It's the time of the year when days stretch out leisurely, windows open, buds appear on branches, and we shake off the crusty stuff also seen in dark corners of parking lots.
It's also time that our family typically does some clean-up - both of physical things as we make room for the kids' latest birthday gifts, and also of the more sedentary routines of winter.
Walking outdoors has been invigorating.
By sticking to a schedule of gradual progress each day, I managed to finish off my spring continuing education course well ahead of spring break, while simultaneously mapping out adventure opportunities for the getaway to rural northern Georgia we're making then.
Our Pathfinder 2nd Edition RPG campaign has kept me connected to friends through the the colder, darker months of seemingly endless COVID quarantine (I am vaccinated, Melanie is not yet) and I'm hard at work learning Roll20 to help our online sessions run smoother than they do through kitbashed Google tools.
We watched all of The Mandalorian Season 2, The Boys Season 2, Fargo Season 4, and WandaVision - and Melanie many more whole seasons and series aside. The kids have been digging The Clone Wars (which they jokingly call "Star The Clone Wars Wars" every time they sit down to watch it together) and we are all pumped for the second episode of The Falcon and the Winter Solider later tonight. Somehow, I missed that Invincible released!
Well, no mystery, actually - virtual teaching has been consuming almost all of my time for months now. We've only got a handful of sessions of IMAGE left after the break, and this year, doing the marathon of qualification testing will actually feel like a relief, I think.
I'm only writing here because I cleaned out the bookmarks for my Google account. Wow, was it a trip - gong back years and years to around the time I finished up my Masters, changed teaching positions, and we packed and moved (into storage and the in-laws' house, back out of it once we found a new home) all in the span of a few months. There were links to the We Are Comics movement that sprang up in 2014, GameFaqs (!) guides to the Final Fantasy Dimensions mobile game, 13th Age RPG fansites that are no longer active, and a slew of stagnant blogs.
The only link from the "Blogs" folder that actually survived was this one. I figured I'd better breathe a bit of life into it until the time it can get more attention. I hope any who are reading are well, too!
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Saturday, March 27, 2021
Bookmarks
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
"Mostly-weekly"
Haha! Maybe on average, given that I was posting daily for a good stretch in March, but it's now been almost three months since my last post.
There are several reasons for that.
One, I just couldn't keep pace with the MCU reflections and reviews when we were watching a film each day. That was especially true once we returned to "remote learning" following spring break.
It wasn't a break at all for me; I spent several hours each day of it prepping materials that were then shared through Google Classroom with my 9 classes of students once the break was done.
The weeks that followed that were full identifying the students who qualified to participate in the program for academically talented students that I coordinate and teach. A great deal of the data and processes usually used for that were unavailable, so considering alternatives, sharing and discussing those with our district leaders, and then communicating (and, when questioned, justifying) those to many teachers, principals, and parents were all huge untertakings.
Communicating with the parents and teachers of qualifying students took me all the way through early June.
Whew.
Also: there's Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's been about a decade since I dove into an AC game. Our copy was shipped to us on March 25th, and it's been a comfortable and captivating second life since. I can't think of another game that's had a more tragically fortuitous release - an escapist game with intentional community components, arriving right at the time that gamers were given carte blanche to stay at home for days and weeks and months at a time. I sense the intensity with which many played it is waning - for us, too - but I still log at least a couple hours every day, sometimes much more than that if I am up early and Melanie is watching something at night in which I'm not interested.
Plans for Geek Fire Oil in these summer months:
1. I have notes on all the remaining MCU movies that we watched. I will compile those into posts at least once a week, in a looser format probably won't lend itself to as much structure or detail as those posts that came before. Our lives were ultra-structured in those weeks.
2. Comics are starting to release again. The 11th issue of my current favorite, Die, comes out today. I would like to get on a schedule where I respond to one individual comic or series every week, too.
3. Tech stuff. We are cutting the cable cord, and have started using alternatives already. I'll share what is and isn't working for us. There will probably also be posts about New Horizons since it's such a significant part of our recreation time right now.
4. I am playing in a Tales from the Loop online game with friends and also prepping work for a long, exciting, quirky Pathfinder 2nd Edition campaign (the Extinction Curse Adventure Path), so expect occasional posts about one or the other.
5. Noah and I have started collecting Marvel Legends again, so we'll share what's new with those - maybe some unboxing photos and videos that will be cross-posted to his YouTube.
6. Rasslin'. We watched Undertaker: The Last Ride on WWE Network and I have some thoughts on that, as well as the production of their shows through this pandemic/LEFTIST HOAX.
That should lead to at least a couple posts a week!
I'm also struggling to get started on the work of a distance learning Learners Edge course - much prefer in-person classes, but they are also significantly more costly, both from price and time perspectives - so there might be lapses in activity here when I am making headway on that work.
I hope these words find all who read them in good health and high spirits. Geek On.
There are several reasons for that.
One, I just couldn't keep pace with the MCU reflections and reviews when we were watching a film each day. That was especially true once we returned to "remote learning" following spring break.
It wasn't a break at all for me; I spent several hours each day of it prepping materials that were then shared through Google Classroom with my 9 classes of students once the break was done.
The weeks that followed that were full identifying the students who qualified to participate in the program for academically talented students that I coordinate and teach. A great deal of the data and processes usually used for that were unavailable, so considering alternatives, sharing and discussing those with our district leaders, and then communicating (and, when questioned, justifying) those to many teachers, principals, and parents were all huge untertakings.
Communicating with the parents and teachers of qualifying students took me all the way through early June.
Whew.
Also: there's Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's been about a decade since I dove into an AC game. Our copy was shipped to us on March 25th, and it's been a comfortable and captivating second life since. I can't think of another game that's had a more tragically fortuitous release - an escapist game with intentional community components, arriving right at the time that gamers were given carte blanche to stay at home for days and weeks and months at a time. I sense the intensity with which many played it is waning - for us, too - but I still log at least a couple hours every day, sometimes much more than that if I am up early and Melanie is watching something at night in which I'm not interested.
Plans for Geek Fire Oil in these summer months:
1. I have notes on all the remaining MCU movies that we watched. I will compile those into posts at least once a week, in a looser format probably won't lend itself to as much structure or detail as those posts that came before. Our lives were ultra-structured in those weeks.
2. Comics are starting to release again. The 11th issue of my current favorite, Die, comes out today. I would like to get on a schedule where I respond to one individual comic or series every week, too.
3. Tech stuff. We are cutting the cable cord, and have started using alternatives already. I'll share what is and isn't working for us. There will probably also be posts about New Horizons since it's such a significant part of our recreation time right now.
4. I am playing in a Tales from the Loop online game with friends and also prepping work for a long, exciting, quirky Pathfinder 2nd Edition campaign (the Extinction Curse Adventure Path), so expect occasional posts about one or the other.
5. Noah and I have started collecting Marvel Legends again, so we'll share what's new with those - maybe some unboxing photos and videos that will be cross-posted to his YouTube.
6. Rasslin'. We watched Undertaker: The Last Ride on WWE Network and I have some thoughts on that, as well as the production of their shows through this pandemic/LEFTIST HOAX.
That should lead to at least a couple posts a week!
I'm also struggling to get started on the work of a distance learning Learners Edge course - much prefer in-person classes, but they are also significantly more costly, both from price and time perspectives - so there might be lapses in activity here when I am making headway on that work.
I hope these words find all who read them in good health and high spirits. Geek On.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War (May 2016)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: Around 10
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
- T'Challa/Black Panther
- Sam Wilson/Falcon
- Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
- James Rhodes/War Machine
- Vision
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- Scott Lang/Ant-Man
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Colonel Helmut Zemo
Secondary Characters
- Secretary of State Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross
- Sharon Carter/Agent 13
- Deputy Everett Ross
- Brock Rumlow/Crossbones
- T'Chaka
Notable Story Elements
- Wakanda
- Sokovia Accords
- Hydra
- F.R.I.D.A.Y.
- B.A.R.F. (Bionically Augmented Retro-Framing)
- The Raft
- Original theatrical release
- Many viewings at home on BluRay - more to come in the weeks away from normal routines
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 31st, 2020
Easter Eggs
- The leather-bound book in which the Winter Soldier's commands are kept has a deep crimson cover, which could simply be reflecting the "red state" of Communist Russia, or a reference to Bucky's brainwashed crimes superimposed with Black Widow's statement in The Avengers that, "I've got red on my ledger"
- Falcon is assisted by the Redwing drone; in the comics, he has telepathic and empathic connection to and control over birds, and Redwing an actual falcon
- At the Avengers compound, Vision is dressed similarly to how he appears in Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta's critically acclaimed limited series
- Scott Lang enlarges himself in the battle between the heroes; in the comics, Hank Pym was Ant-Man for only a short time after the Avengers formed, instead using the guise Giant-Man and later Goliath
- Lang is seen drumming with his hands in his cell on The Raft, foreshadowing his house arrest pastime in Ant-Man and the Wasp
- The cell phone that Steve sends to Tony is the same one he will use to contact him in Infinity War
Yesterday, the governor of Michigan announced an executive order that will close school buildings for the remainder of the school year due to our state's escalating number of cases of and deaths from COVID-19. Like many teachers, I support this decision but am still hurting from the finality of it.
There were many irreplaceable experiences in our IMAGE program for academically talented kids scheduled for these past weeks and the next couple months, and it's knowing how much excellent learning and growing they are missing that stings so much.
Our daughter will miss 6th grade camp, the capstone of her elementary years.
With all this, my enthusiasm for reflecting on and writing about the MCU movies as our family rewatches them together has waned. I'm still numb. This will likely be my last post for awhile. We have only 6 of the 23 left to go as of this writing, and I'll take notes as we do so. At some point soon, I will get back to blogging.
For the moment, Captain America: Civil War is my favorite MCU movie. As I wrote at length in the post on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War was one of the last well-conceived and consequential modern-era Marvel comics events, and I loved its portrayal of Steve Rogers as the type of person Sharon Carter describes in Civil War through her aunt Peggy's words: principled, unflappable, a leader by example.
While the Avengers are a huge component, Cap is definitely the centerpiece here, at the fore of the new team seen at the end of Age of Ultron - minus highly conspicuous members War Machine and Vision - on a covert mission in Lagos. Hydra sleeper agent Brock Rumlow returns at Crossbones, a central figure from my favorite stretch of Captain America comics.
Instead of the character Miriam Sharpe publicly calling for the registration of superpowered individuals after the Stamford tragedy cost her son Damian his life, here it is the mother of Charles Spencer confronting Tony Stark individually about the high price paid for the escalating collateral damage done in the conflicts of him and his teammates, specifically in Sokovia. I like this decision by the screenwriters. Given all the media noise today, it could have come off as Tony being guilted into a course of action; instead, he sees the personal loss of a grieved mother and makes a conscious decision to pursue a safer course.
