MCU Rewind #6 - The Avengers - Review

MCU Rewind #6 - The Avengers - Review

Release date (US): May 4th, 2012

Directed By: Joss Whedon

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Tom Hiddleston, Gweneth Paltrow

MCU REWIND REVIEW EXPLANATION: In these reviews, I will be going back to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films that have been released to date, reviewing each one in a retrospective manner. Expectations and background will detail how I felt about the film before the repeat viewing. This review will contain spoilers for these movies. You have been warned. 

Previous Rating: 9.0/10

Expectations/Background: Fun fact - this was the first MCU movie I ever saw. This was the first MCU movie I saw in theaters and this was the first MCU movie that I bought on DVD. This was the movie that began my love of the MCU and the film that made me appreciate what a huge franchise this was. I remember watching the film and being absolutely blown away, but little did I know that this was the product of 5 other movies that had lead up to this. Throughout the years, I had watched this movie countless times as the MCU continued to grow, but I will admit that it had been awhile since I had last seen it. Of course I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea how good it was going to be as compared to the newer additions to the MCU. 

The Movie: I forgot how incredible this movie is. We take this for granted, how this movie kicked off the modern "cinematic universe" as we know it because of how long it's been, but this movie is truly spectacular. The way Joss Whedon was able to meld these dynamic, developed characters and match them against such a great villain was something that you wish you could see for the first time over and over again. 

Positives: There are so many wonderful things about this film. 

Let's start with the cast behind the characters that we have grown to love. Robert Downey Jr. again brings the same charisma that he had in the previous two Iron Man films. Chris Evans and Hemsworth as well as Johansson and Renner brought their respective characters back. But real kudos belong to Mark Ruffalo - Edward Norton was out at this point, and Marvel brought in relative unknown small-time actor Mark Ruffalo. And Ruffalo completely encapsulated and embraced this character of Bruce Banner, bringing a dry wit, sarcasm, and insecurity that we really hadn't seen in Hulk before that point.

Supporting players such as Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders also are great additions to the film. And what can we say about Clark Gregg - what a wonderfu character that we'll all be looking forward to seeing in Captain Marvel come 2019. 

Loki - we'll talk more about him later, but Loki is by far one of the most charismatic, cunning, and entertaining villains that Marvel has ever brought us. We knew we had something in Thor, but come Avengers, and even Dark World and especially in Ragnarok, we knew that we had a fan favorite. As it turned out, Loki would be a mainstay for years to come. 

What I find most impressive as well is how Joss Whedon handled the story. The story revolved around rounding up these volatile, impulsive characters together where they meet about halfway through. By the time they meet, Loki has been running amuck and you begin to unravel his plan - trying to tear the Avengers apart from within so he can set the stage for his invasion.

What Whedon and the writers do so well is set up motivations and characters so that they can set up the story in a way that works so seamlessly. It all comes to a head when Coulson falls to Loki and the Avengers, scattered, disassembled, and broken are forced to set aside their differences.

And then thee film really does pick up when they all converge at New York and the battle of New York begins.

And boy does.

The Battle of New York was one of the first, big action set pieces from the MCU. It was a glorious 20 minute ride where each character got their moment to shine and each hero got to showcase what they were made of.

And above all, this movie is fun. When you first watch this movie, you almost feel giddy, because every single frame has a few characters that are interacting for the first time or talking and bantering back and forth that you had never thought you'd see before.

Negatives: The first time I saw this movie, I thought that this movie was the golden standard - when I was younger I had thought that this movie was perfect.

However, now having seen some more movies in my time, I do see that there are some inherent flaws in the film, and they are a couple "nit-picky" pointers that most people have already pointed out.

First the Hawkeye character - while I think that he wasn't used in a bad way at all, there is a reason that he is the "least favorite Avenger". He wasn't given any dimension at all. Even Black Widow was given a scene with Loki where she was allowed to divulge into her character. But Barton? He wasn't really given anything.

The faceless army battle at the end was awesome to see at first, but simply because it's been used so much since this movie, it has become a little tired. That being said, this movie gets a little bit of a pass because it was one of the first films that had done so. 

And also Cap's costume - comic accurate, maybe, but not a fan. Not a fan. 

The Villain(s): What can I say? I love Loki. There's a reason that Loki is one of the best villains of the MCU. He drips charisma whenever he steps on screen, and you can see how unhinged, yet justified in his own actions he is. Truly one of the best modern comic book villains to date. And maybe he wasn't a physical match for the Avengers, but the way he manipulated the Avengers to do what he wanted was masterful. 

