Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 2- Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista
Directed by: James Gunn


Plot Summary: On the planet Morag, a smuggler from Earth named Peter Quill steals a mysterious orb and plans to sell it on Xandar, the capital world of the Nova Empire. An assassin named Gamora is sent to Xandar by her master Ronan and adoptive father Thanos to retrieve the orb from Quill. Quill and Gamora begin to fight over the orb, when two bounty hunters named Rocket and Groot try to capture Quill and collect a bounty placed on him. The four are arrested by Nova Corps and sent to a prison known as the Kyln. There they encounter a powerful inmate named Drax, who wants revenge on Ronan for murdering his wife and daughter. Quill convinces Drax to spare Gamora's life and help them escape, and she will draw Ronan to him. Gamora also admits she has betrayed Ronan and wants to take the orb to another buyer. The five must form an unlikely alliance and band together to escape the Kyln and discover the mystery behind the orb.


It's easy to throw around the phrase "instant favorite" when it comes to a recently released movie. You have the adrenaline still flowing through your veins of seeing something brand new, and since you enjoyed it, it becomes a "favorite." I've encountered this numerous times in recent years, whether it was The Dark Knight, Star Trek, Up, Inception, Toy Story 3, The Avengers, Fast and Furious 6, and a whole slew of movies that came out in 2014, each "favorite" changes over time. I usually like to give it one or two more repeat viewings to see what holds up, what doesn't hold up, and discover new things within the film I didn't notice before. With that said, Guardians of the Galaxy is an instant favorite, and yes, the quotes were taken off it for a reason. After first viewing, I knew it wasn't a phrase, it was a reality. I absolutely adored this movie and it was one of my favorite releases in 2014 (along with a few others I will talk about in May). The film was based on a Marvel Comics property that casual moviegoers weren't familiar with, so going into the movie, people were afraid this was going to be a failure, that the formula wouldn't work, that it would be the next Iron Man 2 (I knew I'd get to reference how much I hate that film one more time...) and not deliver with the quality fans expected for the MCU. My goodness, how surprised they were to find out this is actually one of the best, and in my opinion, THE best movie in the MCU so far...

As most could probably figure out with my reviews, I love great movie characters (heck, 80% of my reviews are usually spent on characters), and Guardians of the Galaxy combines 5 amazing film characters in one of the most unlikely superhero teams imaginable. The leader of the pack is Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt. Quill, who goes by the name of Star Lord, is a witty smuggler that is full of pop culture references from the '80s. Wait a second, our main protagonist is full of funny one-liners AND pop culture references? No wonder this character is a hit with the major demographic: Peter Quill is the epitome of a fanboy becoming a superhero. I know there were other members of the team that stole the show for a lot of people, but for me, my favorite character in the film is Quill because the show fell on Pratt's shoulders to give us a likable protagonist that we can root for and he gave us just that. He constantly has character growth that test his honor and loyalties for his new found friends, as well as being able to step up to the plate and be a courageous leader who is full of as many heroics as he does tricks.

Zoe Saldana plays Gamora, an assassin who is sent to retrieve an Infinity Stone from Quill, but ultimately joins with him to protect the Stone from the forces of evil. Saldana is quickly gaining traction as one of the best females in the sci-fi genre, with memorable character appearances in Avatar, Star Trek, and now Guardians of the Galaxy. The best thing about her roles is that all of them are different, with Gamora being my favorite for her complexity. Gamora was trained to be a vicious and ruthless killer, but resents her upbringing since she was taken from her home planet and made to be evil. Thanks to a developing relationship with Quill, Gamora is able to unlock a side of hers she didn't know existed, which includes demonstrating a wide array of emotions and establishing various forms of friendship with her fellow Guardians. Then, we have Drax the Destroyer, played by Dave Bautista. Being a wrestling fan, I loved the opportunity to see one of my first heroes in wrestling (known as Batista in the WWE) become a superhero on the big screen. Drax is way more than just muscles and fighting skills, he has a very serious story of seeking revenge on the film's villains for murdering his wife and daughter. Thanks to that blind rage, his actions are impulsive, but thanks to his loyalty for his new friends, he learns to work alongside a team. Drax also has an amazing running gag of taking metaphors TOO literally, proving Bautista has the skills to bring a balance of humor and action to a larger than life character like Drax.

Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, is a genetically engineered raccoon with skills as a bounty hunter and weapons expert. Yes, you read that correctly. That ACTUALLY exists in this film. It's one of those concepts you'd never expect in a million years would work or be taken seriously, and yet it does. Rocket is sadistic and cynical, usually looking for the best opportunity to make a profit or blow something up. I absolutely would love to see him and Tony Stark have a conversation one day (Avengers: Infinity War perhaps?). Cooper's voice is nearly unrecognizable as Rocket, proving that great acting can exist within the sound studio, as well as on-screen. Rounding out the team is Groot, a tree-like humanoid voiced by Vin Diesel. What is there to say about Groot that hasn't already been said? The world LOVES this guy. He can be one of the toughest enforcers you could have for a team one moment, and be a softer, caring companion the next. And let's be honest, who HASN'T said "I am Groot!" at least once since this film was released? His friendship with Rocket is one of the most compelling components of the film, and you wouldn't imagine a giant tree creature who only knows how to say 3 words having that much depth, yet Groot does. I mean, Rocket and Groot are so awesome, they could have easily had their own movie. However, they are equally well suited with Quill, Gamora, and Drax to create the Guardians of the Galaxy.

As you can tell, I LOVE this movie. Guardians of the Galaxy had an absolutely amazing supporting cast that I didn't have time to talk about. Just look at this cast: Lee Pace, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin are all in SUPPORTING roles. That's just amazing. It also had what has been universally considered as one of the greatest movie soundtracks in history (also known as Awesome Mix Vol. 1), with songs from the '70s and '80s that are sure to be stuck in your head after the film. Not only that, but it took a comic book premise and set it in some of the most breathtaking and creative planetary settings I've ever seen. So with that combination, and how positive the response to the film was, it left me very nervous for two HIGHLY anticipated films due out this year. Guardians of the Galaxy made me wonder if the bar was set TOO high for Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That may seem silly to some but hear me out. These are two sequels from HUGE franchises, so moviegoers everywhere have high hopes for them to deliver. So, here comes a film most moviegoers were skeptical about, and it surprised the world by delivering as a superhero film AND a space film. So what happens if Avengers and Star Wars can't exceed the quality of a movie viewers were expecting to suck? That's a scary idea to think about, and we're only about 2 days away from knowing half of the answer when Avengers: Age of Ultron is released, so hopefully that film will deliver as well as the films in Phase 2 have set it up to be. But for now, excuse me while I go listen to some Awesome Mix Vol. 1.

And, with *SPOILERS* in mind, let's look at the mid-credits and post-credits scenes for Guardians of the Galaxy...

The mid-credits scene shows Baby Groot dancing to "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5, but freezes when Drax looks over to him. When Drax looks away again, Baby Groot continues to dance. This scene has become a pop culture phenomenon, and while not even remotely important to the film, it sums up the type of humor that was present throughout the film. The post-credits scene cuts to the Collector, played by Benicio Del Toro, sitting within his destroyed collection. An astronaut dog comes and licks his face, drawing the disgust from a character off-screen. Cut to Howard the Duck, voiced by Seth Green, drinking and sitting among the wreckage and it cuts to black. This was just an amazing Easter egg that I never saw coming. Half the audience got it when I saw it in theaters, and the other half were confused as crap. It's that kind of response that makes me love Marvel Studios.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Guardians of the Galaxy is an entertaining thrill ride of cosmic proportions. It has humor, action, heart, and some of the greatest characters to come out of the MCU thus far. Absolutely watch this as a standalone film and own it in your collection. Even if they won't be appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, still give it a watch, as it sets up a LOT of groundwork for the upcoming 2 part Avengers: Infinity War film.