That's the crux challenge: whose safety must be assured, and who makes those decisions? Steve argues that the Avengers could devolve into a military strike force steered by governments, and that they'd be more heavies than peacekeepers. Tony and - in a return from The Incredible Hulk - now-Secretary of State Ross point out in chilling sequence the trail of destruction left in their wakes. Another of my long-time favorites, the Vision would rather see logic and control prevail than a superpowered arms race.
The fate of the Winter Soldier is an additional point of contention, given his apparent role in one of the tragedies that prompted the Sokovia Accords (standing in for the Superhuman Registration Act). There are dozens of top-notch chase sequences in the MCU, but the one in Bucharest introducing Black Panther is the best.
On Black Panther, and revisiting Michael Douglas as Hank Pym from the previous post - what's becoming clear to me now as we enjoy all these movies again is that the casting department for the MCU may be the real MVPs. Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland sing here, but how about Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans? My wife is not nearly the fan of the latter as she is the former, but to me, I cannot imagine anyone else as Steve Rogers. He's perfect. The voice and mannerisms I extrapolated out of comics decades ago are his. It's uncanny.
They both play their roles with confidence and make their arguments with conviction. Whose Side Are You On?
"He's my friend."
"So was I."
Damn. Those words carry weight, and almost a decade of excellent, carefully interwoven movies bear the emotional load. The fall of the shield that "doesn't belong" to Captain America strikes with a haunting finality, but we're lifted again by the close. It's not shawarma shop fuzziness, but a hell yeah nod.
Civil War has the perfect pacing of The Avengers with a much more involved plot and challenges its viewers like few other Marvel films. It's going to be tough to sort out if I still like this one more than the Endgame finale.
There were many irreplaceable experiences in our IMAGE program for academically talented kids scheduled for these past weeks and the next couple months, and it's knowing how much excellent learning and growing they are missing that stings so much.
Our daughter will miss 6th grade camp, the capstone of her elementary years.
With all this, my enthusiasm for reflecting on and writing about the MCU movies as our family rewatches them together has waned. I'm still numb. This will likely be my last post for awhile. We have only 6 of the 23 left to go as of this writing, and I'll take notes as we do so. At some point soon, I will get back to blogging.
While the Avengers are a huge component, Cap is definitely the centerpiece here, at the fore of the new team seen at the end of Age of Ultron - minus highly conspicuous members War Machine and Vision - on a covert mission in Lagos. Hydra sleeper agent Brock Rumlow returns at Crossbones, a central figure from my favorite stretch of Captain America comics.
That's the crux challenge: whose safety must be assured, and who makes those decisions? Steve argues that the Avengers could devolve into a military strike force steered by governments, and that they'd be more heavies than peacekeepers. Tony and - in a return from The Incredible Hulk - now-Secretary of State Ross point out in chilling sequence the trail of destruction left in their wakes. Another of my long-time favorites, the Vision would rather see logic and control prevail than a superpowered arms race.
The fate of the Winter Soldier is an additional point of contention, given his apparent role in one of the tragedies that prompted the Sokovia Accords (standing in for the Superhuman Registration Act). There are dozens of top-notch chase sequences in the MCU, but the one in Bucharest introducing Black Panther is the best.
On Black Panther, and revisiting Michael Douglas as Hank Pym from the previous post - what's becoming clear to me now as we enjoy all these movies again is that the casting department for the MCU may be the real MVPs. Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland sing here, but how about Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans? My wife is not nearly the fan of the latter as she is the former, but to me, I cannot imagine anyone else as Steve Rogers. He's perfect. The voice and mannerisms I extrapolated out of comics decades ago are his. It's uncanny.
They both play their roles with confidence and make their arguments with conviction. Whose Side Are You On?
"He's my friend."
"So was I."
Damn. Those words carry weight, and almost a decade of excellent, carefully interwoven movies bear the emotional load. The fall of the shield that "doesn't belong" to Captain America strikes with a haunting finality, but we're lifted again by the close. It's not shawarma shop fuzziness, but a hell yeah nod.
Civil War has the perfect pacing of The Avengers with a much more involved plot and challenges its viewers like few other Marvel films. It's going to be tough to sort out if I still like this one more than the Endgame finale.
Ranking
- Captain America: Civil War
- The Avengers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Ant-Man
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Ant-Man
Ant-Man (June 2015)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: around 5
- Scott Lang/Ant-Man
- Hank Pym
- Hope Pym
- Darren Cross/Yellowjacket
- Cassie Lang
Secondary Characters
- Luis, Dave, and Kurt
- Maggie Lang
- Jim Paxton
- Sam Wilson/Falcon
- Mitchell Carson
- Howard Stark
- Peggy Carter
Notable Story Elements
- Pym Particles
- The Quantum Realm
- Avengers Compound
- SHIELD
- Hydra
- Original theatrical release
- A couple viewings on Netflix and TV
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 30th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Cassie Lang was a long-time Avengers supporting character, and as a teenager, used Pym Particles to enlarge herself and join the Young Avengers as the heroine Stature (and she would die, and - surprise - be revived, and now uses the identity Stinger)
- The Wiggles' Hot Poppin' Popcorn is playing at Cassie's party... which is not so much an Easter egg as something forever ingrained into my psyche by a solid 6 years of our kids cycling through all things Wiggles
- Hank Pym (Ant-Man) and Janet van Dyne (Wasp) were founding members of the Avengers, along with Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk, and based in a three-story townhouse owned by the Stark family; Pym's Queen Anne-style home may be a nod to Avengers Mansion
- Darren Cross describes the Ant-Man's missions as "tales to astonish"; this is the name of the '50s and '60s comic in which Ant-Man and Wasp debuted
- Hope warns Darren that his serum is affecting his brain chemistry; in the comics, this happens to Hank Pym, and - after first having been Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and Goliath - he adopts the Yellowjacket identity (one of my favorite costume designs when I was a kid)
The MCU Machine hit high gear at this time, with Ant-Man debuting only a couple months after Age of Ultron.
I was lukewarm on it then, probably due to watching it right after a tiring school year teaching a new grade level. It's been more enjoyable with every subsequent viewing.
Scott Lang is established early on as a likable scoundrel with the requisite physical and technical skills for superheroics. His "days of breaking into places and stealing shit" are over until he faces the harsh realities of life outside prison, and he's drawn into corporate cloak-and-dagger involving Hydra. They just don't go away, to they? His relationship with daughter Cassie is set up here, developed further in the sequel, and pays tremendous emotional dividends in Endgame.
By the time I started collecting comics, Hank Pym was mostly out of the spandex game. He was instead a gadgeteer with pockets full of useful and unusual items that he could enlarge and shrink as needed. Doctor Pym was more MacGyver than Ant-Man, and one of my favorite West Coast Avengers. Michael Douglas is perfect in this role.
Hope Pym is one of the strongest female characters in the MCU, too, and the end credit scene promising her return as the Wasp is tantalizing. The online criticism of her resolute posture in Ant-Man and the Wasp pre-release promotional material is some of the weakest fanboy form I've seen.
Darren Cross remains a weaker point, even after repeated viewings. Yes, he's menacing as he disintegrates critics and lambs. He also follows a long string of techno-villains, including thousands of Ultron drones just weeks earlier in theaters. There's not enough to differentiate him from Obadiah Stane and non-volcanic Aldrich Killian.
On the other hand, while there are numerous non-powered "wo/men in the chair" who give logistical support to the MCU's heroes -from Nick Fury to humble Ned - the most entertaining are Luis, Dave, and Kurt. Our kids laughed out loud at the giant Thomas toy's lolling eyes, but will not stop talking about Luis. "Daddy, his stories are so funny!" I know I am not the only one who would pay full admission for a Luis Cut of the MCU, with him simply narrating and doing voice-overs of all the films.
I'm pleasantly surprised by just how high Ant-Man is in my current ranking of favorites. Heavy-hitters are on the horizon, though.
Scott Lang is established early on as a likable scoundrel with the requisite physical and technical skills for superheroics. His "days of breaking into places and stealing shit" are over until he faces the harsh realities of life outside prison, and he's drawn into corporate cloak-and-dagger involving Hydra. They just don't go away, to they? His relationship with daughter Cassie is set up here, developed further in the sequel, and pays tremendous emotional dividends in Endgame.
By the time I started collecting comics, Hank Pym was mostly out of the spandex game. He was instead a gadgeteer with pockets full of useful and unusual items that he could enlarge and shrink as needed. Doctor Pym was more MacGyver than Ant-Man, and one of my favorite West Coast Avengers. Michael Douglas is perfect in this role.
Hope Pym is one of the strongest female characters in the MCU, too, and the end credit scene promising her return as the Wasp is tantalizing. The online criticism of her resolute posture in Ant-Man and the Wasp pre-release promotional material is some of the weakest fanboy form I've seen.
Darren Cross remains a weaker point, even after repeated viewings. Yes, he's menacing as he disintegrates critics and lambs. He also follows a long string of techno-villains, including thousands of Ultron drones just weeks earlier in theaters. There's not enough to differentiate him from Obadiah Stane and non-volcanic Aldrich Killian.
On the other hand, while there are numerous non-powered "wo/men in the chair" who give logistical support to the MCU's heroes -from Nick Fury to humble Ned - the most entertaining are Luis, Dave, and Kurt. Our kids laughed out loud at the giant Thomas toy's lolling eyes, but will not stop talking about Luis. "Daddy, his stories are so funny!" I know I am not the only one who would pay full admission for a Luis Cut of the MCU, with him simply narrating and doing voice-overs of all the films.
I'm pleasantly surprised by just how high Ant-Man is in my current ranking of favorites. Heavy-hitters are on the horizon, though.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Ant-Man
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Too Much of Too Many Good Things
Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 2015)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: around 6
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Thor
- Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Natasha Romanov/Black Widow
- Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
- Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
- Vision
- Ultron
Secondary Characters
- Jarvis
- Nick Fury
- Maria Hill
- James Rhodes/War Machine
- Sam Wilson/Falcon
- Helen Cho
- Erik Selvig
- Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
- Ulysses Klaue
- Thanos
Notable Story Elements
- Iron Legion
- Avengers Tower
- Vibranium
- Wakanda
- Hulkbuster armor
- F.R.I.D.A.Y.
