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Road To Infinity War

Captain America: The First Avenger

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

I could do this all day…

Captain America: The First Avenger is the 5th movie in the MCU. Opening in present day with the discovery of a huge ship, that we later know is called the Valkyrie. Inside the ship, they discover Captain America’s shield, before entering the world war II time frame in which is the film is set.

We then meet the Red Skull. Seemingly he is obsessed with Norse mythology, he even finds the Tesseract in a village that was referenced in Thor. He then takes the Tesseract in order to create powerful weapons. We then get to Steve Rogers, small, weak, but full of heart. Rewatching this film I realized that this movie is all heart. Steve is such a strong character, his relationship with Bucky is quite well developed in a short amount of time and his chemistry with Agent Carter is outstanding. I really, really enjoyed watching this film again.

The only part I kinda didn’t like, was the montage of the missions Cap and the Howling Commandos went on. That being said, I recognize that given our 2-hour time frame and where we need to finish the film, it was necessary. I believe you could of easily had a Captain America WWII trilogy, however, we had to get Cap to present day, for the Avengers.

Notable Characters

Red Skull, I believe is a pretty good villain. His motives and intentions are established pretty quickly as is his ruthless and obsessive nature. Ultimately his fate is pretty satisfying and is now just sat there waiting to be paid off. Holding the Tesseract, he’s seemingly vaporized by it. However subsequent viewings and the added knowledge that the Tesseract is actually the space Infinity stone, he totally got teleported somewhere. Secretly, I’m hoping he shows up in Infinity War now.

Bucky is probably one of my favorite characters in the MCU.  I’m a sucker for a good guy turned bad, redemption story. I used to think that he should have fallen from the Valkyrie, jumping on one of those planes, getting his hand stuck and it exploding. Similar to the Ultimates animated film, however that would have pulled focus from one of the best scenes in the MCU. I found Bucky to be very compelling and the relationship between him and Steve is presented very well.

I also have a serious soft spot for Agent Carter, she’s an absolute badass with a heart of gold. Her and Steve’s relationship, for me, is so heartfelt. The scene where Steve is flying the Valkyrie into the water and they are talking over the radio is absolutely heartbreaking, then the final line of the film is a gut punch, “…I had a date”. Gets.Me.Every time.

Sound Design

Notable sound design moments, the Tesseract weapons have a really cool design. What caught me off guard though was Captain America’s handgun, it sounds so awesome. It almost reminds me of Padme’s gun from Star Wars: Episode I, but, a more grounded version of it.  The soundscape of this film goes a really long way in establishing the time period of the movie, so much so that it really helps sell the moment he wakes up in present day and the modern soundscape is in effect, it changes the whole tone of the movie, makes it slightly jarring and as a result, we are right in that moment with Steve.

World Building

Having a glimpse into the history of the MCU is very cool and interesting. The familiar but alternate history it presents with the existence of HYDRA and Captain America himself I feel is very well represented and even believable. Every World has a history and we get to explore it, hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see a period piece, a movie with the original Hank Pym and Wasp would be awesome. It’s also very fun seeing where Tony gets a lot of his traits from.

Final Thoughts

Captain America is a film with so much heart and emotional impact for me. Steve’s character is through and through, a good man and I feel very well developed alongside his supporting cast, a lot of whom play an important role in films to come.

MCU Ranking

  1. Iron Man
  2. Captain America: The First Avenger
  3. Iron Man 2
  4. Thor
  5. Incredible Hulk
February 4, 2018
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Thor

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

Myeuh-muh? What’s Myeuh-muh?

 

Thor is the 4th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following straight on from where Iron Man 2 left off, we pick up in New Mexico, the Land of enchantment. Here Coulson discovers Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir (Myeuh-muh).  This was the MCU’s biggest challenge to date, as Thor comes from such a fantastical world.  So far, the MCU has been somewhat grounded, however, they actually play on that very well by depicting Thor as an almost  ‘crazy homeless guy’, who they all just think is crazy.

The one instance of this looking a little weird is when Sif and the Warriors three show up towards the end. They end up looking a little too out of place, but in the long run, it’s a minor complaint. The whole scene with them, the Destroyer armour and Thor being Thor, is actually the weakest part of that film, but it is absolutely saved by the finally with Loki.