Guardians of the Galaxy and movie images are copyrighted by Marvel Studios

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 2- Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Starring: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo


Plot Summary: Working under S.H.I.E.L.D. after the events in New York, Steve Rogers is informed by Director Nick Fury about Project Insight: three Helicarriers linked to spy satellites, designed to eliminate potential threats. When Fury is ambushed by a mystery assassin known as the Winter Soldier, he escapes to Rogers' apartment and hands him a flash drive with important data regarding Project Insight. Fury also tells Rogers not to trust anyone, as he fears S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised by Hydra. When Rogers is summoned by senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce to explain Fury's motives, Rogers refuses to give up any information and is branded a fugitive by Pierce. Enlisting the help of Agent Natasha Romanoff and former USAF pararescueman Sam Wilson, Rogers must uncover the mysteries surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra, the Winter Soldier, and Project Insight.


With only a few movies to go before Avengers: Age of Ultron, it was crucial for the momentum of the MCU to be at the highest quality. So when Marvel announced Captain America: The Winter Soldier, fans had some serious high hopes for this film to deliver. Adapted from one of the most popular Captain America storylines, fans were really hoping for something spectacular now that Captain America would have an entire film devoted to him in our modern time. The film was received with universal acclaim, considered one of the absolute best movies in the MCU, along with Iron Man and The Avengers. Admittedly, this was the film in Phase 2 I was most excited for (other than Age of Ultron) because of the inclusion of the Winter Soldier storyline, but there was much more besides the stuff with the Winter Solider that made this film an absolute thrill to watch.

Chris Evans returns as the heroic Steve Rogers. The thing about Evans that works as Rogers is that he has to play him as a man who is courageous and honorable. He has specific loyalties towards specific ideals and will go at any lengths to protect those ideals, such as freedom and honor. One of the things I love about Captain America in this movie is how much his fighting ability has improved. You can imagine he trains hard in his spare time and is trying to be up to date on more than just pop culture references. He's probably studying the greatest forms of combat over the decades to become a supreme fighting machine. He's even able to take it to Georges St. Pierre, who plays the villainous Batroc the Leaper, in one scene. This next part only has some minor spoilers, hence why I won't mark it in all bold caps (that and the fact that the spoilers are really freaking obvious). Sebastian Stan plays the Winter Soldier, who is later revealed to be a brainwashed Bucky Barnes. For most of the film, the Winter Soldier's identity is made a secret, so a lot of the first impressions are based on his fights with Captain America. Those fight scenes were wonderfully choreographed and showed a chemistry that was natural for rivals (or best friends) to have with each other. Once his identity is revealed, Stan has an opportunity to play a confused and conflicted character, and it adds a lot of drama to the climax on whether or not he will remember who he is.

One of Cap's allies in the film is Natasha Romanoff, played once again by Scarlett Johansson. As far as characters in the MCU go, Black Widow was one of the characters to receive the most scrutiny from moviegoers, pointing out her involvement as being the token girl character. However, Johansson really had an opportunity to silence skeptics and show Black Widow could hang with the major characters. She is an expert in combat and interrogation, making her an excellent agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., but also shows that Rogers may only want to trust her to an extent. She shows her value though, and we even get to see some layers of her character peeled back and an actual partnership develops between her and Captain America, instead of a forced relationship. A new character addition is Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie. Wilson (also known as Falcon) is a comrade that Rogers befriends over a talk about modern pop culture he should catch up on (Wilson suggests Marvin Gaye), and becomes one of the only people in the film Rogers fully trusts. You see a bond established between them over shared war stories, and he proves to be a useful asset once he busts out his armored wings to fly. Those scenes with his flight are absolutely exhilarating, and Mackie fit like a glove with the rest of the main cast (particularly his chemistry with Evans and Johansson). I'm really excited to explore more with Falcon as the MCU progresses, and I'd love to see him join the Avengers in combat down the road.

And then we get to some great performances from two veteran actors in this film. Naturally, we get to continue watching Samuel L. Jackson deliver as Nick Fury, in easily Fury's most involved film role. It's always awesome to see Jackson be as BA as possible, and Fury has one of the MCU's biggest highlights when he is in an action-packed car chase in order to escape the assailants who have ambushed him. Rounding out this terrific cast is screen legend Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce. Does Redford fully assume the role and transform himself into a unique character? Probably not, but I don't think that's a bad thing here. What you see is what you get. The MCU had the privilege of casting one of the most iconic actors of all-time, THE Robert Redford, to be a villain in a Marvel film. The best thing Redford did when playing Pierce was making him both dignified and deceptive all at once, a combination that really makes Pierce a character you can't trust.

I'm very comfortable with calling Captain America: The Winter Soldier a game changer. This film completely altered how moviegoers could look at a film about a superhero, in the same regard that The Dark Knight did. Whereas The Dark Knight created a darker and edgier tone for the comic book film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier took a film about a superhero and presented a narrative that reflected a spy thriller. Our hero was constantly on the run, his loyalties were tested by both his allies and his enemies, and problems were solved with technology and strategy more than fists and superpowers. Not every superhero film can be like that either, so it makes this film really stand out and feel unique. Add this to the historical tone that was set in Captain America: The First Avenger, and the epic tone that is sure to be associated with Captain America: Civil War, and you have the makings of a very diverse and entertaining franchise of superhero films for the super-soldier.

After a film like this, the mid-credits and post-credits scenes should hopefully deliver in tons of quality. Also, *SPOILERS*...

In the mid-credits scene, we are introduced to Baron von Strucker, played by Thomas Kretschmann, who is in possession of Loki's scepter, and has proclaimed the "age of miracles" has begun. Cut to two prison cells containing Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. WOW! With the debut of two fan favorite Avengers' characters, a major game changer was thrown into the mix of storylines heading into Age of Ultron. Then we get to the post-credits scene, which showed the Winter Soldier at the Captain America Smithsonian exhibit looking at Bucky's memorial. It was a small tease, but it assured audiences the Winter Soldier (or Bucky...?) would be back down the road.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Like Iron Man and The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of those films from Marvel that changed the landscape of the superhero genre. This film cemented Captain America as my favorite franchise within the MCU. Definitely check this film out as a standalone and before Age of Ultron. Add this superhero spy thriller to your DVD collection, and here's hoping Captain America: Civil War can keep the momentum of the franchise going strong.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier and movie images are copyrighted by Marvel Studios

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 2- Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Directed by: Alan Taylor


Plot Summary: In London, Dr. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis are researching mysterious portals that have been appearing. Separated from Darcy, Jane is transported to another world and is infected by a powerful weapon called the Aether. Informed of Jane's disappearance, Thor returns to Earth to find her and transports her to Asgard. The release of the Aether awakens Malekith, a Dark Elf who plotted to destroy the universe with the Aether until he was imprisoned. Malekith and his army of Dark Elves travel to Asgard in search of Jane and the Aether. Following the attack, Thor must team up with Loki and travel to the Dark World of Svartalfheim to seek vengeance on Malekith.


