I will never forget how much hype surrounded Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was advertised as an event movie and I bought into it since I was expecting a film that would blow me away. Guys, this movie is everything I wanted it to be and more. I can’t speak for everyone’s opinion on the matter. However, I will take you through a review of it personally.

Now, this movie holds no bars as it jumps straight into action. Our team is busy taking down HYDRA bases! Which may not have been eluded to in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D….it totally was. Coulson is awesome, but sadly, not in this film. I know, I know, I was sad too. But he comes back in Captain Marvel! So, taking down HYDRA is no easy task. The base in question holds the biggest HYDRA boss still alive, Strucker. He seems to be the one who has been curiously experimenting on people; enhancing them for various purposes. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff seem to be the only gifted subjects to survive the experimentations. With the base under attack, the twins leave to defend it and fight our Avengers. The fight gets Hawkeye injured badly, but thankfully he lives! While the majority of our team is busy, Iron Man and Captain America, head inside the base. Captain captures Strucker, and Iron Man finds a Chitauri monster in a room…he’s soon sucked into a strange dream like hallucination thanks to the abilities of the Scarlet Witch, A.K.A. Wanda. Strange visions of his friends and team-mates lying dead in a heap while the Chitauri invade through a space portal, lead to some rather rash decisions. Snapping out of it, Tony takes Loki’s scepter, the objective of this mission.

The twins are on the loose and the Avengers are back home, safe and sound. Tony and Bruce get to work on building Ultron. Is this a bad idea? Yes…yes it is. Good intentions often lead to catastrophic results. Tony believes that Ultron can bring world peace. With an artificial intelligent being protecting the world, the Avengers won’t even be needed. Loki’s scepter holds the key to them building Ultron, and well, we all know this won’t end well. Still, Bruce helps Tony break into the scepter, as Jarvis has sensed a program of sorts. Originally, it fails, so Tony and Bruce leave it be…and then, something happens. Ultron comes to life. Inexplicably, he wakes up as the program Tony worked so hard to build. And in moments, Ultron has learned everything about our Avengers and takes the time to tear Jarvis apart.

The team is having a good time, taking turns trying to lift Thor’s hammer. The only one to even get it to budge slightly is Steve, which isn’t surprising. But none can lift it. It’s here a scrapped Iron Man suit hobbles into the room and decides it’s the perfect time to make himself known. He’s Ultron, and he’s here to help humans evolve, because they can’t survive otherwise. More suits arrive and there’s an all-out fight that leads to massive destruction, and a room full of angry superheroes demanding answers. Tony confesses to building Ultron, which doesn’t go over very well considering. Shortly after, they find all the files and records they kept digitally were wiped clean. Thankfully, Strucker had a lot of paper files. That trail leads them to a ship and a very wanted thief that deals in selling Vibranium. Ultron and the twins get there first, however, and take all they want…well, Ultron does while the twins fight our Avengers. Quicksilver’s name lives up to expectations, and Scarlet Witch has no problems making each Avenger hallucinate some awful fears. All but Hawkeye, who stuns her with an electrical shock straight to the head. Don’t mess with the guy who’s already been brainwashed once. Bits of Natasha’s past are shown to us, as well was a warped future in Thor’s mind. Bruce Hulks out and decides it’s the perfect time to attack the city nearby, and Steve gets visions of Peggy and a lonely life after the war. Tony is the only other one not affected, so it’s his job to find Bruce and get him under control. This proves challenging, but he and Bruce prepared for this. Enter, the Hulkbuster. Is it awesome? Yes. Is it really awesome? Yes…taking down the Hulk takes a lot of time and probably a few casualties, but Tony finally succeeds.

​Beaten, our Avengers are on the run now, since the Hulk really tore up that city, and Hill advises they not come to the tower. Clint takes them to the one safe house he knows of that isn’t on Ultron's radar…his house. Apparently, the archer has been busy…since he has two kids and a wife. Yeah, her name’s Laura and I’m really not sure how I felt about that information. It’s a pretty cool twist, really. Especially since Laura is a little pregnant. The kids know Aunt Nat and have only heard of the others. Not going to lie, I’m alright with this storyline. Recouping is one thing, but each Avenger has to deal with their own visions, thanks to Wanda. A surprise visit from Nick Fury gets Tony Stark to snap out of it, a bit. They have to beat Ultron, and Tony has to make things right. It’s off to South Korea, where they know Ultron is headed.