The Verdict: There's a reason that this movie is one of the hallmarks of comic book movies today - it started off what would become an era. I believe that regardless of how good the movie was, it would have been an achievement in its own right. But the fact that Joss Whedon pulled together these different movies and characters in such a seamless manner was truly brilliant, just like this film.  Letter Grade: A. Number Score: 9.3/10

Should I Skip?: If there was any movie that you shouldn't skip in the MCU it would be this movie. This is the one movie that if you were to skip the rest of the MCU movies, you would watch this one. 

TLDR: The Avengers, scattered across the world, are brought together by Nick Fury and SHIELD because of the arrival of Loki, who steals the Tesseract. Loki is captured by the Avengers on a Helicarrier, but tears them apart and escapes to Stark Tower with the Tesseract. He calls in an army of aliens known as the Chitauri, and the Avengers converge to defeat him. Thor takes Loki back to Asgard where they belong and the rest of the Avengers part ways for the time being. 

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

MCU Rewind #5 - Captain America: The First Avenger - Review

MCU Rewind #5 - Captain America: The First Avenger - Review

Release date (US): July 19th, 2011

Directed By: Joe Johnston

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Chris Evans, Haylay Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Jones, Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper

MCU REWIND REVIEW EXPLANATION: In these reviews, I will be going back to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films that have been released to date, reviewing each one in a retrospective manner. Expectations and background will detail how I felt about the film before the repeat viewing. This review will contain spoilers for these movies. You have been warned. 

Previous Rating: 8.1/10

Expectations/Background: Poor Cap 1. The forgotten child of the three. Everyone remembers Cap 2 and Cap 3 and the Russo Brothers because of the revolutionary storytelling and the way that they redefined Steve Rogers in the modern world. But seldom do people talk about Captain America: The First Avenger. I remember liking this film. I didn't remember how much, but I did remember liking it. However, I was curious why no one really talks about this film - going in, I wanted to see what this film had to offer me a second time around. 

The Movie: While yes, this may not be the best MCU film, and it is the worst out of the Captain America trilogy, make no mistake at all. This is a good movie. Not only that, but it's a fun movie with a heart and soul, and the heart and soul's name is Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. 

Positives: As you may have guessed, Chris Evans proves why he's perfect as Steve Rogers. The whole idea behind this character is that he doesn't just rely on his physique. Steve Rogers used to be like one of us; a scrawny, average, even weak kid who just wanted to do what was good, and in his time, that was serving in the army during WWII. Evans does an amazing job showing that while he does have the peak human body, that's not what fuels him. What fuels him is the desire to do good and serve his country, and that is truly commendable from his performance. 

Now, we have the benefit of knowing what happens in the rest of the MCU, so I'm going to cheat a little and say that one of the reasons we buy into Cap's motivations in the future films is because of the masterful chemistry between him and Haylay Atwell's Peggy Carter. Each Captain America film features her character - but not only is she there in person, but her spirit really influences Steve. People always talk about Pepper and Tony, but don't sleep on Peggy and Steve. While Pepper is more of an assistant and support for Tony, Agent Carter holds her own against Steve, often taking the lead.

Major kudos as well to Joe Johnston and the writers for the character development. There is only so much an actor can do, but given the right material, an actor can take a character and truly lift them up. The way that Steve Rogers' arc is written throughout the film makes you root for him all the way through as the scrappy kid from Brooklyn. 

I think, for the most part, the movie is paced great. There is one part that I don't quite enjoy and think is a little extraneous, but there are scenes that maybe don't seem like they fit in the film, but you realize that they are vital to build up the characters. And that's what I love. One of the reasons we care so much for Cap in the MCU as a whole is because of how well his character is developed. The filmmakers take the time to build up the characters and I love the movie for it.

The villain (more on him later) is also one of the better ones in the MCU Phase 1. I mean, he's not the best, but he's enjoyable to watch, especially in the larger sense.

And overall, what I love about the movie is that there is a strong, consistent storyline that is building towards something and has a goal. It doesn't put the characters into the background, but it also doesn't neglect the story. 

Negatives: There are a few gripes I have with this film. Overall, the film is good, and it is such an enjoyable watch because of how much you care about each character.

That being said, it does sacrifice some of the action beats for these. Now, of course, I would take a great story over good action any day because I believe that action is only there to support the story. But we've seen Cap 2 and 3 and we've seen how the action can be infused into the story seamlessly. While the action in the film isn't awful, it's not memorable at all.

The third act also devolves into a maniac with a glowing cube trying to fight down a buff man with a flag outfit. It does seem a little ridiculous. But you get over it really quickly because of the characters and the heart of the story.

