Hello all!
Next, we take a look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe's previous three phases in order to get a lowdown on where this blog stands with each of the Marvel movies up to this point. Since some of these movies are moving beyond recent memory, I won't be reviewing them fully and will just do a short recap. With reviewing new Marvel movies, I figured it'd be good to provide readers with an opportunity to see what the past 14 years of movies has provided us with. Beginning with Phase 1, here we go!
Iron Man - 3.5 Stars
The one that started it all. I think this movie gets overpraised more often than not for starting a so fundamentally unthoughtof idea for the time. It's a good movie, no doubt about it, but not amazing. It is very fun to watch Tony Stark become who he is destined to be in Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as the titular hero who is not a great person, but his arc is wonderfully believable and personal. A perfect start with room to become something great.
The Incredible Hulk - 1.5 Stars
Oh boy, this one was just a shot and a miss. There is no clear tone, message, or really much consistency with this one. It's...watchable? But you also don't feel like it was worth it after it ends. Edward Norton is admirable, but pretty much everything falls flat, with a few sequences that aren't terrible. Hulk should be awesome to watch on screen but this movie's mostly boring until the last 30 minutes, which makes it hard to think higher of.
Iron Man 2 - 2.5 Stars
Iron Man 2 couldn't capture the magic of the first movie since there was so much moving (for the time) behind the scenes. I don't think they realized how underdeveloped the story was and it unfortunately shows. As always, Downey does a great job breathing life into this meh story of revenge and discovering new technology. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson are fun inclusions, but a little wasted.
Thor - 2.5 Stars
Thor was a blend between a Shakespearian play and a science fiction movie about a space god. 😳 After stating that, I realize this movie does a worthy job of introducing Thor, Jane Foster, Loki, and Asgard. A lot of potential for the future, but nothing especially riveting in this entry. The side characters are pretty one-dimensional besides Odin and Loki. Oh, was Hawkeye in this movie? I kind of forgot...
Captain America: The First Avenger - 2.5 Stars
The first Captain America had a backstory to give before Avengers, so that's what it does. Chris Evans is fantastic as Steve Rogers, but the story felt a little vapid of any emotional resonance. While it is a fun homage to World War 2 era concepts, the story is blandly straightforward and is not all that great by itself. That being said, Steve and Peggy's relationship carries the bad superhero origin story with a chemistry that is quite enjoyable.
The Avengers - 3.5 Stars
A movie that changed the industry. This movie was huge for the time and incredibly ambitious. Shot in IMAX and bringing together quite a few heroes, this movie was the first collaboration superhero movie and it works. All of the groundwork that was laid in the previous five movies is effectively woven together in a fun and engaging story about a team that has to work together when they're such different people. There are quite a few janky parts, like Marvel not knowing how to handle Captain America and Thor very effectively, but Iron Man and Hulk provide enough fun chemistry to bring up the other stilted characters. Overall, a great jumping off point for Marvel to continue their plans and improve what is a great idea: a universe of heroes.
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this topic, other reviews, or talk movie recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.