Welcome back to another “episode” of My Love for Marvel, a series where I share with you, the wonderful readers of Scribe Magazine, my personal thoughts, experiences, and feelings for each one of the projects belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU for short), films and tv series included.
I’ve seen all 32 projects that have been released so far, and I also know a lot about the stories and lore of the comics these projects are based on. So far I haven’t gotten any hate mail or fan rage comments, but even if they did show up I wouldn’t mind…cause I know that haters ain’t got nothing on me and my MCU knowledge. I’m getting that Ph.D.!
I have analyzed and qualified what I consider to be the key elements of these projects. This can include the performances of the actors working in front of the camera to the people who are behind it like those in charge of visual effects. The value that each of these projects brings to the development and expansion of the franchise, as well as the value the stories of the comics they are drawing inspiration from have in the final product. In short, I’ve definitely done the work.
Because on its own it is pretty average, but what it has going for it is that it solidifies a lot of key characteristics that will be integral to further development and expansion of the MCU. Love it or hate it it’s…
Today I’ll be dealing with the movie that’s quite the doozy.
Honestly, there isn’t much I can say or elaborate on about this film. As I said already, it is pretty average in terms of quality and entertainment. I think that pretty much every fan can agree that this is just another case of the sequel not being as good or groundbreaking as the first one. If I had to separate the most stand-out bad and good elements of this movie I would say that the bad is one of its villains, the good being Robert Downey Jr’s performance and the visuals, and its story being a little bit of both.
One element that is going to be very common in the early entries of this series is the villains. While not terrible and/or unwatchable, they do end up wishing for more. Going with Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo as the villains for the sequel makes sense, and I can understand the decision of combining the two into one character…but Mickey Rourke just leaves you wanting more and I think that the lack of development has to due more because of all the plotlines that the film is dealing with and setting up for future movies to come.
It’s a completely different case with Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer because even with all the small material and time he’s given to work with, he still gives us a character that could be an authentic threat to Downey’s Stark and entertaining as well; I mean come on, that scene when he’s making his big entrance showing off some killer dance move is definitely one of the main reasons the villain element of this movie is not lower in this list.
Robert Downey Jr’s performance is still great and just suffers a little if I compare it to his performance in the first one, but I much rather talk about this element in another project.
What I do want to talk about is how the story of this movie and the way it unfolds in the MCU is both damaging to itself and just as vital to the rest of the franchise.
But at the end of the day, this is the film that establishes many essential characters in the MCU.
Tweet
The performance by the supporting cast is solid and very good. Many end up feeling underdeveloped, particularly Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. We already knew Rhodey from the first one, but it’s the version of Don Cheadle that comes to mind when we think of the character. Even the development of Phil Coulson’s character is something that should be highlighted, at least for me this is the movie where I fell in love with the character that we would later see in the following movies and his own series of which I was a fan for many years.
But precisely that approach of establishing many characters and the stories that come tied to them is what causes the film to be considered inferior to the others in this franchise. I think they focused more on establishing elements for The Avengers, that they are important because they contribute to the success of that movie but affect the one that is being seen on the screen at the moment. I do think it’s a movie worth watching because it’s entertaining.
The action, the visual effects, and the performances are what make it entertaining and I consider it to be the true starting point for the vast majority of the MCU.
Tweet
My score: 8.20
While his character doesn’t appear in this movie, I am writing this article the day after the passing of the great and talented William Hurt. While he did give us so many wonderful performances throughout his career, every Marvel fan knows him, loves him, and will always remember him as Lieutenant General and Secretary of State of the United States Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross. In the first episode of the series, I highlighted how great Hurt was portraying the character and I was also very delighted when he got the opportunity to come back and portray him again. There are no small parts in the acting business, and Hurt’s contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a great example of that because although he was given a small and supporting role, he was always excellent.
I do belong to the group of people who will dearly miss seeing him on screen, who are also thankful for what he contributed to the art of cinema in all of its genres and wish the best to his loved ones.
I do not speak on behalf of everyone who works at this magazine or for every Marvel fan in the world.
Thank you very much Mr. Hurt and may you rest in peace.