Another minor gripe I have with the film is the look of Red Skull. I feel it's a problem when I think that his "real" red face looks more fake than his "fake" human face. Nothing detracting from Hugo Weaving, I just feel the red face seems very odd and was off-putting. Arnim Zola didn't really feel necessary either and seemed only to be set up for the future films. 

The Villain(s): No one really talks about Red Skull, but I think that's a major mistake. Hugo Weaving, one of the best actors in the industry, delivers on the character that he's given. Now granted, this isn't a great villain in the sense that he's subtle and motivated by past events a la Black Panther. But this is World War II, and if you consider the context of the character and how he is essentially a Hitler-like character, he does a great job. And like I said, Arnim Zola isn't really that important, but he's fine I suppose.

The Verdict: While I understand why many people don't talk about this movie when discussing all the favorite MCU films, this is quietly one of the most heart-felt, character-driven, fun films. Does it have the "best" anything (best performances, visuals, villain, action)? No, not really. But for what it's worth, this is a great introduction to a beloved character and a great first installment to an all time masterful trilogy.  Letter Grade: B. Number Score: 8.2/10

Should I Skip?: Don't skip this one - aside from how good the film is, it's very important in setting up two other great MCU films (Cap 2 and Cap 3). It also helps introduce one of the Infinity Stones (the Tesseract). Definitely give this one a watch. 

TLDR: Steve Rogers, born pre WWII, is a scrawny kid from Brooklyn who wants to serve his country. With the help of SHIELD run by Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, Steve receives a super soldier serum to enhance his physique. He goes on missions for the army but loses his best friend Bucky Barnes in one of the missions. He fights Red Skull, the leader of a rogue Nazi weapons division, who also possesses the Tesseract (an immensely powerful source of energy), and defeats him, before having to crash his plane into the water with him, his shield, and the Tesseract into the Arctic. He is cryogenically frozen for 70 years and wakes up in modern day where Nick Fury calls him in for the Avengers Initiative.  

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

MCU Rewind #4 - Thor - Review

MCU Rewind #4 - Thor - Review

Release date (US): May 2nd, 2011

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba

MCU REWIND REVIEW EXPLANATION: In these reviews, I will be going back to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films that have been released to date, reviewing each one in a retrospective manner. Expectations and background will detail how I felt about the film before the repeat viewing. This review will contain spoilers for these movies. You have been warned. 

Previous Rating: 4.3/10

Expectations/Background: As the minute rating for the film suggests, I HATED this movie. Before rewatching the film, I HATED this movie so much. This was by far my least favorite MCU movie. Don't ask me why, but when I last watched the film, I remember absolutely hating this movie with a passion. To be quite honest with you, I don't remember why. I just remember hating this movie with a passion. I went into the film expecting to continue hating this film. And what I got was...

The Movie: I mean I don't hate it anymore. But I certainly don't like it. I like it a little more, but make no mistake, this is still my least favorite MCU film. There are certainly good things about this film, for sure, but there are things that I did not are for in the slightest. 

Positives: First of all, I think that the storyline is fine. Great. After Iron Man 2, the MCU needed a movie that was cut-and-dry and had an arc. I think that the story isn't anything spectacular, but it had intrigue and it had good character development. And that was one of its strengths. 

The performances, for the most part, are fine. Nothing in particular stands out. Even Tom Hiddleston's Loki, whom we would grow to love, doesn't have the typical charisma that he has in future films - it's there for sure, but it's clear that Hiddleston wasn't given full reign with the character. 

What I do like about this movie is that its unique. This film has its own very distinct voice. While Iron Man was more of a "comic book" movie, and Incredible Hulk had no idea what it wanted to be (we don't talk about Iron Man 2), Thor is very distinctly different in tone. Thor director Kenneth Branagh wanted to make a Shakespearean kind of film focusing primarily on family drama between the main characters, and he achieved this much. He was able to take very comic-book-y characters and make them seem "real" in a fantastical sense. They were set in a medieval world and were allowed to play in those kinds of constraints.

I also did like how the characters were developed. Unlike other films in the MCU, this film took the time to develop Thor as a real human who was brash, bold, and arrogant, who learned humility. Perhaps these character traits were taken to extremes in some cases, but at least time was taken to develop these characters in the first place. 

But other than that...

Negatives: This film suffers from the things that plague the other Phase 1  MCU films - story and villains. While the tone of the film is very defined, this story is rather generic. Now, granted, Kenneth Branagh does manage to make take this rather generic romantic/drama and give it a little flair, adding some intrigue with Loki in particular as a Frost Giant. But when you really take a step back, the story is fairly bland.

Again, the villains (as will be touched upon later) are weak. Loki is not allowed to really develop. His motivations are very clear though, which is great, but he is not allowed to take the lead in a film that takes way too much time to focus on Thor and Jane (more on them later).