Phase 2 continued by returning viewers to their favorite hammer-wielding Norse god in Thor: The Dark World. Of the films announced for Phase 2, this was the one I was excited for the least and it has everything to do with the cultural response to the first Thor film. There were things that were bound to win me over, like continuing the story of Thor and Loki, but then to my surprise the film never lost its steam. It continued to entertain me, and by the end of the film, I gave Marvel credit for giving fans a proper film about Thor.

Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor. Just like he has in his previous MCU appearances, Thor is a character who puts a lot of who he is right out there for everyone to see. In this film specifically, he has a deep loyalty for his family and his people of Asgard. When he plots revenge against the Dark Elves, it parallels his impulsive actions in the first film, but this time it is NOT out of arrogance. Not only was the fight made personal, but he also knows the Dark Elves will not stop until they have won. Despite the wishes of his father Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, Thor has grown as a character and knows what must be done. He disobeys in order to do the right thing. As we see Thor compose a strategy with his allies, we see he is also becoming more meticulous in his planning and is working like an army general would. So now, he has the wisdom to lead Asgard in battle and be a leader for his people to look up to. He has come a long way since the first film and Hemsworth really does show that off nicely. In my review of the first film, I mentioned Hemsworth didn't have to do much in the acting department, just play Thor as a larger than life persona. Thank goodness the character has been evolving over the course of the MCU, because it allows Hemsworth to add depth and growth for Thor that feels natural as the movies progress.

The main antagonist is the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston. Now we get to the main complaint about the film: most fans believe Malekith SUCKS as a villain. I'm not willing to go that far with the critique. He wasn't a perfect villain, nor the most well-developed, but he still put up a formidable challenge for Thor. He attacked Asgard, threatened the lives of Thor's people, his family, and the love of his life Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. He made things VERY personal for Thor. When a villain is able to get under your skin that much, they're doing their job pretty well. I think the big problem most of the geek community had with Malekith was that Marvel cast one of the Doctors to be in a Marvel film and didn't do as much with him as they were expecting. Since I've never actually endeavored into the world of Doctor Who, I can't make that call for myself personally, so I'll just go ahead and say I didn't love Malekith, nor did I hate him. He was a solid villain, who maybe could have used a bit more depth.

The Dark Elves might be underwhelming villains for most, so for them, thank goodness we have the return of Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. Fine, I'll admit it, I swoon like a schoolgirl for Loki...he's just so darn charismatic, but it's not because of his looks. I think a lot of fans can identify with Loki as he represents the outcast. This film REALLY dove deep into Loki's psyche and explores what few loyalties he really has. One of the best additions to Loki's character is relationship to his mother Frigga, played by Rene Russo. It's a very interesting parallel to Thor's relationship with Odin and is actually pretty sweet and a big motivator for Loki to help Thor fight the Dark Elves. Thor might have evolved well throughout the film, but this was Loki's movie. Hiddleston absolutely knocked it out of the park and cemented himself as on of my absolute favorite characters in the MCU.

Thor: The Dark World may not be the greatest movie in the MCU, but it's very entertaining to watch. Part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was because they did what I wanted them to do: give us more of Asgard. The atmosphere there is an amazing spectacle to behold. I keep describing it the same way whenever I watch it: It's Star Wars meets Game of Thrones. That combination just sounds like it would be a great idea, wonderfully blending technology, magic, and mythology. Now that they've done this, I'd really like them to keep this formula for Thor: Ragnarok. Can they put him on Earth? Sure, for a little bit. But, it's clear that fans respond more positively when we get to explore more of Thor's world, so let's spend that time exploring and developing his universe, instead of trying to force the comedy of him coming to our world.

Now let's talk about *SPOILERS* in the mid-credits and post-credits scenes...

The mid-credits scene shows Volstagg and Sif, played by Ray Stevenson and Jaimie Alexander, visit the Collector, played by Benicio Del Toro, and deliver the Aether for him to hold on to. It is mentioned that with the Tesseract in Asgard, it is dangerous to have two Infinity Stones close together. When they leave, the Collector says "1 down, 5 to go." This teases a key environment that will be introduced very soon in the MCU (Guardians of the Galaxy) and that the Infinity War is on its way. This really sets the mood for big things on the way for the MCU. However, that scene should have been switched with the post-credits scene, which shows Thor and Jane reunite on Earth, while also showing the monster from Jotunheim still running wild in London. This scene had a really big filler tone attached and would have been better suited for the mid-credits scene or to be left on the cutting room floor.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thor: The Dark World is a step in the right direction for the Thor franchise because it focused on the three things it needed to: Thor, Loki, and Asgard. Yes, Malekith is an underwhelming villain and there is still a LOT of forced comedic relief on Earth, but these are minor complaints in an overall enjoyable film from Marvel. As a standalone film, I think it's worth checking out, but it may not be essential to watch for Age of Ultron.

Thor: The Dark World and movie images are copyrighted by Marvel Studios

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 2- Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (2013)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Directed by: Shane Black


Plot Summary: After the events in New York, Tony Stark is suffering from panic attacks and has been inventing many new armored suits as a result of being restless. Meanwhile, a string of bombings from a terrorist known as the Mandarin has left the world in a state of panic, and one of his attacks has put Stark's security chief Happy Hogan in the hospital badly injured. Seeking revenge, Stark challenges the Mandarin to come to his home and take him on. When Stark's home is destroyed in an attack, Stark escapes in a suit, but lacks the power to return home. Separated from his home, without J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark must rely on his intelligence as an inventor to get back home, while also solving the real mystery behind the Mandarin's attacks.


So....now we reach an issue that comes with the concept of making an MCU movie. In theory, once you take your universe to The Avengers, it's very hard for you to regress to something smaller. So with the announcement of Phase 2 came 4 sequels and 2 original concepts. Both get put into a trap of different proportions. I'll talk about the original concept trap in a little bit, but let's begin by talking about the sequel trap. We've taken these larger than life characters and brought them together for the team up no one thought would be possible to see on film, and now they have to return to their individual worlds. Their sequel adventures need to feel like a natural escalation from the previous films AND not feel like a huge step backwards from The Avengers. Give credit to Marvel though, for choosing the most popular superhero in the MCU to kick start Phase 2, so let's begin by looking at Iron Man 3...

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, and in my opinion, this was his best performance as Stark. One thing that someone might overlook in a superhero movie is that the hero assumes two roles: the role of the superhero, and the person they are when they are out of the suit. This film LITERALLY focuses on Tony outside of the Iron Man suit. Look at that picture. First of all, it's fricken adorable, but secondly, it fully embodies one of the movie's biggest themes. I was explaining it to my friend who thought taking Tony out of the suit for so long was kind of stupid, and I said to him "this film was about proving that Iron Man does not make Tony Stark. Stark makes Iron Man. Well, technically Stark makes J.A.R.V.I.S. which helps him operate Iron Man, but still." Those are living quirks that really exist in my life, but they can hold so much weight given the proper context. THIS is one of those times. Anyways, I now know that Tony does not need the suit to be a hero. He's still a great inventor, a brilliant thinker, and with Iron Man 3, he's proves he's a credible action star.

Tony is isolated from his friends in this film, leaving them to go on their own missions without Tony as well. Well, until Tony has to save them. Let's first talk about Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Now in a relationship with Tony, Pepper wants him to be able to focus on them, so when he begins spending more time on inventing things to pass time, she feels ignored. So now their cute banter has evolved into uncomfortable arguing you don't want to see them have. Without giving much away, she's put in a damsel in distress position and then completely SHATTERS the stereotype by stepping up to the plate and doing something AWESOME! After 3 movies, we finally get Pepper to join in the action and it worked very well. Don Cheadle returns as Col. James Rhodes, but gone is the title of War Machine for a more family-friendly and American title as Iron Patriot (which Stark constantly ridicules). Admittedly...yeah, I would much rather prefer War Machine being back. The Iron Patriot suit is a bit too cartoony for me, and I'm glad to know the War Machine moniker will be back for Age of Ultron.

