Pre-Infinity War Marvel watch

[Princess Leia]

To prepare for Infinity War, I'm planning on watching all of the MCU films in order (possibly without Black Panther at the end, since I just saw that in theaters a few weeks ago, and I don't think it will be on Blu-Ray before IW). I'll just be posting thoughts and reviews of each film. If anyone wants to join, feel free! The more the merrier

Completed Reviews​

Phase 1

• Iron Man
• Incredible Hulk
• Iron Man 2
• Thor
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• The Avengers

Phase 2

• Iron Man 3
• Thor: The Dark World
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Ant-Man

 

[Princess Leia]

Iron Man (2008)
5/5​

• AKA "the movie where they recast a couple characters by Iron Man 2"
  • Cough "Rhodey & Howard" cough
• RDJ's hair is so floppy in this
• Also, Tony Stark is using a variant of a flip phone in 2008. The iPhone came out in 2007. I get that they were probably filming the movie when the iPhone was released, but I find it hard to believe that Tony Stark, creator of Jarvis, is running around with a phone that isn't the most current technology
• You can definitely tell this was made in the pre-Disney days. Between Tony's one night stand, the pole on his airplane, and the amount of violence (and torture) that happens in the Middle East scenes, it's not exactly like the films that happened post-Avengers
• Gwyneth Paltrow's hair is probably the darkest shade of red in this than in any of the other movies she's in.
• First Coulson scene had me feeling emotional. I'm pretty interested to see how he's involved in Captain Marvel (cameo or slightly larger role?)
• I'm surprised Marvel hasn't de-aged Jeff Bridges for a scene with John Slattery. I'm assuming it's still possible if they want to do that, but I feel like the moment has passed.
• The effects hold up pretty well 10 years later.
• Jarvis doesn't sound as whimsical in this as he did in later films?
• Coulson All he wants to do is talk to Tony.
• I'm a pretty big fan of the slow build of the Tony-Pepper relationship. It took 1 and 5/6ths of a film to get them together, but they have some great banter in this movie
• I forgot how long it takes until Obadiah is revealed to be the main villain of the film. The Ten Rings is the subject of the main conflict for the majority of the film (I'm currently 75 minutes in)
• Alright, so I did some sleuthing (... on Wikipedia), and since Captain Marvel is set in the 1990s, I'd think that there's a possibility for Jeff Bridges to come back for a cameo. Apparently there's even a flashback set in 1986, so I guess anything's possible.
• Currently playing the "How many of these SHIELD agents are actually HYDRA" game. My guess is that there are at least 2.
• Something that bothers me no matter what movie it is: ladies, you will run faster if you ditch the heels.
• What I said earlier about effects still looking solid after 10 years does not exactly apply to the Iron Monger suit. There have been a couple moments that it doesn't look too great.
• I don't care what Feige & Co. say now about just throwing Fury in for the heck of it at the end, it felt like they had things planned for a larger universe with that moment and Coulson/SHIELD showing up continuously.

 

[Princess Leia]

The Incredible Hulk (2008)
3/5​

• AKA the one that everyone forgets about because it has Ed Norton and not Mark Ruffalo
• You know, Bruce Banner is a little like Peter Parker: we had 3 of them in 11 years (though in the case of Peter, 3 actors in 9 years put on the suit)
• The effects in this haven't held up as well as those in Iron Man
• I'm pretty sure Liv Tyler won't be in Infinity War, but since Avengers 4 is rumored to have time travel, it'd be pretty neat to bring her back for a cameo (so we'd get a scene with her and Ruffalo).
• If that Black Widow movie ever gets made, I wouldn't hate it if they established her training in a credits sequence like this film. We already know she was in KGB spy school, from what we saw in Ultron, so I think it could be rehashed in a couple minutes
• Hulk's best kept in the shadows in this movie
• Also, the Hulk has gone through some weird design changes from movie to movie

Motion capture aside, the body is definitely different

• I’ve seen this movie a few times and yet every time I’m surprised to see Ty Burrell.
• The effects really have not held up well. Abomination is a hot mess.
• I do wonder what the sequel treatments looked like before it was determined that Hulk would just show up in Avengers/other characters’ movies
• Tim Blake Nelson was clearly being set up as the next villain, and apparently Ty Burrell was going to come back. I don’t mind how they’ve incorporated Bruce/Hulk into the other films (minus the relationship with Natasha), but I still wonder
• It’s not a bad film, but it’s not on the same level as a lot of the others

 

[Princess Leia]

Iron Man 2 (2010)
3/5​

• Okay I’m going to start by saying this is my least favorite of the Iron Man trilogy
• Vanko is not a great villain
• Also, three films into the MCU, and you can see the trend that (at the time this film came out) the villains are literally all copies of the heroes
• Obadiah- tech giant, uses an Iron Man suit
• Abomination- turns into Hulk-like monster
• Vanko- uses Stark reactor tech; Justin Hammer- tech giant
• I’ll admit that Sam Rockwell is one of the highlights of this movie for me (his fake tanned orange hands are a favorite detail)
• I also enjoy Howard Stark clearly being like Walt Disney
• Unintentional dating of this film- Bill O’Reilly
• Natasha is a bit of an unknown in this movie- both before and after we find out who she is. Avengers really fleshed out her character
• I think it’s because I’ve seen Cheadle in the role for years, but I think he’s more suited to play Rhodey than Howard was (sorry to any Terrance Howard fans)
• Me everytime Coulson showed up:
• Look, I’m just going to say it right now that if Pepper and Tony are separated by death in Infinity War, I am going to cry.

