This is probably WAY too much to summarise into one article, but I kind of feel that these films shine best when seen together, so I want to give it a shot. We'll construct separate taste triangles for each of the 6 films and also give a score to Phase One as a whole.
My History / I-want-to-understand-that-reference.gif
I was late to the party when it came to the Marvel films exploding onto the scene. You can read about my (lack of) history with comics and comic book films in this section of my Dark Knight review, but to summarise it to the scope of the Marvel films, I didn't really care until they announced they'd team up.
I'm a sucker for stories overlapping and interacting, so I went back and watched them all in order, not quite fast enough to enjoy The Avengers in theatres, but enough to thoroughly appreciate it when it got its home release.
Plot summary / Super Hero Landing!
It doesn't matter if you start with the first film to be released or the first film based on in-universe chronology, either way it starts with a war. Heroes are forged in conflict, I guess.
Earth is basically the way we know it. World War II happened, it just so happens that an American super soldier played a pivotal role before heroically sacrificing himself. The wars in the Middle East happened, except a prolific and somehow likeable arms dealer got kidnapped and broke out using improvised battle armour. Back at home scientists attempt to replicate the fluke that produced the super soldier in WWII and accidentally turn a man into a monster.
That's... quite a lot of differences actually, how isn't that impacting the world more? Ah, there's a secret government agency covering it up, that'll do the trick. It's called SHIELD (technically an acronym, but it's dumb) and it tries to monitor peculiar occurrences across the globe, no matter if they're mechanical, supernatural or extraterrestrial.
Did I not mention aliens exist yet? Because they do! Most relevantly for Phase 1 are the Asgardians, who we first meet in a flashback where they are (you guessed it) at war with the Frost Giants. They are basically human-looking, just better, and supposedly inspired Norse mythology. This suddenly starts being a lot more important when the Prince of Asgard is temporarily banished to earth.
So the various eccentrics have their own little adventures for a bit (the arms dealer came with so much baggage that he got two), the WWII hero gets revived and slowly but surely (if not entirely willingly) they come together under the banner of SHIELD to fight one of the villains from the small adventures using the super weapon from one of the other small adventures.
It's just like a comic book crossover event!
Earth is basically the way we know it. World War II happened, it just so happens that an American super soldier played a pivotal role before heroically sacrificing himself. The wars in the Middle East happened, except a prolific and somehow likeable arms dealer got kidnapped and broke out using improvised battle armour. Back at home scientists attempt to replicate the fluke that produced the super soldier in WWII and accidentally turn a man into a monster.
That's... quite a lot of differences actually, how isn't that impacting the world more? Ah, there's a secret government agency covering it up, that'll do the trick. It's called SHIELD (technically an acronym, but it's dumb) and it tries to monitor peculiar occurrences across the globe, no matter if they're mechanical, supernatural or extraterrestrial.
Did I not mention aliens exist yet? Because they do! Most relevantly for Phase 1 are the Asgardians, who we first meet in a flashback where they are (you guessed it) at war with the Frost Giants. They are basically human-looking, just better, and supposedly inspired Norse mythology. This suddenly starts being a lot more important when the Prince of Asgard is temporarily banished to earth.
So the various eccentrics have their own little adventures for a bit (the arms dealer came with so much baggage that he got two), the WWII hero gets revived and slowly but surely (if not entirely willingly) they come together under the banner of SHIELD to fight one of the villains from the small adventures using the super weapon from one of the other small adventures.
It's just like a comic book crossover event!
Iron Man / A better name than Fe-lla
The series starts with the arms dealer (I'm covering these in order of release, not in-universe chronology). Tony Stark, running the arms manufacturer Stark Industries he inherited from his father, gets kidnapped by a terrorist group that has secretly been supplied by his company's weapons. Turns out his mentor has been going behind his back and is trying to oust him. Luckily Tony becomes Irony Man and strikes back a- No? Iron Man you say? *sighs* fine. That's a super ironic plot though.
Adventure: 7.5/10 / "That doesn't look like a Jericho missile."