The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, was marketed as the film's main protagonist. We don't get too much of him (for reasons of which I will NOT spoil), but when we do get him, Kingsley does a great job of making him sound menacing. He's a man of actions AND words, so when you see his words spoken over his actions, it's a very successful method for creating a villain. Another villain in the film is Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pearce. Killian, besides Loki, has become my favorite villain in the MCU up to this point. His motivations are understandable, he's a business rival for Stark that is NOT over the top like Justin Hammer, and most importantly, he knows how to get inside Stark's head. I absolutely loved to hate Killian as a villain, and in the name of film antagonists, that's exactly what you want to be doing in my book.

I'm going to bring this to a close by addressing the Mandarin Problem. Needless to say, there is a HUGE controversy revolving around the character of the Mandarin. This decision was the deciding factor for a lot of viewers on whether they loved the film or hated it. Most die-hard comic book readers were more on the side of hating the film, while the casual moviegoer may not have a big problem with it. For me, I really enjoyed this film and I believe the reveal about the Mandarin works in the film's favor. This film tried to put arguably two very famous Iron Man stories (Extremis and The Mandarin) in its plot, but thanks to the reveal about the Mandarin, the two blend together in a way that feels organic and actually strengthens the plot of Iron Man 3. That may not be the most favorable opinion, but it's mine and I'm sticking to it.

Since I've already mentioned *SPOILERS*, then we might as well discuss the post-credits scene...

The post-credits scene here is VERY simple and doesn't really contribute to the MCU, but it's still worth talking about. We find out that Tony has been narrating the entire film as a story to a therapist. Cut to the therapist, and it's Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, sleeping while Tony thanks him for listening. He later admits to Tony that he slept during the entire story, claiming to not be that kind of doctor because he doesn't have the temperament. This film continues their bromance from The Avengers, and while not all that important, is still a humorous way to bring this film to a close.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Iron Man 3 is a film that you'll either love or hate. Personally, I love it. It brings the Iron Man franchise to a solid close, while also providing setup for how Tony Stark will evolve by the time we get to Age of Ultron. Because of that, it's worth a watch while preparing for the next Avengers film, but as a standalone, it may not be as crucial to check out.

Iron Man 3 and movie images are copyrighted by Marvel Studios

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- The Avengers

The Avengers (2012)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth
Directed by: Joss Whedon


Plot Summary: When S.H.I.E.L.D. is experimenting on the Tessaract, they open a gateway which brings Loki to Earth. Taking control of many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Dr. Erik Selvig, and Hawkeye, Nick Fury initiates the self-destruct on the headquarters and begins a plan to counter Loki and his impending attack on the planet. Fury assembles a team comprised of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and Black Widow to apprehend Loki and retrieve the Tessaract. However, when Thor shows up to bring Loki back to Asgard, tensions arise between the heroes. With an army of aliens about to invade Earth, the heroes have to put aside their differences and join forces to put an end to Loki's plan.


We have finally arrived at the big one. The movie that changed the world of superhero movies as we know it. The movie that united 6 superheroes in an epic teamup no one ever thought would be possible to capture on film. This is The Avengers, and it is a movie that changed my life. I watched this movie on opening night in a room full of screaming Marvel fans. I had goosebumps. I had hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I had numbness all over my body. And I cried manly tears of MANLINESS!!! And I didn't just get those feelings when I saw it on opening night. I STILL get those feelings EVERY time I watch this movie. I've built this up long enough, let's see why I love about The Avengers.

Many of our favorite franchise superheroes return for The Avengers, including Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. He does just what you'd expect him to do. He's sarcastic, yet lovable. He does NOT get along with most of the other Avengers and it's absolutely entertaining. Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers, and he really steps up to the plate here as leader of the team. He fights for truth and justice, which plays a really big factor in the arguments with other characters. One of the recurring gags for Captain America is that since he is out of his time period, he doesn't get many of the jokes or references. He may get one or two, but most times he's a fish out of water on pop culture. Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, is another fish out of water who also gets a lot of development here. He's the only Avenger from another world, so he gets treated like an outsider. Along with that, his loyalties towards his home world and family are very heavily tested in the film, so he gets many strong scenes that really build his character.

One character that returns but may look different is Dr. Bruce Banner, now played by Mark Ruffalo. This version of Banner actually fits better with the team dynamic than I believe the Edward Norton would've. The highlight is the bromance he has with Stark, and I think a lot of that chemistry really does exist between Downey and Ruffalo. And of course, his scenes as the Hulk are amazing to sit through. This is the Incredible Hulk that I WANT to see on film. GIVE RUFFALO HIS OWN HULK MOVIE ALREADY!!! Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is the sole female on the team, but I think she gets left with a token female role. She doesn't add too much to this team outside of a few good fight scenes and one or two interrogation scenes. But she isn't the most useless member on the team. That would go to Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. Hawkeye spends about 80% of the movie not actually part of the team, so by the time he joins up with them, I didn't really care. He has some good bits in the final battle, but I was so disappointed with his role on the team for this movie. Here's hoping Age of Ultron develops him further.

Now that we've addressed the Avengers, let's look at the supporting cast rounding out the film. First, is the main antagonist Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston is still just as charming as ever. No, I don't have a man crush. STOP JUDGING ME! Anyways, a new character that was introduced in The Avengers is Maria Hill, played by Cobie Smulders. As a fan of How I Met Your Mother, I love the opportunity to see Smulders in a big movie role like this. With that said, I do wish they would have given her something more to do because she does VERY little here. Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, has a much extended role than in his previous appearances and has opportunities to have entertaining discussions with Stark, Rogers, and Thor. Finally, there's Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who like Coulson, plays a larger role than his cameos so that's already great. And also...it's SAMUEL L. JACKSON...he's freaking AWESOME!

Do I even need to say anything else about why this movie is AWESOME!?!? This film did the impossible. It brought together so many powerful elements and made it work. The Avengers is a movie that set the bar for what superhero movies had to be from here on out. When a superhero movie comes out, it will always be trying to top the standard The Avengers set. This was the best way any moviegoer could expect Phase 1 to end for the MCU, and with that came the question of what Marvel would have in store for Phase 2. To that, I didn't really care what was on the way. My loyalty and dedication to all things Marvel Studios had been sealed.

And what kind of epic movie would The Avengers be without a post-credits scene? Well, this film actually has TWO post-credits scenes, so here's some HUGE *SPOILERS* to add to the epicness...

Cut to outer space, and we have a reveal of a villain whose identity had been concealed the entire film. He turns to face the camera, and it's THANOS! This mid-credits scene gave the fans so much to look forward to as they were about to enter Phase 2 of the MCU. We didn't know what movie we'd be getting him in, but we were told by Joss Whedon and Marvel that Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet were on their way. The now infamous post-credits scene shows the Avengers eating in a shawarma restaurant. Nothing else happens. It's just Whedon giving us something quirky at the very end of the film. Seems so out of place, yet so perfect all at the same time.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I really don't care if this movie has a handful of plotholes and flaws, the fact that this film isn't a complete failure after all the buildup is a miracle in filmmaking. The Avengers is one of the biggest superhero movies of all-time because it was the first of its time to assemble a team of big name superheroes from different franchises. Definitely check this one out before Age of Ultron, watch it as a standalone movie, own it in your collection...heck, watch it RIGHT NOW! This is easily one of my favorite movies to watch and can put me in a good mood at any time of the day.