 

[Princess Leia]

Thor (2011)
4/5​

• Another film with a similar villain/hero issue, but finally, this one works!
• (not including Laufey, who like Klaue in BP, is sort of the easy villain to beat, even though the heroes never defeat them- funny how that's happened a couple times)
• The blondest Hemsworth ever looked in these movies

• Like, that's a lot of blond. Almost yellow.
• It'd been a few years since I last watched this, and while I kind of wish this movie was all in space (like Ragnarok), I don't hate the Earth scenes
• Also- it's kind of a shame Natalie Portman wanted out of the movies... but I think Hemsworth has better chemistry with Jaimie Alexander
• Also sucks that Jaimie's show prevents her from having more to do in the MCU. I love Sif.
• In this segment of "We can recast anyone", say hello to Josh Dallas as Fandral! But don't get attached, because Zachary Levi will be in that role next time you see the Warriors Three
• I don't know if Marvel planned on Loki being the best villain of the bunch... but out of all of the films so far, I still don't believe there's a villain who can charm the audience over like that one
• Coulson’s a bit gruffer in this one, compared to his other films (and show)
• The Hawkeye cameo in this is subtle but nice
• Without Jane showing up (or being recast), I think that’s probably the end of Darcy (Kat Jennings). Stellan Skarsgård has separated himself enough to be in Infinity War on his own though (though I worry it will be strictly for him to die)
• Hydra agents in New Mexicoooo
• Heimdall’s voice is like an octave deeper in this movie
• Speaking of Heimdall, I want to say Thor is the movie that had the most respected actors in it (at the time). Sir Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, and Stellan.
• Asgard’s effects... are okay. Thor’s on the IH level for effects holding up (and this came out in 2011)
• Definitely forgot about the Destroyer until I watched this again, whoops.
• I’m glad they didn’t recast Sif, but I just wish she could be in more films. They didn’t even mention her in Ragnarok

 

[Princess Leia]

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

3.5/5​

• Okay, so this is the first time I have watched this one in probably 5 years
• So I forgot about the Titanic-sequence intro to the movie
• (Also I am very distracted right now- I made a roast chicken & potato recipe and it smells amazing in my kitchen)
• This is a film of “Oh right, ________ is in this?!” That goes to David Bradley at this time.
• Orlando Bloom needs to get into a Marvel movie, then we’ll have all of the main Tolkien elves in the MCU (Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, and Hugo Weaving have done it, why can’t Bloom?)
• Now, this all depends on how Captain Marvel ends, but my theory is that we’ll get something similar to this movie.
• Movie effect status: the face swap works depending on the angles and how much clothing Steve is wearing
• I love Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark...
• But not as much as I love Bucky Barnes (one of my favorites)
• “_________ is in this?!?!?!” Clara Oswald and Stanley Tucci
• “I don’t like bullies, no matter where they’re from.” Excuse me while I actually tear up over Steve Rogers. We don’t deserve him. Especially since he’s not going to make it out of one of the next two Avengers movies alive (I am not ready for that when it happens, I’ll be a wreck in the theater)
• We didn’t deserve Peggy Carter. I so desperately want Netflix (or the Disney streaming service) to bring Agent Carter back
• Tommy Lee Jones & Toby Jones- two other great actors in this movie
• Really, the trio of Steve, Bucky, and Peggy is perfect
• It’s too bad we didn’t get more time the Howling Commandos. I have no idea what Avengers 4 is going to be like (if time travel really is a part of it), but it’d be nice to see them again
• This is probably one of three MCU movies that I would say ends on a bittersweet note (Civil War and GotG2 are the others on that list, unless I think of another one)

 

[Princess Leia]

The Avengers (2012)
5/5​

• The way the Avengers are introduced is pretty great.
  • First you have Clint, who had the least screentime prior to this movie (where he had the least amount of screentime of the 6 Avengers).
  • Then, Natasha, another Avenger without a film.
  • Bruce is introduced... but while Incredible Hulk came out 4 years prior to this, it was with a different actor
  • Steve (the last Avenger with their own standalone film) is next, followed by
  • Tony
  • And it's just the 5 of them (though Clint is possessed for what I'm guessing is half of his scenes) for a decent amount of the film until Thor shows up
• (not so) fun fact: there are 3 lead/supporting female characters in this film... and none of them ever talk to each other. While that makes a little sense with Pepper, since she's removed from a lot of the action, Maria & Natasha are both SHIELD agents, on the same dang Hellicarrier together, and they never share dialogue.
• I can't get this out of my head:

• I really hope Thanos (and the Black Order) is on the Loki level of great villains, because it would be a real shame if this series only has a handful of great villains.
  • note- I don't think that the entire Black Order will be Loki level great, but I'm hoping at least one is
• Playing another round of 'Find the HYDRA agent'
• Alright, so I love Joss Whedon's body of work (Angel, Buffy, and Firefly are near and dear to me), and this film belongs in his 'Best of Whedon' collection...
• ... however, when it comes to Natasha/Bruce being a thing in the next Avengers film, the continuity is just not there
• The colors in this film are spectacular. Right off of a comics' page
• Science Bros forever and ever
• In case anyone is interested, the Hulk isn't shown until about an hour & 15 minutes into this thing (over the halfway mark)
• Also this marks the point in the film that the effects are showing some age (Steve & Tony fixing the engine)
• The Bruce/Natasha chase scene really plays like something out of a horror film
• Okay, because I haven't mentioned this at all yet (somehow)... Thor is really pretty, guys. Like. Really pretty.
• I was among the audience gasping when Coulson got stabbed. You could literally hear the intake of air
• We have come a long way when it comes to Avengers diversity
  • This film- 5 white heroes, 1 white heroine (plus Fury, the only black male)
  • Age of Ultron- 6 white heroes, 2 white heroines, 2 black heroes (plus Fury)... and an android (played by a white man)
  • Captain America: Civil War- 6 white heroes, 2 white heroines (one for each team ), 3 black heroes, and an android
  • Infinity War- ... I'm not counting until I see the movie, way too many characters to count
• Couple of small details:
  • There's a scene during the New York battle of a bridge with some very normal traffic on it. If there was an alien battle happening, it would be jam packed with cars
  • I remember seeing this on Tumblr 6 years ago- when Tony calls Pepper, the photos used are clearly set photos. It's hard to believe that Tony & Pepper wouldn't have personal photos of each other
• The Avengers theme is so dang good
• The Thanos reveal at the end was incredibly confusing for me when I first saw this thing. 6 years later, and now I'm worried.

 

[Princess Leia]

Iron Man 3 (2013)
4/5​

• Alright, first things first, if you haven't read this interview with Shane Black about executive meddling in this movie, do yourself a favor and read it: https://uproxx.com/movies/shane-black-the-nice-guys-iron-man-3/ (there's a little bit of swearing in it, sorry Mods if you're reading)
  • I didn't mind the Mandarin twist (I think the character is a problematic remnant of the 60s and 70s, so this was probably the best way to do this), but it would have been so satisfying for Maya Hansen to turn out to be the mastermind (kind of in a The World Is Not Enough way), and not go out the way she did
• "Merry Christmas in May everyone"- Shane Black & Marvel
• I'm glad that Marvel went the PTSD/tinker route with Tony, instead of the alcoholism route that was rumored for a bit.
  • That might have worked in the comics or in a TV show, but I don't think it would have worked for the movie
• Jarvis is so much sassier in this film than he was in the first Iron Man
• "You're not the Mandarin, are you? Are you?" Man this would have been a much more satisfying line if Maya turned out to be the real Mandarin
• Currently trying to determine if this holds up as a stand-alone feature. You don't really know how Tony got to be Iron Man, but I feel like you could watch this without having to watch IM, IM2, and the Avengers?
• Okay, this takes place Christmas 2012, meaning President Ellis probably just won a second term as president in the MCU world. If Ellis is president in Infinity War, something odd happened to the Constitution (unless Ellis became president in 2010 if he was Veep and was able to run for a second full term in 2016)
• Also in 'what could have been world', Ellen Brandt exploding soon after she was introduced. It just ticks me off that she was supposed to be the Savin-type character before all of the meddling
  • Here's hoping that 'Ant-Man & the Wasp' follows the path of Thor: Ragnarok with a female villain (it's looking like it will happen, but I'm not going to get excited until I see it happen)
• Okay, so while I'm happy that I'm not dating the guy anymore, when we saw this movie in theaters, he turned to me when it ended and told me that it passed the Bechdel test (which is something I'd introduced him to). Sure, it's a very short dialogue between Pepper and Maya, and sure, it barely passes, but it still counts
• While a lot of this movie is about who Tony is outside of the suit, the same can be said for Rhodey.
• Okay so this came out in 2013, and while Pepper has only had one appearance since, we still don’t know if she’s retained her powers or if all of that is completely gone now
• First world problems- having to fast forward through 7 minutes of credits to get to the final scene

 

[Princess Leia]

