things have gone awry like your love and thunder like your uh in my case dr strange

Starting point is 00:10:43 and to me this is going to land right in that sweet like second tier of like this is really good I'm so actually glad it exists and it emboldened these characters I won't watch it as often but I'm really glad it's here Yeah I think I think the one in I wonder which one

Starting point is 00:10:58 I might write this about the Christmas one Yeah You got really into the downy of it I was surprised I fucking love Christmas That honestly That honestly surprised the hell out of me How great

Starting point is 00:11:10 How great of a job I thought they did with getting Tony Stark Who's ever voicing him Has to go past an impression right because they can't just play a downy they have to play tony which is not downy yeah i liken it to when a character makes like when kevin conner had to do batman or when um yori lowenthal has to be spider man you know they have to really make it their own they might have their inspirations and it might be it has to be their character but it has to be their character and then even though they're like yeah we have to have you beat the robber down and junior version yeah and this one he's even a harder spot because he's got to be playing the universe is blank as his own he's not just showing up to do a few lines but he's not just showing up to do a few lines but he's not just showing up to do a few lines Right, which is like, you know, Josh Brolin showed off for one line.

Starting point is 00:11:50 Cool, that was exciting. But like that was, this is a full arc. But they had this guy show up, and I imagine it's the same actor to do lines in the first season. And he has to be a full on character who's carrying this episode with purpose and intention and motivation. You know what you're right. I think that slightly puts me above. I'm going to put that slightly above Christmas now, too. So for me, it's one, four, three, two.

Starting point is 00:12:10 Oh, yeah, me too. Yeah. I think the dynamics were great, too, between him and Valkyrie and Grandmaster being like an actual villain as opposed to just like a funny Jeff Goldblum guy. I got to see the character of Grand Master versus I was watched, you're just watching Jeff Goldblum.

Starting point is 00:12:27 A lot of time. Like it's, you love him, but you're also like, you're just happy Jeff Goldblum's here. Also, the Valky element you brought up during the episode, I really enjoy that we got some demon in the bottle as an external reference. And this is when he's still drinking, so he had those drinks, but I love that they're acknowledging how similar those characters

Starting point is 00:12:43 are parallel. So yeah, this is my second favorite episodes. I agree with you now. I think the part. And even him connecting with, do you hear that boy? Do you hear when you're doing that? You hear how fucking annoying. The people love it. You're just so comfortable. You're going to scratch away

Starting point is 00:12:59 your microphone. It's Christmas. You can't you? Could you hear it, can't you? Could you hear it? How's your Christmas? We have the same microphones same headphones, call it? You can hear it. You can't hear it? This is what happens for this deep.

Starting point is 00:13:17 Someone has a laugh mic and they're scratching away. Just hanging out. This is what inevitably happens. I'm trying to talk. Is that us frozen? That's how long we've been screaming. Oh, boy.

Starting point is 00:13:31 And with Gimorra, they even acknowledge the character, even as I was watching it, I was like, he just kept bringing up her father. That's her only character. And then the show, the episode, I was like,

Starting point is 00:13:43 oh, that's the point. Yeah. That's all she talks about. Who are you and how Tony Stark has affected her identity. Excellent. Yeah, this is all the stuff we've been having problems with the movies not doing. And I hate to keep taking jabs at some of the movies, but it is why we can't just go, oh, it's fine, it's a blockbuster.

Starting point is 00:14:01 Oh, it's fine. It's a Marvel movie. Yeah. People that don't even realize why they aren't enjoying it as much. Yeah. This is what we're missing. It's these relationships. It's knowing the characters.

Starting point is 00:14:12 It's how they relate to each other. It's the metaphors for your own life while watching it. A lot of that is missing, and it's been replaced with some of the stuff that's more heavy-handed that isn't landing. So this is delightful. And a lot of the time I find myself kind of sinking into my chair because I'm like, ah, damn it, they're going to be doing what I don't like about what if season 1. And then they don't. And then they turn left. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:14:31 Then I'm like, oh, they actually, they acknowledge. So I feel like they actually, beyond just improving their animation, it really seems like they learned their lesson on what went wrong with a lot of the storytelling to not make it impactful. And I hope the word of mouth on this movie spreads. people real on the on the show spreads and people are like oh you know what this season's actually worth people's time and i do think the day and date release is good now that i'm seeing them like this is exciting to watch every day yeah i know or all at once or you know because you have to edit because you got to edit them and have them release day and they yeah that too just us in a cage for five hours all righty guys what's to do what's four

Starting point is 00:15:06 i think it was four all right guys well thank you so much for being here subscribe leave a like merry christmas what did you think about this episode see us for five Thank you.

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The Reel Rejects - WHAT IF? Season 2 Episode 4 REVIEW & BREAKDOWN!

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