As a villain, Loki easily tops them all so far. What Tom Hiddleston does with this character gets me every time. At first, he’s just in it for a little mischief, this quickly escalates to one of my favourite scenes in a Marvel movie, when he confronts Odin about his parentage. I love that you never really know what side he is on.

For Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth does a great job. Although his costume in this and the colour of his hair, beard etc. looks a little bit off. Aside from that, it’s a great start for a character that I feel at the time, really could not have come across as dumb. Quick side note, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, is there even anyone else? Fantastic.

Sound Design

Being a Marvel movie the sound design is always going to be at an excellent level, there are still some specifics that stand out for me. The sound the Bifrost makes, that bass-heavy noise, almost booked ended by notes of silence is amazing. It really helps capture the power of the Bifrost and its potential to destroy planets. The various metallic sounds used for Mjolnir are also really well done. They end up giving the hammer itself some real character.

World Building

S.H.I.E.L.D has a real presence in this movie. in Iron Man 2 they briefly popped up to help out Tony, but this time they are a fairly main part of the narrative of the film. Thor is the first MCU film that really expands the world out into space and challenges the viewer to accept magic as ‘science we don’t understand’. A which is a very cool notion and while that may be true, I feel it doesn’t apply to all of Asgard. Sure some things maybe super advanced technology but, Loki has magic and Thor has powers, but the majority of Asgard being super advanced beings, I think is really clever and of course, that comes from the mind of Jack Kirby.

Final Thoughts

Thor does a great job of introducing a fantastical character and making him fit into the world of the MCU.

The fight with the Destroyer is a bit ‘meh’ as are some visuals.  When the warriors three and Sif appear. Although I can see how it was by design, it could have been pulled off 10% better. That being said Loki’s presence as the main villain Is amazing. Hemsworth’s Thor has loads of personality and a great arc. Hopkins Odin, Jane Foster, Darcy and Selvig, I find all to be compelling characters.  this overshadows those small gripes to make Thor an overall good movie.

MCU Ranking

  1. Iron Man
  2. Iron Man 2
  3. Thor
  4. The Incredible Hulk

 

January 22, 2018
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Iron Man 2

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

I already told you, I don’t wanna join your super secret boy band…

 

So, just as a change of pace and for a little fun, as well as my usual sound related content, every week I’ll be watching and reviewing a film from the MCU in the lead up to Infinity War. Ironman 2, sure some elements repeat the first Iron Man, but in my opinion, it’s a logical move. Of course, the dark version of Tony Stark would make a badass suit. He succeeds where Obadiah Stane fails, recreating the arc reactor…in Russia, from a box of scraps. He’s a villain with real motive and I really enjoy that.

The sound design as ever is awesome. I never get sick of hearing Tony’s repulsor blasts. War Machines guns sound so, so powerful and it’s such a satisfying thing to watch because of the SFX. If you close your eyes, you can tell whether or not Tony or War Machine is on screen. Just down to the design of the design of the weaponry and that’s so important.

The world gets a lot bigger too, Black Widow is introduced, we get more Phil Coulson ANOTHER Captain America easter egg. That’s one per film, constantly teasing the fans of his arrival. Speaking of easter eggs there are two things in this film that I did not notice until I watched it again. Tony is reading when he’s learning about this element his father discovered and there’s a sketch of the tesseract. Now, this next thing blew my mind, Tony didn’t create vibranium, like I thought he recreated the material that the tesseract is made of. The material that houses both the Space and Mind Infinity stones. This also explains why Loki’s staff doesn’t work on Tony! (mind blown, that part always confused me). Another fun fact, Tony called this element ‘badassium’.

I guess the other thing I have to mention is that it’s now technically the first appearance of Peter Parker. He’s officially been recognised as the Kid in the Iron Man mask. Yes, this was a fan theory, but, Marvel retconned it to be official, which is awesome.

Final Thoughts…

I suppose Iron Man 2 has some issues, but I really think the way it builds the world further and it includes the first appearance of Black Widow and War Machine in all their glory, for me that redeems the film, not mention the Thor easter egg end credits. Iron Man 2 is still a fun ride. No wonder I saw it 3 times in 4 days when it first came out.