The A.I. in question is busy with some Vibranium, Loki’s scepter, and a machine of Dr. Cho’s. Earlier, she had a small machine that helped heal Hawkeye. The larger version of it is in Seoul, where Ultron is. He intends to have her use the machine and the Vibranium to make a body. It’s possible, and he wants his consciousness uploaded into it. It’s his vision that with that new body, he’ll be able to make the world into a peaceful place…and be the ultimate evolved form of mankind. The Avengers arrive in no time to help save Cho.  She’s been put under mind control with the scepter to help Ultron. With the body being made, and Ultron uploading as the Avengers attack, Wanda takes a look into the mind of the new body of Ultron. What she sees changes the course of her and Pietro’s actions. Wanda can’t have the destruction of the world, that wasn’t what either of them wanted. She sets Cho free and then they flee. Ultron won’t be deterred however, so he takes his new body and leaves. Hoping to upload into it at a later time. He wasn’t expecting the Avengers to take it and actually leave with it. Sadly, Natasha is physically lost in the battle, but she’ll be fine…

With the body Ultron created, Tony and Bruce set out to do something stupid, again. Why? Because Bruce is an enabler, and Tony is insane. Jarvis didn’t die…Tony was able to find him and piece him back together. And Loki’s scepter? It holds a powerful gem at its center, the Mind gem, one of the infamous Infinity Stones. They end up uploading Jarvis into the body, but not without some help. Steve and the twins show up to stop them, but it’s Thor who provides the electrical charge needed to complete the process. Vision is born, and he’s neither good nor bad, or is he? In a strange turn of events, he’s the only one able to lift Thor’s hammer. If that doesn’t speak to his character, then I don’t know what else does. One last battle ahead of them…and it all ends where it started. Natasha was found and captured by Ultron. She’s able to get a message out to Hawkeye via morse code. The church, the HYDRA base where the film began, is the place where Ultron is. He’s turned the entire city into a flying projectile, with the purpose of crashing it into the earth and creating an extinction level event…all so it can start again. The humans that survive will be evolved, better. Or, so, that’s the plan. He activates the city, sending it into the air. Our Avengers are left to fight off thousands of Ultron’s robot creations as well as save as many people as they can. It's almost futile, until Fury shows up with a Helicarrier….even then, it’s almost too much. Just when things seem to go right, they end badly…

For Pietro, his life ends when he saves Clint from an aerial assault by Ultron. The Archer left one of the air crafts to save a kid from the rubble. Wanda can’t handle the death of her brother. She leaves protecting the control panel of the flying city to kill Ultron, or the form he had taken. In that one moment, an Ultron bot activates the control panel, sending our city towards the ground once more. Tony has figured out a way to stop it, but it might not end so well for him. Thankfully, he figures it out and with Thor’s help, the City is blasted into a million pieces, breaking up before raining to the ground. With our Avengers safe, Vision meets with the last of Ultron….he started as one scraggly bot, and ends that way…what went wrong? Sadly, we’ll never know. In the end, Hulk leaves in a cloaked quinjet, Clint returns to his family, Natasha is left wondering why Bruce just left her, Tony leaves to figure things out, and Steve is…there. He and Natasha are tasked with training their new Avengers. War Machine, Falcon, and Scarlet Witch aren’t just sidekicks, they’re Avengers now. Either way, our team was left scattered and broken and we were left waiting once again to see what happens next to our beloved Avengers, and I might have something in my eye knowing where it goes from here. Whatever, feels are stupid, and I’m not crying over Civil War and Infinity War, you are.

I still remember when this movie came out, and how I went and saw it twice in a week. Because, as any dedicated fan to Marvel, I was expecting the high quality of storytelling that has become standard for all Marvel movies, but I was blown away by Guardians.

Now, I'll be the first to admit I haven't read a lot of the Guardians of the Galaxy comics, but I've read enough to know the characters and basic premise of them. I wasn't worried about plot, but portrayals. After all, animating a tiny, violent, angry raccoon isn't an easy task. Whatever worries I had for how Rocket would turn out we're thrown out the window the second he came on the big screen. Like many, I'm a Rocket fan, and was unsure of how this movie was going to go. Bradley Cooper did an outstanding job as the voice of Rocket, and he turned out perfect! As did Groot!

I wasn't worried about the giant tree; as soon as I heard Vin Diesel was voicing him. There's something reminiscent of my childhood with Vin Diesel voicing a beloved character (The Iron Giant was the best movie!). And of course, Zoe Saldana as Gamora was a great choice. Dave Bautista, I know little about, other than he's a wrestler? Fighter? See, I'm terrible at this game! However, as Drax, he is humorously fantastic. Marvel has always done a fantastic job when it comes to casting. I knew Chris Pratt was from Parks and Recreations (which I haven't seen yet, but it's on my list!) and have seen bits and pieces from the show enough to know Pratt is hilarious. But was he Star-Lord material? As it turns out, he is perfect for the role. Let's also not forget one of the Doctor’s favorite companions, Karen Gillan as the notorious Nebula was outstanding. It actually took me a minute to recognize her!

