Author: FilmNerd

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Most superheroes tend to be humans either gifted with superpowers or with enough resources to make themselves stronger. But, in 1962, Stan Lee, along with Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber, decided to create a superhero from a god. Since most people knew of the Greek and Roman gods, Lee decided to base the character on Norse gods. So, The Mighty Thor debuted in Journey into Mystery #83 in August 1962, and became another Marvel household name. Interestingly, plans for a Thor movie date back to the early 90s, with Sam Raimi wanting to direct. Over the years, the film went into various stages of development hell, with the rights going to various studios. Eventually, Paramount acquired the rights, director Kenneth Branagh was hired to helm the project, and Chris Hemsworth would play Thor. So, three years after Iron Man kickstarted the MCU, we have Thor.

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In the far-off realm of Asgard, the god Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is set to become the new king. That is until a group of frost giants invade and attempt to make off with a powerful weapon. Believing this an act of war, Thor travels to the home of the frost giants accompanied by his friends. Unfortunately, this breaks the truce between Asgard and the frost giants, so Odin (Anthony Hopkins) strips Thor of his powers. Meanwhile, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is conducting research on star patterns when she runs into Thor with her car. As Thor stumbles around Earth trying to reclaim his power, his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) takes over the throne. In addition to Thor, his hammer Mjolnir has landed on Earth, and SHIELD is investigating the phenomenon. Thor must learn what it means to be a true king and reclaim his power before it’s too late.

When I decided to revisit the MCU, this was one of the entries I was looking forward to the least. While this movie has its flaws, I’m happy to say it’s not nearly as bad as I remember. Starting off, much like Robert Downey Jr with Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth is perfect casting as Thor. His charisma literally flies off the screen, and he’s also very sympathetic in many of the more dramatic scenes. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is probably one of the best villains the MCU has had, largely thanks to his performance. While not as over-the-top as in the later films, you can tell Hiddleston is having fun in the role. The rest of the Asgardian cast does a fine job, even if they’re not given much screen time. Speaking of Asgard, the production design is breathtaking, and Kenneth Branagh’s direction is top notch.

Unfortunately, while this movie is enjoyable, there’s also a lot that drags this movie down. For one, while the regular human cast is ok, they’re very underwhelming compared to the Asgardian cast. Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard are decent, but Kat Dennings can get pretty annoying, especially with her sitcom-like dialogue. Also, while the scenes on Asgard are visually stunning and interesting, the scenes on Earth are just hohum. The movie tries to set up a romance between Hemsworth and Portman, but they don’t seem to have much chemistry. If anything, I more so bought Hemsworth and Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif as a couple. In the end, this movie is a bit of a mess, but it’s still has some enjoyable moments. Overall, Thor is very middle of the road, not amazing but not terrible either. It’s better than the sequel, but that’s for another time.

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With the success of Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born. While there weren’t any new entries the following year, a follow-up to Iron Man was released in 2010. Many of the same people from the original returned for the sequel, including director Jon Favreau and the original cast. However, in between movies, Terrence Howard, who played James Rhodes, was replaced with Don Cheadle. It’s unclear what led to the recasting, but sources say that it was due to a pay dispute. However, there are also sources claiming that Howard and Favreau did not get along on set. Regardless, given how successful the first film was, it was only inevitable that a sequel was in the works. So, two years after the original, Jon Favreau and company treated audiences to Iron Man 2.

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Synopsis

Six months after the events of the original, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is on top of the world. He’s considered an international hero thanks to his Iron Man suit, and he’s ushered in a new era of peace. However, not everyone feels that way about him, particularly Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has a personal grudge with Stark. At the same time, the US government is demanding that Tony turn over the Iron Man technology to the military. On top of that, the palladium core keeping Tony’s chest arc reactor is slowly killing him. Soon, Ivan attacks Tony using similar technology, which makes everyone doubt if Iron Man can save them or not. This catches the attention of rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who partners with Ivan to bring down Stark. All the while, agents from SHIELD are keeping a watchful eye on Iron Man.

Review

Given how amazing the first film was, naturally this sequel had some pretty big shoes to fill. For the most part, this movie does succeed in continuing what made the first film work. The returning cast, especially Downey Jr, still deliver solid performances, and the new cast works just as well here. While Terrence Howard is missed, Don Cheadle is a good replacement and he works well with Downey Jr. Mickey Rourke makes for a very intimidating villain, and Sam Rockwell has some pretty funny moments. Scarlett Johansson is good as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, but it feels like she hasn’t quite nailed the character yet. She comes across a bit too stoic at times and just seems to be trying to hard to be serious. Going back to Downey Jr, he once again shows how he really was perfect casting for Tony Stark.

However, as good as this movie is, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the first one. After the first 30-40 minutes of the movie, there’s a huge stretch where not much happens. It isn’t until about an hour and twenty minutes in that another action sequence happens. Much of the in-between time is spent with Tony trying to find a suitable replacement for his palladium core. It does help to advance the overall story, but the scenes tend to drag out and grind to a halt. Also, once Sam Rockwell enters the fray, Mickey Rourke takes a backseat as the villain. Not that Sam Rockwell is bad, but they introduce Mickey Rourke as this powerful adversary and he doesn’t do much. Despite these problems, Iron Man 2 is still an enjoyable time thanks to strong performances and fun action.

