#great marvel rewatch of 2k18
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(again, thanks to @caseyblu for the header!)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
(This one actually isn’t a rewatch b/c neither of us had seen it.)
AKA: It would’ve been better with Mark Ruffalo.
(Spoilers ahead!)
It’s really hard to remember that this movie is technically part of the MCU, mostly because of the re-cast, but also because no one ever talks about it. It’s just not that incredible. To be fair, it’s not awful either, but coming off the high of Iron Man, it’s just meh.
First off, I do like that the Hulk’s backstory is condensed into a brief montage during the opening credits. As my brother said, it’s such a recognizable origin story that there’s really no need to go over it again, especially since there was another Hulk movie released just five years before. Like Spiderman. Everyone knows that Bruce Banner gets injected with a serum that goes horribly wrong and turns him into the Hulk. There’s no need to go into detail. So the montage is super efficient and saves us all a lot of time.
Another thing I appreciated about this movie is the heart rate explanation. It’s very specific. When Bruce’s heart rate reaches 200, he Hulks out. That’s that. I’ve never liked the vague “He hulks out when he’s angry” thing. Like, how angry? What’s the scale? This gives us a kind of countdown that actually increases suspense. However, the level of control Bruce has over the Hulk seems to vary across the movies.
The CGI isn’t terrible for 2008, but it’s definitely improved over time. It’s not really fair to compare it to more recent movies because they were working with what they had, and there was a lot of CGI.
Really, the thing that’s most wrong with this movie is its characters, which are all pretty bland. We’re not given a ton of time to get to know Bruce Banner because for most of the movie, he’s just running away from things and panicking about his heart rate. Betty only exists to protect Bruce/calm him down and does almost nothing else for the rest of the movie. Even Blonsky seemed pretty one-dimensional. It never really goes into why he wants to get his own Hulk serum. As always, Tim Roth’s acting skills are wasted on the wrong roles.
Also, all of the characters were really stagnant and went through no character development at all. I guess you could argue that Bruce went from fighting against the Hulk to learning to control him, but it was a pretty vague arc.
There are a few really good moments of cinematography to note. When Bruce first transforms, he does so off screen and is in the shadows for most of the scene, which makes it all very creepy. Later, he transforms in a glass tunnel full of gas, so he’s completely obscured. One hand comes up against the glass and we see it transform before he pulls back and smashes through the glass completely. That was a cool moment.
I think, had it not been immediately after the success of Iron Man, this wouldn’t have looked quite so bad. But because it was, it did.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 5 fitbits out of 10. Edward Norton’s Banner wasn’t the worst and he certainly had lots of likeable moments, but the fact remains that for most of the movie, he was just running away from everyone and everything. It has nothing to do with his acting, but since Norton co-wrote the movie, it is still his fault that his hero turned out so boring.
Villain: 5 vague serums out of 10. Yeah, he was played by Tim Roth, who happens to be one of my favorite actors, but his motivations were still extremely vague and I felt like he really only existed to be a cliché villain, like he wasn’t really his own character.
Supporting characters: 4 unsuccessful sequel set-ups out of 10. I already mentioned that Betty was probably the least-engaging character. Her father, General Ross, was a bit more interesting, but he just seemed… angry all the time, and that’s it. The best side character was Dr. Sterns (aka Mr. Blue), who actually had a personality and looked like he might’ve been a bigger character in the sequel that didn’t happen.
Female characters: 3.5 Bechdels out of 10. Did not pass the Bechdel test. Betty did help advance the plot by hiding Bruce and looking after him, but that was about all she did.
Action scenes: 8 punches out of 10. The fight scenes were pretty good, especially pre-serum Blonsky vs. Hulk on the college campus. And two giant rage monsters beating each other up is always interesting to watch.
Stan Lee: 2.5 cameos out of 5. My brother immediately hoped that the soda Stan Lee drank was infected, meaning we would see an old man Hulk at some point, but alas, it was not meant to be.
Charisma: 5.5 points out of 10. The movie is pretty unsatisfying overall, but it has pretty good pacing and a couple of really good moments. It just doesn’t really feel complete.
In total: 33.5 out of 65, a little over 51%. Like I said, this one was just very average. Rotten Tomatoes score was 67%.
Next up, Iron Man 2!
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gabby’s infinity war rewatch feat. theories: Sparknotes edition
- i don’t think that the “loki was banner” theory stands but i do think that loki survived somehow, he wouldn’t have just walked up to thanos with a knife
- the “we will deep fry your kebab” poster in that one wanda and vision scene is deeply distracting. Avengers: We Will Deep Fry Your Kebab
- Cap Hot
- Thor Hot (and Woke Descriptivist)
- i like that they just walk up to bucky with no greeting or anything and are just like “here have an arm”, let this man REST
- speaking of which: Marvel Let Cap And Bucky Retire To a Resort Island Together Challenge
- “yes. that’s what killing you. means.”
- i understand why they gave thor a new weapon but i’m still salty about it especially after taika waititi gave us, like, this AMAZING character development for him
- thor’s entrance in wakanda is as incredible as i remember it being in theatres but i still maintain it needed immigrant song blaring in the background as it happened in a ragnarok homage
- i want to feel bad for vision but i really truly.........dont, really? i think it’s stupid that he openly told them to destroy the stone and everyone was like “bleughhh no we don’t want to kill wanda’s sex toaster”?
- quill getting angry was a great plot device but still makes me so angry goddamn, they almost HAD him
- i would die for my son, peter parker
- it sucks that the whole GOTG3 thing happened and dave bautista is presumably leaving because i love Drax so much
- still dont like tony stank. i appreciate his character arc but i still hate him and he will never ever be Valid after the prima nocta line
- “i am steve rogers” was, on the other hand, SO MCFREAKING VALID. i love him and he needs more screentime in a4
- i’ve been thinking this since they announced the bucky and falcon show, but i think that one (or both) of them is going to take up the shield if (when?) cap dies in endgame
- i actually do enjoy doctor strange but i hate benadryl
- i wanna see what happened to red skull since i presume he’s “free” now that thanos has the soul stone? thinkin cap’s gonna fight him in a4
- i really did think tony died when he got shanked so ig it’s impressive that he survived that. also “i hope they remember you” is Interesting
- i just Really Love Thor
- in all fairness the scene with wanda destroying the stone was v heartfelt and made me emotional
- thanos being surprised when cap holds him back is B-)
- thanos calling everyone “my child” is a very millennial mood. does thanos have a blog
- i want to know the logistics of the time stone
- one of thor’s eyes looks goldish brown like heimdall’s did, im ?
- i just remember how VISCERALLY shook i was at “you should have gone for the head”, christ that was wild. i’m still shook this time tbh
- What Did It Cost? Everything is me @ myself subjecting myself to watching the dustings again
- STOP MAKING CAP WATCH BUCKY LEAVE HIM 2K18. AND, PREEMPTIVELY, 2K19
- peter :-(
- cap’s “oh god” is really fucking heartbreaking huh
- the chord in the bgm resolving at the end when thanos smiling is so fucking funny to me and idk why
- i’m also just remembering my reaction the first time i saw the movie, my friends and i were sitting there for at least a few minutes in silence before any of us were even able to discuss any of it
- press f to pay respects to fury’s unspoken “motherfucker”
- i am very excited for captain marvel. also Captain Marvel Hot
- also G O D i’m excited for endgame. i am so goddamn excited for endgame
- again, for posterity: Cap Hot
#this is just me yelling but feel free to chat with me about my Hot Fresh Takes#spoilers obviously#infinity war#gabby gabs#long post#also for the record cry count: 2.5
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(this header was specially designed by @caseyblu)
BONUS MOVIE: BIG HERO 6 (2014)
AKA: “It’s the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!”
Technically this is a Marvel movie, although it wasn’t made by Marvel studios. We figured it would be a nice little breather before Infinity War, so here’s a little extra review for y’all!
Neither of us had actually seen this one, so it’s not actually a rewatch, but it’s been on my ‘to watch’ list for ages. I’ve heard many things about it over the past four years, all very good, and it definitely holds up! Super fun movie.
It honestly still amazes me how often animated movies handle rather dark/sad subject matter, especially when lots of people tend to write them off as “kid movies.” Within the first half hour of this movie, Hiro loses his older brother and that is the driving force behind most of his actions for the rest of the story. He becomes depressed and has a tendency to lash out at people, and the movie handles it all really well. I’m impressed.
Okay, I was honestly kind of expecting Baymax to function as the minion of the group, ya know? Like, he’s the comic relief that all the adults find annoying and he doesn’t really do much but he’ll probably get his own spin-off anyway. Never have I been so glad to be wrong. Baymax was so very sweet and hilarious and his sacrifice in the movie’s climax is genuinely emotional.
I do feel like his resurrection happens awfully fast, though. I’m glad he didn’t stay ‘dead,’ and I never really thought he would--he’s a robot, after all, he can just be rebuilt--but, I dunno. It was like the very next scene where Hiro finds the healthcare chip and immediately builds a new Baymax. I just felt like it happened a little quick, could’ve been drawn out a little more.
