“Do me a favor, and don’t be dead.”

Thor

The fourth movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and boy does it have a cast! First, you have Kenneth Branagh, who in addition to acting (he’s appeared in three movies he’s directed, is well known amongst a certain generation as Gilderoy Lockhart in Chamber of Secrets, and has appeared in several performances of Shakespeare, including the titular Hamlet and Henry V), has directed both Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, as well as the 2015 live action Disney Cinderella, and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. On top of that, Chris Hemsworth (before this, in 2009, he played George Kirk in Star Trek, and was the Huntsman in both Huntsman films with Kristen Stewart) stars as Thor, Natalie Portman (well-known for playing Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy [so you kind of have the joke that in this movie you have James Kirk’s dad and Luke Skywalker’s mom, who are now a couple], and Anne Boleyn in the movie adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl) is Jane Foster, and Tom Hiddleston (has gone on to star in several films and even has a scene in Muppets Most Wanted, though I adore him in The Hollow Crown as Prince Hal/Henry V, and he appeared in War Horse alongside Benedict Cumberbatch [and a whole host of other British actors]) is Loki. [Tom originally auditioned to play Thor, but was cast as Loki instead and these roles became star-making roles for both Hemsworth and Hiddleston…and I still need to watch that Loki show on Disney+.]

Stellan Skarsgård (he was in both Mamma Mia films and two of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, along with being Cerdic in King Arthur in 2004 and the Grand Duke in the live-action Cinderella) is Erik Selvig, Anthony Hopkins (known for being Hannibal Lecter in several films, he was Don Diego de la Vega, the original Zorro in The Mask of Zorro; this actor has a list of credits that goes back to the 60s) is Odin, and Idris Elba (stars in the show Luther on television, was Krall in Star Trek Beyond, and dozens of other appearances [and there were brief rumors that he could be the next James Bond, but he has come out and said he will not]) is Heimdall. Josh Dallas (I know him better as David Nolan/Prince Charming in Once Upon a Time) is Fandral, Ray Stevenson (he was Porthos in the 2011 Three Musketeers) is Volstagg, and Clark Gregg is back as Agent Coulson and has a bit more to do in this film.

The film opens in New Mexico (tying it in to comments made in the previous Iron Man 2), with a group of astrophysicists (well, Darcy is not one, but she was the only applicant for the assistant position) investigating atmospheric disturbances. They drive towards weird lights in the sky, then something hits the earth. As Jane insists they get closer, they run into…something. They rush out of the truck and discover it’s a person.

Odin narrates a tale of yesteryear, how the Asgardians, led by Odin, beat back the Frost Giants when they tried to freeze the mortal realm, revealing that there are several realms and mortals believed at that time that these realms held some of their gods [this film gave me an interest in Norse mythology; I had already been interested in Vikings due to their ties to Britain, but I still have a lot of research left to do, hopefully to tie elements into my own fantasy book series]. They may now be relegated to man’s myths and legends, but it was Asgard that brought peace to the universe. The scene pans to Asgard, a shining realm and Odin is telling this tale to his two sons. One day, one of them will have to defend that peace. Young Thor dreams of battle and Odin cautions him that “a wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it.” Both boys are eager and Odin once again curbs their enthusiasm, stating only one may ascend the throne of Asgard, yet both were born to be kings (a bit of foreshadowing).

It appears that years have passed and there is now a great celebration going on [I love the inclusion of knotwork in the design, especially on Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir…there is a historical link between the Norse and the Celts, considering that the Vikings harried the Scottish northern coast for centuries]. While Thor is egging on the crowd, Odin is serious; this is the coronation of his heir and firstborn, who wields the hammer, Mjölnir, whose power is no equal, “it is a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build.” It is a fit companion for a king. He asks Thor to swear to guard the Nine Realms, preserve the peace, and cast aside all selfish ambition and pledge himself to the good of the realm. Before Odin can proclaim Thor king, he senses a security breach in the sacred vault; Frost Giants have broken in and attempt to steal back their glowing blue casket that is the source of their power. But a silver guard, the Destroyer, stops them. When Odin, Thor, and Loki investigate, Thor immediately wants to march into Jotunheim for answers, and to knock a few heads. Odin snaps that Thor is not king yet, and thus the decision is not his to make. Thor throws a tantrum in his chambers and Loki attempts to calm his brother, something that he has undoubtedly had to do in the past. He’s not entirely helpful since he tells Thor he’s right and they should go ask questions, but that would mean defying father. Thor thinks it is an excellent idea and drags his brother and his friends to visit Heimdall, who guards the Bifrost, the magical transport between realms.