And for the record, I have no idea what the Destroyer was about. I think that the only reason the Destroyer was there was because Loki wasn't really a physical match for Thor (even though he was for the rest of the Avengers) and they wanted some muscle to go against Thor.

Thor and Jane - I'm conflicted. Sometimes you really can see that it works. There are a couple scenes where they did have some chemistry. But many, many of the scenes show exactly why Natalie Portman was one of the worst parts of the sequel and was cut out of the third movie altogether. And the unfortunate thing for this movie was that they relied too heavily on their romance in the film, which completely fell flat.

I mean, overall, this film is fine, and it's more unique than the other MCU films, but it suffers greatly from a forced romance, weak villain characterization (though the villain himself was not weak) and a rather weak storyline. 

The Villain(s): As mentioned before, Loki was not given enough time to be a full-fledged villain. His subtle manipulation and quiet cunning were so great to watch, but he wasn't on screen enough that by the time the third act comes, I was left wanting more (which we got later). And as stated earlier, I have no idea what the Destroyer was doing. 

The Verdict:  Now, on paper, I think Thor is a serviceable movie. There is nothing "wrong" with it, and by all means, it's not boring. Thanks to Kenneth Branagh, this movie has a unique imprint and it's relatively interesting to watch. That being said, from a personal standpoint, I do not like this movie at all. Just on a personal level, It think that this movie is contrived, it's ham-fisted, and it's hard to watch. Many of you may disagree, but from the beginning, I knew that this movie was not for me. Letter Grade: C. Number Score: 7.1/10

Should I Skip?: This one's up to you. Through the MCU binge, if your goal is streamline the MCU before Infinity War, I would say no. This movie does do a great job at setting up Asgard for future films, and it does set up Loki as the villain for The Avengers. Would it be detrimental if you skipped it? I don't think so, but I would recommend sitting through this one to better understand the MCU in the future. 

TLDR: Thor, son of Odin, is about to be crowned king, when the Frost Giants (an antagonistic race of beings opposed to Asgard and the throne) invade and take the Casket of Ancient Winters. Thor and his gangs stupidly invade Jotunheim (home of the Frost Giants) and Thor is banished to earth where he can no longer lift his hammer. Meanwhile Loki finds that he is the son of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, and is adopted by Odin. When he confronts Odin, Odin falls into a deep trane, and Loki takes the throne. Thor, meanwhile, meets Jane Foster and they fall in love. Thor can't lift his hammer, but Loki sends the Destroyer to Earth and "kills" Thor, but Thor proves himself worthy and returns to Asgard to confront Loki. Odin awakens, and Loki falls down into the abyss after Thor destroys the Rainbow Bridge (the Bifrost - this really doesn't have any affect on anything later in the MCU). Thor remains on Asgard while Loki meets Thanos somewhere in deep space before his invasion of Earth. 

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

MCU Rewind #3 - Iron Man 2 - Review

MCU Rewind #3 - Iron Man 2 - Review

Release Date: May 7th, 2010

Directed By: Jon Favreau

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gweneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansseon

MCU REWIND REVIEW EXPLANATION: In these reviews, I will be going back to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films that have been released to date, reviewing each one in a retrospective manner. Expectations and background will detail how I felt about the film before the repeat viewing. This review will contain spoilers for these movies. You have been warned. 

Previous Rating: 6.0/10

Expectations/Background: Again, like The Incredible Hulk, I didn't remember too much about this movie before rewatching it. I did go in with the thought that I was going to have a good time because of Robert Downey Jr. Let's be honest, Robert Downey Jr. can carry anything that he's in. But I knew that this film was widely hated by even MCU pundits, so I figured I wasn't going to like it that much, but I just didn't know how much.

The Movie: First of all - this film is NOT BORING!! Congratulations! That beings said, I can say with confidence - this is the worst QUALITY MCU film. No, this is not my least favorite MCU movie. Personal preference dictates that another film is my least favorite. But I can say that on a pure analytical level, from a narrative, storytelling standpoint, this is EASILY the worst MCU movie. Where The Incredible Hulk "shined" in terms of having a consistent storyline, this film has NO Idea what it wants to be.

Positives: Apologies for the continued comparisons to The Incredible Hulk, but I do feel there are comparisons to be made. These two films are both bad - but for completely different reasons. Hulk was bad because it was nothing memorable, but it was still consistent through and through. Iron Man 2 is bad because of the storyline and writing. THAT BEING SAID - the performances boost this film up. If it weren't the amazing performances and characters that this movie has, this film would sink to the bottom.