The Avengers and movie images are copyrighted by Marvel Studios

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones
Directed by: Joe Johnston


Plot Summary: The United States Government is working on a super-soldier program to help win World War II. While there are plenty of bigger and stronger men, Dr. Abraham Erskine selects a smaller candidate Steve Rogers for the job because of his courage. The experiment is a success and now Rogers has the physique, endurance, and strength of a super soldier. However, Steve is looked at as a gimmick for the war effort and, instead of fighting in combat, is used for motivational speaking and stunt shows as Captain America. The war effort will need his help in more ways though, with a secret organization called Hydra planning on taking over the world with machines powered by a mysterious blue cube called the Tesseract.


Our final stop before The Avengers is Captain America: The First Avenger. I don't know about most people, but when Marvel was doing their early projects like Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil, and Fantastic Four, all I kept saying to myself was "one day...we will have a movie about Captain America." That day took many years to accomplish, but all it did was take the revealing of the iconic shield in the Iron Man movies to get me excited. Then they announced that the former Human Torch would be playing Captain America and I was absolutely skeptical. Was the film the success Marvel needed heading into The Avengers? Let's find out...

Chris Evans stars as Steve Rogers. Admittedly, I was very skeptical of Evans playing Captain America, since I already knew him as the Human Torch. The two characters are very different in terms of personality. Torch was more humorous and impulsive (like Tony Stark), whereas Cap needs to be more courageous and stoic. Evans did a great job and left me pleasantly surprised. Nowadays, I can't see Chris Evans without seeing Captain America, he's THAT good at it. The thing about Captain America that is so compelling with viewers should be because he's relatable. He starts out not being the biggest or strongest, but has a caring heart and courageous attitude. He wants to help people. It's very admirable, and as a viewer, we want him to succeed. Not because he wants to be a superhero, but because he just wants to be a hero.

The main antagonist for the film is Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving. Weaving is no stranger to the geek community thanks to many iconic roles, so his presence here is more than welcomed. Without giving too much away, the fate of Red Skull at the end is up in the air. Some think we will never see him again, and others wonder where he will pop up next in the MCU. I really liked Weaving's portrayal, so I hope we get to see him in at least one more film. But if he isn't showing up again, then I'm happy what we had with him in this film. So much of his appearance (his REAL appearance) is kept a secret and not revealed until much later. When we finally see him, it had to be an amazing sight for comic book fans. It's easy to have an actor play a character well, but to actually look like something off the pages of a comic book. My hat's off to the effects department for making Red Skull a reality.

Like a lot of the films in the MCU, this one has a great supporting cast of characters, starting with Col. Phillips, played by Tommy Lee Jones. Jones is one of those well-respected actors that may not blend into his surroundings the best, but you still love seeing him involved in a project like this and he gets many chances to deliver funny one-liners. Hayley Atwell plays Agent Carter, a character so popular she has her own spin-off show. She's definitely a more rounded character, rather than just being a love interest. Steve's best friend Sgt. James "Bucky" Barnes is a loyal and compassionate friend and you can instantly see the friendship Steve and Bucky have with each other. Dominic Cooper plays brilliant inventor Howard Stark, the father of Tony Stark. It's fun to see a character related to another Avenger featured in this film, as it really starts to fill in the gaps. But my favorite supporting character is Dr. Abraham Irskine, played by Stanley Tucci. Tucci is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern character actors. He gives his all in his performances and it really shows here. He plays a man who is both hilarious and brilliant, and is the first person to really see Steve's loyalty and courage. He believes that Steve can be a hero, and it's a very heartwarming bond they have before the procedure to turn Steve into Captain America.

Believe it or not, there is a large percentage of people who really don't like this film, but I do. The film did a great job of adding in a handful of Easter eggs to tie it with the MCU, while also allowing it to tell a cohesive narrative and origins story of one of the most important superheroes in the history of Marvel. Each of the MCU films at this point had a different look and feel. For Iron Man, it was technology based. For The Incredible Hulk, it was more of a sci-fi film. For Thor, the film specialized in stunning visuals to create a world of mythology. And for Captain America: The First Avenger, the film is set in WWII to tell the story of a man from history. I really liked the historic look and atmosphere. Parts of it were cheesy because the times have changed so much, but when it needs to be serious, it treats it seriously. It's no Saving Private Ryan, but it's not supposed to be. It's about a superhero originating in World War II, so expect it to have serious and humorous moments like all the other films in the MCU.

But of course, it wouldn't be a MCU movie without a post-credits scene, so *SPOILERS*...

The final scene of Captain America: The First Avenger cuts to Rogers working out in a gym, still probably getting over being in present time, when Nick Fury walks in. He comes with a mission for Rogers to save the world. It then cuts to a teaser trailer for The Avengers. This may be the simplest post-credits scene so far, but it absolutely delivers in anticipation. After 5 movies of setting up this universe, we finally get the payoff we've been waiting for. A chance to see Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America together on the big screen. Once people saw this trailer, they knew that the countdown was on for May 2012...


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This was easily the best movie in the MCU since Iron Man and really set up a proper amount of tone and excitement for The Avengers. Captain America: The First Avenger tells a great origin story and maintains unique historic aesthetics with its World War II setting. As a standalone film, it's worth all comic book fans checking out at least once, and if you're getting ready for Age of Ultron, I strongly recommend giving this one a watch.

Captain America: The First Avenger and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- Thor

Thor (2011)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh


Plot Summary: In the realm of Asgard, King Odin prepares to step down from his throne and name his son Thor as the new ruler of the kingdom. The ceremony is interrupted when the Frost Giants of Jotunheim attempt to steal an ancient relic from Asgard. Seeking revenge, Thor gathers a group consisting of his brother Loki, his childhood friend Sif, and the Warriors Three: Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun to confront the Frost Giants. Odin disapproves of Thor's impulsive actions and his arrogance, and as a result, strips Thor of his godly powers and banishes him to Earth. Landing in New Mexico, Thor encounters a group of scientists who use him to help research the wormhole that brought Thor to Earth. In order to prove that he is the God of Thunder, Thor tries to pull his mighty hammer Mjölnir from the ground, but fails for he is no longer worthy to possess the hammer. Meanwhile, Odin falls into a deep sleep and Loki rises to power and assumes the throne. Using all his tricks and manipulation, Loki will go at any lengths to make sure Thor doesn't return home.


After realizing that a sequel may not be the best way to continue the MCU (at the time), Marvel put out 2 movies in 2011 to introduce two important characters into the universe. Let's look at the first film released that year, Thor. At this point, we've seen a universe that has followed a modern tone in the realms of technology and warfare (Iron Man), and a science fiction story about the metaphorical and literal monster within (The Incredible Hulk). So now, Marvel planned to lead to an ancient and mythical realm where Gods and the supernatural exist. Of the main heroes going into The Avengers, Thor may have been the toughest in concept to incorporate in the MCU, so how did they do? Well, the film focuses on two different worlds: the realm of Asgard and Earth. Guess which one the audiences actually didn't like seeing in the world of Thor.

Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor, the God of Thunder. I'm not going to go out of my way to say Hemsworth is an A+ actor, but when it comes to playing Thor, he gets the job done. Thor is supposed to be this larger than life character, a literal God for crying out loud. Now look at Hemsworth when he's in the costume. He definitely has that larger than life look about him. He's very charismatic and can play Thor in two different ways: stoic and courageous, as well as humorous and light-hearted. You don't have a problem following this guy for an entire movie either because he isn't as one dimensional as one may think. He screws up in the beginning and knows he needs to redeem himself. You also learn a lot about Thor through many of his lines and quirks. He values his home, his people, and his family. He is also a man of his word, making promises with those around him and living up to his word, so he is very loyal and trustworthy. Viewers may look at Thor in the very beginning and see the impulsive and arrogant man that he's played up to be, but throughout the film, we grow more fond of Thor as we see his better qualities on display.

The main antagonist for the film is Thor's brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. Nowadays, Hiddleston has become a pop culture phenomenon as Loki. Women find him attractive, men find him awesome, children find him funny...he's keeping the franchise more alive than Thor is. Hiddleston has such charisma while playing Loki, he makes him a villain that you love to hate. In fact, you don't really end up hating him that much. You just kind of love him. It's a phenomenon that's really hard to explain actually. I haven't seen this much positive response to a Marvel movie villain since Magneto in the X-Men movies (both versions of him). He's also given quite a bit of depth about his origins and motivations in this film. He's jealous of Thor and all the attention he receives from their father Odin. He may not be the strongest fighter, but he has all the skills and intelligence necessary for being a ruler and never gets the credit. He's a character I think the general moviegoer would be able to identify with, and that's why he's so popular.

In order to talk about the supporting characters, I think we need to talk about it by addressing characters by worlds first. When Thor is on Earth, he encounters Dr. Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. Let's be honest, all we see from her in this film is Natalie Portman. She's the obvious love interest for Thor. Then she has an intern Darcy, played by Kat Dennings. HOLY CRAP!!! There is no character in the MCU more annoying to me than Darcy. Every time she cracks a joke, I die inside as a comic book fan. The only voice of reason (for a while) on their team is the older mentor character Dr. Erik Selvig, played by Stellan Skarsgård. He's the only one who thinks Thor is crazy when he claims to be the God of Thunder, and is very protective of Jane like a father would for his daughter. It's actually pretty commendable. We also have great supporting characters on Asgard, including Thor's loyal friends Sif and the Warriors Three (Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun), played by Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, Joshua Dallas, and Tadanobu Asano respectively. They're fun loving characters who are also the right friends to have by your side in combat. The watcher of Asgard, Heimdall, is played by Idris Elba. Elba is quickly rising through the ranks of one of the best actors out there today and he adds a lot of commanding presence for playing a supporting role. But the best supporting role has to be Anthony Hopkins as Odin. Having different relationships with Thor and Loki, Odin is a very crucial part of the story. Hopkins does a great job at portraying these relationships, while also making Odin look like a BA even in his old age.

Thor is a very polarizing film with comic book fans. Some really liked the film, and some really hated it. So let's look at what works first. The look of Asgard is absolutely incredible. Director Kenneth Branagh really has a solid taste for creating beautiful environments on screen and he really brought in the right aesthetics to create a mood to get viewers excited. Then, we get to what didn't work about the film: Thor getting sent to Earth. We're introduced to this breathtaking mythical world and introduced to these larger than life characters, but then within the first 20 minutes they put Thor in our modern world. The film then takes on cheap jokes that are heavily dated and all summarized the same recurring gag for an hour: that Thor is out of his element. If we are talking in terms of visual elements and plot points, it's the epitome of changing from a Hollywood epic to a Saturday morning cartoon. It's not to say the cartoon is a bad film, but it's the contrast and shift in styles that makes it feel so out of place. Fans probably would've liked an introduction to Thor that would have kept him (and the viewers) in Asgard. Since that is NOT what they got, they were disappointed with the end results. So if there was ever advice to give Marvel Studios for creating a sequel to Thor, I think they should follow three simple steps: 1. Don't have Thor spend more time in Earth than Asgard. 2. Don't take away his powers. 3. Give us more of Sif and the Warriors Three and less Darcy. If they can follow those three steps, I think fans may get the Thor movie they've anticipated.

And now it's time to announce *SPOILERS* in order to review the post-credits scene...

So the film comes to an official end with Dr. Selvig entering a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility and meets Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Fury opens a briefcase unveiling a mysterious cubed object. When he asks Selvig to study it, it cuts to a reflection to reveal that Loki is STILL ALIVE!!!! He then takes control of Selvig as the film cuts to black. So here, we have a tease at who the villain will be in The Avengers. This scene was also directed by Joss Whedon, so we also had a taste of what Whedon might bring to the big screen with The Avengers. And there was also the introduction of a mysterious blue cube that is sure to have tons of power that would actually be developed a little more as we head into the final movie before The Avengers...


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This film gets a slight boost in points from me for introducing Thor and Loki (and Hawkeye) to the MCU. However, Thor had a lot of appeal with how Asgard looked, but lost a lot of its audience once it decided to keep Thor on Earth. Setting up a lot of events for The Avengers, the film may only be worth watching once if you're doing an MCU marathon, but as a standalone film, you could probably pass this one up.

Thor and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 (2010)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Don Cheadle
Directed by: Jon Favreau


Plot Summary: After revealing to the world that he is Iron Man, Tony Stark has become a superstar and icon for promoting world peace. Promising the government that enemy forces are decades away from re-creating his technology, Tony is treated like a god for his contributions to technology. However, not all is well with Tony, as he finds that the palladium cores that are fueling his arc reactor is slowly poisoning him. On top of that, Ivan Vanko, a brilliant Russian physicist whose father worked with Tony's father, has built his own unique suit powered by an arc reactor. Teaming up with Stark's business rival Justin Hammer, Vanko vows to make "god" bleed, thus causing people to stop believing in Tony Stark.


Nowadays, we have had so many successful movies in the MCU that people are waiting for a movie to come along that falls flat. People were expecting it with Guardians of the Galaxy, people are expecting it for Ant-Man, and the biggest question is "Why?" For the last 7 years, Marvel Studios has brought forward great movies with their own plots, while also being able to expand the universe for a much bigger picture. Now normally, Marvel knows not to focus too much on the latter in fear of sacrificing the plot and characters of the movie, but there was one time where Marvel went TOO FAR. They made a movie that is so universally despised by fans of the MCU that they instantly learned how to NOT make a movie in their universe. I am of course referring to Iron Man 2. At one time, this movie was very highly anticipated by moviegoers. I know personally that I was psyched for it to come out, but then when it was released it left a very bitter taste in the mouths of the fans. So what was it about this anticipated blockbuster that bomb so hard with viewers?

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark. One of the biggest complaints I have about this movie is the handling of Stark's character. After all that development from the first movie, it seems as though he's reverted back to square one. He's always constantly having to learn from his mistakes, and is once again back to his impulsive ways. And the worst part about it is the explanation. The best reason the movie has for his behavior is that he is in fear of him dying. WHAT?!?!? Why would he react that way just because he thinks he's dying?!?!? Why would he shut everyone out?!?!? I know some people are prone to doing that in life and death situations, but for Stark it just comes out of nowhere. The relationship with him and Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, continues in the smallest sense of the phrase. It's mindless banter for the sake of humor, and it doesn't really go anywhere. And the complaints have only just begun...

Iron Man 2 also has the introduction of two new superheroes. Technically one and a half, because the character of Lt. Colonel James Rhodes returns, this time played by Don Cheadle. Cheadle is definitely a better actor than Terrence Howard, but I'd say Howard fills out the War Machine costume a little better. It's hard to explain, but I never actually believed Cheadle would put on that suit to fight crime. The other hero introduced is Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson. Romanoff goes by the codename Black Widow, and at least adds some excitement when she gets to fight. Other than that, she's just a tease of what's to come in The Avengers. She wasn't bad, I'll give her that, but I'll also say that she wasn't 100% necessary to be in this film either.