The supporting characters are all great and I love that they’re all legitimate geniuses in different ways. They’re best friends and they support each other, as well as being very useful to the plot.
I also really like the blending of cultures in San Fransokyo. It reminded me of the Western-Chinese fusion of culture in Firefly, and it was super cool. Plus, this movie had a lot of great ethnic diversity, which is a lot more than can be said about most of the MCU movies.
Great great movie, can’t believe it took me so long to finally see it!
RANKINGS:
Hero: 8.5 microbots out of 10. Hiro is a pretty complex character, especially for being 14 years old. He’s not perfect, and struggles with his brother’s death throughout the movie, but in the end overcomes his grief and shows compassion towards Callaghan. Lots of good character development.
Villain: 9 kabuki masks out of 10. I mean, points for making me think the villain was Krei the whole time. Plus, Callaghan’s motivations are really sympathetic--he’s just trying to avenge his daughter’s death.
Supporting characters: 9.5 stoic butlers out of 10. Baymax, Fred, Honey Lemon, Gogo, and Wasabi are all endlessly entertaining and a very diverse group of heroes. They all drive the plot forward and nobody feels useless. Additionally, characters like Tadashi, Cassie, and Krei are all well-rounded and fun.
Female characters: 7.5 Bechdels out of 10. This one doesn’t really pass the test, but it’s got three major female characters (four, if you count Abigail) who all have a large impact on the plot. They’re diverse not only in race, but personality and body type, and none of them are love interests, which is a refreshing change.
Action scenes: 8 punches out of 10. The car chase is fun and actually held my attention (y’all know I have a thing about car chases being boring), and later fight scenes demonstrate each team member’s different powers, which is cool. Plus, animated fight sequences are somehow more fun to watch than gritty, realistic ones in live-action movies.
Stan Lee: 4 cameos out of 5. I did see this one coming, just cause I heard about it after the movie came out, but it’s still a pretty funny twist and leaves you wondering why/how/if Fred’s dad is a legit superhero. Plus, wow, they did a great job making an animated Stan Lee.
Charisma: 9 points out of 10. The movie’s tone balances between fun and somber, and it does a great job of it. There’s a ton of themes about family death, grief, and the mourning process that carry through really well and parallel Hiro and Callaghan.
In total: 55.5 out of 65, which translates to about an 85%. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 89%.
Infinity War review should be up tomorrow!
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ANT-MAN (2016)
AKA: Marvel tries its hand at a heist movie (and succeeds).
(Spoilers for Ant-Man, my dudes.)
I remember when this movie was first announced and no one was really excited for it. Ant-Man is not one of the more famous Marvel characters and everyone was so busy rallying for Black Widow to get her own movie that no one cared that Paul Rudd was gonna be a superhero.
When it came out, I think it still got ignored. Or, at least, it wasn’t as hyped as other MCU movies. I didn’t even see it in theaters, like I usually do. But I remember being pleasantly surprised the first time I saw it at how much better it was than I expected.
Like Winter Soldier, it’s a bit of a genre change. It doesn’t really feel like a superhero movie until the last ten minutes or so. Everything before that is a heist. But, like Winter Soldier, it does it very very well.
Scott Lang is another Tony Stark-like figure who’s a bit of a mess but grows into a hero. However, he’s actually a pretty nice guy at the beginning. He’s a burglar, yes, but he’s kind of a Robin Hood-like burglar. Plus, he’s got a daughter that he cares deeply about. That’s actually an interesting difference from standard MCU movies. No other heroes have families they really care for, or with whom they have good relationships. Tony doesn’t have any actual family left. Thor has Loki, but it’s a very rocky relationship. Closest we get is Clint, and he’s one step away from being a supporting character rather than a lead hero.
Point is, it’s a unique plot point, and it makes the movie more heartwarming. Cassie is absolutely adorable and Scott’s interactions with her just emphasize what a likeable/sympathetic character he is.
Scott’s three friends bring a lot of humor to the movie and pretty much steal every scene they’re in, especially Luis. I can’t decide if this is a bad thing or not, since you want your focus on the main character most of the time, but they make the movie so much more enjoyable that I think it’s okay. Scott is still enough of an engaging character to keep the attention when he needs to.
I think my one big criticism of this movie is that it falls into the annoyingly familiar trope of “woman is entirely capable of doing a job, but for whatever reason, she’s Not Allowed To and must train a less-competent man to do it instead.” (used to some degree in The Lego Movie, The Matrix, Kung-Fu Panda, and many others, I’m sure) Yeah, Hank Pym is really just trying to protect his daughter, since his wife/her mother died in a similar mission, and Scott and Hope have a nice little scene where he says “I’m expendable, that’s why I’m the one doing the job,” but it just seems like the movie is trying really hard to justify why Hope can’t go on the mission even though she’s an expert.
At least that looks to be fixed in the sequel! The Wasp finally takes flight!
Aside from that, it’s nice to see two MCU fathers who aren’t dead/evil/manipulative/etc. A lot of Marvel superheroes have some pretty serious daddy issues, so I really like that Hank and Hope are reconciled by the end of the film, and Scott is getting to play a larger part in Cassie’s life.
Finally, Falcon’s cameo was obviously the best part of the movie.
All in all, Marvel was able to take what seemed like a not very interesting hero and turn it into a thoroughly enjoyable movie! It’s a shame that more people don’t talk about this one.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 7.5 ants out of 10. Unlike Tony, Thor, and Dr. Strange, Scott starts off as a genuinely nice guy. He doesn’t really have his life together yet, but we still like him. Plus, he’s funny and tries hard to be a good dad. His only drawback is the fact that Hope could easily replace him and probably do the job better.
Villain: 5 yellowjackets out of 10. Darren Cross is a good villain in that every time he talks, you go “Uuuggh, this guy again.” He’s just a real jerky guy. But other than that he’s not the most interesting character. We get hints at his backstory/motivations but nothing to make him even a little bit sympathetic.
Supporting characters: 8.5 wasps out of 10. Hope, Hank, Scott’s family, Luis and the boys are all great supporting characters. They help drive the story forward and are super interesting (and hilarious) along the way. And again, Cassie is so cute.
Female characters: 6 Bechdels out of 10. This one just barely passes the Bechdel test because of a very brief conversation between Cassie and Maggie about her stuffed toy. Pretty sure Hope never interacts with another woman onscreen. However, all three female characters are very important to the plot. Cassie is the whole reason why Scott is desperate for money and agrees to the mission in the first place, Maggie is the one preventing him from seeing her, and Hope trains him for the mission. She also serves as the obligatory love interest, but whatever.
Action scenes: 8.5 punches out of 10. It’s hard to rate a heist movie based on its action sequences because there aren’t many, but the unique twist of Scott being able to change size makes its few fight scenes endlessly entertaining.
Stan Lee: 8 cameos out of 10. He shows up at the very end, as a bartender in one of Luis’s rambling stories. This is honestly one of the funnier cameos of his to date.
Charisma: 8 points out of 10. The movie feels fairly consistent in pacing, with the exception of a couple of scenes that go a little fast. However, the themes of protecting one’s family and spending time with them while you still can carry through the entire movie, both with Scott and his family, and Hank and Hope. Its lighthearted tone leaves you feeling good.
In total: 51.5 out of 65, about a 79%. Pretty close to its Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%.
Sorry this one was a little late. Next is Captain America: Civil War!
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(shout-out to @caseyblu for making this awesome header, btw!)
Iron Man (2008)
AKA: Everyone tries to tell Tony Stark what to do and he does the opposite.
(FYI, these reviews will all have spoilers, obviously, but only for the individual movies. If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t read! Unless you don’t care about spoilers.)
All in all, this was a pretty great start to the MCU and it definitely holds up over time. It starts off with a bang as we see Tony get kidnapped almost immediately, then flashes back to give us all the exposition, now that we’re interested. The movie is a bit exposition-heavy at times, but it balances out pretty well with the action and as the start of a big franchise, it’s understandable.
This is kind of old news, but this was such a great comeback for RDJ! He was definitely a casting risk, since his career was at a low point in 2008, but this role was practically made for him. I really can’t imagine anyone else playing Tony Stark. Also, starting off with Iron Man at all was also a risk—he wasn’t really a well-known superhero before this came out. But honestly, this is one of the strongest of the origin movies, at least in phase one, and I think a lot of that has to do with casting.
There are a lot of overused tropes present (the hero gets humbled by some event, the villain is someone the hero thought he could trust, etc.), but as my brother pointed out, given that it’s the first movie of the franchise, it kind of helped set up these tropes, at least in superhero movies.
Speaking of the villain, I think Obie works perfectly for this movie, and this movie alone. If it were a sequel, he would’ve felt a little underwhelming. Although, if Marvel had gone with their original plan of making Howard Stark the villain in the first movie and Obie had betrayed Tony in the second one, it would’ve packed much more of a punch. But I think Stark Sr. as the villain would’ve been a bit too dark for the start, so Obie was a good choice. Obviously I already knew that he was evil, so it’s hard to remember what it felt like to not see that coming, but it’s still a good plot twist. Jeff Bridges does a great job at playing the friendly uncle-like mentor before turning around and stabbing us all in the back.
