Captain America: Civil War
Probably the first MCU movie where I bought into the hype and ended up leaving a bit let down. Not that Civil War is a bad movie, but it wasn’t as great as the advertising was leading me to believe.
Part of the problem was the story. Not only is it a series of contrivances that cause most of the plot, but it’s hard to really feel like the two sides of heroes are comparable, especially when the title character is one on side of the situation. And that downer ending also feels rough to sit through. By the time all the cards are on the table, we get one last action scene between the heroes that feels like a bludgeoning after all we’ve been through. But maybe that’s the point?
Still, like I said, it’s not a bad movie. The actors sell the charged, tense banter very well as they hash out their philosophies on each other, and that action scene at the airport really is one of the MCU’s highlights, seeing all the different characters interact and react to each other and their abilities. Not the best of the series, but pretty good.
Rating: B-
Doctor Strange
This was a fun one. While it’s probably the most “out there,” MCU put their post-production team through their paces for one of the most psychedelic action films since Inception. Having Benedict Cumberbatch charm his way through it all certainly helps.
If there are any problems, it’s that this film is where the MCU’s “origin story formula” really starts to show. Switch Steven Strange with Tony Stark and magic with technology, and it’s practically a retread of the first Iron Man film. As a consequence, many of the films beats and moments have nagging familiarity that detracts from the movie a little.
But to be honest, it’s just a little. With all of the cool lore, interesting characters, and crazy special effects (that start to cross the line on overwhelming, really), this movie really stands out as a unique spectacle. However, the best part is the ending, where, instead of having some epic-punch up or explosion to resolve things like most of these films, we get a rather clever bit of wit that forces Dormammu into a time-loop. “I’ve come to bargain” indeed!
Rating: A-
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Trying to follow up such a refreshing and iconic film would have been trouble enough, but to balance everything here with everything else happening on the cosmic level, this film had a lot to deal with. So it’s probably understandable that this one doesn’t quite have the kick that the first one does.
A lot of it has to do with predictability. Once things get going, it’s hard not to anticipate each turn, as each of the characters’ arcs take some very rote and tired paths. The effort is made to make these turns feel fresh with more jokes and music cues, but some of them feel a little forced really. While it makes sense to get more personal with the characters, in the end, we still get an apocalyptic crisis, with the hero and villain having a rather abstract DBZ-style fight that doesn’t really satisfy.
However, the movie does have its moments, the characters remain fun and engaging in their own way, the cameos do leave a handful of potentially interested threads, and the ending does provide a pretty emotional punch to the gut. Again, not bad, but not great, either.
Rating: B-
Spider-Man: Homecoming
After the cameo for Captain America: Civil War was announced, we knew that we’d get a Spidey film. What makes this one interesting is that it’s the first MCU film that actually had to deal with being a spiritual successor to previous films that had an impact on the superhero movie universe. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films loomed large over our expectations of what we would be getting. Maybe that’s why what we got was so insubstantial.
I get that part of the idea was to try and squeeze a teenage romantic comedy around the edges of the superhero stuff, and while it does mostly even out, it still feels like we’re getting half-efforts on both sides of the narrative. Much of the movie feels padded and tedious until we get to the final stretch (which is honestly pretty good).
I will concede that part of the problem is me. I’ve never really been a big fan of teenage superheroes, even in the comics. Watching characters having to juggle school life with super heroics never really felt satisfying for me, so when Spider-Man: Homecoming decided to focus on that entirely, it was hard for me to get on the same wavelength as the film.
That being said, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, it has its moments. Tom Holland remains a great choice, and getting Michael Keaton to play an interesting take on The Vulture was brilliant. It’s also fascinating to see Robert Downey Jr. having to shift Tony Stark into more of a mentor role. Otherwise, the movie mostly exists to establish where Spider-Man fits in the MCU, and not much more.
Rating: C+
Thor: Ragnarok
Oh, Thor: Ragnarok. Where to begin with you?
I’m of two minds with this one. While I am disappointed that we didn’t get the epic, traditional, almost Wagnerian take on the mythological Ragnarok, I have to admit that what we do get is pretty entertaining.
Part of me wants to think that the executives at Disney compared the box office numbers of the previous Thor movies to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and decided that Thor needed to be more like Guardians. However, I wouldn’t want such a sentiment to diminish what Taika Waititi did with the film, as it does crackle with a unique energy and humor that brings more out of the characters than some stuffy epic could probably accomplish. Still, it’s hard not to get a bit of a mixed bag, as much of the Gamemaster/Sakaar stuff in Act 2 does feel like filler while we wait for the final epic showdown.
For what it’s worth, we do get a few bits here and there of where the classic stuff sneaks in, mostly with the scenes with the real Odin, Hela’s revealing of what really happened, and of course any moment with Heimdall wielding that massive sword! Oh, and I can’t forget the excellent use of Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song.” Probably one of the best needle drops in all of the MCU!
So, yeah: overall, not bad.
Rating: B
So, half of Phase Three down, with only one film really standing out. Hopefully, the second half will be better, right? I guess we’ll find out when I finally watch Endgame and see how it all comes together! Stay tuned for the final piece of this Retrospective!
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