Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Agent Carter


First let me say that Agent Carter is a beautiful looking production. The costumes and set designs are gorgeous. When you get past the broad story strokes (like in any good Marvel comic) the period tale of post war espionage hit all the right buttons with me.

Howard Stark is accused of selling weapons and he needs Carter to clear his name and find Stark's missing technology (which he calls his 'bad babies) before they can do damage to the world. I like all the low tech spy gadgets that Carter uses throughout the story. Everything is just futuristic enough to fit into the time period. I like the Atomic Age feel and hope they go for more of that look. Can a Rocketeer-like jetpack be far behind?


The other agents treat Carter like a secretary which she only uses to get what she wants from her misogynist workmates. The chauvinism is extreme but it's meant to be cartoonish and is mostly played for laughs. I hope for a  nice payoff in that story strand. I want those boys to acknowledge how good an agent Carter actually is - the equal of any one of them. I know that just because this is a show with a strong woman at the helm that it has to have a strong 'girl power' message but somehow it works here for me. Many women have given this show a solid 'MEH' and I can see why. They have seen it and heard it all before. Maybe that's why Wonder Woman never got her own movie. Women be hatin' on an Amazon just cause she's an Amazon.

Atwell is gorgeous and totally owns the screen when she on it. She's a real woman or what men of the time would call 'a broad'. She is tough and ballsy and you can believe it when she throws a punch. She has taken a small role in the first Captain America movie and turned it into a major plank in the bridge between Marvel's TV and cinematic universes. For that alone she deserves her chance to get this right. Six episodes to leave us wanting more.

 

7 comments:

j-swin said...

I thought it was very good too, just the right amount of spy and gadgets mixed with old fashioned fighting, none of this "hai-ya!" junk. Really looking forward to the rest of the series and hope it leads to more.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

I hear that every year during Agent of Shield's hiatus we will get an Agent Carter. That is the plan anyways.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

It's a very British way of doing things.

j-swin said...

Nice

Debra She Who Seeks said...

She looked very statuesque in that evening gown at the nightclub, I must say. Very statuesque indeed. She will not displace My Queen in my affections but she could be a close second.

Unknown said...

Besides Haley Atwell, I think the best thing this show has going for it is that it will have an ending. Much like Fargo or True Detective, it works so much better when the writers don't need to prolong a story if their show gets renewed. I'm about ready to bail on SHIELD for that reason -- where is that story going?!?.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Story is everything in such a high concept piece of television. I am so tired of fluff filled seasons. LOST did me in for good.