Robert Downey Jr. couldn't save this movie, but he darn well tried. This movie is his, and regardless of whether or not he should have, he owned the role as he always does. We see a different Tony Stark, dealing with different issues than he did in Iron Man, and Downey does what he can with a limited role. 

His chemistry with Pepper Potts (Gweneth Paltrow) is also off the charts, as per usual. They work very well off of each other and are the heart and soul of this movie. I will say that the visual effects from this film are impressive. It has one of the best Iron Man suit up sequences out of the entire MCU (Mark V, suitcase armor). Jon Favreau had the CGI down at this point, and that was incredibly impressive. 

Sam Rockwell was hilarious. Whether or not he was supposed to be (I don't think he was) is a different story. That's all I'm going to say about that. 

Negatives: There are so many things wrong with this movie.

What did it want to be? Did it want to be a story about the Arc Reactor poisoning? Was it about Tony's alcoholism? I mean I suppose they tried to correlate the two factors, but not in a good way, because you go from scenes of Tony dealing with his arc reactor to scenes of him peeing in his suit. I have no idea what this movie wanted to be. 

On top of that, they were hell-bent on introducing so many different elements. They tried introducing Nick Fury, Black Widow, as well as the Avengers, along with storylines about Tony's dad hating him or loving him ON TOP of the alcoholism and arc reactor problems.I have no idea what they were going for.

And this film has one of the WORST MCU villains to date (more on that later).

I mean, there aren't things you can list off that are really bad about this movie. But it all hinges on the story - every good movie does. And the fact that story falls apart at every single seam is disappointing and it causes the movie to crumble from the inside.

The Villain(s): Again, Justin Hammer (Rockwell) is absolutely hilarious. But Mickey Rourke. What movie was he in. What was he THINKING. "I want my bird." This movie was that close to being one of the worst films of the modern comic book movies, period, disregarding the MCU. They could have done so much better than Whiplash, who took the idea of a "C-level" villain to a whole different depth. 

The Verdict: Now again, I will maintain that this is not my least favorite MCU movie. Structurally, this film had no idea what it wanted to be. There was a scene with Tony Stark sitting in a donut it that tells you anything. But this film is so bad at certain points it's laughable and enjoyable. And there are enough scenes with Robert Downey Jr. that it makes it entertaining enough. This film is bad though. No getting around that. Letter Grade (Quality): D+. Number Score (Personal Feeling): 6.3/10

Should I Skip?: Yeah, probably. If you want a "laugh because it's bad" movie, I guess you could watch it, but it's not THAT bad. If you want to see Robert Downey Jr. be Robert Downey Jr., watch Iron Man 3 - an actual decent movie. 

TLDR: tony Stark's arc reactor is slowly poisoning him and killing him. Desperate for an alternative, he begins wasting his life away. A new threat, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, emerges, and just as Tony figures out an alternative to his arc reactor problem, Vanko builds an Iron Man suit, and he and Stark fight. Stark is aided by Colonel James Rhodes, who stole one of Tony's suits and had it upgraded to the War Machine armor. They defeat Vanko and al is well. Nick Fury and Black Widow join the fray, and Nick Fury mentions at the end that they will use Tony only as a consultant but not as Iron Man (which will have absolutely ZERO repercussions in the future). 

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

MCU Rewind #2 - The Incredible Hulk - Review

MCU Rewind #2 - The Incredible Hulk - Review

Release date (US): June 13th, 2008

Directed By: Louis Leterrier

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth

MCU REWIND REVIEW EXPLANATION: In these reviews, I will be going back to all the Marvel Cinematic Universe Films that have been released to date, reviewing each one in a retrospective manner. Expectations and background will detail how I felt about the film before the repeat viewing. This review will contain spoilers for these movies. You have been warned. 

Previous Rating: 7.0/10

Expectations/Background: Out of all the MCU films, I was looking forward to watching this film the east. Let me say that I remembered nearly nothing about the last time I saw it. I had no idea what this movie was about, and to be quite honest, I was kind of scared - was it just me? Maybe I had missed something. But regardless, I went into this film with as open of a mind as I could, and prepared myself to for what this film had to offer. 

The Movie: Now I remember exactly why I forgot about this film. This film is so utterly forgettable, boring, and bland. 3 things that you do NOT want your movie to be. Honestly, sometimes it's better for your film to be laughably bad (we'll get to you, Iron Man 2) because this film was BORING. 

Positives: Every good thing about Iron Man is something that this film does "okay" but nowhere near as great. Edward Norton is fine. He's watchable. Is he charismatic? No. Is he likable? Not... not particularly. But he's not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Liv Tyler's chemistry with him is fine. It's not bad, it's not good, it's fine. 