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
2.5/5​

• Chris Eccleston- my favorite Doctor, my least favorite Marvel villain
• Also, there’s a lot that just feels off with this film already. Lackluster villain, Anthony Hopkins phoning it in, Hogun weirdly having the tiniest role ever...
• Natalie Portman wanted to drop out of this one, but I don’t think you can tell from this performance
• There is some great costume design in this film
• What a difference two years makes, Asgard looks much more natural in this compared to the first Thor
• The elf masks are pretty unsettling
• We did not deserve Frigga
• Seeing how Selvig is in this film, how do we think Hawkeye is (offscreen with his family)?
• Seriously, every time the elves show up, I mentally check out of the movie. And they show up a lot.
• Hang on, did the BlackFish just show up in this movie???
  • He did! Clive Tully (or his agent) must like Viking culture, because he’s an Asgardian in this, and played Brynden ‘The Blackfish’ Tully in Game of Thrones
• This has got to be one of the worst performances of Sir Anthony Hopkins’ career. It’s just not good.
• This film contains my favorite of the Captain America cameos
• It wasn’t really seen as much in Thor or the Avengers, but this movie really hones in on Thor & Loki being brothers. And not just saying they get up together and being sad about how things turned out, but actually being brothers and teasing each other
• Credits scenes- first one featuring the Collector, who wouldn’t be seen again until 10 months later in Guardians, and the second (which actually establishes Thor returning to Earth) isn’t until the end

 

[Princess Leia]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
5/5​

• This is hands down one of my favorites, but it’s been awhile since I’ve watched
• It’s so nice to have Sam in the series. I missed seeing him in the prior 8 movies
• I hate the wig ScarJo wears in this movie.
• Let’s play “where’s Hydra?”- oh wait....
• I speak a little French, and some of the subtitles in the boat scene are a little off
• There is so much of this film that works so well, I love it
• From where I am in this rewatch, and what I remember from the others, I think this is both ScarJo and Samuel L Jackson’s best film in the MCU
• I just remembered that I was in DC when they were filming this. I also waited out in the rain in Cleveland to try to be an extra (spoiler alert, I think that half of Ohio was there, and because my friends were wearing sandals in freezing rain, we left after a few hours)
• Old Peggy... well I don’t want to say the effect hasn’t aged well, because it’s pretty great effect, but the eyes and teeth look off
• I won’t got into detail about how excited I was to find out Robert Redford was going to be in this movie, but it was an 11 on a scale of 10. One of my favorite actors of the 60s and 70s
• This is an intense movie. The Nick Fury car chase is going on with some intense music, and all I can think of is the baby that was in the theatre the second time I saw this. It was a very unhappy baby.
• Buckyyyyyy
• Little thing I just noticed- Steve has an encyclopedia set in his apartment, among his shelves and shelves of books. I’m guessing it was probably one of the first things he was given/bought when he woke up
• Effects watch- any shot of the Triskellion elevator from the outdoors looks a little video gamey
• While I wish Renner could have showed up in this, given how Selvig was in the last movie, I like to think that Clint was just hanging out with his family during this movie.
• Over here hoping for some confirmation that Bucky & Nat we’re romantically involved in Russia circa 2003 (she was born in 1984, and is a SHIELD agent by 2010, so there isn’t a huge window of opportunity here).
• Poor Sharon Carter feels like a character that the writers or Marvel wanted to put in the movie, but had no idea what to do with her. From what we know, she isn’t even going to be in IW or Avengers 4 (that we know of at least).
• The end credit design has been A+ for the past few movies
• Speaking of credits, it turns out that Gary Sinise was the narrator in the Smithsonian!
• Okay, from the final shot in the Air & Space Museum- I think Bucky's metal arm would have set off every single security measure in the building

 

[Princess Leia]

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
4.5/5​

• "Great comedies always start in hospitals with dying mothers and screaming mourning children, right?"- Some Marvel exec, probably
  • For real though, the tone of the movie doesn't show up for a few minutes
• I wrote a guest review for this in my university's newspaper, tempted to find that and compare notes (see if I still have the same opinions)
• And so begins the world's obsession with Chris Pratt
• The curse of the MCU villains strikes again (sorry Lee Pace, but you've got the charisma of an old potato in this movie)
• First real intro into the world of Thanos (some insinuation that Gamora & Nebula are serious threats)
• And so begins the world's obsession with Groot
• the Rocket effects are seriously great, he still looks really really good
• Unfortunately, the same can't be said for some of the larger aliens (like the one Nathan Fillion voiced)
• Disney and Marvel struck gold with this. I remember watching the Comic-Con video of this being announced, and nobody really knew how to react, flash forward to 2018 and it's a hot property
• 1. I'm surprised that young Peter Quill knew who Jackson Pollock was before he was kidnapped from Earth, 2. I'm surprised Rocket got that reference
• The supporting cast in this film is incredible. Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly... great job, casting directors!
• More Cosmo in this series please
• Gosh I love Groot
• This movie sets up a lot of world building for the MCU
  • Infinity Stones
  • Kree (Ronan and Korath are both showing up in Captain Marvel)
  • Thanos
  • More alien races
• Lookout, Bucky, Rocket's going to try to take your arm
• Considering how there's an Infinity Stone on the planet, Xandar is screwed
• “We are Groot.”
• Okay the only reason this doesn’t get a perfect score from me is because the main villain isn’t great
  • And because the film doesn't continue the excellent end credits streak that was happening