- Loki's Scepter/Mind Stone
- Infinity Stones
- Original theatrical release
- A few viewings on BluRay and on TV
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 29th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Cap recalls his shield using electromagnetic gauntlet panels, a device he had for a time in the comics but abandoned
- Black Widow's "lullaby" to ease Hulk back to his Banner identity includes the words, "sun's getting real low"; in his original gray-skinned incarnation, and later when he was believed dead and working as a Las Vegas enforcer named Joe Fixit, Banner would transform into the Hulk at sunset
- Tony's vision of everyone slain is reminiscent of innumerable times in the comics when heroes view or travel to dark futures; in the Civil War II event, a precognitive Inhuman named Ulysses is at the center of the conflict between Iron Man and Captain Marvel
- There's a "Jarvis is my co-pilot" bumper sticker on Quinjet's cabin
- Mjolnir budging when Steve halfheartedly pulls at it foreshadows one of Endgame's biggest moments, itself inspired by him hefting it as The Captain while John Walker was Captain America
- In the comics, Dr. Helen Cho is the mother of Amadeus Cho, a teenager who is "the world's sixth smartest man" and a sidekick of Hulk; he later becomes The Totally Awesome Hulk
- The water Thor enters is meant to be the scrying pool of the Norns, the Norse weavers of destiny; while in it, he learns that he will be responsible for the fall of Asgard (in a way, he will be) and glimpses the Infinity Stones and the gauntlet
- It is Captain America who welcomes Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to the team, just as he did in the comics when the founders Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and Wasp left; the fourth member of "Cap's Misfits" is another reformed criminal, Hawkeye, who in this movie has an ongoing rivalry with Quicksilver and motivates Scarlet Witch to assist against Ultron
- Ultron abducts Black Widow, similar to his comic book kidnappings of Hank Pym's wife Janet (Wasp) and Clint Barton's wife Bobbi (Mockingbird), whose brain patterns he uses to create robotic companions (Jacosta and Alkhema)
- Hulk exiles himself, similar to what The Illuminati (Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, and a dissenting Namor) do to him; he lands on Sakaar, "Planet Hulk"; much of that is borrowed for his Ragnarok appearance
- Clint and Laura name their son after Quicksilver, glimpsed on his bib - Nathaniel Pietro Barton
A comparison of the number of characters, themes, and Easter eggs in this one, above, to earlier MCU movies shows just how much was packed into it. This, after almost a full hour was trimmed from Joss Whedon's weightier cut.
In the end, it's still too much.
The roller coaster rocket-launches with a battle reminiscent of the tracking shot from the Battle of New York, this time pitting the Avengers against a remnant of Hydra. It's evident here that they are a cohesive and potent unit. There's a similar shot as they defend the trigger of Ultron's doomsday device, and another of a marble sculpture in the credits. Each one is slickly framed, but like much of the action throughout, it's tough to take in all the details.
Who wore it better: MCU Quicksilver or X-Men Quicksilver? One amusing scene in Days of Future Past aside, My vote goes to Age of Ultron. He's cocksure and quippy, just like he is in the source material. He's also with Wanda, one of my favorite comic characters. They play well off one another. It's a Joss Whedon film, though, so his is the requisite heroic sacrifice.
Though still a year from release, Civil War really starts here as the team come to blows over Tony and Bruce's determination to salvage something positive out of Ultron's "vision." In the end, the core team has already tarted to splinter. Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye will all be absent from that coming conflict, just a few years after the Avengers came together. Steve and Tony's parting conversation at the new Avengers compound is amicable, but their words portend both of their futures.
Years of prior planning and set-up for the future are carefully crafted, but not everyone is up for a 1,000-piece puzzle. Even Whedon was rightfully spent after this one.
In the end, it's still too much.
The roller coaster rocket-launches with a battle reminiscent of the tracking shot from the Battle of New York, this time pitting the Avengers against a remnant of Hydra. It's evident here that they are a cohesive and potent unit. There's a similar shot as they defend the trigger of Ultron's doomsday device, and another of a marble sculpture in the credits. Each one is slickly framed, but like much of the action throughout, it's tough to take in all the details.
Who wore it better: MCU Quicksilver or X-Men Quicksilver? One amusing scene in Days of Future Past aside, My vote goes to Age of Ultron. He's cocksure and quippy, just like he is in the source material. He's also with Wanda, one of my favorite comic characters. They play well off one another. It's a Joss Whedon film, though, so his is the requisite heroic sacrifice.
Though still a year from release, Civil War really starts here as the team come to blows over Tony and Bruce's determination to salvage something positive out of Ultron's "vision." In the end, the core team has already tarted to splinter. Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye will all be absent from that coming conflict, just a few years after the Avengers came together. Steve and Tony's parting conversation at the new Avengers compound is amicable, but their words portend both of their futures.
Years of prior planning and set-up for the future are carefully crafted, but not everyone is up for a 1,000-piece puzzle. Even Whedon was rightfully spent after this one.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Monday, March 30, 2020
You Said It Yourself, B!+=#
Guardians of the Galaxy (August 2014)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: Quite a lot, dudes
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord
- Gamora
- Rocket
- Groot
- Drax the Destroyer
- Ronan the Accuser
- Yondu
Secondary Characters
- Nebula
- Korath
- Kraglin
- Thanos
- Nova Prime
Notable Story Elements
- Ravagers
- Xandar
- Nova Corps
- Kree
- Orb/Power Stone
- Infinity Stones
- Original theatrical release
- Multiple full viewings, and partial viewings on TV
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 27th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- The role and appearance of the Broker on Xandar is a reference the Trader, one of the Elders of the Universe; other Elders included the Collector (appearing here and in Infinity War), the Grandmaster (seen in Thor: Ragnarok), and Ego the Living Planet (a main character in Vol. 2); the Elders possessed the Infinity Stones (called "Gems" in the comics) for a time before Thanos gathered them
- A Dark Elf is visible in the Collector's museum, along with a cosmonaut dog and - in the credits - Howard the Duck
- The planetoid Knowhere is the head of a dead Celestial; other Celestials in their classic Marvel comics design are seen in the Collector's explanation of the Infinity Stones; in the sequel, Ego identifies himself as a Celestial, too
- The Sakaarans serving Ronan originate from Sakaar, the planet on which Hulk lands when he's banished from Earth in the comics; its setting for the Planet Hulk stories, many elements of which are used in Ragnarok
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 2017)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: Not quite as many, man
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord
- Gamora
- Rocket
- Groot
- Drax the Destroyer
- Yondu
- Nebula
- Ego the Living Planet
Secondary Characters
- Mantis
- Kraglin
- Meredith Quill
- Ayesha
- Stakar
- Taserface
Notable Story Elements
- Ravagers
- The Sovereign
- Celestials
- Original theatrical release
- Here and there on BluRay in the past few years
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 28th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- The Sovereign are similar to the synthetic humanoid creations of a group know in the comics as the Enclave; their greatest achievement is Adam Warlock, and the birthing pod and his naming by Ayesha in the credits are definite references to him
- Howard the Duck is glimpsed again on Contraxia
- The Ravager Stakar, with his wing-like shoulder rings, is a parallel to one of the original Guardians of the Galaxy characters, Starhawk; he's accompanied by a crystal-encrusted being (Martinex), and the Ravagers that gather with him in the end credits scene, like Ving Rhames' Charlie-27, all resemble past Guardians; Yondu was one of the original Guardians as well
- It's unconfirmed anywhere I looked, but I think Korg and Miek from Ragnarok are glimpsed during the consecutive starship jumps of Rocket, Groot, Yondo, and Kraglin
- Stan Lee chats with The Watchers, telling them about of one of his multiple lives in the Marvel movies; they are the impassive observers of cosmic events, and narrators of alternate universe What If? comic stories
- Peter says to Ego with awe and starry eyes, "I can see Eternity," referencing another cosmic entity from the comics
- Among the tchotchkes placed around Yondo is the jeweled piece he gets from the Broker early in the first film
Seeing the first Guardians of the Galaxy in theater was the exclamation point on months of craziness. I'd graduated with my Masters from GVSU, moved classrooms, and we had just started the long process of settling into our new home. The first night we slept here, I tucked then 6-year-old Hope into her new bed, and jetted off to Celebration Cinema North to see it with my friend Steven. The next day, he relocated to Arizona.
Not before or since has IMAX 3D been used so effectively, though the sequel came close just with Yondu's Yaka Arrow takedown of the mutinous Ravagers.
More than any of the other MCU movies and sequels, the narrative of these two is tightly wound. Family is the ligament, and Identity and Belonging the tendons. In the first, Peter's loss of his mom and the connection he maintains with her through gifted music are established. Simply opening a parting gift 26 years later and booting up Ain't No Mountain High Enough is one of the most impactful moments of any of the Marvel films - this, not long after he takes Gamora's hand, and his teammates physically connect with him, to thwart Ronan. When Ego crushes the Walkman and the tape within in Vol. 2, it is the final severing stroke between biological father and son. Like Loki impaling Coulson, that brought out gasps in theatergoers.
Common and continuing themes abound.
Gamora's statement of, "I would be grateful to die beside my friends," is later elevated to, "I thought you already had," in reply to Peter stating, "I finally found my family, don't you understand that?"
The slow-walks of the Guardians in the first (complete with a crotch adjustment from Rocket and Gamora's casual yawn) and then the stroll of the escaped Yondu, Rocket, and Groot in the second.
Groot unleashed on soldiers aboard the Dark Aster (his smile after he kills them kills me every time) and on his "MASCOT!" tormentor in the sequel.
Yondu's vicious but hilarious slaying of the Sakaarans who've landed on Xandar, and his aforementioned vengeance on the Ravager traitors.
Penis jokes, toilet humor.
Kevin Bacon and David Hasselhoff.
Soundtracks that have been in my vehicle now for over 5 and almost 3 years, respectively, and scores that are often background music when doing work at home and school.
There are almost innumerable other commonalities, and a great deal of polish, too. In the often-overlooked Vol. 2., the execution of those loyal to Yondu portends his own end. It says something about the design of even minor characters that when Yondu, Rocket, and Groot tear through the Ravagers, we recognize just about every one of them, and even bearded, bespectacled Jeff by name. The Chain plays both as Peter partks inamicably from Rocket, and again as he resolves to end the threat of his father and save his friends/family along with the galaxy.
Just like The Winter Soldier, I'll acknowledge that my love for these movies is tied up in that for the source material. My favorite comics through the '90s were Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, West Coast Avengers, New Warriors, and Jim Valentino's Guardians of the Galaxy. (It was Jim's son, Aaron, who created the villain Taserface.)
I especially dig the MCU translation of Yondu, who was already one of my favorite Guardians comic characters. In our basement:
On the most recent viewings, though, I loved Drax. His autistic literalism is always good for laughs, but in subdued scenes, such as when he sits with and pats Rocket or when Mantis empathically reacts to his pain and ultimate resolve, his inner world is glimpsed, too.
