If there was one criticism that could be leveled against 2012’s The Avengers, it might be that the film was just a little too perfect. I know that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but bear with me. The second highest grossing film of all time was almost universally beloved and forever changed the landscape of the film industry with its success, but it was perhaps a little too polished. The action was too slick, the one-liners too well-timed and well-written, the effects too impressive, the heroes too heroic and the villains too villainous. For Avengers: Age of Ultron, the second Avengers film, the eleventh movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Joss Whedon’s second and final outing in the MCU, that perfection is intentionally avoided and the result is a film that’s messier, dirtier, more complicated, and ultimately a richer and better film than its predecessor.
Tag Archives: Thor
Tonight’s Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron
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Today’s 2nd Movie: Thor: The Dark World
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Tonight’s Movie: The Avengers
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Tonight’s Movie: Thor
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Tonight’s Movie: Thor: The Dark World
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Trailer Thursday: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies.
Marvel’s plans to premiere the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer during next week’s episode of Agents of SHIELD were altered when the trailer leaked online last night. Instead of waiting, Marvel decided to go ahead and officially release the trailer early, so without further ado I’m bringing it to you. Take a look below, and read on for my shot-by-shot thoughts and analysis.
Review/Analysis: Thor: The Dark World
Of the Phase One movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor was the one that seemed least likely to succeed. Iron Man felt familiar as a superhero story, while Captain America had a mass appeal, but Thor was unusual. It had a Shakespearean family drama involving gods combined with a fish-out-of-water story and a bit of romance. The question was whether viewers could buy an immortal, Norse god as a superhero on the big screen. It was a surprise success, however, and in my view was the key film in setting up The Avengers, both in laying the plot foundation and in expanding the expectations of audiences.
So here we are two years later with Thor: The Dark World. Continue reading
What’s your favorite comic book superhero film?
In my review of Man of Steel, I talked a bit about the modern phases of comic book superhero movies that began with 1978’s Superman. I’ve enjoyed some of these phases more than others (I’m not a fan of Nolan’s style), but they’ve all produced good films and bad. So I thought I’d come up with a list from best to worst of the comic book superhero movies of the modern era. I kept the list limited to my arbitrarily chosen “major” superheroes, so you won’t see things like Blade or Hellboy on the list (though I love Hellboy). I’m also not including more indie comic book films, like The Rocketeer or Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, both of which I love. I tried to just use the films people were most likely to have seen. (Note: Green Lantern is not included because I actually never saw it.)
Lists are great for discussion, so let me know what you think! (In other words… BRING IT ON!!! I can’t wait to hear people challenging where I have the Batman Begins saga or Man of Steel.) If there’s anything obvious that I left off, let me know. And then vote below as to what is your favorite comic book superhero movie (you can fill in your own choices). Continue reading
Trailer Tuesday: Thor: The Dark World
Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be endlessly fascinating.
The trailer for Thor: The Dark World, aka Thor 2, was released recently. It’s due out November 8th. Take a look at the trailer and read on for my thoughts.