- 🚀 Solid returning-home-with-new-insights story.
- 🚀 AND a nice discovering / developing your powers sequence.
- 📋 The villain and final showdown are a bit on the boring side though.
Smart: 6/10 / "The Truth Is. I am Iron Man."
- 💡 They subverted the secret identity nonsense that holds so many other films back. Tony Stark is Iron Man and the world knows it. Eventually, but still in the first film and that's excellent.
- 💡 Does the science make sense? Hell no. Does it make comic book sense? Enough!
- 💤 You order the arms manufacturer to make weapons for you? Really? Just in a locked room in a cave? With minimal supervision and unlimited access to resources?
- 💡 They subverted the secret identity nonsense that holds so many other films back. Tony Stark is Iron Man and the world knows it. Eventually, but still in the first film and that's excellent.
- 💡 Does the science make sense? Hell no. Does it make comic book sense? Enough!
- 💤 You order the arms manufacturer to make weapons for you? Really? Just in a locked room in a cave? With minimal supervision and unlimited access to resources?
Heart: 5/10 / "If my math is right, and it always is, three gigajoules per second."
- 💖 Flying is one of the most inspiring superpowers and the joy comes across.
- 💔 We're rooting for a man that made his fortunes selling death? I know the whole point is a redemption arc, but sheesh.
- 💔 The first 30% of the film takes place in the middle east and we don't get a single role of note for a local? I guess it's admirable that they're not just the villains, but now they're just not there.
48.71 which is good but hardly spectacular. Humble beginnings, I guess?
Fortunately the next one already has Incredible in the name...
- 💖 Flying is one of the most inspiring superpowers and the joy comes across.
- 💔 We're rooting for a man that made his fortunes selling death? I know the whole point is a redemption arc, but sheesh.
- 💔 The first 30% of the film takes place in the middle east and we don't get a single role of note for a local? I guess it's admirable that they're not just the villains, but now they're just not there.
48.71 which is good but hardly spectacular. Humble beginnings, I guess?
Fortunately the next one already has Incredible in the name...
The Incredible Hulk / So it's about an incredible shipwreck?
The scientist turned monster is next, with Bruce Banner a.k.a. The Hulk as a scientist in hiding from the military that wants to weaponize his monstrous side. So he tries to hide from them while controlling his monstrous side and also desperately searching for a cure so that he can become a regular person again.
Adventure: 5.5/10 / "Where are the fifty cals? Move your asses!"
- 🚀 It's an on-the-run plot with one of the best villains of this Phase.
- 📋 but it's quite successfully communicating the fact that Bruce Banner is not having fun. That's good, we can't have all the heroes running around having fun all the time (although the opposite is also true), but it does mean it feels significantly less like an adventure.
- 🚀 The second big fight, at the university, is exactly the type of comic book showdown (that only involves one superhero) that one would expect to see. It's a clear highlight.
- 🚀 It's an on-the-run plot with one of the best villains of this Phase.
- 📋 but it's quite successfully communicating the fact that Bruce Banner is not having fun. That's good, we can't have all the heroes running around having fun all the time (although the opposite is also true), but it does mean it feels significantly less like an adventure.
- 🚀 The second big fight, at the university, is exactly the type of comic book showdown (that only involves one superhero) that one would expect to see. It's a clear highlight.
Smart: 4.5/10 / "They were the stretchiest pair they had."
- 💡 Actively searching for a cure to his condition is a good motivation.
- 💤 It's good that Bruce fled abroad, but is Brazil really the best place to go? Staying near civilisation for the sake of internet access to work on a cure is a decent rationalisation, but he could've gone to Greenland or Africa or something. They've got internet basically everywhere.
- 💤 Speaking of which, the one thing he doesn't want to do is infect people with his blood yet his job-in-hiding is in the food industry? And literally this is what gets him found?
- 💡 Actively searching for a cure to his condition is a good motivation.