 

[Princess Leia]

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
3.5/5​

• And so begins the needless Natasha/Bruce romance
• Effects are already showing a little age, and for a film that’s only 3 years old, that’s not great news
• The chemistry of the cast is still great though. RDJ and Ruffalo have a very believable friendship
• All I’m going to say is that if Pepper was in this movie, Ultron wouldn’t have happened
• I actually really love the party scene. It’s nice to see everyone relax for a bit
• I also hate that Steve just called Natasha ‘Romanoff’ when in WS, he called her Nat.
• Alright, comics shout out- Fraction & Aja’s ‘Hawkeye’. I would have loved to have seen that adapted
• Ultron 1.0 has got to be one of the creepiest things in this series
• James Spader has a pretty great voice for this role
• If you didn’t know that ScarJo was pregnant while filming, would you be able to tell in this? I’m just looking at the shots and outfits
• Elizabeth Olsen is the better actor of the twins (though that accent is not the best)
• Also, I think this is the only film (so far) to explore Wanda’s mental powers?
• Wakanda shout out!
• Andy Serkis was such a great choice Klaue
• Mind control
  • Steve. I think his works the best. The dance/War juxtaposition works well
  • Natasha. In the middle between Steve and Thor for what works. Backstory- good. Learning that Nat thinks she’s a monster for giving up her right to have children- bad. I’d still like to have a format of her training in the opening credits of a Black Widow movie
  • Thor. This feels like a version of Ragnarok that was written before the final draft. The bit about Infinity Stones only seems to be in the movie so someone on Earth knows about them before Thanos arrives
• Hawkeye’s Family- the twist no one saw coming
• Laura Barton- the character who can apparently see chemistry that no one else can
• One of the hottest things in the universe- Chris Evans tearing logs apart with his bare hands
• Honestly idk how they’re going to do this ‘64 main characters’ thing. Maybe like 10 main characters and several side characters, but some are obviously going to get Hawkeye/Thor/Ant-Man levels of screentime in the movie (I’ll need to post the screentime counts some people did after Avengers, Ultron, and Civil War). In this movie, it’s Fury (and Thor)
• Ugh I forgot about Natasha becoming a DID (Damsel in Distress) in this movie
• Vision actually isn’t named in the movie. Thor says “I had a vision” after Vision’s creation, and Ultron later days “My vision”, but no one actually calls Vision by a name
• Whedon really got Clint’s snarkiness in this movie. Unfortunately, same couldn’t be said for how he thought Natasha and Steve interacted. Steve has called her Romanoff at least three times. Fury saying it makes sense (even though he also called her Natasha once in Winter Soldier)
• Also forgot how long it takes for Rhodey to get into the action.
• Alas Pietro, we hardly knew ye
• Based on Wanda’s reaction to her brother dying, I can’t imagine what will happen when Vision dies (we all know it’s going to happen in one of the next two Avengers movies)
• They don’t have a lot of time together, but the Wanda/Vision scenes are subtly nice in this
• Okay, I have no idea why Marvel or Whedon was so pumped about Natasha/Bruce. She literally asked Fury if he knew they’d get together. No one saw it coming.
• Ultron goes on the 'good villain' list
• What’s unfortunate about Ultron and Civil War is that no sooner is this new team created that it’s destroyed. It would have been nice to get a film of Natasha, Steve, Vision, Rhodey, Wanda and Sam save the day together
• Great credits design is back in this movie!
• The last character we see is Thanos (who looks a little too video gamey here). Coincidence? Nope.

 

[Princess Leia]

Ant-Man (2015)
4/5​

• this is the first time I've watched this since it came out, but I remember really liking it
• I still want to know what sorcery was used to de-age Michael Douglas like that. It's amazing.
  • Hayley Atwell's aging makeup is pretty great too
    • I really hope she comes back for Captain Marvel
• Speaking of aging (or lack thereof)- Paul Rudd
  • Seriously, what is his secret
• Another film with a spectacular cast
• One movie after Hawkeye is shown to have kids, and we get another hero who is also a father (two heroes if you also include Hank)
• "Say goodbye to these" oh, sorry, wrong Judy Greer role
• Cross just killed a guy less than 19 minutes into this thing. Like, a gross painful murder (the guy's goo- for lack of a better word- was still moving, so I'm guessing he was still somewhat alive)
• "Well you know that I don't like reds, man, but there was this rose that saved the day that was delightful." Me in a nutshell.
• I'm an Edgar Wright fan, so I'm pretty curious about how much of his script remained in this
• not the lamb
• Scott's reaction to the suit working would probably be the universal reaction
• Julius from Remember the Titans is in this!!!!
• I'm trying to think of the other film or series that came out around this time that also had a Hope like situation (female character trained to do something, male character is chosen to do it instead)
• So excited to get Janet in the next movie
• Scott briefly fangirling over Falcon is hilarious
• Also nice- Sam being the Avenger to show up in this
• Luis whistling "it's a small world"- at first I thought it was just a Disney reference, but it's literally a 'small' reference
• This movie has some very inconsistent volume
  • Quiet Dialogue, loud music
• A+ production design in this
  • I'm laughing hysterically about the 20 foot long Thomas the Tank engine right now
• And this is where the film gets weird but probably really important for Ant-Man & the Wasp and Avengers 4
  • having flashbacks of watching 2001: A Space Odyssey right now with this scene
• It would be great if Judy Greer had a little more to do in the next movie
• Alright, I'm giving this one a 4/5
  • in comparison to some films in Phase 1 and 2, it's a much better origin film
• But what I want in the sequel is for equal screen-time for Hope and Scott. Wasp is in the title of the movie, give her equal time
  • Plus, she's the first female character to be a title character (not including Gamora in Guardians or Natasha/Wanda in Avengers

 

[Princess Leia]

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
4/5​

• This is going to be the first time I've watched this in its entirety since it was in theatres
• 1991 scene- I called who the targets were probably within 20 minutes? (or whenever Howard & Maria are shown)
• This whole Lagos scene is what I wanted for another movie. We barely get to see the Avengers fight as an actual team before the Accords happen
  • Actually, since Rhodey & Vision aren't in Lagos, we never see them work as a team at all
• the young Tony effect doesn't work nearly as well as the young Michael Douglas effect. I get that they only had to age him down to the age of 45, and not 21, but the effect worked better in Ant-Man
• Alfre Woodard- the prime example of the MCU film and tv divisions having nothing to do with each other, for some unknown reason
• Tony taking up so much time in a Captain America movie is the reason that Civil War should have been an Avengers film instead. I get why they chose this route, but I think it would have better as an Avengers film
• Vision/Wanda, while only having a total of 2 films together (not including Infinity War), has become my favorite romantic couple in this series
• Zemo is an incredibly understated villain, and I don't think Daniel Bruhl gets enough credit for the role
• After watching everything with Russia's veto vote on the security council in regard to Syria, I am very much on Steve's side in this
• "She's gone- in her sleep" from an unknown number, and Steve knows exactly who this is about
  • Like, if he knew Peggy was fading (which we saw a bit in Winter Soldier), you'd think he'd save the number of the person spending time with her
• Age of Ultron's portrayal of Natasha & Steve's friendship is so jarring between Winter Soldier and Civil War
• T'CHALLA!!!!!!!!!!
  • Ugh I love him
• "a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows... we will fight to improve the world we wish to join" - T'Chaka
  • you know, it almost sounds like T'Chaka was getting ready to put Wakanda in the world a bit more
• T'Challa
  • This movie, though not his own, is a great origin film for him (and he's only in it for 10 minutes!)
• All Bucky is trying to do is buy some dang plums, poor guy
• Rhodey got the short stick in this movie
  • He's not super likeable, and then he gets paralyzed
  • Which is awful considering how he had a lot more personality in Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron
• Vision & Wanda, Vision & Wanda, Vision & Wanda
  • He has such a crush on her it's adorable
• Also I love how Vision is walking around in normal clothes
• Kind of find it hard to believe that Avengers HQ does not have paprika in its pantry
• It is so weird to hear Martin Freeman's American accent
• "You could at least recognize me"
  • And that right there is why I think we're going to see a Bucky/Widow relationship if we ever get that Black Widow movie
• Things we still don't have an answer to- why T'Challa's ring and Bucky's arm react to each other
• I know that casting got a lot of flak for casting Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, but why wouldn't a 16 year old have a 50 year old aunt?
• Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man we've had, hands down
• And this is where Tony's logic is flawed- he brought a teenager into a fight with adults (and an android)
• Hawkeye- team dad
• Oh hey Ayo (I’ve decided that Okoye is with the royal family in Wakanda)
• That Steve/Sharon kiss would have had more meaning if there was any chemistry between them in this movie
• I hope Bucky and Sam are bros together in the next movie
• Paul Rudd’s the best, guys
• “I believe this is yours, Captain America!”- I mean it, the best
• Things Sam & Bucky don’t know- THAT PETER IS A CHILD
• What I’d like in Avengers 4- Scott & Clint being sassy dad friends together
• “We haven’t met yet, I’m Clint.”- such a dad
• The Raft- the reason that no more human villains need to die in these things (do you hear me, Marvel??)
• It’s pretty heartbreaking how everything turns out. Tony comes back to fight on Bucky’s side.... and then fights him instead
• This is the first MCU film that ends on a bittersweet note. And there wasn’t a way this film could end any other way
• Infinity War will be the same way. Or maybe even more on the ‘bitter’ side.
• People with kids who watched this- thoughts? @RandomPrincess