Heimdall wants to know how these giants gained access because he sees all, except them. So he allows Thor and his friends through. Thor does not negotiate well with Laufey, who sees that this young prince only craves battle. Thor does not know what his actions will unleash, Laufey warns, as well as declaring that the House of Odin is full of traitors. Loki takes over negotiations and they are almost home free until Laufey insults Thor, who is ready to smash things with his hammer. A fight ensues, and Volstagg [who reminds me of a Tolkien-esque dwarf…probably on purpose considering that Tolkien’s inspiration for the Dwarves were from the Norse sagas…more on that when we reach the Hobbit movies] warns his friends not to be touched by the Frost Giants; their touch burns. Yet, when Loki is grabbed by one, his skin turns blue, then back to normal. But no time to ponder that because Laufey has released a large beast that chases Thor’s friend while they attempt to retreat after Fandral has been wounded. Thor continues to take out giants, then runs his hammer through the beast’s mouth, killing him. But they’re still surrounded, until Odin arrives on an eight-legged horse [Sleipnir, according to legend. And also according to legend, Loki’s son…not sure how that works out in the MCU]. Thor cheers, figuring his father is there to lead the battle. Odin silences him and treats with Laufey; these were the actions of a boy (not a man, not a prince, not a would-be king), treat them as such. And Laufey still fears Odin at this moment, so the Asgardians return home, under the threat of war. Odin dismisses Thor’s friends and speaks to Thor. Thor insists that the Jotun must learn to fear him, just as they feared Odin. Odin retorts, “that is pride and vanity speaking, not leadership.” Thor tries to argue back, that their status as fallen because of peace, Odin interrupts, “you are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!” “And you are an old man and a fool!” Thor shouts back. Odin takes a moment, yes, he was a fool, for thinking Thor was ready. Loki attempts to intercede on Thor’s behalf, but Odin dismisses him with a growl [which actually startled Tom, since it was not in the script. This is stunning acting on Anthony Hopkins’ part.] Odin declares Thor unworthy, of the realms, of his title, and of the loved ones he has betrayed (and note how the camera turns to Loki at that moment). Odin strips his son of his cloak, and of Mjölnir and his power. He casts Thor out. Then commands the hammer “whosoever hold this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor,” and sends it after his son.

These brings us back to Jane and her friends hitting Thor, who is very confused and yelling strange things at the sky, like hammer and Heimdall. Darcy is freaked out and tases Thor (which is a bit hilarious). Jane is distracted by the markings in the dirt, but Erik talks her in to taking the strange young man to the hospital. (They don’t see the hammer crash down a little way away.) When Thor initially wakes up, he tries to wreak havoc, until he’s tranquilized and strapped down. Jane and her friends attempt to analyze the pictures of what they saw last night, mentioning an Einstein-Rosen bridge; essentially a wormhole. She realizes she’s looking at another dimension and that the strange man is her best piece of evidence, so they have to find him. He’s escaped the hospital, but not far, because she manages to back into him. They clothe Thor [and we admire a shirtless Chris Hemsworth] and get him food; though his manners leave a bit to be desired. At the same time, the hammer has created a crater that some townsmen have found and decided to see who can pull it out of the ground (a la the sword in the stone situation…hmmm…) (and our Stan Lee cameo).

Meanwhile, in Asgard, Thor’s friends and Loki discuss current events. Loki reveals that he was the one who had ordered a guard to go to Odin, but obviously he was late, because the plan was to never arrive at Jotunheim. And he never dreamed that Odin would banish Thor, and he loves his brother more dearly that the others. Nevertheless, Thor is reckless and dangerous. Loki storms out. Sif comments that Loki speaks of love, but he’s always been jealous of Thor, and they begin thinking Loki may be responsible; he’s prone to mischief. Loki finds the Jotun’s blue casket and it begins to turn him blue again. Odin discovers him and Loki demands answers. Is he cursed? No. What am I? He is Odin’s son. What more? The casket was not the only thing Odin took from Jotunheim that day. No; when Odin entered the temple, he found an abandoned baby, small for a giant’s offspring; and we see the babe change its appearance to mimic Odin’s. Laufey’s son, incidentally. Loki doesn’t believe that Odin brought him home simply because he was an innocent child, not when he’s the same monster that parents warn their children of; or was it to be held prisoner until Odin has use of him? Yes, Odin had a purpose: he wanted a permanent alliance with Laufey and though Loki could be that bridge, but it doesn’t matter now, not after what Thor has started. Loki resents that Odin never told him; too hurt to realize that Odin viewed him as a son, he simply remembers not being as good as Thor, feeling that Odin had always favored Thor and this must be the reason why [a superb performance by Tom…this is why we love him]. Odin protests that Loki is twisting Odin’s words, then collapses. Loki calls for help. Later, while Odin is sleeping, he questions his mother why he was never told. She reiterates that they always viewed Loki as their son and simply wanted to love and protect him. And there has always been a purpose to what Odin has done. Loki is taking on the mantle of king and denies his friends’ plea to bring Thor back. His first command cannot be to undo Odin’s last. (We don’t believe that and neither do his friends.)