- 💤 It's good that Bruce fled abroad, but is Brazil really the best place to go? Staying near civilisation for the sake of internet access to work on a cure is a decent rationalisation, but he could've gone to Greenland or Africa or something. They've got internet basically everywhere.
- 💤 Speaking of which, the one thing he doesn't want to do is infect people with his blood yet his job-in-hiding is in the food industry? And literally this is what gets him found?
Heart: 5.5/10 / "The bone ones are going to hurt."
- 💖 The primary antagonist, Emil Blonsky (eventually Abomination) is excellent. Tim Roth really helped pull this film on track for me.
- 💔 Once he turns into Abomination and the final punch-up starts it's like we're watching a different film. It's dark, dreary and uninteresting. Not the type of finale a film needs.
- 💖 The first hints of world-building start, with the arms dealer making a surprise appearance.
34.53 isn't really Incredible, is it? Let's just go back to that other guy and hope nobody noticed.
- 💖 The primary antagonist, Emil Blonsky (eventually Abomination) is excellent. Tim Roth really helped pull this film on track for me.
- 💔 Once he turns into Abomination and the final punch-up starts it's like we're watching a different film. It's dark, dreary and uninteresting. Not the type of finale a film needs.
- 💖 The first hints of world-building start, with the arms dealer making a surprise appearance.
34.53 isn't really Incredible, is it? Let's just go back to that other guy and hope nobody noticed.
Iron Man 2 / Man Harder
Wait, he doesn't have a secret identity anymore. Now what will the film be about?!
Oh wait, false alarm, there are still plenty of daddy issues they didn't address in the first one. So out comes the Russian-ish evil scientist whose dad was wronged by Tony's dad to take down the man of the hour.
Meanwhile Stark is digging into those daddy issues by organising a World Fair style exposition to honour his father's legacy. It's almost like they have a cohesive theme this time around.
Wait, false alarm on that good news too, there's a new arms dealer rival and a sexy spy too.
Adventure: 6.5/10 / "Well, then, clearly you knew my dad better than I did."
- 📋 The personal story is there in Tony's palladium poisoning and the legacy story is there with him coming to terms with his father... but that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for adventure.
- 🚀 I do like the new villains though, they're very comic booky.
- 🚀 And we've got a proper explosive finale for a change, well done.
- 📋 The personal story is there in Tony's palladium poisoning and the legacy story is there with him coming to terms with his father... but that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for adventure.
- 🚀 I do like the new villains though, they're very comic booky.
- 🚀 And we've got a proper explosive finale for a change, well done.
Smart: 6/10 / "I’d like to point out that that test pilot survived."
- 💡 Justin Hammer, the competing arms manufacturer, is pleasantly straightforward in his plan. He also wants armed suits, and he wants to sell them and make all the money.
- 💤 Wait, so the map of the expo is a message from his dad that somehow shows how to make a new element? That he somehow knew Tony would need? There's only so much disbelief I can suspend here.
- 💡 Justin Hammer, the competing arms manufacturer, is pleasantly straightforward in his plan. He also wants armed suits, and he wants to sell them and make all the money.
- 💤 Wait, so the map of the expo is a message from his dad that somehow shows how to make a new element? That he somehow knew Tony would need? There's only so much disbelief I can suspend here.
Heart: 6.5/10 / "How did Hammer get in the game?"
- 💖 I can't quite describe how nice it feels to have two villains work off of each other for comedy yet still have it be relevant to the plot. I guess it helps to cast the excellent Sam Rockwell, although Mickey Rourke puts in a solid performance as well.
- 💔 however, this does highlight that a lot of Tony's quipping is just for the sake of levity. Sure, he's dying from palladium poisoning and it's a coping mechanism, but still.
- 💖 The post-credits scenes now actively start to tease the next film, it appears to be some sort of hammer...
52.07 is a nice score. Nowhere near the best of films, but definitely recommendable and rewatchable. Now about that hammer...
- 💖 I can't quite describe how nice it feels to have two villains work off of each other for comedy yet still have it be relevant to the plot. I guess it helps to cast the excellent Sam Rockwell, although Mickey Rourke puts in a solid performance as well.