 

[Princess Leia]

Doctor Strange (2016)
3.5/5​

• The opening scene is gorgeous to watch
• Look, I love Cumberbatch as Sherlock, but that is the exact reason I didn’t want him to be cast in this role. The man has become incredibly typecast in the ‘smart guy’ role, and I think he’s more interesting to watch while not playing the smart jerk
• This is not a movie to watch while eating, especially the early surgery scenes
• Rachel McAdams does what she can with an incredibly thankless role
• Tilda Swinton was miscast. I get why Disney was wary about stereotyping, but they went too far and whitewashed instead
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo though- good
• I forgot how wonderfully weird this movie gets
• Mads Mikkelsen, playing this film’s ‘villain you’ll forget a week after viewing’
• “Oh no, not again.” It’s the little pieces of dialogue like this (regarding Everest) that helps the movie
• Oh hey time stone
• I guess it depends on Infinity War and Avengers 4, but Doctor Strange 2 would have to come out in 2020, right? I know that’s when Guardians 3 and the Spider-Man sequel are rumored to come out, but I’m sure Marvel will want to get a sequel out sooner rather than later
• Avengers 4 concept that would be unexpected but interesting- Dorammu and Thanos teaming up
• Cumberbatch’s American accent in this doesn’t bother me as much now
• The effects hold up so well. It was really made at the right time, 5 years earlier and it could have looked like 2011 Asgard
• I’ve realized that Tony has to die in either Infinity War or Avengers 4, because there’s no way Marvel is going to have the combined snark of Tony, Strange, Peter Quill, Peter Parker, and Reed Richards in one film
• Wow I didn’t even recognize Michael Stuhlbarg in this
• This is the second film that Marvel produced in 2 years that used scenes from an upcoming film to create a credits scene (Ant-Man & Civil War, Strange & Ragnarok)
• On the one hand, amazing effects, great music and some great comedic bits
• On the other hand, woefully misused or underused characters (Tilda Swinton & Rachel McAdams) and a lackluster villain

 

[Princess Leia]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
3.5/5​

• Currently trying to remember what year Quill was taken from Earth, since the opening scene is in 1980
• Alright, it’s 1988. I think young Peter looked a little old to be 8, but whatever, I guess
• Kurt Russell’s de-aging look: not as good as Michael Douglas, but better than RDJ
• This mighty be my favorite credit sequence out of all the films
• The Ravagers subplot drags this film down
• Chris Sullivan as TaserFace, a casting decision I was completely unaware of until like two weeks ago (it’s Toby from This Is Us)
• I love Mantis, you guys, so much
• The music selection in this movie is a lot more eclectic than the first. You’ve got hits like ‘The Chain’ and ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ next to songs like ‘Wham Bam Shang-a-Lang’
• Gamora’s hair looks redder in this one?
• Way more sexual jokes in this than the first (or any MCU movie)
• The scenes on Ego’s Planet flow much better than everything on Yondu’s ship
• Which makes me a little worried for Infinity War. With the crew in space, the crew in Wakanda, and the crew that I’m sure is neither in space nor Wakanda, I feel like one of the plots is going to fall flat
• Something great about the recent MCU films (Strange, GotG2, Ragnarok) is that they have gotten so dang weird in their effects and premises, and it works! Phase 1 never got this weird, but now Marvel is free to play around with the eccentric stuff
• The Ego villain reveal would have been stronger if Mantis wasn’t foreshadowing at almost every turn
• Honestly was not expecting Yondu’s death. Despite having the weakest subplot in the film, he and Rocket had a nice rapport
• Hoping for more Drax & Mantis moments in Infinity War (though due to the size of the cast, we’ll probably only get one)
• I am incredibly interested to find out what Quill thinks of modern music
• I’m also curious to see how many post-credits Infinity War has. Reviews have said to stay til the very end, so I’m assuming there’s at least one (and probably not 5 like GotG2)

 

[Princess Leia]