These aren't perfect movies, but they are some of the MCU's best and most fun. During our marathon of a-movie-a-day as a family through the COVID-19 quarantine, it's become increasingly difficult to rank them. We've settled on a standard to break up the pack: is this a movie I would watch again? The answer for both Guardians movies is, yes, and I have as much as any of the MCU movies except The Avengers, with no ends in sight.
Not before or since has IMAX 3D been used so effectively, though the sequel came close just with Yondu's Yaka Arrow takedown of the mutinous Ravagers.
More than any of the other MCU movies and sequels, the narrative of these two is tightly wound. Family is the ligament, and Identity and Belonging the tendons. In the first, Peter's loss of his mom and the connection he maintains with her through gifted music are established. Simply opening a parting gift 26 years later and booting up Ain't No Mountain High Enough is one of the most impactful moments of any of the Marvel films - this, not long after he takes Gamora's hand, and his teammates physically connect with him, to thwart Ronan. When Ego crushes the Walkman and the tape within in Vol. 2, it is the final severing stroke between biological father and son. Like Loki impaling Coulson, that brought out gasps in theatergoers.
Common and continuing themes abound.
Gamora's statement of, "I would be grateful to die beside my friends," is later elevated to, "I thought you already had," in reply to Peter stating, "I finally found my family, don't you understand that?"
The slow-walks of the Guardians in the first (complete with a crotch adjustment from Rocket and Gamora's casual yawn) and then the stroll of the escaped Yondu, Rocket, and Groot in the second.
Groot unleashed on soldiers aboard the Dark Aster (his smile after he kills them kills me every time) and on his "MASCOT!" tormentor in the sequel.
Yondu's vicious but hilarious slaying of the Sakaarans who've landed on Xandar, and his aforementioned vengeance on the Ravager traitors.
Penis jokes, toilet humor.
Kevin Bacon and David Hasselhoff.
Soundtracks that have been in my vehicle now for over 5 and almost 3 years, respectively, and scores that are often background music when doing work at home and school.
There are almost innumerable other commonalities, and a great deal of polish, too. In the often-overlooked Vol. 2., the execution of those loyal to Yondu portends his own end. It says something about the design of even minor characters that when Yondu, Rocket, and Groot tear through the Ravagers, we recognize just about every one of them, and even bearded, bespectacled Jeff by name. The Chain plays both as Peter partks inamicably from Rocket, and again as he resolves to end the threat of his father and save his friends/family along with the galaxy.
On the downside, it takes awhile for the team to come together in Guardians of the Galaxy, and then they split quite early in Vol. 2.
I especially dig the MCU translation of Yondu, who was already one of my favorite Guardians comic characters. In our basement:
These aren't perfect movies, but they are some of the MCU's best and most fun. During our marathon of a-movie-a-day as a family through the COVID-19 quarantine, it's become increasingly difficult to rank them. We've settled on a standard to break up the pack: is this a movie I would watch again? The answer for both Guardians movies is, yes, and I have as much as any of the MCU movies except The Avengers, with no ends in sight.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Iron Man
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Saturday, March 28, 2020
The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 2014)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: A dozen or more
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Natasha Romanov/Black Widow
- Sam Wilson/Falcon
- Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier
- Director Nick Fury
- Secretary Alexander Pierce
Secondary Characters
- Deputy Director Maria Hill
- Peggy Carter
- Sharon Carter/Agent 13
- Brock Rumlow
- Arnim Zola
- Jasper Sitwell
- Batroc
- Senator Stern
Notable Story Elements
- SHIELD
- STRIKE
- Hydra
- Triskelion
- Project Insight Helicarriers
- World Security Council
- Original theatrical release
- Multiple full viewings, and partial viewings on TV
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 26th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- "On your left" is repeated not only in a key scene this movie, but also in one of the best fanservice moments of Endgame
- The name of the ship in the opening action sequence, the Lumurian Star, may be a reference to the Atlantis-like lost land that appears in a great deal of fiction, including Marvel comics
- The support group led by Sam is later echoed by the one led by Steve following the events of Infinity War
- It's Been a Long, Long Time plays in Steve's apartment when Fury retreats there; it's heard again in his home with Peggy in Endgame
In the low-stakes game of comic book deaths, there were only two truisms:
Not long into that run, through 2006 and 2007, the Civil War event shook up the Marvel Universe. Its themes, if not its precise narrative, are revisited in the third Captain America movie, and both were hugely successful for Marvel Comics and the MCU.
I loathed and loved the comic book stories.
Just yesterday, I was boarding and bagging my New Warriors collection, and this morning, an ad in my Facebook feed for Marvel Unlimited included the Civil War-era image of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, both in costume but unmasked, repulsors violently meeting shield. Its caption:
The setup for Civil War involved the blundering death of the New Warriors - and over 600 civilians, prompting public outcry and a renewed push for a Superhuman Registration Act, something that'd been explored in Avengers and X-Men comics years earlier.
That sucked. The Warriors were some of my favorites, and I had followed them for almost a decade. They had been relegated to reality show punchlines, but were by no means throwaways.
The Civil War stories that followed did not suck. Cap and his underground resistance to the SRA were badass. Mark Millar has his faults, but he was in top form here.
At Civil War's conclusion, Steve Rogers "died" and Bucky Barnes inherited the mantle of Captain America. What followed truly was a major shake-up of the Marvel Universe. One Avengers title followed the anti-establishment heroes, and another the "corporate" heroes. Carol Danvers was elevated during this time. The teen heroes of Avengers: The Initiative had much the same vibe as early New Warriors comics. Some of the consequences of Civil War even carried over into the next big event, the Secret Invasion of the Skrulls.
Now, about a decade later, and after Civil War II in 2016 (this one pitting Tony Stark against Carol Danvers), it's all irrelevant. None of the characters whose relationships were tested during Civil War seem marred by grudges or suspicions. Some of the once-deceased New Warriors are being advertised on the cover of the group's new series as mentors to new youths.
That's the problem with Marvel Comics; there are epic moments, but they change nothing in the end. Years of character development, like Jane Foster as Thor and Sam Wilson as Captain America, are wiped away in broad editorial strokes. Maybe this was exacerbated by Bucky returning, with nothing truly sacred after that. (Bucky "died" again in another Marvel event, 2011's Fear Itself. Last week, I bought a comic teaming him and Sam Wilson - just in time for their upcoming Disney+ show.)
I'd planned to pen a separate post on my problems with Marvel Comics, but this seemed as appropriate a space as any for them.
The Winter Soldier isn't a superhero movie. It's an espionage thriller with spandex. I enjoy the latter (espionage thrillers, not spandex), and my wife Melanie does not. I also have a long history with Captain America and the guilt he carried for years at the loss of Bucky, and read and loved Brubaker's Winter Soldier stories. So, while this one is middle of the pack of the MCU movies for her, it's among my favorites.
I first saw it in a small theater in the U.P. with my childhood friend Scott during a breather from the busiest time in my life. I'd just finished years of work on my Masters degree and would graduate in a few weeks. At the same time, our family of four - including a 6-year old and 2-year old - was preparing for the move from our home of over 10 years. That would be enough, but also in the back of my mind was packing up the 3rd grade classroom I'd taught in for 8 years, and moving to another school and different grade level.
For those 2 hours of spring break at the Willow Creek Cinema, I left all the stress behind and was absolutely blown away. All stunt doubles deserved bonus pay.
Most of my all-time favorite comic characters (minus Hulk and Hawkeye) are front-and-center. If Black Widow never had her own, this could effectively be "THE Black Widow movie."
Steve has a slicker militaristic uniform, but also less pathos over his lost years than in The Avengers. His list of things on which to catch up, glimpsed when Sam pitches Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man (and heard during the denouement), is both startling and humorous.
That's not to say this is a lighthearted affair. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy the night after this one, and while it has the laughs, this is clearly one of the more serious and consequential MCU outings.
The Winter Soldier's action is intense and frequent but more exhilarating than exhausting. Fury finally gets to cut loose. Black Widow is at her best. Falcon is sure and smooth, and this was the perfect time to bring him into the circle. In the '70s comics when Steve Rogers uncovered deep corruption in the U.S. government (by the Secret Empire, not Hydra) and abandoned the stars, stripes and shield to become the Nomad, his comic was actually titled Captain America and the Falcon, a branding change that lasted over 7 years.
The Winter Soldier is perfectly portrayed here as a Keyzer Soze-esqe menace... and then a very real, visceral one.
Cap's iconic shield is used better here than anywhere else, and his prowess, too, gets plenty of flex. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Bad. Ass. Sitwell's reaction to his improbable escape fuels fist-pumps.
There are quieter poignant moments. Steve's bedside visit with Peggy was heart-wrenching at this time, and even more touching on another viewing now that their full story has been told. "I couldn't leave my best girl, not when she owes me a dance." Whew. Steve and Natasha's conversation about kissing is light and sweet.
There's so much polish here, from the use of Arnim Zola, a classic Captain America villian, right down to his camera-head and digitized face, to Captain America: The First Avenger actor Dominic Cooper being pictured in the bunker as Howard Stark, even when he'd since been portrayed by John Slattery in Iron Man 2.
Just as significantly, SHIELD was truly shook up by what transpires. The stakes are high, and the consequences are real. I have not watched the TV series, but know that it was deeply impacted, and we never see SHIELD quite the same way in the MCU.
It's a fantastic movie made even better by what preceded and what follows, as well as the numerous nods to its source material.
- Bucky is dead;
- Uncle Ben is dead.
Not long into that run, through 2006 and 2007, the Civil War event shook up the Marvel Universe. Its themes, if not its precise narrative, are revisited in the third Captain America movie, and both were hugely successful for Marvel Comics and the MCU.
I loathed and loved the comic book stories.
Just yesterday, I was boarding and bagging my New Warriors collection, and this morning, an ad in my Facebook feed for Marvel Unlimited included the Civil War-era image of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, both in costume but unmasked, repulsors violently meeting shield. Its caption:
Relive the epic Marvel moments that changed everything. Start your Marvel Unlimited journey now!
The setup for Civil War involved the blundering death of the New Warriors - and over 600 civilians, prompting public outcry and a renewed push for a Superhuman Registration Act, something that'd been explored in Avengers and X-Men comics years earlier.
That sucked. The Warriors were some of my favorites, and I had followed them for almost a decade. They had been relegated to reality show punchlines, but were by no means throwaways.
The Civil War stories that followed did not suck. Cap and his underground resistance to the SRA were badass. Mark Millar has his faults, but he was in top form here.