Casting aside, the make-up, costumes, CGI, and plot came together to make one of the best films I've ever seen. I have to say, I loved this movie. Overall, I loved it more than The Avengers. I know, I know, that sounds crazy. But this film is just that good. The tale of how our Guardians came together, tried to kill each other, and saved the universe, is put together so well, there's not a dull moment or scene.

So, we start off with Steve Rogers (Captain America himself) running around D.C. and here we meet and befriend Sam Wilson. Quickly after, Steve is called into action with a team accompanied by the amazingly wonderful Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. A S.H.I.E.L.D. vessel has supposedly been attacked by pirates and some critical information needs to be rescued before it ends up in the wrong hands. Steve isn't privy to any of this and gets a bit angry. A confrontation with Nick Fury doesn't seem to solve any problems.

However, Fury does reveal to Steve that there are three Helicarriers (As seen in The Avengers) being produced. They will, supposedly, never need to land and will be able to stop any threats from escalating (such as the Attack on New York…). This doesn't sit well with the infamous Captain America, who isn't sure if he wants to keep working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and then things jump right into action with Nick Fury being hunted down by unknown assailants, well, partially unknown. Enter, the Winter Soldier. Before he can finish Fury off, the director gets away and heads straight for Steve's apartment. He's figured out that S.H.I.E.L.D. has turned on them and tries to warn Steve, as well as pass on the jump drive with the secret information on it from the vessel. The drive is so encrypted, even Fury can't hack it. Without warning, shots are fired, and Fury's last words to Steve are ‘Trust no one’. Angered, Captain America pursues the assassin only to come face to face with the Winter Soldier. He kind of looks familiar… 

After the deadly Russian assassin kills the director, it's a mad dash to figure out what's going on. It seems S.H.I.E.L.D. has turned on Steve next. The Captain is anything but taken down easily, just ask the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents knocked out on the elevator floor! Thankfully, we can trust Natasha, as she helps Steve figure out where the encrypted drive came from. The army base where Steve trained, and later was turned into Captain America, is where a secret underground S.H.I.E.L.D. base is hiding. Within is the answers to where the encrypted information came from. 

So, in Captain America: The First Avenger, Red Skull had a little weird scientist friend, right? Yeah, well, that guy ended up being recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D., so what does that have to do with The Winter Soldier? Guess whose brain was downloaded onto a crap ton of computers…this enables him to talk to Natasha and Steve. Turns out, because of his recruitment, S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to be overrun by Hydra and the Helicarrier's are to be used to kill thousands of people in order for Hydra to gain mass control over the populous. 
 
Here is where the biggest plot reveal hits. Agent Sitwell of S.H.I.E.L.D. has appeared on the show, as well as many special shorts. He's a friend of Phil Coulson's…and apparently one of the HYDRA agents. Yeah, I was really upset about this too. In fact, I was in denial. It's alright though, because Steve, Natasha, and Sam have a little chat with him. Sitwell shares how the Helicarrier's would target people and kill them…then shortly after, he's murdered by The Winter Soldier…who also tries to kill Steve and Natasha, because Pierce (The guy who put Fury in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is on the World Council) ordered it to be so…because he's the head of Hydra and Sam, who is also Falcon, ends up being awesome and helps kind of save Natasha. Steve has a showdown with the Winter Soldier, only the fight doesn't go so well. Our metal armed assassin turns out to be Bucky Barnes, Steve's best friend that supposedly died in the first Captain America movie. In shock over this, Steve lets Bucky get away and our band of heroes is captured…and then rescued by Agent Maria Hill. Who takes them to Fury…who faked his death, because sometimes you just have to be that epic and fake your own death.

​Steve and Hill agree that Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. need to be taken down and destroyed, for good. Fury is reluctant but eventually yields. From here on, it is some pretty amazing fight scenes.

The Helicariers' are launched; Natasha has Pierce trapped; Hill is monitoring the computers while Steve and Sam attempt to get the three Helicarriers' linked to her computer so they can be permanently shut down. All goes fine with the first two, but the last is always the hardest. The Winter Soldier tries to kill Falcon by ripping off his mechanical wings and throwing him off a carrier, mid-flight, but Sam came prepared with a parachute. Still, he's left to fight hand to hand with a Hydra soldier, while Steve and Bucky have their final face off. Both seem evenly matched, yet Bucky has the advantage, or does he? Steve does manage to get the final piece into place, so Hill can destroy the carriers. Just when all seems like a win, Bucky and Steve have one final fight. One that lands them both in the water. Bucky saves a nearly drowning Steve and then leaves him on the bank. Steve wakes later with Sam at his bedside and no trace of Bucky to be found.