(Also he looks so much like Thanos. Is that just me? Before I saw IW, I thought for a while that Bridges was playing Thanos, even though he was already in the MCU.)
Tony and Pepper have great chemistry, which is perfect for being MCU’s first big couple. You almost don’t notice that they clearly either used CGI or the old-fashioned apple box to make RDJ look taller than her (according to Google, they’re both 5’9”, but one website says Tony is 6’1” lol).
All in all, this was a really fun rewatch! I haven’t actually seen this one in a while and there’s a lot of things I forgot about. Really good start to the marathon, and to the franchise in general.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 9 arc reactors out of 10. Acting aside, Tony Stark is a great character, and the writers do a good job at fleshing him out in his first movie. It’s important that we see just how obnoxious he can be early on, but doubly important that we see his character development. Even at his most frustrating, he’s still likeable and easy to root for.
He’s such a great character, in fact, that Marvel re-used him in Dr. Strange! And Ant Man. And Thor, at least at first. Not hating on those movies, but I did say that Iron Man set up a bunch of familiar tropes, didn’t I?
Villain: 8 boxes of scraps out of 10. Like I said, Obie works well in this movie, and only this movie. The way he harnesses Tony’s tech and upgrades it in a completely different direction is cool. While Tony makes his suit sleeker and more functional, Obie goes for the bigger, intimidating approach. Says a lot about their characters.
Supporting characters: 8 unused War Machine suits out of 10. I’d say the three biggest supporting characters are Pepper, Rhodey, and Yinsen and for the most part, they’re well written and have a lot of impact on the plot. They’re not just filler characters. However, I feel bad saying this, but I don’t remember Rhodey actually doing much. Maybe it’s cause I’m more used to him having a bigger role in later movies (as Don Cheadle), but aside from him almost having Iron Man shot out of the sky, he wasn’t put to much use. But that does change in later movies.
Female characters: 6.5 Bechdels out of 10. This movie does not pass the Bechdel test, and Christine the reporter doesn’t serve much of a purpose except to establish Tony’s playboy status. However, Pepper is, as previously stated, a great character and actually helps bring down Obie in the end.
Action scenes: 9.5 punches out of 10. There’s about four solid action/fight sequences in the movie, and each one is really satisfying, especially because each time, we see some new feature of the Iron Man suit. One of the parts I’ve always really liked is when Tony’s rescuing the villagers in Afghanistan and targets/shoots just the terrorists.
Stan Lee: 4.5 cameos out of 5. Whether or not he was actually playing Hugh Hefner, or Tony was just mistaking him for Hugh Hefner, it’s a funny bit.
Charisma: 9.5 points out of 10. This is just such a good movie, especially for Marvel’s first real attempt as its own studio. The pacing is good, the cast all has great chemistry, and it’s an overall homerun for the MCU.
In total: 55 out of 65, so about an 85%. It’s definitely the Bechdel test bringing it down, otherwise it would be much higher. The good news is, later Iron Man movies do a lot more with their female characters. Actual Rotten Tomatoes score was 94%.
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THE AVENGERS (2012)
AKA: Everyone has to deal with Thor’s dysfunctional family.
(Spoilers for the Avengers!)
I’ve really been looking forward to this one because it’s definitely one of my favorites of the MCU, and it’s one of the only ones I’ve seen multiple times.
Part of the reason I love it is, admittedly, because it’s Joss Whedon. Y’all know I’m a big Whedon fan, but I think he works best in small doses. He can be trusted with one movie, but maybe not sequels (we’ll get to Ultron in a couple days), and his TV shows tend to go off the rails a little after a few seasons (lookin’ at you, Angel). But I think he did a great job with Avengers! I’m sure it was difficult to merge all these characters coherently.
In fact, that’s one of the other reasons I love this one--it’s a really strong ensemble cast, and it feels like a big crossover, seeing all these characters that we already know meet each other and interact.
First off, it’s really great to watch this right after Captain America, because now in Avengers, we see him a little out of his element, still adjusting to a world that’s moved on without him. His hopeless confusion at modern references is funny, along with his excitement when he gets the Wizard of Oz joke.
Tony seems a little too intentionally disruptive at times. I get that he’s not much of a team player, but like, trying to bring the Hulk out just for kicks and giggles seems like a stupid move.
People have criticized the fact that Tony and Steve are so argumentative that we never get to see them really be friends, so Civil War packs no punch. However, I think it’s understandable at least in this one. They’re very different people and with Tony’s lingering father issues, I can see how finally meeting the boy scout that Howard Stark idolized and just being completely irritated by him makes sense. It sounds like Howard (at least in Tony’s eyes) never shut up about Steve and how great he was, while simultaneously shunting Tony off to the side and treating him badly. To me, it’s perfectly logical that Tony wouldn’t like him.
Also, rewatching this movie, the Bruce/Natasha romance isn’t quite as sudden as people thought in Ultron. Yes, it’s a lot more obvious in Ultron, but I think there’s a lot of subtle moments that set it up in this one. There’s a really great moment right before he fully Hulks out, when she’s trying to talk him down and he looks over his shoulder at her and you can see in his eyes that he’s still Bruce and he really regrets what’s about to happen, then he’s gone. It’s also pretty clear in their first scene, where she’s talking him into joining the Avengers, that they have a kind of connection.
I think the main reason everyone walked out of this movie shipping her with Hawkeye was because it was obvious they were the only two on the team with any kind of history, and we all kind of jumped to conclusions. Granted, there are a few moments that seem a little too close for just friends (especially if one of them is married), but I think we were mostly filling in the blanks. I’ll be honest, I still wanna know what happened in Budapest, lol.
Loki is still a great villain and watching this so soon after Thor, it’s really clear just how much he’s changed in his absence. In Thor, he’s somewhat sane, if a little misguided. By Avengers, he’s gone off the deep end, reciting Shakespearean monologues about how humanity is doomed and needs to be enslaved. Also, right after Thor, it’s even sadder to see just how many times Thor tries to get through to his brother, all in vain.
One thing I don’t quite understand is, why did they resurrect Coulson for the TV show (which, granted, I’ve never watched)? This isn’t a critique of the movie--I think his death had good impact. That’s why it doesn’t make sense that they’d turn around and undo that. But I mean, Marvel doesn’t always commit to its deaths, so he’s not the first character that’s come back from the dead.
I think this is a really strong first ensemble movie. It’s pretty evenly paced, if a little exposition-heavy at the start, it’s not too dark or too jokey, and there’s just so many absolutely Iconic moments that I may have to make a separate post listing them all.
RANKINGS:
Hero(es): 7.5 squabbles out of 10. As a group of characters, the Avengers all play off one another really well, but the movie spent so much time pitting them against each other that it didn’t really give leave much time for their reconciling and becoming friends. I mean, they all got shawarma at the end, but they still seemed like more acquaintances than friends. Maybe Ultron is a little different… I don’t quite remember.
Villain: 8 Tesseracts out of 10. He’s a bit more monologue-y than he was in Thor, but he’s still quite an effective antagonist. I mean, he manages to keep all six of the Avengers busy and turned against each other for most of the movie just by letting the mind stone wreak havoc.
Supporting characters: 6 bloody trading cards out of 10. This includes Fury, Coulson, Hill, Dr. Selvig, and kinda Pepper. This movie was more about the Avengers and not S.H.I.E.L.D., so the supporting characters are a little outshone by the heroes. Pepper is put on a plane right away, Dr. Selvig is working for Loki most of the time, and I honestly don’t remember much of what Hill did. Coulson’s death was a great sacrifice that brought all the Avengers together, even though it was totally undone in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Female characters: 5 Bechdels out of 10. This one doesn’t pass the test, but it does have three good female characters in it, even if only one of them can be considered a lead.
Action scenes: 9 punches out of 10. Pretty much the entire last third of the movie is a giant fight scene, and it’s pretty freakin’ awesome. So many great moments: Hulk taking out the giant space whale in a single punch, Tony using Cap’s shield to reflect his beams, Hawkeye shooting an arrow right at Loki (a moving target) from like a mile away and Loki catching it with a smirk before it explodes. Not to mention other scenes like Thor vs. Hulk, and Natasha’s interrogation, where she beats up a room full of men while tied to a chair. Ugh, just great!
Stan Lee: 4.5 cameos out of 5. The fact that he’s playing chess with another old man in the park, and is also super skeptical about the Avengers even existing, is just hilarious.
Charisma: 8.5 points out of 10. The movie definitely feels very complete and leaves you satisfied. It doesn’t really have time to deal with any deeper themes, because it’s more focused on action rather than character. But character development is more left for the individual movies, not the crossovers.
In total: 48.5 out of 65. About 75%. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a much favorable score of 94%.
And that’s the end of Phase One of the MCU. Onto Iron Man 3!
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CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)
AKA: The 90-year-old virgin.