- 💔 however, this does highlight that a lot of Tony's quipping is just for the sake of levity. Sure, he's dying from palladium poisoning and it's a coping mechanism, but still.
- 💖 The post-credits scenes now actively start to tease the next film, it appears to be some sort of hammer...
52.07 is a nice score. Nowhere near the best of films, but definitely recommendable and rewatchable. Now about that hammer...
Thor / Earth is the colonial era Australia of the nine realms.
And on to the Prince of Asgard, Thor, who upsets his father by upsetting a fragile peace with the Frost Giants. As punishment he is exiled to Earth to cool down and learn his lesson, his magical hammer (allowing flight and focusing his lightning powers) sent along with him but enchanted to only allow the worthy to wield it. His younger brother takes advantage of his brother's banishment and the rekindled conflict to make a grab for the throne.
Now this is the type of story I was looking for! I bet the villain will be some military human type though, just to drag this whole thing down. Wait, no?! Just the brother? Alright then!
Adventure: 8/10 / "Adventuring? Is that what we're doing?"
- 🚀 It's such a classic premise, except the backwards place he gets banished to is present-day earth, which somehow makes it even better.
- 🚀 They're mostly there for comic relief, but Thor's companions, Sif and the Warriors Three, do add to the sense of adventure as well.
- 📋 The two realms have slightly too separate feeling stories though.
- 🚀 It's such a classic premise, except the backwards place he gets banished to is present-day earth, which somehow makes it even better.
- 🚀 They're mostly there for comic relief, but Thor's companions, Sif and the Warriors Three, do add to the sense of adventure as well.
- 📋 The two realms have slightly too separate feeling stories though.
Smart: 5/10 / "I was talking about science, not magic!"
- 💤 The problem with a mythology-inspired story is that the story beats are established and predictable.
- 💡 I do like that the reason Thor runs into scientists who might help him get home is because they tracked his signal, instead of through random happenstance.
- 💤 Loki's plan isn't very interesting, fool-proof or thought out. The God of Mischief should be capable of better.
- 💤 The problem with a mythology-inspired story is that the story beats are established and predictable.
- 💡 I do like that the reason Thor runs into scientists who might help him get home is because they tracked his signal, instead of through random happenstance.
- 💤 Loki's plan isn't very interesting, fool-proof or thought out. The God of Mischief should be capable of better.
Heart: 6/10 / "...unworthy of the loved ones you've betrayed."
- 💖 Thor is having a blast. Sure, he gets serious too, but of the Phase One bunch he is by far having the most fun.
- 💔 The Destroyer was a boring excuse of a threat that felt out of place in the lighter whole.
- 💖 Even in its early days the Thor-Loki dynamic is excellent, especially with Anthony Hopkins' Odin thrown into the mix.
- 💖 The post-credits scene teases a glowing blue cube of some sort...
51.10 which is mostly off of the back of feeling like a proper adventure and having a solid cast.
With that let's cast our minds back to The War (eh, WWII that is (had to get that segue in though)).
- 💖 Thor is having a blast. Sure, he gets serious too, but of the Phase One bunch he is by far having the most fun.
- 💔 The Destroyer was a boring excuse of a threat that felt out of place in the lighter whole.
- 💖 Even in its early days the Thor-Loki dynamic is excellent, especially with Anthony Hopkins' Odin thrown into the mix.
- 💖 The post-credits scene teases a glowing blue cube of some sort...
51.10 which is mostly off of the back of feeling like a proper adventure and having a solid cast.
With that let's cast our minds back to The War (eh, WWII that is (had to get that segue in though)).
Captain America: The First Avenger / And last in the lineup.
And so we finally get to the super soldier, Steve Rogers / Captain America, of course he starts out in humble beginnings because this is an origin story. After being rejected for the military Steve signs up for experimental trials to create a super soldier in a last-ditch effort to do his part for his country (*barely held back eye-rolling*).