Fury has decided he has some unfinished business to attend. Hill ends up working at Stark Industries. Natasha sets' out to reinvent herself. And Steve is off to hunt for Bucky and help his lost friend regain his memories. Sam goes along for the ride because, why not!?

At the end of the movie, we're left with two cut scenes. Bucky is at the Captain America exhibit staring at a memorial of himself. The last leaves us in a strange military like base, where two men are discussing S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra while staring at Loki's staff and examining...the twins.

Both scenes served as the set up for another Captain America film and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yet, I left the theater wondering, where was Hawkeye, Ironman, the Hulk, and/or Thor!? And, no, seriously, where was Jeremy Renner!? Come on! Not even a cameo!? The movie was utterly fantastic, and to this day, the betrayal of Sitwell still hurts my feels. But, this is one of the best Marvel Cinematic movies out there, so I guess I can forgive it for breaking my heart…maybe…

After the Chitauri are defeated in New York City, Thor has the pleasure of returning his brother to Asgard to be housed in the dungeons for the rest of his days. Although they are family, Thor and his family now see what Loki is capable of and must keep him in restraints until all is corrected in the Nine Realms. Returning from his most recent victory off world, Thor and his warriors return home knowing that all is well in the universe before the Convergence is set to take place. With his trusted gatekeeper on watch, there is little that can go wrong for him and his family when the planets align, but there is someone else floating in depths of space that is looking to change that.

Jane Foster has moved to London to work with her friend, Dr. Erik Selvig, but is having a hard time getting ahold of him. When getting some abnormal readings, Jane heads off to research her find and discovers that the laws of physics that do not apply in an abandoned warehouse. Not knowing what is happening, or what is causing it, Jane continues to probe around the area, but gets sucked into a different realm and before she knows it, an alien force takes control of her body. Returning to her planet, Jane is surprised to see that Thor is back and although she is upset that he has been gone for so long, she can finally end her quest for love that seems to be going nowhere. But when the local police try to arrest her for trespassing at the warehouse, a large release of energy erupts from her body and Thor knows that there is nothing that can be done on her world to help or protect his mortal love.

Dark Elf leader Malekith is on the hunt for something that he has not been able to locate for many years. When the Aether has bonded with Jane, Malekith is awakened and is looking for its location so it can be returned to its rightful master, him. Being able to get through the defenses on Asgard, Malekith is able to confront the human, but there is much resistance from Thor’s mother to keep the young woman safe. Having to kill everyone in his way, Malekith is veered away after receiving a bolt of lightning to the face, but that will not stop the Dark Elf. Following the smell of the Aether, Malekith finds that it is on the Dark World and heads there to receive his just due. Not even the strength of the most powerful Asgardian can stop him at this point, as his power is within grasping distance.

Thor is distraught after finding out that his own science cannot save Jane from whatever is running through her veins and needs to find a different method to save her. After an uprising tears the dungeons apart and an attack has left Asgard humbled, he needs to find a way to get off world once again. Knowing that Loki has a way to escape the planet, Thor has to put trust into his brother to save his one and only true love. Getting off of Asgard and onto the Dark World, Thor has a plan on how to relieve Jane of the darkness that is slowly consuming her and how to destroy it when the time comes. Fighting with his brother once again, Thor comes face to face with Malekith and finds out first-hand how powerful the Aether can be when being used by someone that has a purpose for it. 

Returning to Earth to work with Jane’s team, Thor finds that Erik Selvig is a little bit off of his rocker, but has a plan on how to utilize the Convergence and save the world. With sensors being set up all around the primary location, Erik is able to keep the realms from interacting with each other, but saving worlds and lives is the last thing on Malekith's mind as he arrives on Earth. Looking to distract the Dark Elf for long enough to let the Convergence pass, portals to the Nine Realms are utilized to protect the innocent from being enslaved, or worse yet, killed by the Dark Elf that only wants to return darkness to the universe. 

This is a strong follow up to the first Thor movie, along with The Avengers as both story lines play into this one. I love this movie and seeing everyone from the first Thor film reprise their roles. But is not just the original cast returning that makes it enjoyable, it is how everyone is having problems coping with what they have had happen to them so many years ago. Jane cannot find anyone that makes her feel the way Thor did, and vice versa for the hammer welding Asgardian. But Erik Selvig completely stole the show as he is seen without pants in several scenes in the movie and when he discovers that he is not crazy, he slowly starts to return to his old masterminded self, and what happens next to Thor, I have to say is downright epic. 

Scott’s Review
We are all human. I know it is hard to admit it, but it is true. Things that we believe can be done that we come to learn are impossible may be beyond our comprehension, but we are always willing to try. That is the human drive that we are taught growing up, if you put your mind to it, you can do it. In so many ways this is true, but there are just some things that our mind and body will not allow us to accomplish.  

