Incredible Hulk:
Although it hasn’t aged as well, mostly because
of dated CGI and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk being so
much more compelling than Ed Norton’s, it’s still
an entertaining story of Bruce Banner.
His scenes with love interest Betty, played by
Liv Tyler, are the story’s strength. The first half of
the movie is so good because it’s grounded and
feels like a Jason Bourne movie. The second half
gets bogged down by the plot and not the best
villain. There is fun to be had here, even though it
is the forgotten film of the bunch.
Doctor Strange:
Although very successful at the box office, you
don’t hear too much about the movie. Benedict
Cumberbatch is terrific in the role and, once
again, give Marvel credit for taking a character the
mainstream isn’t well versed in and producing a
high quality product.
The effects are the spectacle here. The film is
mind-bending and much like “Inception” in its
tricks. The romance aspect could’ve been more
fleshed out, though, as Rachel McAdams is great
in the scenes she’s in. The villain twist was also
fun, proving not everything is simple in a battle
of good and evil. And it’s funny. Don’t sleep on
Strange.
Captain America:
The First Avenger:
It’s fascinating looking at several of these lists
where Cappy’s first appearance ranks. I’ve seen it
from first to last. I think it’s in the middle.
It’s a great Marvel effort at a period piece. It has
a lot of Wonder Woman elements to it, though this
one came out first. The kid from Brooklyn is so
likeable and admirable, you want him to become
as physically strong as his heart. And he does.
It’s one of the better origin stories for a comic.
It finds clever ways to create the costume, has a
great looking villain in Red Skull and really sets up
the Avengers. The ending is also really fun and sad.
Iron Man 3:
This is tough because I wanted to rank it higher.
It has a “Lethal Weapon” feel to it because Shane
Black, who was involved in writing those films,
directed this iteration of Iron Man. It turns the
franchise in a different direction, which is good.
Tony Stark is sort of left to his wits rather than
his armor, which is highly entertaining. It’s
funny, has great action, and deals with
a superhero’s psychological trauma.
Even more innovatively, it
has a huge villain twist that
changes the source material.
This angered fans. Without
giving it away, it’s a great
idea that when executed
isn’t as strong, ultimately
leaving us with a weak
villain. The third
act is a ton of fun
though.
Ant-Man:
This was when audiences
knew Marvel could do no wrong.
Ant-Man had negative buzz as
the studio changed directors
at the last second, put a lot
of money in a small character
(pun intended) and had no real,
bankable stars.
This heist movie, mixed
with “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”
effects, works thanks to a great
cast, including Paul Rudd and
Evangeline Lilly. The stakes
are low in this movie but after
worlds being threatened with
destruction and government
backstabbing, this is what
Marvel needed. And, it’s very
imaginative with its affect and
humor.
QNS.COM
22 SPRING 2018