The experiment is a success, of course, but a German spy sabotages the setup so it can't be reproduced, of course. This leaves Steve Rogers the only super soldier, instead of the battalion the military was envisioning. With the project officially declared a failure Steve Rogers is relegated to a variety show that creates propaganda and travels the front to improve morale. This changes as he spontaneously decides to go rescue a bunch of prisoners, after which it's more the traditional path.
In his way aren't (just) traditional Nazis, but primarily the supernatural research division Hydra led by the infamous Red Skull who underwent a similar treatment to Steve, except it went way worse.
Don't worry though, Captain America is here to save the day!
Adventure: 5.5/10 / "You start running they’ll never let you stop."
- 🚀 It's a nice power fantasy adventure, where a meek and bullied young man can become a hero.
- 📋 Most heroes change though. I get that it's kind of his shtick to be incorruptible, but most journeys / adventures change a person. Aside from his physique there isn't much growth to the brave, naive, wholesome and optimistic little Steve.
- 📋 I get that the 40s were a dreary and dark time, but they sure are in dreary places all the time.
- 🚀 It's a nice power fantasy adventure, where a meek and bullied young man can become a hero.
- 📋 Most heroes change though. I get that it's kind of his shtick to be incorruptible, but most journeys / adventures change a person. Aside from his physique there isn't much growth to the brave, naive, wholesome and optimistic little Steve.
- 📋 I get that the 40s were a dreary and dark time, but they sure are in dreary places all the time.
Smart: 4/10 / "Thank you, for making it clear how obviously mad you are."
- 💡 The small sidetrack from the expected hero's path where he is instead used as propaganda is clever and critical and exactly what could salvage an otherwise straightforward script.
- 💤 Nobody on either side seems to have a creative plan after the super soldier experiment goes south though. They just do war at each other for the remaining hour of run time.
- 💤 The Hydra salute (like a Nazi salute with both arms) looks dumb.
- 💡 The small sidetrack from the expected hero's path where he is instead used as propaganda is clever and critical and exactly what could salvage an otherwise straightforward script.
- 💤 Nobody on either side seems to have a creative plan after the super soldier experiment goes south though. They just do war at each other for the remaining hour of run time.
- 💤 The Hydra salute (like a Nazi salute with both arms) looks dumb.
Heart: 3/10 / "Hey! Pick on someone your own size."
- 💔 World War II is an important era of human history, but I thoroughly dislike it as a setting and will like any media less if it's primarily about / set in it.
- 💔 Steve Rogers is too pure, too good, too heroic. It's everything I dislike about Superman without the mitigating factor of him being an alien.
- 💖 The connections between films are out in full force. The Hydra weapons are all powered by the cube from the end of Thor, Tony's dad is part of the super soldier experiment, etc.
- 💔 But the post-credits scene was basically just a scene from the Avengers. That's not how that's supposed to work! (And fortunately it doesn't become the norm)
21.87 is a low score, but I was kind of expecting this one to land on the bottom of this particular pile. It's the purest war film and the purest hero, neither really interest me.
Not alone, anyway...
- 💔 World War II is an important era of human history, but I thoroughly dislike it as a setting and will like any media less if it's primarily about / set in it.
- 💔 Steve Rogers is too pure, too good, too heroic. It's everything I dislike about Superman without the mitigating factor of him being an alien.
- 💖 The connections between films are out in full force. The Hydra weapons are all powered by the cube from the end of Thor, Tony's dad is part of the super soldier experiment, etc.
- 💔 But the post-credits scene was basically just a scene from the Avengers. That's not how that's supposed to work! (And fortunately it doesn't become the norm)
21.87 is a low score, but I was kind of expecting this one to land on the bottom of this particular pile. It's the purest war film and the purest hero, neither really interest me.
Not alone, anyway...
Marvel's The Avengers / Avengers, Roll Out!
And so all the pieces are finally in place. We have a team of superheroes, most of them already know SHIELD and we've got a small selection of potential villains that might pop back up to threaten the earth. I hope it's not one of those boring military guys from... uh, all of them except Thor?