MCU Ranking

  1. Iron Man
  2. Iron Man 2
  3. Incredible Hulk

 

January 15, 2018
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The Incredible Hulk

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

You won’t like me when I’m…hungry

 

My side quest going through each of the MCU films on the road to infinity war in continues. This blog series is a little deviation from usual sound related content. A little bit of fun to fuel my excitement for Infinity War which comes out in May. 

Incredible Hulk is the second film in the MCU. Not made by Marvel studios, like Iron Man, it was made by Universal who own the rights to make solo Hulk films. In tone, Incredible Hulk is a lot more serious than most MCU films, but it does have it’s funny moments and in general I actually still find this a fun film that I reckon, gets a bad wrap.

One problem with this film is, it does not age well. Sometimes the Hulk looks so, so bad. I partially think this is due to the time but also if you compare our current MCU Hulk to this one, it’s night and day. Pun intended, Hulk looks incredible from Avengers onward.

The Villain I feel is actually quite strong, the character development of Abomination is handled very well and gives a solid reason for Blonsky’s path to becoming a monster. Thunderbolt Ross is also handled very well, William Hurt is fantastic in the role. Side note, bringing him back for Civil War was awesome.

One of my main joys watching this film, is the hints at Captain America, the world building this film does just by dropping hints about the super soldier program and actually using a version of the super soldier serum (note: it’s a bad version/attempt to recreate it, not the actual serum).

I feel although it has some flaws, it’s still a solid entry in the MCU, but let’s face it, competition is tough and it will most likely end up at the bottom of the pile.

MCU Ranking

1.Iron Man

2.The Incredible Hulk

 

January 14, 2018
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Iron Man

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

I am Iron Man…

 

Iron Man kicks off the Marvel Cinematic Universe with an absolute bang! Robert Downey Jr, then an absolute wild card brings the Iron Avenger to life! What a ride this movie is, from the start you’re introduced to the self-indulgent billionaire playboy himself and Robert Downey Jr perfectly personifies him. I found the hi-tech phone and Myspace being name-dropped very amusingly dates the film.  

This film essentially sets the tone of the MCU going forward (incredible hulk aside). Character development, comedy, drama, action, all perfectly balanced to create such a fun film. This is the film that set the bar for superhero films going forward. I always felt superhero films let me down in one way or another, whether it was costume, villain, characterization and I found it VERY frustrating they couldn’t just commit to the character and world. Now granted, Tony and Iron Man can be grounded but that being said the NAILED the tone for this. I had no notes or things I wished they did, they even had that end credits scene that blew my mind.

Jeff Bridges was amazing in this role, I am for sure, a Jeff Bridges fanboy. Back then, I’m not actually sure I really knew who he was. As I went and watched more his movies I became a super fan, not just as an actor, but as a human being. Going back and watching his performance with a new perspective makes me love his role even more.  Almost wish he hadn’t been killed off, but maybe they can bring Jeff back and another character.

As I said before, a few of these are going to be shorter until I catch up with what I’ve watched. When I do I can go a little more in-depth with things I noticed, setups, easter eggs for future films etc.

 

MCU Ranking:

  1. Iron Man

 

Until Next time, True Believers!

 

January 12, 2018
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The Road To Infinity War!

By MCU Review, Road To Infinity War

To challenge them is to Court Death…

As well as writing about Sound Design and the Video Games industry I also want to use this blog to write about my other passions, such as Marvel.

As we all know, Infinity is coming out in May. As some of you may NOT know, if you watch one marvel cinematic universe movie a week from 1st of January, including head to the cinema to see Black Panther, it leads directly into Infinity War!

So far I’ve watched Iron Man, Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2.  My favourite guys on the internet, Kinda Funny, have an awesome show reviewing each of these films in order on a weekly basis. This got me thinking…

So, every week along with my usual blog post, I am going to also post a review and look back at these films as I watch them. Why? Because I LOVE marvel. Star Wars and Marvel are like coming home for me. Ever since I was little I was into Marvel and into Star Wars. I am so hyped for what Marvel has coming.

Now granted, I’m three movies in and I have done no reviews yet, as I came up with this idea today so the first 2-3 will be shorter than the rest. So with that being said,

 

Until Next time, True believers!

 

January 12, 2018
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