At Civil War's conclusion, Steve Rogers "died" and Bucky Barnes inherited the mantle of Captain America. What followed truly was a major shake-up of the Marvel Universe. One Avengers title followed the anti-establishment heroes, and another the "corporate" heroes. Carol Danvers was elevated during this time. The teen heroes of Avengers: The Initiative had much the same vibe as early New Warriors comics. Some of the consequences of Civil War even carried over into the next big event, the Secret Invasion of the Skrulls.
Now, about a decade later, and after Civil War II in 2016 (this one pitting Tony Stark against Carol Danvers), it's all irrelevant. None of the characters whose relationships were tested during Civil War seem marred by grudges or suspicions. Some of the once-deceased New Warriors are being advertised on the cover of the group's new series as mentors to new youths.
That's the problem with Marvel Comics; there are epic moments, but they change nothing in the end. Years of character development, like Jane Foster as Thor and Sam Wilson as Captain America, are wiped away in broad editorial strokes. Maybe this was exacerbated by Bucky returning, with nothing truly sacred after that. (Bucky "died" again in another Marvel event, 2011's Fear Itself. Last week, I bought a comic teaming him and Sam Wilson - just in time for their upcoming Disney+ show.)
I'd planned to pen a separate post on my problems with Marvel Comics, but this seemed as appropriate a space as any for them.
The Winter Soldier isn't a superhero movie. It's an espionage thriller with spandex. I enjoy the latter (espionage thrillers, not spandex), and my wife Melanie does not. I also have a long history with Captain America and the guilt he carried for years at the loss of Bucky, and read and loved Brubaker's Winter Soldier stories. So, while this one is middle of the pack of the MCU movies for her, it's among my favorites.
I first saw it in a small theater in the U.P. with my childhood friend Scott during a breather from the busiest time in my life. I'd just finished years of work on my Masters degree and would graduate in a few weeks. At the same time, our family of four - including a 6-year old and 2-year old - was preparing for the move from our home of over 10 years. That would be enough, but also in the back of my mind was packing up the 3rd grade classroom I'd taught in for 8 years, and moving to another school and different grade level.
For those 2 hours of spring break at the Willow Creek Cinema, I left all the stress behind and was absolutely blown away. All stunt doubles deserved bonus pay.
Most of my all-time favorite comic characters (minus Hulk and Hawkeye) are front-and-center. If Black Widow never had her own, this could effectively be "THE Black Widow movie."
Steve has a slicker militaristic uniform, but also less pathos over his lost years than in The Avengers. His list of things on which to catch up, glimpsed when Sam pitches Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man (and heard during the denouement), is both startling and humorous.
"Rocky (Rocky II?)"One of the treats of multiple viewings over many years has been catching more of the list each time.
That's not to say this is a lighthearted affair. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy the night after this one, and while it has the laughs, this is clearly one of the more serious and consequential MCU outings.
The Winter Soldier's action is intense and frequent but more exhilarating than exhausting. Fury finally gets to cut loose. Black Widow is at her best. Falcon is sure and smooth, and this was the perfect time to bring him into the circle. In the '70s comics when Steve Rogers uncovered deep corruption in the U.S. government (by the Secret Empire, not Hydra) and abandoned the stars, stripes and shield to become the Nomad, his comic was actually titled Captain America and the Falcon, a branding change that lasted over 7 years.
The Winter Soldier is perfectly portrayed here as a Keyzer Soze-esqe menace... and then a very real, visceral one.
Cap's iconic shield is used better here than anywhere else, and his prowess, too, gets plenty of flex. "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Bad. Ass. Sitwell's reaction to his improbable escape fuels fist-pumps.
There are quieter poignant moments. Steve's bedside visit with Peggy was heart-wrenching at this time, and even more touching on another viewing now that their full story has been told. "I couldn't leave my best girl, not when she owes me a dance." Whew. Steve and Natasha's conversation about kissing is light and sweet.
There's so much polish here, from the use of Arnim Zola, a classic Captain America villian, right down to his camera-head and digitized face, to Captain America: The First Avenger actor Dominic Cooper being pictured in the bunker as Howard Stark, even when he'd since been portrayed by John Slattery in Iron Man 2.
Just as significantly, SHIELD was truly shook up by what transpires. The stakes are high, and the consequences are real. I have not watched the TV series, but know that it was deeply impacted, and we never see SHIELD quite the same way in the MCU.
It's a fantastic movie made even better by what preceded and what follows, as well as the numerous nods to its source material.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Friday, March 27, 2020
Humdrumvee
Thor: The Dark World (November 2013)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: 3
- Thor
- Jane Foster
- Loki
- Odin
- Malekith
Secondary Characters
- Heimdall
- Frigga
- Algrim/Kurse
- Erik Selvig
- Lady Sif
- The Warriors Three
- The Collector
Notable Story Elements
- The 9 Realms
- Yggdrasil
- Dark Elves
- Kursed
- Bifrost/The Rainbow Bridge
- Convergence
- The Aether/Reality Stone
- Sometime, somewhere after the theatrical release - I am pretty sure I missed this one
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 25th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- The stone giant Thor defeats in Vanaheim is similar in design to Korg, who appears in Ragnarok
- Odin is accompanied by a raven in one scene; Huginn and Muninn are his messengers to and from Midgard/Earth in Norse myths
- Odin wields a spear, which is called Gungnir in Norse myths
As we sat down as a family for this one, Melanie asked, "Is this the one that has the awesome song at the beginning?"
"No, sorry. That's Ragnarok. That's the Funvee. This one is the Humdrumvee."
Her post to Facebook later that night:
She will, if the press on Thor: Love and Thunder is to be believed. As detailed in an earlier post, the Jane Foster Lady Thor was one of my favorite Marvel heroes of recent years. Polygon nicely summarized her character origins and her time swinging Mjolnir. The hammer actually receives a fair amount of characterization (not a typo) and she, too, has more chemistry with it than she does when Odinson is inevitably reintroduced to the comic and elevated to the leading role. It's one of numerous editorial decisions that led me to prune my Marvel reading down to a single regular title and just new limited series of past favorite characters and teams.
This movie drags. I agree with my wife that Jane Foster is a weak link, but Malekith is dull in every way, too. We agree that the "science" overtakes the "fantasy" in the science fantasy to an uncomfortable point. Her best quip - in addition to, "Jane Foster is not observing proper social distancing from The Aether" - came when the Dark Elves attack Asgard: "Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!" In her rankings of the MCU, she rates this one dead last with the tag, "Banished to the DCU."
It's a toss-up as to what gets the trophy for Most Convenient Location of a MacGuffin: the locations of Convergence points between Asgard, Earth, and other Realms, or the absurd map-dagger below the quicksand caves in The Rise of Skywalker.
Loki is excellent again, and Heimdall's costume is one of the sharpest in all of these films.
Otherwise, I wouldn't watch this one again, even if we experience another pandemic quarantine.
"No, sorry. That's Ragnarok. That's the Funvee. This one is the Humdrumvee."
Her post to Facebook later that night:
Jane Foster is the most boring named character in the MCU. Natalie Portman is the worst named actor in the MCU. Thor has more chemistry with his hammer. Prove me wrong!There were two replies: "You're not wrong" with a shrug emoji, and, "She'll be the next Thor, though!"
She will, if the press on Thor: Love and Thunder is to be believed. As detailed in an earlier post, the Jane Foster Lady Thor was one of my favorite Marvel heroes of recent years. Polygon nicely summarized her character origins and her time swinging Mjolnir. The hammer actually receives a fair amount of characterization (not a typo) and she, too, has more chemistry with it than she does when Odinson is inevitably reintroduced to the comic and elevated to the leading role. It's one of numerous editorial decisions that led me to prune my Marvel reading down to a single regular title and just new limited series of past favorite characters and teams.
This movie drags. I agree with my wife that Jane Foster is a weak link, but Malekith is dull in every way, too. We agree that the "science" overtakes the "fantasy" in the science fantasy to an uncomfortable point. Her best quip - in addition to, "Jane Foster is not observing proper social distancing from The Aether" - came when the Dark Elves attack Asgard: "Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!" In her rankings of the MCU, she rates this one dead last with the tag, "Banished to the DCU."
It's a toss-up as to what gets the trophy for Most Convenient Location of a MacGuffin: the locations of Convergence points between Asgard, Earth, and other Realms, or the absurd map-dagger below the quicksand caves in The Rise of Skywalker.
Loki is excellent again, and Heimdall's costume is one of the sharpest in all of these films.
Otherwise, I wouldn't watch this one again, even if we experience another pandemic quarantine.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- Thor: The Dark World
- The Incredible Hulk
Thursday, March 26, 2020
WARMACHINEROX
Iron Man 3 (May 2013)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: 3
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Pepper Potts
- Lieutenant James Rhodes/Iron Patriot
- Aldrich Killian
Secondary Characters
- Jarvis
- Happy Hogan
- Trevor Slattery/The Mandarin
- Maya Hansen
- Harley Keener
- Ho Yinsen
Notable Story Elements
- AIM
- Extremis
- Original theatrical release
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year or two (though Melanie says she never saw it before this week)
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 24th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Harley suggests that Tony make stealth armor, to which he quips that he should do that sometime; in the comics, there's a much-earlier model black stealth suit, and also a later version, when tracking down and destroying Extremis; that later version is Mk. 43, and his suit in this movie is Mk. 42, making it likely this is a deliberate nod by source-savvy writers and/or producers
- The executive supposedly executed by The Mandarin is from the Roxxon Oil corporation, which first appeared in Captain America in the 1970s and was involved in various criminal activities, especially after the Exxon Valdez spill
I liked Harley.
Melanie did not. (Her take: "No dad? Check. Secretly a genius? Check. Bullied? Check. UGH.")
I'm sure that if Iron Man 3 had been released in the '80s or '90s instead, and I'd watched it with my friend Brian then, Harley would have been branded "the annoying mini-kid." He's often cited when this movie is criticized, too. We're not talking The Phantom Menace Anakin Skywalker, though, are we?
Like Iron Man 2, there is a lot going on here.
Narratively and - especially - visually, Aldrich Killian is a stronger villain than either Iron Monger or Whiplash. The Ten Rings symbology returns, too, accompanying "The Mandarin." He's one of my favorite parts of Iron Man 3. The contrast of his televised menace and his in-person meeting with Tony - toilet humor AND drug humor, natch - fit well with the movie's recurring theme of multiple and often conflicting identities.
The end credits are the best of any MCU movie yet, a slick mash-up of all Iron Man's adventures to date. The future is blindingly bright at this point.
Sadly, no AIM beekeeper suits.
Melanie did not. (Her take: "No dad? Check. Secretly a genius? Check. Bullied? Check. UGH.")
I'm sure that if Iron Man 3 had been released in the '80s or '90s instead, and I'd watched it with my friend Brian then, Harley would have been branded "the annoying mini-kid." He's often cited when this movie is criticized, too. We're not talking The Phantom Menace Anakin Skywalker, though, are we?