Oh hey, they went with Loki from Thor. That's a good the only choice, and he immediately gets his hands on the glowing cube thing from Captain America, mind-controls Hawkeye and a scientist he needs for his plans and destroys SHIELD HQ. Alright, looks like we're not wasting any time today. After a well cut sequence of Tony, Bruce, Nat(ascha Romanov / Black Widow, she had a small-ish role in Iron Man 2 too) and Steve being called in they locate and capture Loki after he stole some iridium. He's apparently trying to build something.
Loki is up to something though, and his capture is a ploy to locate and attack their flying base. After successfully making his escape he heads to New York, opens up a portal to the evil corner of space and summons an army of aliens in an attempt to take over the world.
And then the Avengers work together and stop him, yay!
Adventure: 7/10 / "Stark, you know that's a one-way trip?"
- 🚀 Heroes from different backgrounds coming together to form an alliance in a last-chance effort to stop evil from winning? Yep, that's an adventure.
- 📋 They don't really journey a whole lot though... mostly they're chasing after Loki.
- 🚀 It has some neat aliens though, and the sky-beam wasn't really overplayed back in 2012.
- 🚀 Heroes from different backgrounds coming together to form an alliance in a last-chance effort to stop evil from winning? Yep, that's an adventure.
- 📋 They don't really journey a whole lot though... mostly they're chasing after Loki.
- 🚀 It has some neat aliens though, and the sky-beam wasn't really overplayed back in 2012.
Smart: 6.5/10 / "And the humans, what can they do but burn?"
- 💡 Basically every scene feels like it flows into the other, this is especially clear at the start when the Avengers are, uh, assembled, but it continues to stay great throughout.
- 💤 The actual plot is a vehicle between punch-ups, not much growth or (m)any character arcs.
- 💤 All the aliens magically die/disable when the mothership is taken out? What is this, Phantom Menace?
- 💡 Basically every scene feels like it flows into the other, this is especially clear at the start when the Avengers are, uh, assembled, but it continues to stay great throughout.
- 💤 The actual plot is a vehicle between punch-ups, not much growth or (m)any character arcs.
- 💤 All the aliens magically die/disable when the mothership is taken out? What is this, Phantom Menace?
Heart: 8/10 / "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity."
- 💖 They're all there! This type of project is far larger scale than anything done before it. Superheroes teaming up, bringing their own ancillary cast to a shared universe team-up? That's exclusively a comics thing before this moment.
- 💖 There's that moment (see below), right before the final battle kicks off, that validates the whole pre-amble and everything just clicks together. It can't be overstated how much that moment works.
- 💔 Loki is the best Marvel villain in Phase One, by quite a wide margin too, but his ambitions and motivations are underdeveloped and barely shown.
66.47 is clearly the highest score, but I was kind of expecting this to land higher. What with this being my favourite superhero film since 2005 (we'll get a Taste Triangle on that eventually as well, don't worry).
- 💖 They're all there! This type of project is far larger scale than anything done before it. Superheroes teaming up, bringing their own ancillary cast to a shared universe team-up? That's exclusively a comics thing before this moment.
- 💖 There's that moment (see below), right before the final battle kicks off, that validates the whole pre-amble and everything just clicks together. It can't be overstated how much that moment works.
- 💔 Loki is the best Marvel villain in Phase One, by quite a wide margin too, but his ambitions and motivations are underdeveloped and barely shown.
66.47 is clearly the highest score, but I was kind of expecting this to land higher. What with this being my favourite superhero film since 2005 (we'll get a Taste Triangle on that eventually as well, don't worry).
MCU Phase One (average) / Let's Bring It Together
And that's all of the Phase One Marvel films. Hmmm, now to group those all together...
Corner 1: Adventure 6.7/10 / Why don't you go someplace nice?
- 🚀 It's superheroes! They do all sorts of cool stuff! And go exciting places!