This is one of the things Tony Stark has to confront in the third installment of Iron Man. Our story starts off with Stark attending a conference in Switzerland (noted in the cave from the first movie) in 1999. Stark is researching researcher Maya Hansen on New Year’s Eve, who is working on a project called EXTREMIS. EXTREMIS is a growth hormone that gives the body the ability to regenerate, to the point where the body can re-grow missing limbs. During the trip up to the hotel room, Stark and Hansen are confronted by a less than ordinary man named Aldrich Killian who seems very interested in Hansen’s research, but is blown off by Stark who had only one thing on his mind, and little does Tony know that seemingly unimportant moment, will come back to haunt him.

Now, the first line of the movie, which I quoted above, speaks volumes about how our demons persist, after all, Iron Man 3 takes place after The Avengers. Tony Stark is back at work in his shop, and not being able to sleep at all, Stark does what he does best, creating a newer and better suit, up to Mark 42. Trying to battle his own demons, at least the ones he knows about, Stark is doing his best to hide his current problem, which is battling anxiety over facing his own death once again. Being brought back down to the problems of normal people, Stark is confronted by another villain, The Mandarin. The Mandarin is challenging the President of the United States and believes he should be taught a lesson. As to what specific lesson the President will learn, well that will have to wait for another time, as the Mandarin continues to break into the public television feed with visions of terror.

Iron Man 3 is a great look into the strengths that we encompass, along with our weaknesses and this movie features some incredible performances. Robert Downey Jr. delivers as Tony Stark as always and Don Cheadle continues to clean up any scenes when the two are not in the same room, also War Machine is a name of the past as Iron Patriot is announced to the public. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) continues to play the normal girlfriend but is willing to put up a fight for what she believes is right. Aldrich Killian is played by Guy Pearce and he is able to deliver in his role the way a brilliant, almost madman should. Ben Kingsley, who plays the Mandarin with a mountain of hair, does a fantastic job of filling the American public with all kinds of fear.

With all that has happened in the Iron Man series and with the addition of The Avengers movie, this is the only way to follow it up. Making sure to keep Tony Stark in check as a real person may not be everyone’s favorite way to finish up this first trilogy, however this adds a sense of reality to the character. Everyone can find a way to be the best at what they do, but some people are able to find a way to do it faster, and while faster may be the path that most of us what to take, you must always remember that the stress that it entails may cause you more problems than it is really worth.  

John’s Review
It is our mortality that defines us. Simply because from a biological standpoint it is what we are truly made to do. We are born, we live a life that is hopefully filled with incredible moments of wonder before we pass into that great beyond. Yet facing that end is something we rarely do because knowing that everything can come to an end on a moment's notice is a terrifying prospect. It is something that at some point we will all face whether we want to acknowledge or not and it is something that you rarely see addressed in the comic book world. Sure, some characters have died, but often times they come back. But there is one comic book motion picture in particular that not only addresses the issue head on but reminds us of how scary a brush with death can be in Iron Man 3. 

Nothing has been the same for Tony Stark since New York. His sleep is constantly interrupted by nightmares of his close encounter with the end as he battled the Chitauri. To avoid these terrible dreams Tony stays up for hours on end, building one new innovative Iron Man suit after another, all in the hopes of soothing his rattled psyche. But there will be little time for Tony to heal, as a new enemy, the Mandarin, has come forward to terrorize the world and his arrival will change Tony’s life in ways he never could have imagined. 

So, let me say it out loud right now, I absolutely loved Iron Man 3. It is by far the best film in the saga so far for so many reasons. First and foremost, I was stunned with how Tony Stark is badly damaged on a psychological level in this story and his plight brings up a good question...who counsels super heroes through their times of need? The quick answer is no one. Tony Stark is a hero, the man who finally stopped the Chitauri invasion. He is seen as brave and strong and what Iron Man stands for, means that the public sees him as invincible, and that puts Tony on a lonely journey. It makes for a beautiful and haunted Iron Man film and quite frankly the most thoughtful.  

Yet the wonder of this story doesn't stop there. Director and co-writer Shane Black does an incredible job of bringing Tony's vulnerability to life by removing him from his suit of armor for a better part of the film. It not only gives us a finer acting performance from Robert Downey, Jr., but it also places him in tougher situations where he is forced to use his genius to escape. But the film's depth doesn't end there, one of the best parts thematically of Iron Man 3 is the fascinating concept of what we hold on to. For example, Aldrich Killian's anger toward Tony has driven every single decision of his life, consuming him like the fire of Extremis while Tony's fears of the end, have left him ‘in a cocoon.’  

It's that distinct intelligence and heartfelt wonder that makes the film hopeful and beautiful at the same time. Simply because while it focuses on the fear that blankets us over our eventual end, it reminds us that each moment is wonderful and will never come again and we should celebrate every last one of them, as often as possible.