Technically, this film is alright, and it holds up. There is nothing that stands out, sure. Bt there's nothing really that stands out as bad either. It''s paint by the numbers, it's boring, it's bland, but there's nothing that I can point out about it as a GLARING weakness except for a couple things (more on them later). 

The conflict between Hulk and Banner was interesting, I will say, and I do think that they should have focused on it a lot more. I did like the idea of the heart rate/pule monitor as the signal of when Bruce was about to Hulk out. I also did like how they skipped the origin story in its entirety and just focuses on the present day.

Again what can I say. Nothing great... but nothing to write home about. 

Negatives: I can say much of the same for this section as I did for the last section. There are a few things that I would label as "bad". For example, the CGI. I understand that this film was made 10 years ago today, and that the effects of the Hulk have evolved for the better, but there are some shots in the film that are laughably bad. Hulk looks like a weird mix of green veins and abs, and it just looks so video-game-like. It bothered me a lot less than I remembered, but let me say that it did bother me quite a bit when Hulk was on screen.

Another thing that I don't remember hating as much as I did was Samuel Sterns AKA Leader. I have NO idea what he was doing in the movie, because his performance in the movie was OUT OF THIS WORLD AWFUL. Every single second he was onscreen I was reminded of characters like Jar Jar Binks. Seriously, what was he doing? 

There are some scenes from the villains (more on them later) that seemed very "comic book villainish" but again, this film was made many years ago so it gets kind of a pass (although the Dark Knight was released in the same year). 

And the final battle between the two behemoths was incredibly CGI heavy. Was it entertaining? I suppose so. It was actually much more violent than I last remember, but it wasn't "good" by any stretch of the imagination.

As I kept reiterating though and what I will continue to reiterate - this film is BORING. 

The Villain(s):  William Hurt plays the stereotypical "military officer with an agneda" He was fine. Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) was fine for what he was and to his credit, he wasn't the worst part of this movie. There are things that he says and he does that are questionable, but not particularly awful. The villains were fine, they were serviceable but they were BORING. 

The Verdict: I believe that many people give this film a bad rap - this film isn't awful by any stretch of the imagination. This is not the worst quality MCU movie, nor is it my least favorite (stay tuned for the next two). But again. This film is forgettable, boring, bland, and a whole lot of nothing. I would not recommend seeing this at all.  Letter Grade: C-. Number Score: 6.0/10

Should I Skip?: Yes - this film is not necessary AT ALL to see as long as you have a basic understanding of Hulk's origin story. 

TLDR: Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk through gamma ray experiments. He fights the Abomination who survives, and goes on the run, not to be seen again until The Avengers. 

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

Top Ten #9 - Top Ten Most Likely Avengers to Die in Infinity War

Top Ten #9 - Top Ten Most Likely Avengers to Die in Infinity War

With promises from Kevin Feige and Robert Downey Jr. of real stakes and perhaps some key deaths in the upcoming third Avengers film, we're here to predict who's most likely to fall at the hands of the Mad Titan come April 27th. 

10. Black Widow - Many make the argument that because Black Widow will have her own solo movie in the future, she is safe. However, I maintain that that movie will take place almost entirely in the past. I think that simply saying that she has her own movie coming up does not make her safe. I feel out of the Avengers running across the Wakandan field in the end of the first trailer, she is the one least likely to make it out of a huge battle of Outriders alive. I think that on paper, she is a sure lock to bite it - it just depends on what the writers want to do with her. 

9. War Machine - As much as I think that Widow is about to bite it, War Machine is an even better bet, if only slightly. I think that despite having an Iron Man suit, on paper he makes more sense to stay alive. However, as opposed to Widow (who, on paper is a lock to die but perhaps not narratively), Rhodes on paper is nearly indestructible - but it may make sense for him to die for the story. The one hesitation I have is that they almost killed him in the last one, and it may feel a little cheap if he bites the dust, but who knows. 

8. Iron Man - Out of the big three (Iron Man, Thor, Cap - Hulk is safe because of his arc in Avengers 4), I think Thor is also pretty safe being the king of Asgard moving forward. However, Tony I think is at considerable risk to bite the dust. Having carried the Avengers for the past 10 years, it would have one of the biggest emotional impacts throughout the movie. It would hit the hardest seeing on the fan-favorites fall, and at this point, I wouldn't put it past the Russos to do it. 

7. Pepper Potts - As much as I think Tony would die, I also think that Pepper is even more likely to die. The one hesitation I have about Pepper dying is that I don't know how they would fit that into such a crowded movie as it doesn't make much narrative sense. But again, it makes completely sense in the respect that it would fuel Tony throughout the film. If it were to happen, it would happen ver early on, pushing Tony throughout the rest of the film. 