We get two new villains in this film, starting with Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke. Rourke was fresh off the success of The Wrestler, so moviegoers were waiting to see him absolutely deliver here and give a memorable performance. That is NOT what we got. I don't think there is a single villain in the MCU that people could have cared about less than Vanko. He's just a Russian accent who can build technology. No other backstory. No motivations we actually care about. He's just there to fill the role of villain. The other villain is Stark's business rival Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is another good actor who isn't given much to do. He's got the right amount of arrogance for the part, but also knows when to play him as a cowardly weasel. I just wish he would tone it down a bit in his delivery, because he goes over the top WAY TOO MUCH. Just listening to the scenes between Vanko and Hammer are enough to annoy any viewer.

The biggest question for Iron Man 2 is "What went wrong?" The best answer is simple: they thought they could get away with spending more time building towards The Avengers than actually trying to continue the story set in Iron Man. There's certainly an idea or two here that work, but the filmmakers were thinking way too big for this project. If they wanted to introduce Black Widow, or continue the stuff with Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, then they could've and probably should've made a movie about S.H.I.E.L.D. If they wanted to emphasize that Tony was in danger of dying and having it tie into his alcoholism, then they should've made it more serious and showed WHY he was so concerned. And for goodness sake, if you have an idea to make Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke your villains...DON'T WASTE THEIR TALENTS! I'm glad Marvel has learned from their mistakes on how to do their movies now, but fans still aren't convinced. It's because of Iron Man 2 that they are still waiting for the day that they screw things up for the MCU again, and with tons of new characters being introduced in standalone films coming in Phase 3, they will be watching intently to pick apart the one movie that didn't get it right.

If you were actually strong enough to make it to the end of the movie, here's my thoughts on the post-credits scene, full of *SPOILERS* for your enjoyment...

We cut to Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, arriving in New Mexico on a special assignment from S.H.I.E.L.D. We cut to a big crater in the ground and at the center of the crater is a closeup of Mjölnir, the hammer of THOR! It's another short and effective Easter egg that sets up what's coming down the road for Marvel. Add a scene earlier in the film involving Stark, Coulson, and Captain America's shield, and you had the revelation that TWO of the Avengers' biggest players were on their way to the big screen. Once again we see that in this film the most memorable parts are the plugs for the future projects. Can we just forget this movie exists? Or at lest refuse to call it a movie? I hereby announce that to me, Iron Man 2 is a 2 hour trailer for Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers.


Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

This movie is just a big disappoint. Rather than continuing the story to benefit the character of Tony Stark, Iron Man 2 just becomes a 2 hour advertisement for The Avengers. Granted this is the film that introduced Black Widow to the MCU, but that doesn't save this movie from being completely underwhelming. As a standalone movie, a movie in the Iron Man franchise, and a movie in the MCU, feel free to skip this movie entirely.

Iron Man 2 and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth
Directed by: Louis Leterrier


Plot Summary: Dr. Bruce Banner is a scientist hiding out in Brazil after an experiment at Culver University goes wrong. The experiment caused high exposure to gamma radiation for Banner, and as a result, needs to keep his heart rate below 200. If he loses control, he becomes a large green monster that causes destruction wherever he goes. While in Brazil, Banner is looking for a cure for his condition, as well as finding new methods to channel his anger and keep his heart from accelerating passed 200. One mistake alerts the U.S. Government of his whereabouts, and Banner finds himself on the run, eventually heading back to the United States in a last ditch effort to rid himself of this hulking monster living inside him.


With the success of Iron Man, fans flocked to the theaters to see the next Marvel film The Incredible Hulk only one month later. With a big name actor like Edward Norton playing Bruce Banner, audiences were sure that this film would be the next big success that Marvel needed. While the film proved to be a success at the time, fans have grown to forget this one over the years. Why? Well, there are a few factors that make it stand out as a black sheep in the MCU. For starters, Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo because Norton didn't want to be tied down to playing a character in a franchise. Secondly, after Ruffalo nabbed the role, Kevin Feige at Marvel announced that there were no new plans to make any more Hulk movies at that time (fast forward all the way to the year 2020 and there are STILL no plans for a follow up film). So with the recasting of the main character and the cancellation of continuing the franchise, it's easy to see why many would look passed it when watching the MCU. But there are still loads of factors that make this a movie that shouldn't be so quickly overlooked.

Edward Norton stars as Dr. Bruce Banner. It's very rare to see a performance where Edward Norton isn't trying, so I can't say he does a bad job here. He's very frantic when he's on the run, but also knows he needs to be calm and so you've got this element of controlled chaos while he's playing Banner. Now the big question is whether or not he would have worked in the cast of The Avengers had he actually signed on for multiple movies. My answer is an emphatic "No." It's been said in the past that Norton can be a pain to work with, and a lot of the success when crafting a legendary team of superheroes like the Avengers is making sure the actors in the film have that chemistry in order to work together. If there is tension on the set, then it may translate out in the final product. Something tells me that there would be some friction between Norton and Robert Downey Jr. (or some of the other cast members) and in the name of making sure your cast gets along, I have no problem with the decision to recast Banner.

One problem I have with the film is that two of its major supporting characters feel completely replaceable by different actors. Liv Tyler plays Banner's love interest Betty Ross, and William Hurt plays her father Gen. Thunderbolt Ross. Tyler and Hurt do an ok job with what their performances, but I think the characters are more complex and interesting than the actual actors that are playing them. The one side character that really stood out was the main antagonist for Banner, Major Emil Blonsky, played by Tim Roth. As a fan of Quentin Tarantino movies, I really love Tim Roth, so seeing him here was awesome. And his character was really interesting too, a marine with a vast knowledge of physicality and a natural competitive urge to be the best. When he first encounters the Hulk, he becomes incensed with the idea of being better than him. He's like a guy who lives by the motto "grab the bull by the horns," but instead of a bull, it's a giant green behemoth in purple shorts.

For most comic book fans, the big highlight of the film is the final battle pitting Banner as the Hulk against Blonsky who has transformed into Abomination. There's not much else to say about it other than if you wanted to see two giant green monsters battle each other in Harlem, then this is the film for you. Also, when Banner is the Hulk, he's voiced by Lou Ferigno (which is an awesome nod to the classic Incredible Hulk television show), and if you wanted to hear him yell "Hulk Smash," believe me when I say you won't be disappointed.

I mentioned in my intro some of the technical aspects of why The Incredible Hulk is the black sheep of the MCU, but there is an actual issue I have with the film (although it's minor) that actually makes it stand out from the other movies. With most of the films in the MCU, they have a solid blend of action with comedy, but with this film it's a bit too dramatic. When I say that, I'd say this film even ranges on overdramatic. It's a movie about a man who gets angry and becomes a gigantic green monster destroying everything in its path. While that can be a dramatic (and even horrific) movie plot, it's also based on a comic book and in the same universe as a humorous superhero like Iron Man. Again, it's a minor gripe, but the film's overall tone does cause it to feel a bit off in comparison. I'd be all for a future Hulk film though, especially with Ruffalo leading the cast (but we'll get to him later...), since I believe Ruffalo would be a bit more light-hearted in his portrayal of Banner.

It's time to talk *SPOILERS* as we look at the next post credits scene...