- 📋 ...sometimes anyway. Maybe I just don't see the exotic allure of Stuttgart these days because it's where I work? But why don't these plots take place in cooler places? Where are the Iron Man chase sequences through the ice ravines of a collapsing glacier or the Hulk fleeing attack helicopters across the African savanna or something.
- 🚀 Thor's a nice exception to this, for the 30% that it's not in the New Mexican desert. More of that please.
- 🚀 It's superheroes! They do all sorts of cool stuff! And go exciting places!
- 📋 ...sometimes anyway. Maybe I just don't see the exotic allure of Stuttgart these days because it's where I work? But why don't these plots take place in cooler places? Where are the Iron Man chase sequences through the ice ravines of a collapsing glacier or the Hulk fleeing attack helicopters across the African savanna or something.
- 🚀 Thor's a nice exception to this, for the 30% that it's not in the New Mexican desert. More of that please.
Corner 2: Smart 5.3/10 / It's clearly not Rocket Science (yet)
- 💡 Still loving that they brought it all together, it's a brave step... that has ruined several copycats since already.
- 💤 I guess I shouldn't be expecting too much from a comic book film in this corner, but some of these really barely have a plot or clever plans or schemes.
- 💤 But it should be so easy to use an exaggerated reality like this to deliver social commentary. (Which, in fact, several other superhero films do manage. There's your Watchmen and your V for Vendetta and your Incredibles.)
- 💡 Still loving that they brought it all together, it's a brave step... that has ruined several copycats since already.
- 💤 I guess I shouldn't be expecting too much from a comic book film in this corner, but some of these really barely have a plot or clever plans or schemes.
- 💤 But it should be so easy to use an exaggerated reality like this to deliver social commentary. (Which, in fact, several other superhero films do manage. There's your Watchmen and your V for Vendetta and your Incredibles.)
Corner 3: Heart 5.7/10 / Please stop fighting and hug more.
- 💔 I think I'm expecting too much by wanting them to fight less... it sort of comes with the territory (and isn't about to stop). At least Phase Two gives us the first glimpses of Cosmic which dials back the Earth-based army stuff.
- 💖 Compared to the early X-Men films or the recent DC stuff Marvel has, from the very start, embraced its lighter origins when it comes to costuming and faithfulness to the sillier parts of the comics. Now if only they more consistently applied this to the actual plot as well...
- 💔 I didn't go into the various romantic relationships the heroes have in their films. And why is that? Because they are all both boring and entirely uncritical to the film. Token romances aren't doing these films any favours.
Those averages turned out a lot lower than I was expecting...
The triangle still looks... okay, I guess?
- 💔 I think I'm expecting too much by wanting them to fight less... it sort of comes with the territory (and isn't about to stop). At least Phase Two gives us the first glimpses of Cosmic which dials back the Earth-based army stuff.
- 💖 Compared to the early X-Men films or the recent DC stuff Marvel has, from the very start, embraced its lighter origins when it comes to costuming and faithfulness to the sillier parts of the comics. Now if only they more consistently applied this to the actual plot as well...
- 💔 I didn't go into the various romantic relationships the heroes have in their films. And why is that? Because they are all both boring and entirely uncritical to the film. Token romances aren't doing these films any favours.
Those averages turned out a lot lower than I was expecting...
44.84
Yeah, that's a lower score than I was anticipating. I guess that, to me, this giant (almost exactly) billion dollar experiment is better than the sum of its parts, even though I tried to keep the interconnected elements into account when scoring the individual corners.
I am invested in this weird universe now, and want to see where it goes. Which I guess is exactly the point of a shared universe like this.
Will I do Phase 2? Probably, but definitely not anytime soon. This was a lot more work than a regular post and I don't want to pull this kind of stunt too frequently.
Let's do something focused and straightforward next.
I am invested in this weird universe now, and want to see where it goes. Which I guess is exactly the point of a shared universe like this.
Will I do Phase 2? Probably, but definitely not anytime soon. This was a lot more work than a regular post and I don't want to pull this kind of stunt too frequently.
Let's do something focused and straightforward next.
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