6. Vision - Everyone's favorite pick to die, I would put a hold on those thoughts. I think that yes, on paper, he is a huge lock to die. After all, he has an Infinity Stone in his forehead. But this could be a giant red herring. I am under the thought that this is a huge misdirection and Shuri will help get it out of his head before the end of the film. He's on the list because again, on paper, it makes the most sense that he dies, but I wouldn't bet on it.

5. Drax - The Destroyer has already vanquished Ronan the Accuser with the help of the Guardians, but as stated at the end of the first Guardians films, "It's Thanos who I'm really after". I wouldn't put it past Drax at all to see him try to tackle Thanos one-on-one at some point in the film, only to be absolutely outmatched. 

4. Nebula - Nebula is another character whose motivations seem to warrant a death at the hands of her adoptive father. The rage that fuels her is completely centered around her hatred for her father, and I think that her rage may blind her at some point in the movie, which may be fatal for her. 

3. Wong - While many of you may not have thought of him to die, when you really do think about it, he's an obvious choice. Doctor Strange doesn't really need the character in the future, and it would be a fitting sacrifice if he dies in the beginning of the movie. 

2. Scarlet Witch - As much as I want to buy into the theory that Vision is going to die, I think what may be even more likely is that Scarlet Witch may fall trying to protect him. Losing one fo the most powerful, strong female characters would be a huge blow, but at the same time, it makes such narrative sense to have her die at some point trying to protect her love.

1. Captain America - The First Avenger might be the first of the big three to make his exit. Again, I don't know what's going on with the set photos in Avengers 4, but I am going to assume that they're flash backs or time travel of some sort because of the old costume. In this film? I think he's a lock to die. I think that the evidence all points to it, and I believe that as much as Tony's death would have an impact, Steve dying would be such a huge blow to fans around the world. 

Avengers: Infinity War - Trailer 2 Review

Avengers: Infinity War - Trailer 2 Review

The second and presumably final trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, the year's biggest film, has arrived. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: After that first trailer, I thought it wasn't possible to top it. I really didn't. However, after seeing this trailer, I think it topped the previous one. Somehow, some way. Because this trailer was magnificent.

I relate these two trailers for Captain America: Civil War. I thought the first trailer was out of the world amazing - and then they released the second trailer and I was absolutely blown away. 

This trailer had everything that I wanted - more focus on Thanos, more amazing shots of heroes we can't wait to see like Shuri, Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Star Lord. And there was more of an emphasis on the story, with shots of various heroes and voice overs explaining Thanos' motivation.

And did I mention all the various "poster" shots? Shots like the one above as well as this one: 

made me so incredibly happy. Just so happy. 

There is one TINY little thing that bothered me about the trailer, but it didn't even have to do with the content. There was this one odd musical edit that seemed kind of jarred that I notice every time I watch the trailer. It's when Thanos smashed the Tesseract and the music seems to build to something but it falls back, before rising again. But oh well.

This trailer is gold - this is how you do a trailer, and I CANNOT WAIT for this movie. April 27th can't come any sooner. 

Did it Raise Excitement? My excitement is already at peak so no. (But YES IT DID).

Trailer Rating: 9.99/10

Editorial #5- Why I Will No Longer Watch Anything Related to Infinity War

Editorial #5 - Why I Will No Longer Watch Anything Related to Infinity War

As many of you know, and I'm sure as many of you are anticipating, Avengers: Infinity War is hitting theater in about 3 and a half weeks. We have come this far, and the wait is almost over for what is promised to be the year's biggest film. 

And with the imminence of the film and the near arrival, comes another things: marketing. 

This editorial is not so much on the state of Infinity War itself; rather, it is a vessel for me to explain my thoughts on marketing campaigns and why I personally avoid them after a   certain point in time. 

If you were to turn on the TV and watch for an extended period of time, it is customary to see what are known as "TV Spots" for upcoming movies. These short, 30-second compilations of shots from new movies are there for one purpose, and one purpose alone: to entice the ordinary, everyday citizen to see the movie that they otherwise would not have gone out to see. 

However, as someone who considers themselves a movie pundit, fan, but most importantly, someone who was already going to see Infinity War, these shots of footage are completely extraneous for me. Because of the nature of marketing, however, studios do release anywhere from 10-30 of these before a movie's release.

Think about it - if you were a major studio, you would want three different demographics of people, two of which are nearly guaranteed. One such demographic is the hard-core fans - these are the people who will go out to see the film no matter what, and they have this audience. The second demographic are the borderline, casual moviegoing public. These groups of people, however, can be won over by the major trailers, and depending on how good the marketing is, as well as how the word of mouth is, these groups of people can be won over easily.