Let's face facts, growing up there were only two ways we could bask in the wonder and awe of a Superhero team up. Our action figures, or a good old-fashioned comic book because when it came to film, no one had ever attempted to put big time superheroes played by big time actors into one motion picture. 

Hell, no one was really making super hero movies to boot for that matter either, but the times changed, and the wonder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was before us at last. Yet the same problem remained, would we ever see a massive team up of mighty heroes and would it be awesome or even possible to put so much incredible talent into one motion picture and make it work? Thankfully the answer was a resounding yes, as we learned when Joss Whedon brought together all of Marvel's mightiest heroes in The Avengers. 

Something sinister has been happening without our knowledge. Loki has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to build himself an empire, and his plans are coming to fruition. For in the depths of the galaxy, an army composed of the Chitauri are waiting for his command to invade the planet earth. But before Loki can execute his plan, he knows there are threats on this planet he must eliminate. But his plan is not without its flaws, for by attempting to go after earth's mightiest heroes...he will instead unite them and face the wrath of the Avengers.

​Well, it goes without saying that this movie is two hours of pure awesomeness, but holy crap this movie is two hours of pure awesomeness. In fact, it falls into that rare category of the perfect comic book movie, and how can it not? You get the fine mix of action, top notch acting and well...for the first time ever the fanboy's dream comes to life by getting a ton of your favorite comic book heroes into one epic and incredible movie.  

Not to mention, every single character gets their own special arc. We get to witness Captain America go from a fish out of water to returning to the Cap of old, leading the squad as only he can. We see Thor learn the value of working with others and hell, we even get a little dark with Bruce Banner's story. But perhaps the two finest storylines, are the ones that left us cheering and broke our hearts all at once. I'm talking of course of the temporary loss of Phil Coulson as he goes out in heroic fashion dealing with Loki...and the fact that this is the film when Tony Stark becomes the hero we always knew he would.

You take all of those incredible pieces, throw in that amazing third act and well, you're left with a film that flies by as you are glued to the screen, cheering, laughing and potentially crying the whole way. I mean hell, it even set a trend since Warner Brothers and the DCEU tried (unsuccessfully) to replicate the success of this motion picture. Either way, it's one I've watched countless times, and no doubt the rest of you have as well because man...it's simply amazing…

When it comes to the vast number of comic book characters out there, I have to fully admit that there are some, whose stories I simply don’t get excited about in the slightest. That’s usually due in large part to the fact that the character and their adventures outright feel dated, meaning that there’s nothing new for me to find that will energize my imagination and my skepticism of their ability to carry an engrossing story is often extended to the moment when it is inevitably announced that they will be receiving their own motion picture franchise. Because I know that said movie will have some grounding in the comics that never quite caught my eye in the first place, and one such character that fits that particular mold, is Steve Rogers, a.k.a, Captain America.
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Because in reality, his character is pretty darn dated. After all, the super soldier hails from an era of America that is long gone and some of what he’s about, doesn’t jibe with the time times anymore, and that’s because that the character has never quite been updated by the folks at Marvel, making him quite the relic, which means, I had some concerns about Steve’s arrival in the MCU back in the day. Because there was a strong chance that the character’s flaws would be put on full display, potentially bringing forth the first cheesy entry in this budding and beautiful cinematic universe. But as it turns out, my fears and concerns were unfounded in the end, because Captain America: The First Avenger ended up being quite the magnificent film, one that found a way to make a character that doesn’t quite fit in anymore, as compelling as they come.

All of that was accomplished, by making Steve relatable and grounded and that’s quite the impressive feat when all is said and done. Especially when one considers that the audience gets to learn exactly what makes Steve Rogers tick in this movie and what we learn about him is quite compelling, since the man is driven by a big and genuinely good heart in this story and he wants nothing more than to be someone worthwhile in this world, and he wants to accomplish wonders and it really doesn’t get more relatable than that. Because there are so many people out there that have a dream of being more and feel trapped just like Steve does and this wonderful decision to bring him down to the everyman level, has you rooting for him through and through and the wonder of this motion picture doesn’t end with Steve.

For this particular tale has a lot to offer action and story wise as well since our villain is as sour as they come, and the Red Skull is someone that’s easy to despise and his machinations help set up some incredible moments as the story rolls along, including a magnificent showdown between good versus evil in the third act. But I made mention of plenty of action and that’s present here as well thanks to the Howling Commandos and their fight against Hydra and much of the fun in this motion picture is generated by their arrival and oddly enough, this another keystone film for the MCU since the Red Skull’s fate, Bucky’s apparent demise, and Hydra as a whole would turn out to be key plot points for the future, which is all quite amazing…

Either way, I’m quite glad this movie surprised me when all is said and done, because it served up the age old lesson to never judge a book by its cover and to give every single story out there a fair shake because you never know what wonders you will find. And when it comes to this movie, I ended up being reintroduced to a pure hero, one who truly wants to see genuine good be spread about in the world and we truly need more characters like Steve Rogers in popular media and ironically, thanks to this movie and the two Cap related movies that followed, I have to admit that Steve has quickly become one of my favorite MCU characters and I cannot wait to see how Chris Evans and Marvel will do him justice when it comes to his upcoming and final appearance in Avengers: Endgame.  