Back on Earth, the feds show up at the crater and lock it down. Jane, Thor, Darcy, and Erik hear about it, after Thor demands more coffee by throwing down his mug. Thor realizes that the crater holds his hammer and he must retrieve it. Jane wants to follow, but Erik warns her off. They shortly discover that S.H.I.E.L.D. is at their lab, confiscating her research. So Jane finds Thor, who makes the deal that once he has his hammer, he will get Jane’s things back. Thor enters the compound as a storm brews (he is the god of thunder, after all). He easily takes on any guards that are sent his way, though he doesn’t kill him. When the last one steps in front of him, he comments, “you’re big. Fought bigger.” Coulson calls from someone to get up high and keep on eye on their intruder. A man, Barton, we hear, grabs a bow, then drawls to Coulson that he’s starting to root for their intruder as he takes out guards. But Coulson holds on his call, wanting to see what Thor does when he finds the hammer. Thor pulls on the handle and the hammer doesn’t budge. He shouts to the raining sky and sinks to the mud. He’s docile as he’s taken into custody and Jane quietly calls for Erik to pick her up. She persuades Erik to go get Thor, arguing that while Thor may speak of magic, magic has been called a precursor to science. Erik has heard of S.H.I.E.L.D. through a colleague and knows they’re not to be trifled with, but he will help Jane. And get Thor to leave.

Coulson questions Thor, believing him to be a mercenary, but Thor doesn’t answer. When Coulson steps away, Loki appears. Then lies to his brother, saying that Odin is dead and their mother has forbidden Thor’s return. Thor is broken-hearted and does not fight. Loki makes his own attempt to lift the hammer and fails, though he maintains his illusion so no mortals spot him. This is when Erik picks up Thor, then takes him drinking in hopes of getting Thor to leave. Thor willingly drinks with the man, then has to carry him back to Jane’s place. “He drank, he fought, he made his ancestors proud,” Thor proclaims, then spends a quiet evening with Jane. He brought her notebook back and encourages her to continue her research; it’s right. There are other realms out there. Nine, according to Thor, who explains the Yggdrasill, the World’s Tree, that connects all of them.

Loki is still plotting in Asgard; he visits Jotunheim and promises Laufey that he will sneak him in and he will be able to slay Odin while he sleeps. And yes, it was Loki who had snuck the few Frost Giants in to ruin Thor’s big day. It was his way of protecting the realm from Thor’s rule. Meanwhile, Thor’s friends decide to come get Thor and Heimdall helps, simply by not being the one to open the Bifrost. He’s been keeping an eye on Thor. Loki realizes what is going on and sends the Destroyer to keep Thor from returning. Thor is thrilled to see his friends (Sif and the Warriors Three…which a SHIELD agent comments that they look like they came from a Renaissance Faire…he’s got a point [considering I have friends who have dressed up as various Avengers and attended faire as a group, “Thor” even threw his mug down and demanded another]), but argues he cannot come home. Then he discovers Loki’s lies. S.H.I.E.L.D. briefly wonders if the Destroyer is one of Stark’s until is blasts them. Thor will stay with Jane to help evacuate the town; he does not have the power to help his friends, so they will be the distraction (which involves tossing the “dwarf”). Sif runs the Destroyer through with a spear and all is well for a moment, until it turns its entire body and continues blasting.

Back in Asgard, Loki freezes Heimdall so he can get the Frost Giants in. Heimdall realizes that Loki has found secret paths that Heimdall cannot see and that is how he has arranged his plot. Thor, to stop the carnage, faces the Destroyer alone and speaks to his brother, apologizing for whatever wrong he has done. He offers his life instead. The Destroyer smacks Thor, sending him flying. Jane rushes to him and believe our hero has died. Until Odin’s words echo: whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. The hammer flies to Thor and he regains his armor and power. And yes, Jane, Oh. My. God, is correct. The battle is short after that, Thor plowing the hammer through the Destroyer. But he and his friends must rush back to Asgard to stop Loki, though he promises to return for Jane. She pulls him in for a kiss before he goes, not settling for one of his kisses to her knuckles. Thor also got Coulson to return Jane’s things; they are all on the same side and she’ll need it to continue her research.