Remember how I said Iron Man got people talking about the possibility of an Avengers film? Well, ONE MONTH LATER, The Incredible Hulk leaves us on this cliffhanger: Thunderbolt Ross is in a bar getting drunk, when the doors open to reveal TONY STARK entering the bar. He approaches Ross and informs him of a team that is being put together (Or should I say "assembling?"). It's a very simple but effective scene that assured moviegoers that Iron Man and Hulk exist in the same movie universe. Once you open that can of worms, any future announcement from Marvel about a movie will lead to speculation on how it will now be tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which has been the case now ever since 2008). Not to mention the other tie in of the government using Captain America's Super Soldier Serum to create Abomination. The dots were slowly connecting towards a much bigger picture that still needed a few more essential elements...but before we get to that, we must talk about the movie fans of the MCU would like to forget ever happened...


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Incredible Hulk was a very good Marvel film when it first came out, but with a lack of expansion with sequels and the recasting of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, this one has been forgotten over the years. Still, it's a well-acted and executed film, so it may be worth seeing just one time to see how Hulk would do in a standalone film. However, if you're picking MCU movies to watch to get ready for Age of Ultron, this is one you could probably skip.

The Incredible Hulk and movie images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures

Marvel Mania: MCU Phase 1- Iron Man

Iron Man (2008)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard
Directed by: Jon Favreau


Plot Summary: Billionaire and weapon's manufacturer Tony Stark is captured and imprisoned by the terrorist group the Ten Rings. During the attack, Tony is injured by one of his own grenades, which sends shrapnel into his chest near his heart. Tony is hooked up to an electromagnet powered by a car battery in order to keep him alive. The Ten Rings have kidnapped Stark in order for him to build him his patented Jericho missile, which he agrees to for the sake of not being killed. However, Stark has very different plans in mind. After assembling an arc reactor to replace the electromagnet and power his actual creation, a suit of armor to help them escape. Once Tony has made it back to the United States, he announces in a press conference that he will be shutting down the weapons manufacturing department at Stark Industries. Realizing that there is still evil in the world that needs to be stopped, he assembles a more advanced version of his suit of armor and plans to fight crime as Iron Man.


Ok...so a lot of you are probably wondering what the heck this is. For almost 2 years now I have had a very strict regimen on reviewing films from the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list. While it feels good to maybe inform the casual moviegoer about films they may normally watch, I get approached all the time about my thoughts on commercially successful blockbuster films, such as a movie franchise. When it comes to being a movie critic, you can't just look at the critically acclaimed movies. You also need to accept what else is out there and share your thoughts on that. So, I will now start to shake things up and offer other movie reviews in addition to my usual 1001 Movies series. Now that we have that out of the way, MARVEL! I am a HUGE fan of superhero movies, and no company has become a bigger juggernaut in superhero entertainment than Marvel Studios and their films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This summer we have 2 more movies being added to round out Phase 2 (Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man) of the Universe, so let's take some time this month to observe all the other movies in Phase 1 and Phase 2 that we have so far. Iron Man was the film that kickstarted the MCU, and I'll just say it was a VERY good way to start this franchise off with a bang.

Unless you've lived under a rock for 7 years, everyone knows that Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark. When people talk about ideal castings in comic book movies, Downey Jr. has been one of the names that has popped up the most. It's very rare to find someone who doesn't enjoy his wit and charisma when playing Tony Stark, the two personalities have since become one and the same. The personality Downey Jr. has perfectly fits the tone of what director Jon Favreau wanted for Tony Stark, and it is through his performance that the film succeeds. Had he been a terrible Iron Man, we wouldn't be anticipating a second Avengers movie. We have seen to this date Downey Jr. make 5 different appearances as Stark (6 counting Age of Ultron), so there is obviously a demand from the fans to see him. Just watch for yourself and see why. His actions are so obnoxious, but his charisma makes you still fall in love with his character. He also undergoes deep changes in his character throughout the film that any viewer could admire, since it feels like something that would really happen to anyone after undergoing something as traumatic as Stark did.

After Tony has made his decision to develop the Iron Man suit, he has two allies who then become "obstacles" that challenge his decisions. The first is his business partner Obadiah Stane, played by Jeff Bridges. Bridges is one of the first well-established actors to be brought into the MCU to play a strong supporting role and he does a fine job in playing a foil to Stark. He's older and has a stronger business savvy that greatly counters Stark's brash and impulsive personality. The other person is Tony's best friend Lt. Colonel James Rhodes, played by Terrence Howard. Even though he didn't make it to the other Iron Man films, I really like how Howard played Rhodes. I'll get into that more when I review Rhodes's roles in the sequels, but trust me when I said I believed Howard would've made a better War Machine, as that was teased near the end of the film it would appear "next time, baby." Howard definitely was no nonsense when it came to Stark's antics, but also knew when to give him credit for his brilliance. He was tough and heroic, yet also had humor when being roped into Stark's decisions.

Tony receives some help in his quest to fight for justice as Iron Man, starting with his personal assistant Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. She assists Tony more as himself than when he is Iron Man, always trying to prove that he doesn't need the suit to be someone special. She's obviously a teased love interest, but she also isn't a complete damsel in distress. There are scenes where she ends up having to bail him out of trouble, and even times where her words put Tony in his place. Tony's other assistant is his personal AI named J.A.R.V.I.S., voiced by Paul Bettany. He is one of the smartest computer programs you will ever see on film, and he also has enough personality to draw quite a bit of one-liners at Tony's expense. Both these characters play larger roles throughout the Universe, but as far as introductions go, they are done well in painting important characters within Tony's world.

Iron Man really showed how much fun comic book movies could be, while also being well-made. While The Dark Knight was amazing film that came out during the same summer, it had a grittier, darker tone that prevented it from being a film that is more marketed towards general audiences. This film is definitely no kid's movie though, with its violent war-inspired themes, and the playboy antics of Stark, it is certainly geared for teens and adults while still having enough flashy colors and brighter imagery to entertain the entire family. And it is still considered a great adaptation of bringing a superhero to the big screen. If you were to look at it as a standalone movie, it would still hold up immensely. However, since it was a big success, it launched some HUGE plans into motion with the help of a now infamous post credits scene.

I'm just gonna put the word *SPOILERS* over this next paragraph...

One of the trademarks of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which has also transitioned over to the X-Men and Spider-Man movies) has been the inclusion of a post-credits scene to get us ready for the next film. In Iron Man, we had no idea about the universe that was being created before our eyes. So the scene is as follows: Tony Stark enters his home in the dark to hear an intruder speaking to him, telling him he's not the only superhero in the world and that he's become a part of a bigger universe. He steps into the light revealing that he is Nick Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D. and he's played by Samuel L. Jackson. He's there to talk to Tony about the Avenger Initiative...and it cuts to black. OH MY GOODNESS! I didn't watch this movie in theaters (I waited for it to come out on DVD and only came across this end credits scene because I was too lazy to stop the movie after the credits), and I'm sure not many stayed until the end credits to see this gem. Boy how times have changed. Nowadays, moviegoers wait at the end of EVERY movie to make sure it's fully finished before going home. With this one scene, the fate of Marvel as a movie studio changed forever. It teased one of the biggest things imaginable: Could the Avengers really come to the big screen...? And then it got people thinking...Isn't there an Incredible Hulk movie coming out later this summer...?


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

7 years later and look how far Marvel has come from this ONE movie. Iron Man is full of great action, witty dialogue, and introduced the world to the Robert Downey Jr. we know and love today. If you love comic book movies, then this one definitely needs to be a part of your collection.

Iron Man and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures