My review of Marvel films that led up to the Avengers

My review of Marvel films that led up to the Avengers 

Intro: Am I the only one who thinks this movie is overrated? (Everyone is pointing their guns at me.) 

I was just asking.  

Iron Man: This movie is centered on Tony Stark/Iron Man, who runs a company that manufactures weapons. After presenting his latest weapon, he goes through an ordeal that helps him see the downside of the type of business he's running. Because of that, Tony wants to take his company in a different direction; that becomes difficult when he is being undermined. So he has to overcome that the best he can. 

Basically, this movie is a redemption story. Tony is rebuilding himself both publicly and privately. Just like Batman Begins, this film focuses more on the Protagonist than the alter ego. Unlike Batman Begins, this movie made Tony become Iron Man fun; we enjoy watching Tony figure out what he wants his Iron Man suit to do. The story may be simple, but you don't mind it because of how engaging the main character is. I notice two Easter eggs for Iron Man fans. This movie can work as a social commentary on our destructive nature and seeing both sides of the argument. 

I was surprised that people liked Tony Stark/Iron Man for three reasons. First of all, he makes weapons for the Government, enough said. Second, he’s wealthy; how can we relate to someone rich? Third, he’s arrogant and self-centered. Those are annoying character traits to have; despite that, Tony is entertaining and has a heart. Also, the writers use his character traits for some of the humor in the movie. What bugs me about Tony is that he has such a big personality that he overshadows everything else in the movie.   

Pepper Potts is Tony's assistant, who can be sarcastic in her own right. You can tell that she and Tony have known each other for a long time. The movie would have played out differently if it wasn't for her. 

Rhodey Rhodes is Tony's best friend, and he doesn't do much in the movie besides cover for Tony. 

Obadiah Stane (Tony's business partner) is wasted; the movie could have used him more often. That's a shame because I appreciate what little the writers have done with him.   

One of the problems I have with this movie is the subplot involving an agency, but that went nowhere. The story could have been better if the creators had expanded on it the way the tie-in video game did. The biggest issue with this movie is the villain, because there are other ways for the villain to achieve his or her goal. Plus, the baddies dialogue is ridiculous towards the end of the movie, and I wish the fight would last longer. Also, there are other ways Tony could do damage control. 

Overall, this is an entertaining movie that left more to be desired, but I would recommend.   

Rating = Worth seeing 

The Incredible Hulk: Bruce Banner/Hulk is trying to find a cure for his condition. Meanwhile, an army led by General Thunderbolt Ross is chasing him because General Ross wants to turn the Hulk into a weapon. So, Bruce has to avoid the army and cure himself of the Hulk. 

This movie is what people expect the 2003 Hulk movie to be, and that's a popcorn flick. The movie has some references to the 1978 Hulk show and has some of the elements from Ang Lee’s Hulk film. The theme of this movie is control. I enjoy the fight towards the end. I'm fond that the movie is connected to another Marvel character. I like how this movie sets up a possible sequel. 

   
I like Bruce Banner/the Hulk because he's proactive in trying to fix his circumstances and make the best of his situation. Anger is not the only thing that can turn him into the Hulk, which makes it harder for him to control the Hulk.   

Betty Ross is useless in this movie. 

Gen. Ross is heartless. He's so obsessed with the Hulk that he doesn't see Bruce as a person or consider how chasing after him affects his daughter. Father of the year, people.

Emil Blousky (the main villain) is a veteran soldier who is bloodthirsty. I say that because he's always looking for a fight. I wish we had learned more about him.   

There is a deleted scene that I wish was in the movie. However, I understand why it was removed because it would ruin the tone of the film. Beyond that, the only problem I have with the movie involves plot holes. The bottom line is this is a solid movie. I would recommend this if you like monster movies because this movie reminds me of the first Godzilla movie. 

Rating = Average 


Intro: Marvel Studios, did you learn anything from Spider-Man 3? 

Iron Man 2: The movie takes place 6 months after the first Iron Man film, and Political leaders want Tony to give up the Iron Man suit. Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko/Whiplash wants revenge on Tony Stark for unknown reasons. So Tony has to protect his suits, stop Ivan, and fix his dilemma.  

If I have a list of the worst sequels I have seen so far, this would be one of them. This movie was more of a comedy than an action/adventure film. It has the same problems as Spider-Man 3, like too many subplots, characters, dumb decisions, and trying to be about the word legacy just by having the characters say it a few times. What really bothers me about this movie is that the director brings a character halfway through the movie without telling us anything about this person. What made the director think that this was a good way to introduce a new character? You might as well watch a foreign language film with no subtitles because that's what this is like. Another thing, if you need this movie to promote another movie, that's not a good sign. Plus, the last act was a video game, and the film got away with using the F word twice. For those of you who don't know, you can only use that word once in a PG-13 movie ( If I'm wrong about that, then I stand corrected.)  

Tony Stark/Iron Man is more of a clown in this movie. I say that because he doesn't take anything seriously for the most part. What bugs me about him is that the writers wasted his subplot.  

Ivan Vanko (one of the baddies) is an idiot! I mean, the reason why he's after Tony makes no sense. Also, he doesn't feel like the main villain. 

Justin Hammer is Tony's business rival, and he tries to mimic his Playboy persona, but he comes off as goofy. 

I wish I could say that the one good thing about this movie (besides the CGI) is Scarlett Johnson; however, that's another issue I have with the movie. There is a scene that reinforces how attractive this actress is. We get it! She's gorgeous, a lot of guys want to bang her, I mean, play bingo with her. At the end of the day, this movie is awful; half of this movie is a rough draft, and the other half is setting up the Avengers movie. This film was one of the many reasons why I didn’t want to give The Avengers movie a chance at first. This movie could have been better if it didn't have too many characters, Focus on Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, and focus on Tony Stark/Iron Man's situation. 

P.S. If you want to know who the mysterious character is, you have to watch the Iron Man DVD after the ending credits. I'm not kidding about that. 

Rating = Trash      

Thor: This movie is about Thor, the GOD of Thunder, who is about to become the new King of Asgard, until someone breaks into Asgard. Thor's response by retaliating against the invader's homeland, that move cost him his powers, to be exiled from Asgard and start a war. So Thor has to figure out how to get his powers back and return to Asgard before things get out of hand.  

This movie was a better coming-of-age story than The Lion King. I say that because this movie handles certain aspects of that movie better. This movie looks beautiful; it did a good job capturing the late Jack Kirby's design of Asgard. The movie creates a social commentary on family dynamics. The comedy helps balance the drama in the movie. There's also world-building in this movie; however, it's done in a way that doesn't distract me from the movie.   

Thor is like Tony/Iron Man as far as being arrogant; however, he can be charming. I'm not crazy that this movie uses him as a punching bag for some of the comedy in the movie. 

Odin (Thor and Loki's father) is a wise sage kind of he does some questionable things that play a role in the events in this film. Also, he's not in most of the movie. 

Loki ( Thor's brother) is level-headed. Despite having an inferiority complex, you do feel sorry for him. His motivation can be unclear.   

Jane (Thor's love interest) is a course scientist. The fact that she builds her own equipment should give you a clue to how smart she is. The only complaint I have with her is that I don't buy her as a love interest; she seems to be more interested in where Thor comes from than in him as a person. 

Darcy is the comic relief. That's what bothers me about her; it's not that I don't find her funny, it's just that the movie can provide humor without her.        

The problems I have with this movie are that the writers could have fleshed out two plot points and developed Thor to get out of his dilemma better. One of the fights was too short. The Asgardians talk a certain way in the comics, but they don't do that in this movie. I would like to know why? All in all, this is a good film! I would recommend this if you like The Lion King. 

Rating = Worth Seeing  

Captain America: The First Avenger: This film is centered on a man name Steve Rogers/Captain America who wants to join the Army, but he can’t get in because of his health. So a doctor gives him a chance with his super soldier serum. Meanwhile, the war becomes more difficult thanks to the Red Skull and his Hydra army. They develop advanced weapons thanks to a MacGuffin he found, so Steve has to stop them.   

This movie gives you the feeling that you're watching a Captain America comic on screen for the most part! I like that not everyone can use the super soldier serum because it holds no value if everyone can use it. Just like Iron Man, the origin story is told well. I'm impressed with how this movie managed to pull off Steve's signature suit without having him look ridiculous.       

Steve Rogers/Captain America is a stand-up guy. I wouldn't call him one-dimensional because he doesn't always follow the rules, and despite his size, he doesn’t back down from a challenge. I don't like the way he was treated before and after he became Captain America. The only complaint I have with him is that he doesn't have a strong reaction to tragic events.  

Peggy Carter is a good supporting character who helps Steve when she can. I don't buy their dynamic. I understand what the writers are trying to do, but it's not convincing. 

Red Skull is an egotistical maniac. My gripe with him is that he's underdeveloped. Also, he could have used the MacGuffin for other things.    

I have problems with the editing, I mean, the movie looks like it was filmed with two different cameras. I wish the movie would focus on the things that it establishes. Speaking of focus, the movie doesn't focus on Captain America fighting the war. The dynamic between Him and Red Skull is weak. The way this movie ended feels forced. 

Overall, this movie is a good introduction to this character! I would recommend this if you like period pieces.      

Rating = Rental  


Intro: So, after four years and five movies, we are here. Was it worth it? Let's find out...

 The Avengers: The premise for the movie is this. Loki has come to Earth looking for a MacGuffin called the Tesseract that can help him rule the Earth. So Nick Fury ( the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.) recruits a group of superheroes to help them stop Loki. That could be difficult because of their personality conflicts. So the group has to overcome their differences if they are going to stop Loki.   

This movie may be entertaining; however, I don't consider it the best Marvel movie. I wish I could say this is a milestone for cinema, but we had a crossover before, but not like this. Despite this movie being predictable, it took me by surprise. I enjoy watching their characters play off each other. The theme of this movie is control, and it's applied in the story and the characters. This film has a good message about teamwork, and one character addresses the issue of what makes a hero? I'm fond of how the Hulk is portrayed in this movie; it's better than his last two movies. After learning that Loki is going to be in this movie, I was worried that this would be Thor 1.5; it was, but not at the expense of the other characters. 

Speaking of Loki ( the main villain), he is a manipulator that's saying a lot considering that he doesn't do it directly. Plus, he isn't fooling anyone. I don't like what this movie has done to him because he feels like a different character. 

Tony Stark/Iron Man is Mr. Personality. I like how chummy he is with Bruce. Why does Tony have to learn how to be a team player? Didn't he learn that in Iron Man 2?

I was let down that the creators didn't go all the way with Steve Rogers/Captain America having a hard time adjusting to the 21st Century. I'm guessing Marvel Studios is saving that for his next movie. His costume cracks me up. When you look like you're going to a kid's birthday party instead of fighting a war, a redesign is in order.   

Bruce/the Hulk is doing his best to keep a low profile. What bugs me about The Hulk is that he's too powerful in this movie to the point where he makes the other Avengers look useless. 

Thor is still dealing with the consequences of his and Loki's actions. I find it annoying that he comes off as hotheaded for no reason.    

Natasha Romanova/Black Widow feels like a real person more than she did in Iron Man 2. ( Is it me, or was she prettier in Iron Man 2?) She's someone with a past who's trying to redeem herself. Plus, she knows how to get inside your head. What's the point of this character being Russian if she doesn't have a Russian accent? 

Agent Barton/Hawkeye got the cold shoulder in this movie. Considering how good of an archer he is, it makes you wonder is he human? 