Trying to prove your worth to your parents can be one of the hardest things a child has to do. Wanting them to know how much you respect what they have given to you in the form of your own accomplishments can be the greatest way to achieve this. But for some parents, this may not be enough, as they are happy with your success in life, but they want to know that you are the person that they know you can be. This can be as simple as living by your own moral values or as difficult as having to obtain a position of power. Either way, you should only be true to yourself and your own values and if that is enough for you, it should be enough for everyone else around you.

Being the most powerful asset of the Asgardian army, Thor is ready to receive his just rewards. As he is about to be given the throne, something more devious arises in Asgard, a threat that has been unseen for many years. The Frost Giants are back and want to reclaim their Casket of Ancient Winters, which was taken from their planet many moons ago. Even though they are not able to succeed in this task, it raises concern for everyone on Asgard and Thor will not let the crime go without justice being served.

Traveling to Jotunheim with his prized fighters, Thor is ready to kill all of the Frost Giants, but being out numbered, someone unexpected comes to his aid. With his father trying to keep peace between the realms, Odin sends Thor away as punishment, but gives him a chance to redeem himself. Being sent to New Mexico, he is discovered by an aspiring astrophysicist, Jane Foster, and her crew. Although they cannot believe the story that is being told to them from the powerless Thor about being from another planet, their research shows them otherwise. 

​Wanting to get the full story from the God-like stranger, there is something else happening around the small town, something has fallen from the sky that cannot be moved by a mortal man. Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, has followed him to Earth, with the promise that one who is worthy of it will be able to control the power of Thor. But something has to change in Thor’s life before he will be able to weld the power once more as he finds out after beating up several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Knowing that he is alone on this planet and his only friends do not seem to believe what or who he really is, Thor is forced to put his life on the line to defend the innocent.

With Thor away from his home planet of Asgard, there is something else afoot. Thor’s brother Loki has found out his true origins and now understands that he will never gain the full respect of his father. Being of another race, Loki rushes to conclusions and the stress he puts on Odin puts the old king into a coma. With his brother away, Loki takes to the throne and starts making up his own plan of how to rule his kingdom. Even though he was behind the first attack on the armory that kept his brother from taking power, Loki is now wanting to eliminate all of the competition for his rightful spot atop the throne. With several moving parts to his plan, Loki is able to get a destroyer sent to Earth to kill his brother and sets his sights on destroying the planet of his ailing father's greatest foe. With no one on Asgard to stop him, everything can go off without a hitch, but what Loki does not know is that there is a way to change one’s way of thinking and redeem one’s self.

I will admit that I did not see Thor before The Avengers came out, and I kind of regret it. It was never on my list of must-see movies until I found out what the Marvel Universe was capable of. This was the first movie that dealt with something that none of the movies even looked at and that was a father's love and respect. I know that Tony Stark was trying to live up to his father’s expectations, but since Howard was not alive when the movie came out, it could never happen. Odin is very much alive and wants to provide the Nine Realms with the ruler they deserve and wants to make sure that Thor is up for the task. Even though Thor goes against what his father and king has wished, he is still given the opportunity to redeem himself. To me, this movie focuses on gaining a father's love and finding out it is not all about what you can do when the situation arises, but what you will do. Loki shows everyone that what he will do is jump at the opportunity, no matter what the consequences are and make sure he is never held accountable, while Thor has a change in heart and even without his powers, continues to try to help those in need. It is kind of sappy for a hard-core warrior to lay down his hammer and not get anything in return, but it is about his heart and how it bleeds for those who need help the most and even for Natalie Portman, and I see where he is coming from on that one.  

Sometimes in film there are sequels that well...are deceiving. They seem to underwhelm you, leave you wanting more, yet in a weird way you're not upset with them. That's because these sequels are tricky ones indeed. There is more to them than meets the eye. There are characters, or sub plots or other bits and pieces that will resonate with you for some time simply because of the mastery of those special sequels. I cannot say that I have seen many of those multi layered sequels in my time, but one that continues to stand out in my mind, is Iron Man 2. 
 