(Spoilers for this movie ((and a tiny bit for Winter Soldier)) -- pretty sure that absolutely no one is reading these, but we’re still gonna make ‘em cause it’s fun!)
Again, it’s been a loong time since I watched this one, and there’s a lot of things I forgot. I’m hoping that the rewatch will make me care more about Bucky in later movies, because honestly, there was such a gap between me watching this movie and me seeing Winter Soldier for the first time, that I barely remembered who Bucky was. But it’s refreshing seeing him young and attractive, and not looking like an emo trash can.
Like Thor with its mythology, I like that this movie has a really different aesthetic to it than anything else in the MCU--it’s a period piece. I love all the costumes and music and the general vintage atmosphere. Normally, I really don’t like war movies, but this one is an obvious exception.
Right off the bat though, I don’t think it needed both mysterious opening scenes. First, we see Steve’s shield/plane being recovered from the ice, then it cuts to Schmidt getting ahold of the Tesseract in Norway. We both agreed that the first scene just wasn’t necessary. For one thing, it spoils the ending of the movie a little bit, since we now know that Steve is probably trapped in the ice somehow, and for another, we know that he’ll probably be okay. It kind of undercuts the emotional intensity of his goodbye to Peggy. So I think leading with Schmidt would’ve been a better call.
That being said, it’s nice to finally see a hero that starts off with a more heroic personality. While I enjoy Tony and Thor’s journeys of character development, Steve is actually a genuinely great guy right at the beginning--all he lacks is the confidence and strength to be a real hero (although he is already pretty gutsy, getting into alley fights with guys twice his size). One of my favorite scenes is, of course, the grenade test, when he unthinkingly attempts to sacrifice himself for everyone else in the camp. It’s just a really great display of character.
I love the Steve/Peggy romance mostly for the fact that she clearly likes him before he gets hot. It would be easy to fall in love with post-serum Steve, but Peggy really appreciates the guy underneath. Their romance grows naturally out of friendship, in a way that not many other Marvel romances do.
A valid critique that my brother had is that the villain is just… entirely unsympathetic. He’s a literal Nazi with no real motivations other than the cliche desire for power. It’s not very complex. There’s nothing really wrong with having a straight-up evil villain to root against, but I think a bit more moral ambiguity makes for a better story. No one’s 100% evil, just like no one’s 100% good. I like my heroes flawed and my villains complicated and possibly redeemable.
Which is why (and I hate to say this), Steve Rogers isn’t always the most interesting hero. I love him, don’t get me wrong! He’s great but, especially in this first movie, he’s just such a boy scout and can almost do no wrong. His moments of rebellion for the greater good are awesome, but the rest of the time he’s a little stagnant. I think this improves in later movies when he gets a bit more bitter and sarcastic.
Maybe their characterizations stem from the fact that this is set in the 40’s, when fictional heroes and villains were a bit more black and white. Maybe Marvel wanted to reflect that a little with a really good hero and a really evil villain, I dunno.
Anyway, Stanley Tucci is, as always, an underappreciated treasure as the kind Dr. Erksine, and Tommy Lee Jones is gruff and commanding as ever. This movie’s got some really good supporting characters.
Altogether, a thoroughly enjoyable watch--Cap, it’s been too long.
RANKINGS:
(Quick note--we realize that for the past four movies, we’ve been a bit generous with the ratings. We’ve kind of just been looking at them as movies and not Marvel movies. Marvel’s standards are better than most, so we’re gonna start being a bit harsher. Just a warning!)
Hero: 7.5 shields out of 10. Even if he’s close to perfect, it’s just so easy to root for Steve Rogers, especially as the tiny pre-serum bean that he is at the beginning. He doesn’t really go through much character development, but it’s because he starts off great so there’s really no place to go with that.
Villain: 5 Hydra heads out of 10. Again, Nazi. Really, Schmidt is just kind of there, and he’s evil. And he yells at his subordinates. Props to Marvel for making a villain that’s really easy to root against, but he’s not super interesting.
Supporting characters: 7 army generals out of 10. This includes Dr. Erksine, Col. Phillips, Peggy, Bucky, and Dr. Zola. For a bunch of characters that we don’t really see again (or at least, if we do, they’re evil computers, brainwashed soldiers, or just really really old), Marvel did a good job at fleshing them out nicely.
Female characters: 4 Bechdels out of 10, and all four of those points are for Peggy. She’s a really great character, but she’s the only female character of significance, aside from Natalie Dormer, who basically sexually assaulted Steve and then disappeared. Goes without saying that this one didn’t pass the Bechdel test.
Action scenes: 6 punches out of 10. It’s always nice to see Nazis being beaten up/vaporized, but the action scenes aren’t really the focus of this one.
Stan Lee: 3 cameos out of 5. “I thought he’d be taller.” Good funny moment, fits in well with the plot. It feels a little more obvious than others, maybe cause he usually doesn’t talk, but solid cameo nonetheless.
Charisma: 7 points out of 10. The movie has a very consistent aesthetic and tone. Themes of what it means to be a hero run throughout, but never overpower the story.
In total: 39.5 out of 65, about 60%. It feels a little too harsh, but most points are being deducted from its lack of female characters and boring villain. Rotten Tomatoes score was 79%.
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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
(I am a Fool and I didn’t post this yesterday, I apologize)
AKA: I wish I hadn’t already used the “Everything hurts and I’m dying” reference on Iron Man 2, because it’s even more applicable now.
(So many spoilers, like seriously, don’t read if you haven’t seen Infinity War yet.)
Hoo boy, wow. This was the big one. It’s kind of like Civil War--there’s just so much going on that it’s hard to know where to start. Only it’s like 100 times bigger than that. So yeah, this might get confusing. Sorry in advance.
First off, I’m not totally convinced that Loki’s dead. I know, I know, I’m not gonna go off on a rant and it’s not just because I like him. It’s because his death really didn’t make sense. I mean, I understand why it had to happen plot-wise, but I don’t understand why someone as powerful as Loki would simply use a knife to attack Thanos, who now has two infinity stones. One could argue he wasn’t thinking clearly after seeing Thor tortured, but that doesn’t seem in-character to me. I dunno, maybe I’m just in denial. But I have a hunch he may come back one last time in Avengers 4, maybe with Valkyrie.
There were a lot of characters absent who I expect will make an appearance in Avengers 4, assuming they weren’t dusted. Hawkeye, Ant-Man & the Wasp, Valkyrie, Korg & Meik, Lady Sif, Wong (if he’s done protecting the Sanctorum, that is).
Actually, I’m calling it right now. End credits scene of Avengers 4. Dr. Strange opens the doors to the Sanctum Sanctorum, bloody, bruised, and exhausted after the fight of his life. Wong is sitting on the stairs with a half-eaten carton of Ben & Jerry’s “Hulk-A-Hulk-A-Burning-Fudge” ice cream. “How’d it go?”
Also excited to meet Captain Marvel and learn what exactly she’s been doing for the past ten years that was more important than ever helping save the world. Maybe she’s just so powerful that no threat has been big enough to require her presence? I guess we’ll find out next year.
Anyway, it was great seeing all the different characters meet and interact for the first time. It’s another big crossover, like the first Avengers movie. Except this one is like three or four big groups scattered across the galaxy and you have to keep track of who knows who and who’s where doing what. It gets confusing at times, especially trying to remember things like who’s supposed to know about the infinity stones, who knows about Thanos, who has no idea what’s going on, etc.
I spotted another timeline issue that confuses things even more, actually. Tony references the events of the first Avengers film and says they happened six years ago. Which means that technically Spiderman Homecoming is supposed to happen two years after this (as the beginning indicates it’s eight years after the attack on New York). I guess it doesn’t make a huge difference, I’m just surprised they’d make a mistake like that, with how meticulous they usually are about continuity.
It was still pretty painful to watch all those characters turn to dust at the end, even though I know they’re definitely coming back in Avengers 4 (they literally just announced the release date of Spiderman 2). Ugh, his scene still gets me. Knowing that his lines there were improvised honestly makes it worse.
This is obviously the first time we’ve ever seen a villain actually win, even if it’s just part one. And before anyone says anything else about Quill ruining the plan and being responsible for their loss, consider this: Strange saw this future. He knew there was only one way they could defeat Thanos and if he didn’t stop Quill then, that means it had to happen. If Quill had stayed quiet and they’d gotten the gauntlet off, something else would’ve gone wrong and Thanos still would’ve killed half the universe.
Also, consider that Quill has always been a very emotional character. He had the same reaction to Gamora’s death that he did in Guardians 2 when he learned that Ego killed his mother. He was not acting rationally and we shouldn’t condemn him for being sad/angry that the woman he loves is dead.
It is a little unhelpful that Strange dissolved before leaving any sort of instructions. He’s the only one who knows exactly what should happen and now he’s gone, leaving everyone else to figure it out on their own.