Nick Fury is a conflicted character. Despite working for an organization that's paranoid and distrustful, he wants to believe in the idea of heroes. Also, there are lines he will not cross. The only complaint I have with him is that he doesn't do a lot in this movie. That's a shame because he has the same arc Thor had in his movie. He does help the Avengers; however, that wasn't executed well.   

One of the many problems with this movie is that something tragic happened, and it didn't have the emotional weight that it should have. The director of this movie made directing mistakes that hurt the film. Marvel Studios should have hired a more experienced director, no offense to Mr. Whedon. This movie feels like it was made for Marvel fans. Don't worry, you don't need to read Marvel comics to understand this movie. Also, this movie has the same issue I have with the Transformers films, that is, fighting in the middle of the city. Other issues involve plot holes, editing, comedy being overdone, and having too many characters. 

Overall, this movie was a blast. I would recommend this if you like Action/Adventure. 

Rating = Worth seeing

My Star Wars Trilogy review

My Star Wars Trilogy review 

Intro: Is anyone else tired of the who shot first argument between Han and Greedo? 

Star Wars: This movie is about a group of rebels starting a war against the Galactic Empire, they gain the upper hand when they stole blueprints of their ultimate weapon called the Death Star. That was short-lived when the empire catches them but two of their droids managed to escape with the blueprints. The two droids meet a young man name Luke Skywalker who gets caught up in their affair. So, they have to figure out how they're going to rescue the princess and get the blueprints to the rebel base before the Death Star is up and running.  

This movie is a good example of how to tell a familiar story differently! It's a space opera version of the coming-of-age story. I can see why that movie was so popular in the 70's because there's no other movie like this before. This movie is not only about oppression, rebellion and finding your place in the world. You can argue that the movie deals with spirituality vs materialism. What makes the force different from other superpowers is that it doesn't make you invincible and you don't have complete control of it. I like the world-building in this movie, it doesn't tell us everything but just enough to get us interested. Also, this movie can be funny at times. The characters are the best part of this movie because there is someone for everyone to latch on to.     

Luke Skywalker is a young man who works on the farm, but he wants more out of life, but he can't do to his Aunt and Uncle. The movie uses him as the viewer's eyes and ears. The only problem I have with him is that he doesn't have a strong reaction when tragic things happen to him for the most part. To be fair the movie doesn't give him time to process that. 

Han Solo is a smuggler who is self-center. That's what I like about him, I mean he isn't self-center in an arrogant way plus it's played for laughs.  

Ban Kenobi is a wise mentor of Luke who has history with Luke's father. He teaches Luke about the ways of the Jedi and the force. I'm impressed with how he uses stealth and the force in this movie, it makes me wonder what was he like in his prime? 

Princess Leia is one of the best female characters because she isn't a helpless damsel in distress. She's also sassy and can be commanding. The only issue I have with her is what is she a princess of? 

C-3PO and R2-D2 (the droids that are part of the rebellion.) serve as comic relief and giving exposition. C-3PO is unless, for the most part, I mean what's the point of having a droid that can speak different languages if it's not useful in this movie? 

Darth Vader (the main villain) is a man of mystery, we do get bits of his backstory from Ban, but we don't know how he ended up in that suit. Vader is a hands-on villain. My beef with him is that he feels like a subordinate at times, why!?! 

One of the problems I have with this movie is that we don't know how this war started because of that we don't know if we're rooting for the right side. Also, the movie has head-scratching moments. All in all, this is one of those movies that will stand the test of time. I would recommend it if you like space adventures. 

Rating = Worth Seeing     

     


Intro: I can't be the only one who didn't buy the twist in the movie. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. 

Star Wars the Empire Strikes back: This movie takes place after the destruction of the Death Star and the rebels are now hiding from the empire on the ice plant called Hoth. After the empire found them Luke, Han and Princess Leia have to spit up. Luke goes to the planet Dagobah to Meet Master Yoda to train him to become a Jedi. Luke's training gets interrupted when he learns that Han and Leia are captured by Darth Vader, so he has to decide if he's going to save them or continue his training? 