Buy Iron Man 2 from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GcfDze.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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Where to watch Iron Man 2 (2010)

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After finding success with The Fantastic Four, comic creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby worked on a new unconventional hero. Inspired by the 1931 versions of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, they created a sympathetic yet monstrous character. Dubbed “The Incredible Hulk”, he first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962 and was a massive hit. Interestingly enough, the Hulk was originally supposed to be grey, but due to a printing error was turned green. When Marvel adapted their characters to television in the 70s, they struck gold with the Hulk TV series. Starring Bill Bixby as David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, the show ran for five seasons. Then in 2003, famed director Ang Lee brought the character to the big screen with mixed results. Five years later, after Iron Man, it was decided to add The Incredible Hulk to the MCU.

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After a science experiment gone wrong, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is on the run from the US government. His experiments doused with toxic gamma radiation, and he’s been searching for a cure, but without much luck. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stay hidden for long as General Ross (William Hurt) tracks him down to Brazil. In addition to the general, a highly-trained soldier named Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) is after him, but for different reasons. Turns out Bruce’s experiments caused him to transform into a hulking beast whenever he gets angry. While trying to find a cure, Bruce meets back up with an old flame, Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler). Wanting to take on this Hulk, Blonsky wants to undergo the same experiments as Bruce, to become even stronger. Unfortunately, things go wrong and Blonsky turns into a giant abomination that only the Hulk can stop.

While I have seen the 2003 version of the Hulk, it’s been so long that I honestly don’t remember much. That being said, this version is definitely an improvement over the Ang Lee version, though still not quite there. The first thing to mention is the cast, who all do a fairly good job in their roles. Edward Norton makes for a very likable lead, and he has great chemistry with Liv Tyler. Tim Roth also does a great job as the obsessed Blonsky, determined to get his shot at the Hulk. William Hurt, while not giving an amazing Oscar-worthy performance, still does fine as the stern general. Also, for the most part, much of the CGI holds up here, and it is visually stunning. Director Louis Leterrier really takes advantage of the shooting locations and has tons of sweeping camera shots.

While we don’t see much of the Hulk until 50 minutes in, it’s still cool when he shows up. Though the action sequences aren’t as memorable as those in Iron Man, there are still some stand-out moments. The biggest action sequences are probably the fight against the military at the college, and the final battle with Abomination. But this movie is more focused on character development than straight-up action, which is welcome but also somewhat disappointing. While the more character-driven scenes aren’t bad and the acting is strong, those scenes tend to drag the movie down. Also, this movies sets up some loose ends that’re never touched upon in any of the subsequent films. Regardless, this is still fairly entertaining early entry and well worth revisiting, even if it is slightly rocky. Overall, while it has its problems, The Incredible Hulk packs enough punch to keep superhero fans entertained.

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_video src=”https://youtu.be/0IVb8XnBg0c” _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}”]The 1960’s were a time of counter-culture revolution and young people being upset at what the government was doing. With this in mind, comics writer Stan Lee decided to create a superhero that would be the antithesis of this. Taking inspiration from industrialist Howard Hughes, Lee created Anthony “Tony” Stark, who was a multi-billionaire, weapons manufacturer, and womanizer. The idea was to create a character that would be everything the readers hated, and yet still be likable. With scripter Larry Lieber, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, was born. He first appeared in Tales of Suspense #39 in May 1963, and quickly became one of Marvel’s most popular characters. So, when Kevin Feige decided to create a shared cinematic universe, the first character to be adapted was Iron Man. Cut to 2008, when Jon Favreau directed the first Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Iron Man.

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Synopsis

While in Afghanistan for a weapons demonstration, weapons manufacturer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is attacked and captured by terrorists. He’s held captive with local doctor Yinsen (Shaun Toub) and ordered to build weapons for the terrorists. Seeing that the terrorists are using weapons his company made, Tony instead to build a suit of armor to escape. With help from Yinsen, he’s able to complete the suit and escape, but at the cost of Yinsen’s life. Once he returns home, Tony decides to stop manufacturing weapons and instead focus on refining his armored suit. With his new suit, Tony decides to go and destroy all of the weapons caches the terrorists have. Unfortunately, this doesn’t settle well for his business partner Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), who’s been supplying weapons to the terrorists. Stane manages to build his own suit, and Tony has to stop him before it’s too late.

Review

While on the surface it seems like a giant explosion fest, there’s a much deeper story going on here. When he first meet Tony, he’s self-centered, egotistical, irresponsible, and doesn’t seem to care about anyone other than himself. After his experience in Afghanistan, he returns a changed man who wants to undo his past mistakes. It’s a classic story of redemption that anyone can relate to, helped by Robert Downey Jr’s fantastic performance. Not only is he very charismatic and funny, he also sells the more emotional scenes and really shows his skills. It also helps that he’s supported by a great cast, including Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard, and Gwyneth Paltrow. For someone who’s known for playing heroes and chill guys, Bridges is surprisingly intense and frightening as the villain. Paltrow is also quite good here, and she has great chemistry with Downey Jr.

Of course, a superhero movie wouldn’t be much without some thrilling action, and this one has it in spades. From Tony fighting off terrorists with his initial suit to the final battle with Iron Monger, it’s fun to watch. What helps is that we get to know the character so well that we actually care about the action. Admittedly, the final battle does go into CGI-overkill, but even still, because the characters are well-developed that it’s ok. At the end of the day, this movie shows that even the most self-centered people can change for the better. As the start to a major cinematic universe, this was the best way to get things started. Honestly, other than some dated 2008 references, this movie still holds up even in 2019. Overall, Iron Man works thanks to a strong lead performance, exciting action, and a well-developed story.

Buy Iron Man from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GfIupq.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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