However, the third group of people are what the studios are concerned about. These are the people who are sitting on their couch watching Sunday Night Baseball who cannot be bothered to go out to the theater to see the latest "pew, pew, bam, bam, explosion, superhero lightsaber" movie. 

This is why they release TV Spots. And this is also why TV Spots usually have the most spoilers for a movie. Again, thinking logically, if you were a studio trying to entice an audience that would not care otherwise, the most ideal thing to do in this scenario is to put in shots that reveal a lot about the story to give the audience an idea of what's going on in the movie. Additionally, they will pack in shots so that the viewer can take in as much of the movie in a short amount of time to see whether or not they want to see the movie.

And here we come to the heart of the editorial - usually TV Spots contain major spoilers for films. In many cases, these TV Spots will sacrifice spoilers for upcoming films in order to grab various people who would find it intriguing. in film such as Infinity War or Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the studio will be careful not to reveal too much. However, they will still try to pack in shots not seen in the trailer.

As a major fan who wants to see the movie so badly, I want to go into the film fresh, and without anything that I know for sure. I am not the type of person who wants to go in without any speculation or theorizing - I think that's a really fun thing about being a fan, as long as you can leave them at the door when you walk into the theater. 

This is why after the major trailers, I refuse to watch anything related to Infinity War. If a TV Spot were to be aired on TV, I'm going to run to the other room to avoid viewing it. Because, as I said earlier, I would love to go into the film as fresh as possible. And while I completely understand the need for the TV Spots and clips being released to promote the movie, they're not for me. I know this - and I hope that if you are excited for the movie, you know to stay away as well. 

Avengers: Infinity War comes out on April 27th. 

John Boyega Gives New Information on Episode IX

John Boyega Gives New Information on Episode IX

With all the secrecy surrounding the upcoming Star Wars films, as well as the imminent release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, next to nothing is known about the final film in the new trilogy of the space saga. However, speaking at AwesomeCon through /Film, John Boyega dished some new details on his status as well as the tone of the film.

Boyega says:

"I haven't read the script for Episode IX. But Daisy did shoot me a text saying, 'Oh my gosh, I just heard from J.J. [Abrams], and we're back together.' That's what I'm really excited about. Is Finn and Rey back together."

Talking about the tone of the film, he adds:

"I think it's going to be all-out war in this final chapter, so we need to be prepared."

While Boyega is one of the biggest stars of the new franchise, it is worth noting that he did mention he had not read the script yet, so it remains to be seen how much of this is true and how much is his own speculation.

Star Wars Episode 9 will be directed by J.J. Abrams and will hit theaters in December of 2019. 

Weekend Box Office Report (March 30th - April 1st)

Weekend Box Office Report (March 30th - April 1st)

Disclaimer: Every Monday, I will post the top five movies that grossed the most money DOMESTICALLY (in the United States), with some brief thoughts about each film. 

1. Ready Player One ($41.21 Million): The Steven Spielberg blockbuster starring Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke came in at a solid number one in its opening weekend. With all the positive buzz however, it is slightly disappointing that Ready Player One only made about 41 million. It had the potential to go about 70-80 million, but regardless, it sits atop the number one spot.

2. Tyler Perry's Acrimony ($17.10 Million): I confess to not know enough about this movie, so I won't speak on the backstory or the content of the film. However, I can speak to the fact that I do think it's rather impressive with the relative low buzz that this film was able to take the number two spot. Again, I focus mainly on major productions, so perhaps had I researched this film a little more, I wouldn't be this surprised, but nonetheless, congratulations.

3. Black Panther ($11.26 Million): Again, continuing its historic box office run, Black Panther continues to dominate, remaining in the top 3. Reaching an unprecedented 1.2 billion dollars worldwide, it remains to be seen that it can hit 1.3 billion, and even beyond. However, with the releases of A Quiet Place, and Rampage on the horizon, Black Panther's reign could be at a close by the time Infinity War comes. 

4. I Can Only Imagine ($10.75 Million): Meanwhile, while other tentpole blockbusters like Pacific Rim: Uprising and Tomb Raider being buried (Tomb Raider came in at a disappointing 8th with a 53 percent drop), the Christian faith-based film is holding strong, still making over $10 million dollars continues to impress. Obviously, it is appealing to a completely different demographic than others, but the fact that the word of mouth is so positive is helping this film continue to create revenue, and as a Christian, I am all for that.

5.  Pacific Rim: Uprising ($9.21 Million): Now look, I understand that the first film didn't make that much money, but regardless, this is a"tentpole" blockbuster. And the fact that it is about to get forgotten and buried, especially considering the amount of money that it spent on the marketing campaign. I will be shocked if this film can even remotely break even.