One complaint that my brother pointed out is that this movie kind of negates a lot of what happened in Ragnarok. Yes, Asgard is still gone, but the point of Ragnarok was to strip Thor down to nothing. He lost his hammer. In Infinity War, he’s got a new axe. He lost an eye. Rocket gives him a new one. He and Loki finally reconciled. Loki’s dead now. He befriended Valkyrie. Who even knows where Valkyrie is. Also half the Asgardian refugees are dead now. It just makes you wonder what the point of Ragnarok was if nothing stuck.
So let’s talk about Gamora real quick. First of all, her singing along with Quill to his music was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Second of all, I’m not convinced she’s dead either (yes, like Loki, this is partly just because I don’t want her to be dead). There’s theories that she may be trapped in the soul stone, possibly along with everyone who got dusted, which means that there may be a chance of getting her back in Avengers 4. I really hope so, cause I just can’t imagine another Guardians movie without her.
There’s probably a million and one other things left to say but I don’t want this review to drag on too long. You all saw the movie, you know how devastating it is, I don’t have to tell you.
RANKINGS:
Disclaimer: We’re considering the characters who went through the most change/development as ‘heroes’ and everyone else as ‘supporting.’ I’d love to sit down and rank every single character in this movie, but we’d be here all day.
Hero(es): 8.5 Stormbreakers out of 10. This is Tony, Dr. Strange, Peter Quill, Gamora, Vision, Wanda, and Thor. All seven of these characters went through a ton of character development and growth, and come across as the real main characters. They all played off each other well (those that interacted, that is), and every one of them had to make some incredibly hard decisions that really reflected their heroism.
Villain: 9.5 snaps out of 10. I mean, a villain always gets points when he’s easy to hate, and Thanos makes it soooo easy, omg. Like some others, his motivations actually make sense in a really twisted way and he’s not just trying to take over the world, which gets old. Plus, he actually succeeded in his goal! Can’t wait to see him get beaten to death in Avengers 4, fingers crossed.
Supporting characters: 8 tuna melts out of 10. This is everyone but the seven mentioned above. Lots of the supporting characters provide a little comic relief in the more stressful moments. Just about every character plays some important role in the story and they all manage to work together to defeat Thanos.
Female characters: 7.5 Bechdels out of 10. This one kind of passes for a very brief interaction between Wanda, Natasha, and Proxima Midnight (Thanos’s evil daughter) on the battlefield in Wakanda. But we’ve established in the past that a movie can still be feminist whether or not it passes the Bechdel test. And this one still gets points for having multiple female characters who play crucial roles in the plot. Wanda and Gamora especially, as previously stated, are central characters. In fact, I think I read somewhere that Gamora actually gets the most screen time out of all the heroes, at something like 19 minutes.
Action scenes: 10 punches out of 10. Nearly every MCU hero from the past ten years has to band together to fight Thanos and we get to see the full extent of everyone’s abilities. I especially love watching Dr. Strange and Wanda’s fighting techniques. Plus, the movie does a great job at balancing all the action by cutting back and forth between the different locations and giving us some reprieve from non-stop fighting.
Stan Lee: 4 cameos out of 10. As Peter’s field trip bus driver, he delivers one of his best cameo lines: “What’s the matter, kids? You never seen a spaceship before?”
Charisma: 8.5 points out of 10. This movie has some great themes of love and sacrifice. Multiple times one of the characters is forced to choose between a stone and a loved one (Thor and Loki, Gamora and Nebula, Wanda and Vision, etc.), and nearly every time, they choose their loved one. Thanos believes in sacrifice for the greater good, which is why he was willing to kill Gamora for the soul stone, but the heroes do not. Wanda is the only one who ends up sacrificing the one she loves (Vision) in order to destroy the mind stone, but she only does so under extreme duress and after exhausting every other option first. The running themes are very consistent, though I can’t say you leave the movie feeling good about anything, lol.
In total: 56 out of 65, so an 86%, which is actually higher than its Rotten Tomatoes score of 84%.
And that officially concludes the Great Marvel Rewatch of 2k18!! Thanks for following along, those of you who did! It’s been a fun, emotional, two weeks. Stay tuned for later, follow-up posts featuring a complete rankings list and possibly some other bonus materials! :)
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THOR (2011)
AKA: Where every third shot is a Dutch angle.
This one was better than I remembered! It’s got a completely different tone from any MCU movie thus far—much more myth-oriented—and it’s handled really well. A lot of CGI, but it’s aged a lot better than some movies. This is the first one to have more of an ensemble cast (or at least, what feels like a lot more supporting characters than the last three movies), and they all work well with each other.
Thor kind of starts out as a bit of a Tony Stark type at the beginning, but I see him as more of a hot-headed jock than an arrogant genius, and his dad grounds him for getting into too many fights. Still, his character development is very believable.
I really love the scene at the coffee shop where he smashes his mug and Jane calls him out on it. It’s just a case of cultural misunderstanding—he thought he was giving the chef a compliment, and he is genuine when he says he won’t do it again. There’s a deleted scene where he goes back to that place and apologizes for breaking the mug—it’s very sweet, and I wish it had been left in the movie. Also I love it when Darcy takes the picture of him for facebook and he just smiles on command. Adorable.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is starting to play a bigger role, but a lot of their actions seemed a little arbitrary. Why exactly did they take Jane’s research? And why did they suddenly give it back in the end? Hawkeye’s cameo was entertaining—I’d completely forgotten he was gonna show up… mostly cause he didn’t actually do anything. He could’ve taken Thor out like six times in that scene, but was never given the final go-ahead. So he just sat there and offered up witty commentary.
The romance between Thor and Jane has never been my favorite, but I enjoyed it a lot more this time around, especially since most of their early interactions are just Jane being super uncomfortable at how attractive he is and him being completely oblivious. The scene where he explains the Nine Realms to her is actually adorable, especially the way he says “Hooble” telescope.
As I said, the ensemble cast is great. Darcy and Dr. Selvig are full of comic relief (and can I say that I am so so sad that Darcy is only in two MCU movies—she’s a treasure), as are the Warriors Three and Sif.
Loki was definitely the best part of the movie. I’m not going to justify his actions and put all the blame on Odin’s parenting, but I do think that growing up never knowing that you were adopted/actually part of a race of people that you’ve been taught to despise will probably mess you up a little bit. And it’s pretty clear that Thor was the favored child, at least by Odin, so that had to have been a little hurtful growing up. Still, that doesn’t mean anything Loki does is okay. He’s still psychotic and kills a lot of people over the course of his movies.
That being said, Tom Hiddleston’s acting is always stellar, and the confrontation scene with Odin is still heartbreaking—one of my favorite scenes in the MCU. (Although it’s kinda funny that Odin just conveniently goes into a coma the minute he starts losing ground in the argument.)
All in all, great installment.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 8 Myeh-myeh’s out of 10. Thor starts off as possibly even more obnoxious than Tony, just in a more shouty way, but like I said, his character development is really good, and he’s a lot sweeter and more mature by the end of the movie. He’s truly deserving of Mjolnir.
Villain: 9 fake holo-Loki’s out of 10. Loki is truly a great MCU villain. He’s a very complex character with a good backstory and actual motives and the way that Thor never really loses his love for him is beautiful. Tom Hiddleston plays Loki with such grace and earnestness, you can’t help but root for him just a little bit.
Supporting characters: 9 poli-sci interns out of 10. Like I said, the cast is one of the best things about this movie. All of its characters are entertaining, well-rounded, and move the story along. Thor’s interactions with Darcy and Selvig are great.
Female characters: 8.5 Bechdels out of 10. This one passes the Bechdel test because Jane and Darcy talk about science-y stuff several times. Also, props to this movie for having four major female characters, only one of whom is a love interest! Frigga, Sif, Jane, and Darcy are all engaging characters and none of them are pitted against each other in rivalries or love triangles (ahem, we’ll get to Thor: The Dark World later…)
Action scenes: 7 punches out of 10. Watching Thor wield Mjolnir is always satisfying, but his fight with the Destroyer felt a little short. Though they were probably saving time for his final fight with Loki. My brother pointed out that Loki doesn’t really utilize the full extent of his powers often enough and resorts to punching when he could do a lot more damage.
Stan Lee: 4 cameos out of 5. Short, funny, and worked well with the plot. Too bad he didn’t pull the hammer out.
Charisma: 7 points out of 10. The consistent tone, aesthetic, and themes of worthiness are great, but the additional consistency in those camera angles brings it down a bit.
In total: 52.5 out of 65. That puts it even with Iron Man, at about 81%. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 77%.
Here’s a compilation of all the Dutch angles, btw, if you wanna possibly ruin the movie for yourself, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0oDm4J3YOg
Next is Captain America: The First Avenger!
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DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)
AKA: Inception with wizards.
(Spoilers for Doctor Strange, don’t read if you haven’t seen.)
Another movie that I think didn’t quite get the attention it deserved when it came out. Maybe because Dr. Strange isn’t a really famous superhero either, maybe because of the casting complaints (which I’ll get to later), who knows? But I’m here to tell you that it’s a good movie.