Like Iron Man 2, there is a lot going on here.
- A flashback to Switzerland at the dawn of the new millennium, setting up the larger narrative, and including an appreciated cameo by Ho Yinsen. How would his life have played out differently if Stark had taken time to connect then?
- Tony's PTSD following the near-death experience in The Battle of New York; "nothing's been the same since New York."
- A new look for Rhodey.
- The strained relationship between Tony and Pepper.
- Happy played for laughs and then lingering near death.
- An "Alas, Poor Yorick" moment with Tony gazing at his helmet, and another similarly-framed scene when Pepper thinks he's perished (Fake Death Count: 1).
- Tony's time as The Mechanic and relationship with Harley. No armor, no problem; we'll science the shit out of this and make do with MacGyvered grocery goods. I loved this.
- A series of action-spy investigations and confrontations.
- Humorous puppet-villain.
- The President has been kidnapped (not by ninjas). Tony and Rhodey are bad enough dudes to rescue him.
- Pepper gets superpowers and dies (Fake Death Count: 2).
- Tony has surgery.
Narratively and - especially - visually, Aldrich Killian is a stronger villain than either Iron Monger or Whiplash. The Ten Rings symbology returns, too, accompanying "The Mandarin." He's one of my favorite parts of Iron Man 3. The contrast of his televised menace and his in-person meeting with Tony - toilet humor AND drug humor, natch - fit well with the movie's recurring theme of multiple and often conflicting identities.
The end credits are the best of any MCU movie yet, a slick mash-up of all Iron Man's adventures to date. The future is blindingly bright at this point.
Sadly, no AIM beekeeper suits.
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 3
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- The Incredible Hulk
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Assembled
The Avengers (May 2012)
Primary Characters- Director Nick Fury
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Loki
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Natasha Romanov/Black Widow
- Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Thor
Secondary Characters
- Erik Selvig
- Deputy Director Maria Hill
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Pepper Potts
- Jasper Sitwell
- Councilmember Gideon Malick
- Thanos
Notable Story Elements
- SHIELD
- The Helicarrier
- Chitauri
- Asgard
- The Tesseract/Space Stone
- Loki's scepter/Mind Stone
- Original theatrical release (at least 3 times)
- Multiple full viewings
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 23rd, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Stark deflects Coulson's call by stating he is the "Life Model Decoy" of Tony Stark, referencing the lifelike androids that are a part of many comic book SHIELD stories
- Pepper can be overheard speaking to Coulson about the cellist with whom he was once romantically involved moving to Portland; Stark mentions the cellist to Rogers after Coulson's death*
- Coulson uses comic book condition terms to describe his trading card collection
- Banner wears a purple shirt through much of the film, the same color as the Hulk's iconic ripped pants
- Captain America deflects one of Iron Man's repulsor blast off his shield to strike multiple foes, similar to an attack they use in multiple Marvel games
Straight up, this is a contender for my favorite movie, period. Just as The Incredible Hulk is set in last place of my ranking of the MCU films, it's fairly certain this one will remain first.
Bringing this large cast of characters into one cohesive film was no small feat. On a scale smaller than the culminating extravaganza Endgame, the impact of The Avengers depends on how invested one is in not just the heroics of its protagonists, but also in their individual foibles and personal triumphs.
We're happy to see Tony and Pepper together, as there's already 4 hours of turbulent courtship covered in Iron Man and its sequel. Thor is pained by his brother's actions, but his emotion here builds on the waves of earlier betrayals seen in their movie debut. Every blow Steve Rogers lands on the sand bag carries with it the frustration of nearly 70 lost years - and what, and who, are gone with them. The character building has already been done.
There's uncharted movie history between Hawkeye and Black Widow, but enough screen time given to dialogue between and about them to establish their characters and their relationship. He's Loki's thrall for most of the movie, and the regret and thirst for revenge he feels once freed are palpable. Her opening "interrogation" and the ass-kicking she delivers are, like so much of The Avengers, simultaneously exciting and humorous.
Hulk's origins and earlier adventures don't matter so much as that he is finally both terrifying and thrilling. His "I'm always angry" transformation and takedown of the Chitauri leviathan coincides with the crescendo of the outstanding Avengers theme and the rising stakes of the Battle of New York. Near its end, when he trounces Loki, all three different audiences with whom I watched it in the theaters cheered and laughed uproariously. The Incredible Hulk was a drag; he gets some of the best licks in here.
Makers of the previous films deserve credit for getting the heroes to this point, and Joss Whedon masterfully knits their diverse narratives together. Just as in the comics, it's Loki's schemes that unintentionally draw out a large force to thwart them, so props to him, too.
Taken by itself, The Avengers would still be well-paced, quotable, action-packed. Following the earlier MCU outings, though, it transcends what could normally be experienced through a superhero flick. It's a story of imperfect people (and well-established characters) coming together for the greater good. As paraphrased by Nick Fury following' Coulson's death*, and in the leading page of Avengers comics for years now:
Bringing this large cast of characters into one cohesive film was no small feat. On a scale smaller than the culminating extravaganza Endgame, the impact of The Avengers depends on how invested one is in not just the heroics of its protagonists, but also in their individual foibles and personal triumphs.
We're happy to see Tony and Pepper together, as there's already 4 hours of turbulent courtship covered in Iron Man and its sequel. Thor is pained by his brother's actions, but his emotion here builds on the waves of earlier betrayals seen in their movie debut. Every blow Steve Rogers lands on the sand bag carries with it the frustration of nearly 70 lost years - and what, and who, are gone with them. The character building has already been done.
There's uncharted movie history between Hawkeye and Black Widow, but enough screen time given to dialogue between and about them to establish their characters and their relationship. He's Loki's thrall for most of the movie, and the regret and thirst for revenge he feels once freed are palpable. Her opening "interrogation" and the ass-kicking she delivers are, like so much of The Avengers, simultaneously exciting and humorous.
Hulk's origins and earlier adventures don't matter so much as that he is finally both terrifying and thrilling. His "I'm always angry" transformation and takedown of the Chitauri leviathan coincides with the crescendo of the outstanding Avengers theme and the rising stakes of the Battle of New York. Near its end, when he trounces Loki, all three different audiences with whom I watched it in the theaters cheered and laughed uproariously. The Incredible Hulk was a drag; he gets some of the best licks in here.
Makers of the previous films deserve credit for getting the heroes to this point, and Joss Whedon masterfully knits their diverse narratives together. Just as in the comics, it's Loki's schemes that unintentionally draw out a large force to thwart them, so props to him, too.
Taken by itself, The Avengers would still be well-paced, quotable, action-packed. Following the earlier MCU outings, though, it transcends what could normally be experienced through a superhero flick. It's a story of imperfect people (and well-established characters) coming together for the greater good. As paraphrased by Nick Fury following' Coulson's death*, and in the leading page of Avengers comics for years now:
And there came a day, unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat! On that day, the Avengers were born, to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand!
*Like the strong reaction to Hulk and Loki, this moment elicited one of the most genuine responses I've ever seen in a theater. The air was sucked out of the room, grave stillness settled in, and more than a few tears were shed. Damn you and bless you, Whedon.
Ranking
Ranking
- The Avengers
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- The Incredible Hulk
Monday, March 23, 2020
Big Beefy Boys
Thor (May 2011)
Primary Characters- Thor
- Loki
- Odin
- Jane Foster
Secondary Characters
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Director Nick Fury
- Erik Selvig
- Heimdall
- Laufey
- Frigga
- Lady Sif
- The Warriors Three
- The Destroyer
Notable Story Elements
- Asgard
- Bifrost/The Rainbow Bridge
- Casket of Ancient Winters
- SHIELD
- Original theatrical release
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year or two
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 21st, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Dr. Donald Blake was the original human identity of Thor after he was banished to Earth in the comics
- Hawkeye is referred to as "Agent Barton" but his identity is clear to any fan who hears that name and sees him snag the bow from all the available armaments
Like Captain Marvel, Thor was another character with whom I didn't have an early or extensive comic reading history. My friend Michael (first met as the older brother of my friend Alan) collected some of his books, and that was my introduction to him.
Later, he was part of the Avengers, and so got to know him there, but he never seemed a core part of that team, instead feeling like the guest star he was in many other series of the time, such as Power Pack, or his adventures with the New Mutants in Norse realms. The few books of his I did pick up had him facing off against Malekith the Accursed, the main villain from The Dark World.
Later, he was part of the Avengers, and so got to know him there, but he never seemed a core part of that team, instead feeling like the guest star he was in many other series of the time, such as Power Pack, or his adventures with the New Mutants in Norse realms. The few books of his I did pick up had him facing off against Malekith the Accursed, the main villain from The Dark World.
In recent years, though, I collected The Mighty Thor for a long stretch during Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman's take on Jane Foster as Thor, and loved her enough that I ordered a custom Funko Pop-like figure of her from the talented Michael Brandes of MB Custom Toys. She was later joined by the Sam Wilson Captain America. I'm eagerly anticipating Thor: Love and Thunder, more to see the fun of Thor: Ragnarok continued and less to see their relationship rekindled.
Even when I had largely stopped collecting Marvel books in 2018, I still came back for War of the Realms. It was disappointing, though perhaps not as much as the inexcusably uneven Secret Empire event.
Between that time, though, there was the Thor MCU entry. I don't think many casual superhero fans knew what to expect, and it's not clear how its creators want the audience to connect to a demigod hero. Jane Foster plays the every(wo)man part, and theoretically that bridge, though she's equally a Mulder believer and Scully skeptic. Also, like Padme and Anakin, the most chemistry that exists between her and Thor is when they are brooding separately.
Between that time, though, there was the Thor MCU entry. I don't think many casual superhero fans knew what to expect, and it's not clear how its creators want the audience to connect to a demigod hero. Jane Foster plays the every(wo)man part, and theoretically that bridge, though she's equally a Mulder believer and Scully skeptic. Also, like Padme and Anakin, the most chemistry that exists between her and Thor is when they are brooding separately.
Many classic Thor elements are present, including the humbling loss of his powers and exile to Midgard/Earth. That's Anthony Hopkins' greatest moment in what is otherwise a fairly rote role. Loki fully grows into the God of Mischief in later Marvel films. This time, the emphasis is on his complex relationship with family, which pays off years later and adds weight to events of Infinity War.
The visuals are extraordinary, from the science fantasy of Asgard to frozen Niflheim to the wormholes between dimensions.
This is the film where all the threads of the MCU start knitting together. I do wish we'd watched it as planned, after The Incredible Hulk and before The Avengers, but with the hammer appearing at the end of Iron Man 2, we switched it up... and none of us really wanted to watch The Incredible Hulk this past Saturday night.