Heimdall breaks the freeze so he can get Thor and his friends back and Thor flies to the palace. Frigga, Odin’s wife, stands ready to defend her sleeping husband against the Frost Giants, though they knock her away after she takes out one. Laufey is eager to kill Odin, saying “your death comes at the hand of Laufey.” Loki blasts the king of the Frost Giants, and declares “and yours came by the son of Odin.” Frigga is thrilled to see Thor when he enters, then he reveals Loki’s treachery. They take their fight to the Bifrost, which Loki plans to use to destroy Jotunheim. Thor’s view has changed and he wants to stop Loki. He initially doesn’t wish to fight his brother, but Loki eggs him on until they begin exchanging blows. Loki accuses Thor of becoming weak, thanks to human Jane. He says he never wanted the throne, he just wanted to prove himself a worthy son to Odin, the equal of Thor. Thor declares this madness. “Is it?” Loki wonders (again, superb acting). Thor throws Loki on to the bridge, then places his hammer on him while he figures out what to do. Loki mocks, what can he do now with all his strength? Well, there is something Thor can do. He uses the hammer to smash the rainbow bridge to the Bifrost, destroying it, despite Loki’s protests that Thor will never be able to see Jane again. But it will save the realms. The blast knocks them both off the bridge; Thor grabs Loki and Odin grabs Thor. Loki pleads with their father, “I could have done it, father. For you.” Odin sadly says “no,” (not sure why, or what he’s referring to), but Loki lets go of Thor, who cries after his brother. Loki disappears into the swirling vortex.

Sif comments to Frigga later that Thor mourns his brother, and misses Jane. Thor speaks to Odin, saying that one day, he may make his father proud, but he still has a lot to learn. There has been no wiser king, nor better father than Odin, he says. Odin returns that Thor has already made him proud. Heimdall consoles his prince that Earth is not wholly lost to them, there is always hope. We see Jane continuing her research, no doubt trying to bring Thor to her.

The after credits scene is Erik meeting Fury, who shows him a glowing blue cube that combines legend and history. It is power and Fury wants Erik to study it. In the background, there is Loki, who is intrigued by this cube as well.

My feelings on this movie? If it’s not already apparent, I have a definite interest. I have learned that Marvel played a little fast and loose with typical Norse mythology; not that anyone would be surprised, considering the water downed version of Greek mythology Disney gave us in Hercules. Truly, the acting is superb, very emotional performances by the main cast. Anthony Hopkins shows us his range, from angry father, to worried king. His is a flawed character, to be expected from what little I’ve gleaned of mythology, evident when he tries to talk to Loki. Thor started as a truly arrogant warrior prince. Of course he can take on an army of Jotuns with just his four friends and younger brother. Even if you just take into account this film, Odin clearly saw enough of war and realized that peace was best for the Nine Realms and he is in charge of that. So for his oldest son to threaten that, to flounce the lessons he tried to instill. And Thor did grow. We can see that in how he treated Jane and her friends. At first, they are simply mortal servants. Then he helps make breakfast and will let his friends have the glorious battle while he gets innocent people to safety. He argues Sif away from death in battle; live and tell those stories yourself, he encourages her. He became worthy of his title and strength; a great message. And we get some funny scenes of Thor not being so mighty, like getting tased.

And yes, I’ve grown to love Loki, partly because Tom Hiddleston is an adorable human being from what we’ve seen. He comes across as a cool operator, showing one face while thinking or plotting something else, but in the presence of those he loves, he will breakdown. He demands the truth from his father and then battles for what he feels is his rightful place that was denied him with his stronger older brother. He doesn’t truly begin to outright lie until later in the movie. He may manipulate and as Fandral comments, he’s been one for mischief, but not treason. As most villains go, he’s fine until he reaches a breaking point. And that was discovering his ancestry. Yet, he still wants to be a hero. He wants to save his father and this is all about proving himself to Odin. He delayed Thor’s coronation because he felt Thor is not right for the kingdom and if he shows their father Thor sneaking to Jotunheim, Thor will be demoted and Loki will ascend. His final words before he falls is he was doing it all for Odin. Odin may have said no because he feels that Loki did this all for Loki, but we do witness later that Loki and Thor were honest brothers. There was no question as they were children. There was love and happiness at one time.

Again, I applaud the performances. As I saw commented somewhere, most likely Pintrest, Thor beautifully balanced magic in the real world. They exist separately, but this one brings them together without jarring. (Which is something I am striving for as I work on my fantasy series.) The arcs are great in this movie, but we can tell that they are really starting to build to something else.