I said this in the Iron Man review and I’ll say it again here: Dr. Strange’s backstory is a lot like Tony Stark’s. Character is rich, arrogant, exceedingly good at his job, and pretty self-centered until a traumatic event turns his life around and he must change. It’s also not unlike Thor’s story. I’ve actually pointed out multiple times how much Marvel favors this trope.
There are differences, of course. Tony made a choice to discontinue weapons manufacturing at Stark Industries, but Strange initially had no choice in giving up his surgical career. Tony is shown to be more of a womanizer than Strange, whose ex-girlfriend Christine is the only ex we ever see, etc. But a lot of surface-level details are the same. However, watching Doctor Strange doesn’t feel like watching another Iron Man movie, save for the first twenty minutes or so. Past that, it’s its own story.
And it’s a very compelling one. This is the first non-Thor Marvel movie with characters who have magic abilities, and the battles are some of the coolest of the MCU. It’s not just punching and kicking, it’s manipulating surroundings to their advantage and expelling each other through portals. There’s lots of really trippy scenes in this one, and the special effects are some of the most impressive in the franchise.
The story moves at a good pace and there’s enough action scenes to keep it interesting without being overwhelming. There’s actually not a romance sub-plot like there usually is in origin movies, but instead we get a nice friendship between Strange and Christine. Whether or not this grows back into a romance in later movies is unclear, but regardless, the characters have good chemistry (even platonically), and they share some nice moments.
I remember there was some controversy surrounding the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch, because apparently Strange isn’t always portrayed as white in the comics. I don’t think Strange’s race has ever really been confirmed, and he certainly looks white in some comics, so I don’t think it was 100% white-washing, but it’s a totally valid complaint nonetheless. Marvel still has room to improve in their racial diversity. It would’ve been awesome to have a poc play the role, but as always, Cumberbatch does do a great job and his American accent only slips a couple of times.
Tilda Swinton was also a questionable choice to play the Ancient One, who is an Asian man in the comics. I guess this one is a point for women (cause otherwise there would only be one female character in the entire movie, an all-time low for the MCU) but definitely not a point for poc. This one is definitely a case of white-washing, as I’m pretty sure the Ancient One has always been Asian. Swinton does a good job--she’s suitably mysterious, all-knowing, and just a little unsettling--but I’m not sure she was the right choice for the part.
Note: @caseyblu has mentioned that Scott Dickinson specifically cast a white woman in an effort to subvert the racist stereotype of an ancient, wise sensei-figure (ala movies like Karate Kid and Kill Bill). But, there were other ways he could’ve done that without white-washing the part, such as casting an Asian actress. The wise, old sensei is never a woman. I would’ve liked to see an actress like Lucy Liu in the part.
It serves to mention that there are two poc in the cast: Wong, whose actor is Chinese, and Baron Mordo, whose actor is Nigerian. They both play very important roles and it looks like both will be coming back in later movies (Wong is actually in Infinity War). I feel like we should’ve included a “poc characters” category in rankings, like the “female characters” category, but it’s a little late to change it now. It would definitely bring down lots of the movies by several points, since most of them only have the one token black guy and no one else. We’ll see.
Racial issues aside, Doctor Strange is a really good MCU installment and definitely worth a rewatch if you haven’t seen it lately.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 7 Mr. Doctor’s out of 10. While he is a bit of a Tony Stark clone at times, Dr. Strange goes through a great character arc and ends in a much more mature place than Tony, at least initially, does. Plus, he’s about a hundred times more powerful.
Villain: 7 smudged eyeshadows out of 10. We don’t know much about Kaecilius’ background aside from he was a pupil of the Ancient One’s who turned to the dark side. This doesn’t make him the most interesting villain, but his blind devotion to Dormammu is intimidating and a cool quality in a villain.
Supporting characters: 7.5 Beyoncé playlists out of 10. Wong, the Ancient One, Baron Mordo, Christine, and Strange’s sentient cape. This one doesn’t have an excessive amount of side characters to keep track of, which keeps things simple. However, while they’re all good characters, none of them really stand out.
Female characters: 6 Bechdels out of 10. This one definitely does not pass the Bechdel test--the only time the two women ever meet is when one of them is dying. However, they both have important jobs and aid the plot in a lot of ways. Plus, neither of them is really a love interest.
Action scenes: 9 punches out of 10. As I’ve said, the fight scenes in this movie are completely unique and extremely visually interesting. They never feel repetitive or boring, as is sometimes the case in other MCU movies.
Stan Lee: 4 cameos out of 5. The fact that he’s reading a book on different dimensions (and laughing at it), as well as the fact that Strange is slammed against the bus window while he does so, makes this cameo a really funny one.
Charisma: 8 points out of 10. The movie’s theme of time especially shows up again and again throughout the movie, whether it’s in Strange’s obsession with watches or in direct discussions of the consequences of messing with time. The movie feels complete and relatively well-paced. Maybe my only complaint is that Strange’s training feels like it starts really late in the movie.
In total: 48.5 out of 65, an 75%. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a higher score of 89%.
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THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
AKA: Whose Throne Is It Anyway?
(Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers. For Ragnarok and also some of Infinity War.)
Ah, Thor Ragnarok. So very different from the other two Thor movies that it almost seems like a completely different franchise. This was a really weird one. Lots of good aspects, a couple of things I didn’t like, but overall a great (and surprising) installment of the MCU.
I’ll get my biggest criticism out of the way right off the bat. I’ve always liked the first Thor (and the second one, at least a little) because of all its good supporting characters, and in Ragnarok… they’re all gone. The Warriors Three? Dead. Immediately. Lady Sif? Who even knows, she’s gone. Jane? Written off with a single line. Darcy and Dr. Selvig? With Jane, apparently. I like the new characters introduced in this one too, but I really don’t appreciate that half the characters I used to like are killed/written off with barely any decent explanation. At least Heimdall is still alive and awesome!
That’s my one big complaint! Well, also the fact that we never got Loki’s sexy cool knife-juggling trick that we were promised in the trailers, but whatever. Nothing else about this movie bothers me as much as that does, and I really enjoy the rest of it.
First of all, this is probably my favorite version of Thor. In the other two Thor movies, he’s much more serious and noble and that’s great, but in Ragnarok he’s completely out of his element, learning how to cope without his hammer. He’s a lot more awkward and unsure of himself, but trying to act all confident. It’s humbling for him, and it’s also very funny to watch.
Loki is also great in this one. I really like seeing him and Thor working together and trying to get along and why didn’t we get to see them hug at the end?? They set it up and didn’t deliver. Anyway, at first I didn’t like that Loki’s primary costume in this movie is bright blue, when he’s always been shown to prefer green and black. He looks weird in blue. But my brother pointed out that it was probably to show that he didn’t really belong on Sakaar. When he gets back to Asgard, he’s back in his usual colors.
It’s also possible that the costume design was intended to set him off from Hela, who also wears green and black. But the only time he wears blue is when he’s on Sakaar, away from her, so it didn’t really contrast them that much.
Bruce and Valkyrie are great supporting characters as well, and all four of them have some really good interactions. Also, I love Bruce watching Valkyrie with awe and saying “She’s beautiful, she’s so strong.” Like, Bruce just has such a thing for gorgeous women who could beat him up, lmao.
It’s really interesting to see how the power struggle between Bruce and the Hulk changes over the course of the movies. For instance, why was he stuck as the Hulk for so long on Sakaar? Is it because Natasha was never there to calm him down? After all, it’s the video of her that finally brings Bruce back. But then, why can’t he summon the Hulk in Infinity War? Maybe that’ll be answered more in part two next year.
Hela is probably one of the coolest villains of the MCU, also the only female villain who’s not playing sidekick to a bigger, badder male villain (although it looks like the antagonist in the new Ant Man movie this summer is a woman). She’s everything a villain should be: powerful, sarcastic, fashionable. I’m really surprised Cate Blanchett doesn’t play the bad guy more often--she’s great at it.
One thing I wish they had expanded upon is like, where exactly has Hela been all this time? Where was she imprisoned? How did she get out once Odin died? It’s all a little vague and not fully explained, but so is everything in the Thor universe, so.
I would almost argue that this movie is too funny/jokey at times, but it’s probably better that way, considering what happens in the very first scene of Infinity War. We need something cheerful before all the angst slaps us in the face.
So, let’s remember how hopeful and happy this ending was and ignore everything that happens after it.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 8 Myeh-myeh’s out of 10. Like I said before, this is Thor at his most likeable, at least in the Thor franchise itself. He’s stripped of everything--his hammer, his hair, his dignity--and watching him try to find his way without all the things he usually depends on is really funny.
Villain: 8 giant zombie wolves out of 10. Hela is easily one of the most intimidating villains of the MCU so far, and I’ve already talked about why I like her. However, I just don’t understand why she’s so invincible. I get that she’s the goddess of Death, but like, isn’t she just as Asgardian as Thor and Loki? Whatever, she gets points for style and threat-level, but no points for a pretty unoriginal plan of wanting to take over the universe.