The visuals are extraordinary, from the science fantasy of Asgard to frozen Niflheim to the wormholes between dimensions.
This is the film where all the threads of the MCU start knitting together. I do wish we'd watched it as planned, after The Incredible Hulk and before The Avengers, but with the hammer appearing at the end of Iron Man 2, we switched it up... and none of us really wanted to watch The Incredible Hulk this past Saturday night.
The Incredible Hulk (June 2008)
Primary Characters- Bruce Banner/Hulk
- General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross
- Emil Blonsky/Abomination
Secondary Characters
- Samuel Sterns
- Tony Stark
Notable Story Elements
- Gamma radiation
- SHIELD
- Original theatrical release
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 22nd, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Multiple callbacks to The Incredible Hulk TV show of the '70s and '80s, including:
- The facial target in the experimental equipment
- Banner's eyes glowing green during transformations
- The theme played briefly when Banner is walking alone
- Lou Ferrigno's appearance as a pizza-loving security guard
- The use of the Mr. Green and Mr. Blue aliases, briefly a part of the comics just after Peter David's storied run on the title (I read only a single issue after he departed)
- Samuel Sterns' exposure to Banner's blood and the pulsing in his skull hint at his transformation into The Leader
I could probably write a regular blog just on my experiences with Peter David's time writing the Hulk. He became my favorite character while under David's care, and as a whole, it's still my best-loved series of stories today.
There's no getting around, it, though... the first Hulk movie was a stinker, and though The Incredible Hulk had a much more promising start, by the time Stan Lee chugs gamma blood, it starts to go off the rails.
Melanie's mid-movie commentary: "So far, most of this movie has been him running."
Mine, near the end: "Okay, so let's stage a second military operation on an active college campus. It went well last time."
For people who are not fans of seeing blood, needles, and pumping fluid - such as Melanie - be warned that there's heaping doses of each throughout.
Eli Roth, action villain. Oof. That the character is a special forces operative rather than a foreign agent is... okay, but he's still not believable in that role.
Hulk is strongest one there is. However, his Hyper-Leaping (Marvel Super Hero RPG terms, there) isn't really on display, and the iconic concussive clap and ground pound are used in the lamest and least plausible possible ways, almost an afterthought in the movie's closing conflict.
The pre-credits appearance of Tony Stark was theoretically the connective tissue between this film and the MCU, but he meets with Thunderbolt Ross to... recruit Banner... and Ross' whole shtick here is that Banner keeps eluding him. How Bruce gets from Canada overseas to India where he's contacted by Black Widow is also shrugged away.
Peter David leaned heavily into the Hulk's origin as the result of Bruce Banner's reckless but selfless action in the face of an imminent gamma bomb detonation, dashing onto the test field to save teenaged Rick Jones. Rick is a significant part of the supporting cast, and later becomes a key figure in the original Mar-Vell's Captain Marvel comics, the Kree/Skrull War, and other Avengers events. Unless he was subtly slotted in somewhere, I believe he's entirely absent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's a shame. He's as much Bruce's touchstone to humanity as Betty is.
For as much as I'm lukewarm on Thor and dislike The Incredible Hulk movie, it was still fun to watch them back-to-back and remember their goofiness in The Incredible Hulk Returns.
As far as rankings go, I like all the Marvel movies, and love most of them. I dislike this one, so its place at the bottom of the pile is likely set. Compared to the others, this one has almost no fun moments. "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry," is about as close as it gets to a genuine laugh.
There's no getting around, it, though... the first Hulk movie was a stinker, and though The Incredible Hulk had a much more promising start, by the time Stan Lee chugs gamma blood, it starts to go off the rails.
Melanie's mid-movie commentary: "So far, most of this movie has been him running."
Mine, near the end: "Okay, so let's stage a second military operation on an active college campus. It went well last time."
For people who are not fans of seeing blood, needles, and pumping fluid - such as Melanie - be warned that there's heaping doses of each throughout.
Eli Roth, action villain. Oof. That the character is a special forces operative rather than a foreign agent is... okay, but he's still not believable in that role.
Hulk is strongest one there is. However, his Hyper-Leaping (Marvel Super Hero RPG terms, there) isn't really on display, and the iconic concussive clap and ground pound are used in the lamest and least plausible possible ways, almost an afterthought in the movie's closing conflict.
The pre-credits appearance of Tony Stark was theoretically the connective tissue between this film and the MCU, but he meets with Thunderbolt Ross to... recruit Banner... and Ross' whole shtick here is that Banner keeps eluding him. How Bruce gets from Canada overseas to India where he's contacted by Black Widow is also shrugged away.
Peter David leaned heavily into the Hulk's origin as the result of Bruce Banner's reckless but selfless action in the face of an imminent gamma bomb detonation, dashing onto the test field to save teenaged Rick Jones. Rick is a significant part of the supporting cast, and later becomes a key figure in the original Mar-Vell's Captain Marvel comics, the Kree/Skrull War, and other Avengers events. Unless he was subtly slotted in somewhere, I believe he's entirely absent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's a shame. He's as much Bruce's touchstone to humanity as Betty is.
For as much as I'm lukewarm on Thor and dislike The Incredible Hulk movie, it was still fun to watch them back-to-back and remember their goofiness in The Incredible Hulk Returns.
As far as rankings go, I like all the Marvel movies, and love most of them. I dislike this one, so its place at the bottom of the pile is likely set. Compared to the others, this one has almost no fun moments. "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry," is about as close as it gets to a genuine laugh.
Ranking
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- Thor
- The Incredible Hulk
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Iron Man and Iron Man 2
Iron Man (May 2008)
Primary Characters- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Pepper Potts
- Lieutenant James Rhodes
- Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger
Secondary Characters
- Jarvis
- Happy Hogan
- Howard Stark
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Director Nick Fury
Notable Story Elements
- Arc Reactor Technology
- Original theatrical release
- BluRay set of all three Iron Man films received as a Christmas gift this past year
- Multiple partial and full viewings on TV
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 19th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Tony's various cars have vanity plates with his name and a number, referencing the "Mark" versions of his armor (Mk.1, Mk. 2, and so on)
- There was another cheeseburger for Obie; Tony eats one, then pulls a second one out of his jacket later
- The terrorist cell's name, The Ten Rings, is definitely a reference to The Mandarin
- Rhodey's quip, "Next time, baby," hints at his future as War Machine
Iron Man 2 (May 2010)
Primary Characters- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Pepper Potts
- Lieutenant James Rhodes/War Machine
- Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
- Director Nick Fury
- Ivan Vanko/Whiplash
Secondary Characters
- Jarvis
- Happy Hogan
- Justin Hammer
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Senator Stern
Notable Story Elements
- Arc Reactor Technology
- Original theatrical release
- BluRay set of all three Iron Man films received as a Christmas gift this past year
- Multiple partial and full viewings on TV
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 20th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- The archival footage featuring Howard Stark is reminiscent of Walt Disney's 1966 EPCOT film
Somehow, time flies when one is "practicing social distancing" and also trying to stay engaged with both the family with whom they share the quarantine, as well as other family and friends, while also keeping in touch with students and their parents, and honoring volunteer commitments.
This post will be necessarily shorter than the first, since we've already watched Thor today, and The Incredible Hulk is on tap for tomorrow.
Iron Man was on my comics reading periphery. I collected West Coast Avengers for many years, beginning with the James Rhodes version in the red and silver suit (still my favorite "Mk." narrowly edging out War Machine), and later bummed copies of Iron Man off my friend Brian. When Tony Stark threw down with Steve Rogers in Civil War, there was no question whose corner I took.
Iron Man's film debut blew me away. I don't remember what I was expecting, but from the go, Robert Downey Jr.'s cocksuredness drew me in and me reeling, all the way from the opening Funvee ride to the perfectly framed closing scene. "The truth is, I am Iron Man." Yes.
He embodies the frenetic futurism and rough edges of Tony Stark, whose comic book enemies have been a fair mix of villainous industrialists and people he's pissed on and pissed off. Tony remains a scoundrel to the end of the first film and especially through the next, even as he tries to live out Yinsen's plea, "Don't waste your life, Stark."
Obie, you're being very undude. Jeff Bridges is excellent and menacing.
The second movie is admittedly overly-busy and packed with more characters than it is able to service, but I still loved it. Another strong opening helps, establishing that while he's doing good, Tony is still a polished (and later, sloppy) mess.
Blame it on Henry Jones Jr. and Simon Belmont, but whips as weapons are cool, and Whiplash/Blacklash was a C-list villain who I consistently baked into the Marvel Super Heroes RPG games I ran. Mickey Rourke creates a real threat in his portrayal of Ivan Vanko - physically hardened, scientifically gifted, and purposefully vengeful. His MCU design is based on the most recent iteration of the character, both in appearance and origin, though the bulked-up suit at the end is reminiscent of the Crimson Dynamo, another longtime Iron Man foil with the Vanko surname.
Justin Hammer was the central villain during two of Iron Man's most memorable comics arcs, Demon in a Bottle (hinted at in the birthday party scene) and Armor Wars. He's more bumbling and less coldly calculating here, but still effective.
Scarlett Johansson. Scorching. I do wish the preview hadn't spoiled her alter ego, and also that its revelation in the movie was more dramatic.
These are the movies that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with the prevalence of end credits surprises (yeah, Ferris, I know...), and without their success, we would not have these dozens of exceptionally entertaining films, or Martin Scorsese saying dumb things. I could watch them again tomorrow and enjoy them just as much as I have the many times before.
This post will be necessarily shorter than the first, since we've already watched Thor today, and The Incredible Hulk is on tap for tomorrow.
Iron Man was on my comics reading periphery. I collected West Coast Avengers for many years, beginning with the James Rhodes version in the red and silver suit (still my favorite "Mk." narrowly edging out War Machine), and later bummed copies of Iron Man off my friend Brian. When Tony Stark threw down with Steve Rogers in Civil War, there was no question whose corner I took.
He embodies the frenetic futurism and rough edges of Tony Stark, whose comic book enemies have been a fair mix of villainous industrialists and people he's pissed on and pissed off. Tony remains a scoundrel to the end of the first film and especially through the next, even as he tries to live out Yinsen's plea, "Don't waste your life, Stark."
Obie, you're being very undude. Jeff Bridges is excellent and menacing.
The second movie is admittedly overly-busy and packed with more characters than it is able to service, but I still loved it. Another strong opening helps, establishing that while he's doing good, Tony is still a polished (and later, sloppy) mess.