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
3.5/5​

• Vulture is one of the best villains in the MCU, Keaton did some great work in this
• “8 years later”... bit of a mistake there
• Holland is the best Peter Parker we’ve had yet
• I think Sony & Marvel made an interesting decision by not including Gwen or Mary Jane in this, instead going with a lesser known love interest. They’ve said that Michelle is the spirit of MJ or something
• As someone who was in Quiz Bowl for 6 years, Peter’s academic team is bringing back memories
• I know this isn’t considered an origin story, but take out the bite and Ben dying, and the rest is an origin movie.
• I’m glad Donald Glover was cast. It’s a small part, but it’s a nice gesture since he wasn’t cast in the Amazing Spider-Man
• It’s so nice to show Peter having friends again. Tobey Maguire’s Peter had Harry & MJ, but Andrew Parker only had Gwen
• The Washington Monument scene is giving me some major anxiety (I don’t do well with heights)
• Some effects are weirdly cartoony
• The Captain America cameos are fantastic
• So I think the Happy/Tony stuff drags the movie down. Unpopular opinion, I know, but I stand by it
• Also kind of think the movie has one action scene too many
• More anxiety- the Toomes car discussion. Seriously, Keaton did great work in this movie
• For a movie called Spider-Man: Homecoming, he spends like zero time at the dance. I think it amounts to one minute?
• Now I’m just curious as to who would have been cast as Uncle Ben. Based on their performance in Crazy Stupid Love, I’m going to pretend it’s Steve Carrell
• You know that time has really passed since 9/11 when the literal final fight involves Peter stopping a plane from crashing into the NYC skyline. Especially since the Twin Towers were edited out of the Spider-Man poster back in 2001.
• The Pepper/Tony reunion feels like a scene from a different movie
• Also, by this point in the MCU, the Avengers only consist of 3 people on Earth? Maybe? I can’t tell if Tony is in retirement or not, and Vision isn’t really a person. Rhodey’s in rehab (unless he’s better), and Bruce and Thor are in space.
• Credit desiiiiign
• Having May know about Peter’s secret identity should make for some interesting choices in the sequels
• So Gwyneth Paltrow got the 4th spot in the designer credits for like 30 seconds of screentime... (that spot rightfully went to Marisa Tomei in technically real end credits)

 

[Princess Leia]

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
4/5​

• I’m a big Zeppelin fan, so naturally I loved the opening scene
• Regarding the theatre scene, I remember turning to my friend in the theater and saying “is.... is that Matt Damon???”
• Definitely did not recognize Luke Hemsworth or Sam Neill though
• Sir Anthony Hopkins, having the time of his life as “Odin” here
• Strange has more snark in this film than be did in his own movie (and he had a lot of snark there too)
• Everyone’s having the time of their life in this movie... except the Warriors Three
• Unfortunately, even if Sif was in the movie, I’m not sure how much of a role she would have even had (unless she was hanging out with Heimdall)
• Another Marvel movie that is not afraid to get downright weird
• Still wishing we could have gotten both Sif and Valkyrie in this movie
• Pure Imagination playing in the background of Sikar intro is a great touch
• As is casting Jeff Goldblum in this movie
• I love Korg, but the effect feels slightly unfinished
• You know, if it wasn’t for the trailers and posters, you would have no idea that Hulk was going to show up
• Letting different directors have their own take on the material is a formula that works incredibly well. Phase 3 has a lot of that
• “The revolution has begun!”
• I know some people refer to Thor & Bruce/Hulk as the ‘buddies’ in this buddy comedy, but it also is equally between Loki and Thor
• “Get help!”
• Hela would have been a better villain if she had more time with Thor and Loki. Still a great campy performance though
• I think that while the first two Thor films were okay with being a little odd, this is where I think Marvel said “We’ve got a series with a talking raccoon and tree, let’s get weird!”
• Just as Asgard finally looks its best (in terms of effects), it’s destroyed. Typical.
• Thor losing his eye still feels a bit shocking
• Alright, so apparently is on the hunt for a hammer in Infinity War, which kind of goes against Odin’s pep talk in this movie
• Okay, you know I’m glad they didn’t give Hemsworth an incredibly bloody eye socket (if I wanted that kind of realism I’d be rewatching Game of Thrones), but there are some moments that you can definitely tell it’s just makeup
• For most of this movie I was trying to remember if Skurge is on the ship... and that answered that
• If you take out the post credits scene, this movie definitely ends on a happy note. However, if you include the scene at the very end... it’s very bittersweet
• All of this battle for survival, and it’s likely all for naught once Thanos comes along

 

[Princess Leia]

Black Panther (2018)
5/5​

I feel like I can make some general comments on this one now, since I saw it 3 times in theatres.

• I can't say it enough, the cast is amazing
• Also amazing- costume and makeup design
• Okoye is now one of my favorite MCU characters. I love every aspect of her character
• It works really well as a standalone feature. References to past films are pretty small in number.
• Amazing ladies everywhere
  • And they're a diverse bunch! They each have their own strengths and weaknesses
• T’Challa forever
• Michael B Jordan makes for an incredibly compelling villain
• M’Baku is a nice bait and switch for a character set up as a bad guy but ends up as one of T’Challa’s advisors

 

[LSLS]

This is fun as I'm watching my way through most of these for the first time too. I think I'm pretty much in agreement, thought I would have Iron Man 2 higher, I liked that one quite a bit as well. But of the ones you have reviewed here so far, Iron Man was def. my favorite, and I completely agree, the effects held up really well.