Supporting characters: 7.5 champions out of 10. While I still don’t like them having to write off all the characters I already liked in favor of new ones, the new characters are great. The Grandmaster is hilarious, as are Korg and Meik, and Valkyrie is awesome.
Female characters: 8 Bechdels out of 10. This one definitely does not pass the Bechdel test, but it still gets points because its two biggest women are extremely important to the plot. And Valkyrie is just such a cool character--she’s a warrior, she’s good at her job, and she runs away from her problems while dealing with alcoholism (two typically masculine traits). Plus she’s not used as a love interest.
Action scenes: 9 punches out of 10. Fight scenes are always better when set to Led Zeppelin and that’s a fact. And points for having Hulk smash Thor around like a ragdoll while Loki stands up and screams “YES! THAT’S HOW IT FEELS!!”
Stan Lee: 2 cameos out of 5. Honestly, the farther we go with these movies, the more Stan Lee’s cameos seem a little shoehorned in. It’s funny that he’s the guy to cut Thor’s hair, but I think his cameos work best when he’s only there for a second and doesn’t have many lines, like back in the early days.
Charisma: 9 points out of 10. This movie’s got a very 80’s aesthetic to it, especially on Sakaar, and it carries through for the whole movie. The humorous tone is consistent even in fight scenes and it leaves you with an overall good feeling.
In total: 51.5 out of 65, a 79%. Rotten Tomatoes score was 92%, highest of the three Thor movies.
Next is Black Panther!
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(@caseyblu can’t do whatever a spider can, but he can make a cool header)
SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING (2017)
AKA: Tony Stark, reluctant father figure (Part II).
(Spoilers, obvi.)
Ah, another one of my top favorites of the MCU. I’ve actually rewatched this one several times since it came out, so I know it a bit better than lots of the others, and I still enjoy every bit of it. It’s just so fun.
Like Incredible Hulk, Marvel chose to skip right over the whole backstory where Peter gets his powers because after two failed attempts at Spiderman franchises in the past twenty years, we know what happens. Plus, we’ve already been introduced to Peter in Civil War, meaning that going back to his spiderbite would be even more of a hassle because it would be a flashback and they wouldn’t have a chance to expand on his relationship to Tony.
The Tony and Peter dynamic is one of my favorites in the MCU. Tony as the Exasperated Dad parenting his rebellious adopted son Peter is just so fun to watch every time. It really shows how much Tony has grown as a character, because 2008 Tony would absolutely not be giving fatherly speeches to anyone about responsibility, but that’s where he is now. He doesn’t want Peter making the same reckless mistakes he has in the past.
And I mentioned this in the review for it, but all of Iron Man 3 gives so much more context and weight to the line, “If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Tony had grown so dependant on his suits that he didn’t think he was really Iron Man without them, and he couldn’t cope by himself. He doesn’t want that happening to Peter.
I’m so sorry that every review is just turning into “Why I Love Tony Stark” hour but this is where I am. This is the problem with watching all the Marvel movies together in less than two weeks. Things get emotional.
Anyway, he can recognize that Peter is acting reckless and impatient when he really needs to slow down a bit and focus on helping the little guy until he’s ready for a bigger challenge.
This movie is great partially because it lowers the stakes a little and gives us some breathing room after all the intense movies that came right before it. Lowering the stakes can be underwhelming if done wrong, but it’s a good choice for a Spiderman movie because he’s still a Beginner Superhero. Maybe he’s not ready to save the entire world just yet, but he can save Queens.
Actually, this is one of the few cases of a villain who’s actually not out for blood. There’s no grand plot to blow up the city, kill Spiderman, or topple buildings. Toomes is literally just looking out for his family, doing whatever he can to survive. He’s a working class anti-hero. Yeah, he’s selling dangerous weapons to people, but he’s just making ends meet in these trying times. He’s another really relatable villain.
Tom Holland was a fantastic casting choice for Peter partly because, unlike the last two actors to play him, he actually looks like a teenager. He’s just so short and skinny and baby-faced that I almost can’t believe he’s not really 15. And out of all the fake Americans of the MCU, he may be the best at covering his natural accent, which is impressive.
By the way, shout-out to one of my favorite shots of the entire movie--Peter sprinting down the dark school hallway while dramatically ripping off his tie. It’s such a classic superhero shot and I love it.
This is just such a fun, teen movie. It’s a nice reprieve from all the intense, more action-packed MCU movies of the past few years and good to watch if you need a good laugh. It’s also got some of the most accurate representations of high schoolers and their teachers that I’ve ever seen. And Captain America’s cameos are a treasure.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 9 frogs-in-the-mouth out of 10. It’s refreshing to see such a young hero who hasn’t yet grown bitter and hardened by the world. He’s still idealistic and hopeful and saves the Vulture when he could’ve easily let him die. Peter’s just a joy to watch and so so easy to like.
Villain: 9.5 mistaken anti-gravity guns out of 10. Michael Keaton is just so perfectly menacing in this role. He’s come so far from playing Batman. The car ride is the most stressful scene in the entire movie and even though you still sympathize with him a little, you recognize that he may very well be a psychopath.
Supporting characters: 8 confidence hats out of 10. The supporting characters are part of what makes this movie so great. Aunt May, Ned, Liz, Happy, etc. are all just so loveable, even when Happy’s just the most annoyed babysitter. Tony shows up enough times to make an impression but not so often that he steals the show. And Zendaya is, as always, flawless.
Female characters: 6.5 Bechdels out of 10. This one does not pass the Bechdel test and none of the women really have a huge impact on the plot. Liz and her mother serve as Toomes’ motivation for what he does, and Aunt May looks after Peter, but that’s about it for them. To be fair, they’re all still fairly dynamic characters. And if Karen can be considered a woman (even though she’s a robot), she helps Peter out a lot, too. I’m thinking maybe May and Michelle/MJ might have bigger roles in the sequel.
Action scenes: 7.5 punches out of 10. Each action scene is unique and shows off a different aspect of Peter’s powers. They’re fun to watch especially for the fact that he’s still not very experienced in doing this, so he’s just kind of fumbling his way through.
Stan Lee: 2 cameos out of 5. He’s the grumpy neighbor who starts yelling with everyone else when Peter tries to prevent a ‘carjacking.’ Not one of his better cameos. This one’s just okay.
Charisma: 8.5 points out of 10. The overall tone of this movie is very lighthearted and fun--it only deviates from this tone a few times in some more sinister scenes, but these are done very well. The themes of responsibility are very evident (as they always are in Spiderman movies, but at least this one didn’t include that one Overused Quote) and carry through until the end, where Peter decides to do the responsible thing and keep looking after New York for the time being. You leave this movie feeling very good.
In total: 51 out of 65, a 78%. Rotten Tomatoes said 92%.
Onto Thor: Ragnarok!
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(bangin’ header by @caseyblu)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2013)
AKA: Marvel tries its hand at spy thrillers (and succeeds).
(Spoilers for Winter Soldier.)
This one almost doesn’t feel like a Marvel movie to me, because the genre change gives it a much darker/more serious tone. That’s not to say Marvel movies can’t be dark, they just typically have a lot more humor to balance it out.
The first thing I really appreciate about this movie is that there’s no forced romance between Steve and Natasha. I remember when the picture of them kissing was leaked and everyone freaked out, then it turned out they were just undercover. They make a great team and have good chemistry, and the addition of Sam later on makes them all the Ultimate Trio of Friendship.
Speaking of which, I just want to put it out there that I love Sam Wilson. Very much. He’s the best.
In the past, Marvel movies have a tendency to fall into a similar formula--Bad Guy shows up, Good Guy defeats him and everything’s okay. Here, there’s a conspiracy that needs uncovering and our heroes are on the run as they try to figure it out. It’s a whole different tone. Plus, you get to see three helicarriers blow each other up with machine guns, and that’s pretty cool.
The villain isn’t as heavy-handed as other MCU villains are. He doesn’t want to take over the world and the only reason he gives orders to have Steve and Natasha taken out is because they’re in his way--it’s not really part of his plan to kill them. Plus, he’s just doing what he thinks is right. It kind of lays the foundation for later MCU villains. It’s not because he’s evil, it’s because he’s trying to keep everyone else safe.
Also, I like the little hint that Dr. Strange is on S.H.I.E.L.D./H.Y.D.R.A.’s radar now.
Watching the first CA again did make me care about Bucky a little bit more than the last time, but I still think they could’ve done more with him back then. At the very least, I wish there had been more flashbacks to their friendship in this one.
The thing about this movie is that you really have to pay attention. (@caseyblu: “It’s the thinking man’s Marvel movie.”) If you zone out when people are talking, you’ll probably get confused later on. Just about every bit of dialogue is crucial to the plot. Other Marvel movies are more action-oriented.
This one doesn’t shirk its action scenes either, though. There were two car chases (both of which felt way too long to me, but I have a very low tolerance for car chases), plus the Iconic elevator scene, and a fair amount of hand-to-hand combat between Steve and Bucky. Not to mention, Steve jumps through a, frankly, concerning amount of windows. How many glass cuts does he have everywhere? Is he okay?