Blame it on Henry Jones Jr. and Simon Belmont, but whips as weapons are cool, and Whiplash/Blacklash was a C-list villain who I consistently baked into the Marvel Super Heroes RPG games I ran. Mickey Rourke creates a real threat in his portrayal of Ivan Vanko - physically hardened, scientifically gifted, and purposefully vengeful. His MCU design is based on the most recent iteration of the character, both in appearance and origin, though the bulked-up suit at the end is reminiscent of the Crimson Dynamo, another longtime Iron Man foil with the Vanko surname.
Justin Hammer was the central villain during two of Iron Man's most memorable comics arcs, Demon in a Bottle (hinted at in the birthday party scene) and Armor Wars. He's more bumbling and less coldly calculating here, but still effective.
Scarlett Johansson. Scorching. I do wish the preview hadn't spoiled her alter ego, and also that its revelation in the movie was more dramatic.
These are the movies that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with the prevalence of end credits surprises (yeah, Ferris, I know...), and without their success, we would not have these dozens of exceptionally entertaining films, or Martin Scorsese saying dumb things. I could watch them again tomorrow and enjoy them just as much as I have the many times before.
Ranking
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
Friday, March 20, 2020
Oh Captains, My Captains
Captain America: The First Avenger (July 2011)
Primary Characters- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Bucky Barnes
- Peggy Carter
- Howard Stark
- Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull
Secondary Characters
- Dr. Abraham Erskine
- Colonel Chester Phillips
- The Howling Commandos
- Arnim Zola
- Director Nick Fury
Notable Story Elements
- Hydra
- Vibranium
- The Tesseract/Space Stone
Times viewed: 2+
- Sick at home and alone on Christmas 2011
- Multiple partial viewings on TV
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 17th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Multiple Captain America costumes
- Classic costume while selling war bonds
- Costume with bomber jacket and helmet, seen in recent retellings of World War II
- Final costume with helmet, similar to its design in The Ultimates
- The android Human Torch appears at the Expo in a sealed chamber
- Howard Stark's propulsive technology, perhaps later be appropriated by his son for the Iron Man armor
- Captain America Comics #1
- Steve's talent as an artist
Captain America and Steve Rogers have long been my favorite comic book characters.
Though the two are inextricably linked, many others have taken on the mantle over the years.
My favorite run of the series was Mark Gruenwald's unmatched137-issue stretch that spanned many of my elementary schooling all the way through the start of my college years. His time with the character is most known for Steve's loss of the title of Captain America in the face of government pressure to serve at their whims. Gruenwald's story was intended to reveal Steve Rogers as the heart of Captain America, rather than Captain America being an alter ego of Steve Rogers. He did so by putting his version of a Rambo-esque character, Super-Patriot John Walker, in the stars-and-stripes costume.
Steve, in the meantime, adopted the guise of The Captain, continuing the good fight with an eclectic group of supporting characters at his side. Dennis Dunphy (Demolition Man/D-Man) was a past member of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation; like many kids, I loved WWF during the 1980s. Jack Monroe (Nomad - assuming an identity that Steve once used following the Secret Empire disillusionment in the '70s) had been a part of Gruenwald's earliest Cap comics. My first saw them going up against Madcap. I also became a huge fan of Sam Wilson, The Falcon, around that time. Many of my Marvel Super Heroes RPG characters had avian elements. Decades later, when Sam inherited the mantle of Captain America, I was thrilled. Reformed supervillain Rachel Leighton (Diamondback of the memorable Serpent Society) was Steve's love interest and crime-fighting partner through most of these years, too.
Steve, in the meantime, adopted the guise of The Captain, continuing the good fight with an eclectic group of supporting characters at his side. Dennis Dunphy (Demolition Man/D-Man) was a past member of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation; like many kids, I loved WWF during the 1980s. Jack Monroe (Nomad - assuming an identity that Steve once used following the Secret Empire disillusionment in the '70s) had been a part of Gruenwald's earliest Cap comics. My first saw them going up against Madcap. I also became a huge fan of Sam Wilson, The Falcon, around that time. Many of my Marvel Super Heroes RPG characters had avian elements. Decades later, when Sam inherited the mantle of Captain America, I was thrilled. Reformed supervillain Rachel Leighton (Diamondback of the memorable Serpent Society) was Steve's love interest and crime-fighting partner through most of these years, too.
Some of the elements from Mark Gruenwald's stories would eventually make their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following Civil War, he adopts a darker costume, seen when he breaks his allies out of lock-up, and later in his memorable return in Infinity War. Both scenes flooded me with nostalgia and inspired cheers. Most recently, when he bequeathed the shield to Sam Wilson, I was breathless. Yes, The Mandalorian was exceptional, but it's really The Falcon and The Winter Soldier that has me juiced.
On Captain America: The First Avenger - I somehow missed its original theatrical premiere, the first and only time that would happen with an MCU film. Hope was only three years old, and I made a big push on my graduate studies that summer. That next school year was a beast, probably the most challenging I've had in almost two decades of working with students, and following sinus surgery that fall, I ended up sick during Christmas.
While Melanie, Hope, and my mom spent the day with the in-laws, I queued up Captain America on digital streaming. I liked it, but did not love it as I had Iron Man and its sequel. Bucky had already re-emerged as The Winter Solider and even become Captain America in the comics by this point, so it was no surprise that he was a big part of the movie. Their relationship was, and remains, my favorite feature of the movie.
As much as I loved the G.I. Joe cartoons, the laser-like weapons of Hydra contrasted too sharply with the other wartime grittiness. Hugo Weaving doesn't lean into the sneering villainy of The Red Skull enough for my taste, though the nod to the time (also in Mark Gruenwald's run) Arnim Zola placed his consciousness in a cloned body of Steve Rogers and he benefited from the Super Soldier Serum was appreciated. The Howling Commandos are not even named, and just aren't the same without Nick Fury leading them.
While Melanie, Hope, and my mom spent the day with the in-laws, I queued up Captain America on digital streaming. I liked it, but did not love it as I had Iron Man and its sequel. Bucky had already re-emerged as The Winter Solider and even become Captain America in the comics by this point, so it was no surprise that he was a big part of the movie. Their relationship was, and remains, my favorite feature of the movie.
As much as I loved the G.I. Joe cartoons, the laser-like weapons of Hydra contrasted too sharply with the other wartime grittiness. Hugo Weaving doesn't lean into the sneering villainy of The Red Skull enough for my taste, though the nod to the time (also in Mark Gruenwald's run) Arnim Zola placed his consciousness in a cloned body of Steve Rogers and he benefited from the Super Soldier Serum was appreciated. The Howling Commandos are not even named, and just aren't the same without Nick Fury leading them.
My feelings are mostly the same now as they were on the first full viewing about a decade ago. It's a serviceable MCU movie and does well introducing both Steve Rogers as a heroic figure, with or without Serum and a shield, and his relationship with Bucky Barnes. Now that we know the conclusions to his story, the scenes with Peggy Carter are especially poignant.
Captain Marvel (March 2019)
Primary Characters
Times viewed: 3
- Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
- Agent Nick Fury
- Yon-Rogg
- Talos
- Mar-Vell/Wendy Lawson
Secondary Characters
- Maria Rambeau
- Monica Rambeau
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Korath
- Ronan the Accuser
Notable Story Elements
- Kree
- Skrulls
- SHIELD
- The Tesseract/Space Stone
Times viewed: 3
- Original theatrical release
- Friday Family Movie Night sometime in the past year
- 23 Days of Marvel - March 18th, 2020
Easter Eggs
- Korath's inclusion as a Kree, a heritage that's not given in Guardians of the Galaxy but explains his loyalty to Ronan (though I knew he was Kree in the '90s Fantastic Four comics)
- Maria Rambeau's pilot handle of "Photon"
- Retroactive origin of The Avengers Initiative
I'm hesitant to even mention it for fear of directing clicks their way, but Matt McGloin of Cosmic Book News perhaps overstated it "best" by responding to the directorial and production decisions related to Captain Marvel as, "RIP MCU."
Brie Larson has been described as "wooden" in her portrayal of Carol Danvers. I'm not nearly as connected to her character as I am to most others in the MCU, knowing her best as Binary in The Uncanny X-Men and later Warbird in Kurt Busiek's Avengers re-launch. Still, she's always struck me as serious, if not stiff. The Washington Post published an excellent retrospective of her comic book history around the time of the movie's theatrical release.
The importance of this as the first MCU movie headlined by a female character cannot be overstated, nor can the online vitriol that accompanied it be ignored. As the father of a then-11-year-old daughter, I saw Captain Marvel as a touchstone moment. Wonder Woman preceded it by almost two years and was itself a cultural milestone. I am sure essays exist on why one was "good" and the other was not, but I haven't read them and don't plan to seek them out.
The kids and I enjoyed the film; I believe we saw it opening night. Hope loved the deadly alien cat more than anything, but I still think she enjoyed the lead character, too. When we played Disney Infinity 2.0, her go-to character was always Black Widow, but paradoxically, I don't think she related to the superspy bombshell in the films as much as she did Carol as a young woman seeking and asserting her identity.
What struck me then was how neatly it connected certain dots - Korath's connection to Ronan, both of whom had already appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy; Ronan's unexplored reluctance to seek the Infinity Stones on Earth in Guardians; the relationship between Nick Fury and Phil Coulson; and the origin of Fury's eye patch ("WHAT THE FLERKEN?!").
The kids and I enjoyed the film; I believe we saw it opening night. Hope loved the deadly alien cat more than anything, but I still think she enjoyed the lead character, too. When we played Disney Infinity 2.0, her go-to character was always Black Widow, but paradoxically, I don't think she related to the superspy bombshell in the films as much as she did Carol as a young woman seeking and asserting her identity.
What struck me then was how neatly it connected certain dots - Korath's connection to Ronan, both of whom had already appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy; Ronan's unexplored reluctance to seek the Infinity Stones on Earth in Guardians; the relationship between Nick Fury and Phil Coulson; and the origin of Fury's eye patch ("WHAT THE FLERKEN?!").
What strikes me now: dang, that's a killer soundtrack. 1995 was the year I graduated high school and began some of the best years of my life so far, at Western Michigan University, and I listened to the radio more at that time than any other period in my life. Blockbuster, flip phones, and plenty more evoke that era, too.
Even with such a long history with Captain America and very little with Captain Marvel, I now feel I enjoyed the latter's movie more than the former's first MCU entry. That's saying something, as Steve Rogers is far and away my favorite cinematic character.
Even with such a long history with Captain America and very little with Captain Marvel, I now feel I enjoyed the latter's movie more than the former's first MCU entry. That's saying something, as Steve Rogers is far and away my favorite cinematic character.
Ranking
- Captain Marvel
- Captain America: The First Avenger
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