Tony Stark is now well known as a genius billionaire playboy...and Iron Man. His turn as a defender of justice has in many ways helped to keep the world safe, but as Tony basks in the joy of being celebrated as a protector of mankind, darker forces surround him. For the sins of his father are about to come back upon Tony and his name sake by way of a mysterious and powerful new villain and to make matters worse, the mini arc reactor in Tony's chest designed to keep him alive...is slowly killing him.  

So, if anything, this far darker Iron Man film, accomplished exactly everything I made mention of a moment ago. Because upon seeing this film in theaters, I didn’t feel satisfied with it in the slightest after I left the theater, and at the time, I wasn’t sure what it was that I was missing. I mean, Tony saved the day, dispatched the bad guy and got the girl. Doesn't get much more super hero than that. Heck it even had a nice little sub plot revolving around his potential demise, which meant there was plenty to like in this film.  

No instead this is a film that I had to watch multiple times, after other Marvel films arrived on the scene because it turns out that Iron Man 2 is what could be referred to as a keystone film. Because the foundation of Tony’s future and several future Marvel movies are laid down here, to the point where the whole Hydra surprise is hinted at in this story, alongside a little foreshadowing for The Avengers when it comes to how Tony plays with others. And all of that forces one to go back and watch this movie a little closer and quite frankly that's genius and it gave me a newfound appreciation of the Iron Man franchise.

But perhaps the best part of this film, goes back to that sub plot revolving around Tony and how he has to face his own mortality, thanks to the side effects of the Arc Reactor. And while he does find a way out of this particular mess, this goes back to my point about how this motion picture sets things up for Tony’s future, especially when it comes to Tony having to look death square in its shrouded face, and all of that makes the next film in the franchise all the more impressive...

When one is asked to think about a powerful superhero, the kind that can accomplish wonders by way of their super strength, one name that quickly comes to the top of all of our minds, is Bruce Banner. Because ol’ Brucey’s alter ego, the Incredible Hulk, is an invulnerable being that can do just about anything, thanks to the strength behind his giant green fists, yet, despite everything the Hulkster can or could do, his time on the silver screen has been limited and I’ve always been quite amazed over the fact he’s in essence, a forgotten hero at the cinema.
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Because there really is a lot for this character to offer. He’s powerful, he’s fearless, and his alter ego is an average Joe (or Jane), like so many of us, he just happens to be a scientist whose experiment went awry. But that setup has led to far and few adaptations over the years, in fact, you can basically count every Hollywood themed Bruce Banner story on one hand. There’s the ever popular TV series that featured Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, and there was the Ang Lee directed film adaptation aptly titled, Hulk, and outside of that, there’s really only one official MCU focused Banner/Hulk film, one that came out in 2008 shortly after Iron Man made waves in the box office in The Incredible Hulk.

Now, what makes this movie so fascinating to me is that in many ways, this sucker should have been a slam bang success, but so many simply don’t hold this film in high regard and that’s odd because the formula here is pretty by the numbers for Marvel. There’s a phenomenal cast present since Edward Norton takes over the role of Bruce Banner here, and he’s counterbalanced nicely by Tim Roth as the evil Emil ‘The Abomination’ Blonsky and William Hurt drops in as well in his first run as General ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross. Plus, the budget here is sky high with top notch special effects that straight up take your breath away. Which begs the question, why does everyone more or less feel as though this movie is the worst the MCU has to offer? Well, the answer to that is simple, it is…far too dark for this universe.

Think about it for a moment. While Iron Man and many of the movies that followed it had or have their serious moments, there’s a lot of fun to be found in those films and that’s simply missing from Incredible Hulk. It broods on darker moments far too often and there’s no joy to be found in Norton’s portrayal of Banner since he’s a man beyond desperate to be free of the green monster residing inside his soul and those elements simply sour the film as you watch. Which means that by the time you get to the Hulk/Abomination showdown at the end of the film, you’re bored, and disinterested and that makes the fight seem tame to say the least and that’s a shame, because with a little tender love and care and levity, this could have been quite the moving motion picture, one that would have held quite the flame to Tony Stark’s story.

But alas, the magic would have to wait for Mark Ruffalo to take over the role, leaving this one as the odd man out when it comes to Phase 1 of Marvel Cinematic Universe and the only reason I still watch this film, and recommend it, is to remind myself, and others I suppose, of how quickly Marvel learned from their mistakes since they more or less vowed to keep the fun rolling from here on out and we know how that turned out. However, while I’m making it sound as though this movie is simply unwatchable, since I too have more or less revealed that this one doesn’t really resonate with me, it’s still worth watching. In large part due to the fact that it is part of the official MCU, and it does set up Bruce’s future nicely and seeing as to how eleven years later this one is still part of our discussions, it obviously left its impact when all is said and done and perhaps someday, someone will figure out the right formula to make this character worthy of a long term franchise, like the rest of his fellow Avengers, received.