Overall, there’s not much to complain about in this one. It’s honestly not one of my favorites because of the more serious style, but it’s still a really great movie. Good rewatch.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 8 shields out of 10. It’s almost even easier to root for Steve in this one. The organization he basically died to stop is still going strong and things are a lot more confusing now. He remains optimistic in the face of adversity and is still a really likeable hero.
Villain: 8.5 evil computers out of 10. Pierce really seems like a good guy in the beginning, defending Fury when things look shady for him. It’s really a shocker when he turns out to be behind it all. It’s not the first time a villain has been revealed to be someone we thought we could trust, but it still takes you by surprise. The fact that the Winter Soldier’s identity wasn’t really a secret before this movie came out, thanks to the comic book fans, his reveal wasn’t much of a shock. But he was still a really cool opponent.
Supporting characters: 9 eyepatches burned out of 10. Including Natasha, Sam, Fury, Hill, and Sharon, the plot is advanced a lot through this movie’s supporting characters. None of them feel extraneous and there’s no romance cluttering up the already-thick plot (aside from hints for Steve and Sharon).
Female characters: 8 Bechdels out of 10. This one barely passes the Bechdel test, but we’re giving it a high score mostly for the fact that it’s the first MCU movie to really have a secondary main character that’s a woman. Natasha gets a ton of screen time and her character is explored a lot.
Action scenes: 8 punches out of 10. Much as I didn’t enjoy them very much, this movie does feature the first real car chases of the MCU, as well as the first time a character has ever beaten up like six other characters while in an elevator.
Stan Lee: 3.5 cameos out of 5. His best cameos are the ones where he doesn’t have many lines, but this one is pretty funny. Hope this guy didn’t actually get fired.
Charisma: 9.5 points out of 10. Marvel wanted to make a spy thriller, and they absolutely did. The tone and aesthetic of the film is very consistent. Perhaps the only criticism is that it clashes a lot with the rest of the MCU, especially the very next film, Guardians of the Galaxy.
In total: 54.5 out of 65, so about an 84%. Rotten Tomatoes score was 89%
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Ranking of all 19 Marvel movies
As determined by my brother and I in the Great Marvel Rewatch 2k18
(Disclaimer: The factor that brought a lot of these down is each movie’s use of female characters. So some of these may seem harsh, but the ones with the most women tended to get better scores.)
Black Panther -------------------------- 87%
Avengers: Infinity War --------------- 86%
Iron Man --------------------------------- 85%
Captain America: Winter Soldier -- 84%
Captain America: Civil War --------- 83%
Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 1 ---- 82%
Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 2 ---- 82%
Thor --------------------------------------- 81%
Thor: Ragnarok ------------------------ 79%
Avengers: Age of Ultron ------------- 78%
Spiderman: Homecoming ----------- 78%
Iron Man 2 ------------------------------- 77%
The Avengers --------------------------- 75%
Doctor Strange ------------------------- 75%
Iron Man 3 ------------------------------- 73%
Ant Man ---------------------------------- 72%
Captain America ----------------------- 60%
The Incredible Hulk ------------------- 51%
Thor: The Dark World ---------------- 50%
Further disclaimer: If you disagree with any of these ratings, or anything said in the reviews, feel free to let me know! Your favorite MCU movie may be super low on the list, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. Believe me, I know what it’s like to love a movie everyone else hates. But I enjoyed each and every one of these and they were super fun to review.
(also if anyone wants to check out my Marvel spotify playlist, it’s got music from all the movies, plus a few extra songs that I thought were fitting)
#marvel#i'm not tagging all of these movies individually#great marvel rewatch of 2k18#this format looks terrible on mobile sorry
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(this header by @caseyblu is cooler than the actual movie)
THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)
AKA: All roads lead to Svartalfheim.
(Alternately, “Make the universe dark again!”)
(Spoilers for both Thor 2 and a tiny bit of Thor 3.)
Much as I wanted to enjoy this movie, it’s just… so forgettable. The villain is boring as hell, Jane is just kind of there, and they’re trying to make her important but it’s not working, and knowing that Loki is really alive takes all the emotion out of his ‘death’ scene (especially after that part in Ragnorak, you know, where Matt Damon plays Loki, lmao).
First of all, it starts off almost exactly like the first Thor movie. “Long ago, we Asgardians were at war with this other race, and we fought a lot, and we won, but at what cost?” Been there, done that with the Jotunheims, Odin. It was also very reminiscent of the prologue to Fellowship of the Ring. Maybe it was just the color scheme.
We were watching a possibly illegal version online which, for whatever reason, didn’t have subtitles for the Dark Elves, so we had no idea what Malekith was saying, ever. Here’s the thing though: it didn’t matter at all. Other than like, making it clear that he’s out there planning stuff, pretty much all of Malekith’s scenes are nearly arbitrary. I looked up some of the lines online and it’s all just stuff like “Asgardians are weak and the dark days are coming soon, blah blah blah.” If that’s all your villain says for the whole movie, get a new villain. I can’t believe they wasted Christopher Eccleston’s talent on this two-dimensional cardboard cutout of an antagonist.
Thor already went through all his character development in the first movie, so he’s really got nowhere to go here. He’s pretty boring. Like, honestly, he’s one of the most boring characters in the movie, and it’s his movie.
But Jane is perfect for him, because she’s also boring in this one. She’s a vessel for the aether, and nothing more. Oh, and she’s kind of rude to her perfectly nice date, Richard.
Sorry if we’re being really harsh here, by the way. I feel like this is harsh, but it also needs to be said.
As always, I have no idea exactly how immortal Asgardians are. Frigga takes a knife to the gut and she dies immediately, yet Loki gets impaled with a sword and somehow survives? Also, if Frigga is capable of the same magic that Loki is, I feel like there was something more she could’ve done to get out of that situation. But no, kill the woman to propel the men’s stories forward.
There were a few good points in this movie! I need to say something positive, this is ridiculous. For one thing, I completely forgot about Captain America’s cameo and it was great. Now I need to find that behind-the-scenes clip of Tom in the Cap suit, pretending to be Loki impersonating Cap.
Zachary Levi is a delight as Fandral/Robin Hood. No idea why he had to be recast, but honestly, I don’t really care. He got a glo-up, just like Bruce Banner.
Darcy steals nearly every scene she’s in and again I am very sad that this is her last MCU movie (As far as we know…). This is weird, but I’m also sad that she never got to meet Loki. I just feel like that would’ve been a really interesting combination and possibly hysterical.
One more good point is that Thor and Loki’s sibling interactions are so accurate. One of the best scenes was Loki’s irritating backseat driving while Thor was desperately trying to figure out how to drive the Elf ship, shouting at Loki to shut up.
This movie isn’t a complete waste of time and it’s worth a rewatch, but it’s definitely not one of Marvel’s better installments. At the most, it helps set up Infinity War by introducing the Reality Stone.
RANKINGS:
Hero: 6 Myeh-myeh’s out of 10. The most that can be said for Thor in this movie is that losing his mother and (apparently) his brother makes him realize that he needs to spend more time with the ones he loves, i.e. Jane. But this is pretty understated, and the fact remains that he’s still pretty boring for most of the movie.
Villain: 2 wasted Doctors out of 10. Malekith is just… the most boring villain. Explaining this ranking implies that there’s anything more to be said about him. There’s not.
Supporting characters: 6 interns out of 10. Basically anyone who’s not Thor and Malekith. Honestly, the supporting characters are the only thing that make this movie even a little bit interesting. My brother says that the most telling thing about this movie is that he was almost more interested in Darcy and Ian than Thor and Jane.
Female characters: 5.5 Bechdels out of 10. Again, this one passes the test because of Jane and Darcy, and it still has all four of its women from the first one. However, Frigga is killed at the halfway mark, and Sif and Jane are pitted against each other in a love triangle that goes nowhere and adds less than nothing to the plot.
Action scenes: 6 punches out of 10. There’s one major fight scene at the end, and about three little ones before, but none of them are terribly memorable, aside from the deaths. The coolest part is when Jane and Selvig manage to teleport little groups of Dark Elves all over the city.
Stan Lee: 3 cameos out of 5. Not a very impressionable cameo, but it gets a good laugh.
Charisma: 4 points out of 10. At the very least, it was devoted to its aesthetic. But this movie just feels lacking overall. The themes aren’t really played out as much as they could’ve been and it definitely leaves you unsatisfied.
In total: 32.5 out of 65--50% exactly. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 66%.
Next is Captain America: The Winter Soldier!
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The Great Marvel Rewatch of 2k18
My brother and I (@caseyblu but don’t bother following him--he doesn’t post anything) are starting a rewatch of the past 10 years of Marvel movies leading up to Infinity War, which we’ll then go see again and I’ll be writing up brief reviews of each! Just kind of looking back, seeing how well each one holds up.
So just a heads up! Expect something for Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk today or tomorrow!
#this is just for fun honestly#we're kind of critiquing them as we go along anyway#so i figured i may as well document#also i'll be doing the zoo rewatch too!#just not right away!#marvel
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