This movie did what a sequel should do that is expand on the previous film. The movie has world-building, character development and we learn more about the force. This movie is also more serious than the last film however it still has humor. What can I say about the plot twist it's the best part of the movie, I mean no one saw it coming. It was done so well that soap operas milk the twist to death. I like the way this movie ended because it's ended in a way where people want to see how things will play out in the next film. 

Luke is struggling with his Jedi training due to him being impatient.  

We see Han warming up to the rebels however he's having a hard time with being a part of the rebellion due to his debt to Jabba the hunt. Han is also struggling with sexual tension I mean feeling for Princess Leia which creates some funny moments between the two. 

I don't have much to say about Princess Leia because the movie hasn't done a lot with her. I don't like that the movie use her for a love triangle because it doesn't seem to develop her.  

Lando Calrissian is a friendly ladies man who knows Han. That's my gripe with him if Han doesn't trust him then why does he consider him a friend? Plus, it gave away that he could become a problem. 

Yoda is a wise Jedi master who teaches Luke the ways of the Jedi and the force. Also, I love the way he test Luke to see if he's ready to become a Jedi because you didn't see it coming. 

Darth Vader feels more like the main bad guy in this movie than in the last movie. Yes! We see that he's under the command of the emperor, but they have one conversation and he isn't by Vader's side telling him what to do. Vader is ruthless in this movie, he's dropping bodies left and right when his subordinates screw up.  

The problem I have with this movie is the twist was foreshadowed in the movie. Also, some of the jokes don't hold up. With all that said this is a good follow-up that will blow you away. 

Rating = Treasure chest  



Intro: (This was my reaction to one of Leia's new outfits.) Whoa! I thought these movies are for kids.  

Star Wars Return of the Jedi: Luke and the gang try to infiltrate Jadda's palace so they can rescue Han Solo. After that, the rebels learn that the empire is building a new Death Star and the emperor is there to see it get rebuilt. This Death Star will be hard to destroy because it's protected by an energy shield and the shield generator is on another plant. On top of that Luke doesn't know what to do with Vader after learning the truth about him. So, Luke has to decide if he's going to kill Vader or save him? Plus, the rebels have to take out the shield generator and stop the empire once and for all.      

This movie wasn't as good as the last two films because I was disappointed with some of the things in the movie. For example, the gang trying to rescue Han for Jabba feels like filler and the way Luke and the others went about rescuing him is stupid. Speaking of Jabba he's also disappointing I mean he didn't pose much of a threat to the group. When did the Empire start building a new Death Star? This is where not knowing how much time has passed in between films becomes a problem. I'm not crazy about the climax in the movie because it's them trying to destroy another Death Star we've already seen this. I wish the climax would take place at the emperor's home planted, doing that would give us something different.  

Another thing that bugs me about this movie is the title, Luke isn't a Jedi and what is he returning to? Some people will find it hard to swallow that the Ewoks can give Storm Troopers (the empire's foot soldiers.) trouble. We get another twist in this movie however it wasn't as good as the last one because it was foreshadowed.  

Luke is almost a stoic character in this movie and his force abilities seem to improve and he learned from his mistakes.  

Yoda is underused in this movie. 

I don't like what we learned about Princess Leia because it seems like it was done to eliminate the love triangle. 

Darth Vader is also conflicted with what to do with Luke and the choices he made in his life.  

The emperor is a manipulative instigator. Beyond that, I was let down by him because Vader talks about him like he's more dangerous than him, but I didn't get that vibe from him. 

I do like that this Death Star is harder to destroy than the last one because that help raise the stakes. I don't mind the Ewoks because they represent the lesson Luke learn in the last film. There is a scene that explores the dark side of the force. I'm fond of the idea that Yoda and Obi-Wan are not so noble because it makes the conflict in this movie not so clear-cut. Overall, this may be the weakest movie in the trilogy but it's a nice wrap-up to this trilogy. 

Rating = Worth Seeing