I can make the recommendation to read The Witch’s Heart by new author Genevieve Gornichec (a fairly local woman that I heard about through the faire grapevine), which involves Loki. I will hold off on fanfic recommendation until we’re further into the universe since they all start melding together.

Next Time: Captain America: The First Avenger

“Sir! I’m going to have to ask you to exit the donut!”

Iron Man 2

Our core cast returns, though Rhodey is now played by Don Cheadle (and keeps the gig for the rest of the MCU), and Scarlett Johansson joins as Natalie Rushman/Agent Romanoff. Tony’s father, Howard makes brief appearances, played by John Slattery. We pick up essentially where we left off in the previous Iron Man film, at Tony Stark’s press conference where he reveals he’s Iron Man. There is an old man in Russia watching, who calls his son, Ivan to him. He has knowledge to share, then passes away. Ivan then finds Stark blueprints to the Arc Reactor which also bear the name, Anton Vanko. With the wall of clippings about Stark and Iron Man, we can guess where this is going. And then Ivan is successful.

Time jump to six months later and Iron Man leaps from a plane, dodges explosions, to land at his dazzling Stark Expo to AC/DC’s Shoot to Thrill. His opening address, he insists, is not about him, but about a legacy; what gets left behind for future generations and that is why for the next year, the expo will host the best and brightest from all nations to pool their resources in hopes of a better future. Then he shows a video of his father at the last Expo, who claims that technology is the way to better living and the possibility of world peace. Backstage, Tony is testing his blood toxicity level. Afterwards, Tony is ordered to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Rival Justin Hammer is called in, as is Rhodey to attempt to give testimony against Tony, but Rhodey knows what game the committee is playing. They want Tony to hand over the Iron Man suit to the military, or as Senator Stern puts it “to the American people.” Tony refuses. They attempt to show evidence of other copy cats out there, including Hammer, and then Tony shows them all failing. He is confident that he is the only one with the knowledge to make that kind of suit. He is America’s nuclear deterrent and has successfully privatized world peace.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Ivan is still working and adding whips to his arc reactor. And back in California, JARVIS informs us that Tony has palladium poisoning, as it is the core of the arc reactor. The thing that is keeping Tony alive is killing him. Together they have tried every known element, but nothing is a suitable replacement for the palladium. Pepper comes down and tries to get answers out of Tony about the company, which he evades, until he flat out tells her he wants her to run the company, to be CEO. And he’s given it thought, he can name his own successor. While Tony is boxing with Happy later, Pepper brings in Natalie Rushman from legal for the transfer. Tony is obviously taken by the pretty young woman, who can then flip Happy. He wants her as his new assistant.

Tony’s next stunt is to take over driving his racecar in the Grand Prix in Monaco. Which is where Ivan Vanko shows up with his laser whips and begins taking out cars on the loop in an effort to get to Tony. Happy and Pepper dash in with a suitcase that turns into a suit (Happy ramming Ivan a few times) and Tony can take on Ivan. He then convinces the French police (and no, Robert Downey Jr cannot speak French), to let him interrogate Ivan for five minutes alone. He muses to Ivan why he didn’t attempt to sell his device on the black market. Ivan snaps back that the Stark family is full of thieves and butchers and reveals his father was Anton Vanko. Ivan declares “when you make God bleed, people cease to believe.” He also knows that the palladium is killing Tony. Tony leaves.

Hammer then arranges for Ivan to be broken out of prison; he had seen his attack on Tony and instead of being horrified, enjoyed seeing someone try to take Tony down a peg. He recruits Ivan to build him suits like Tony’s. Back in California, Pepper knows Tony is hiding something from her, but he won’t outright admit it, so she goes on damage control with Natalie. Rhodey goes to check on Tony and discovers that Tony is not feeling well, but again, Tony won’t say anything. Rhodey insists he doesn’t have to do this alone. Tony retorts that “contrary to popular believe, I know exactly what I’m doing.” JARVIS also helps Tony research Anton and Ivan Vanko, but they don’t glean a lot of information. Tony goes through with his birthday party, acting like the masses expect an eccentric billionaire to act. Rhodey steps in, in another suit to get Tony to stop while Tony has the DJ play Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust. Rhodey knocks Tony out and flies the new suit to an Air Force base. The Air Force calls Hammer in to weaponize the suit, where he makes a ridiculous weapons’ demonstration. Hammer is thrilled to be working with Stark tech, considering that Ivan is now making his suits drones.

This is where S.H.I.E.L.D. steps in; Nick Fury talks sense into Tony and reveals that Natalie Rushman is Agent Romanoff, stationed at Stark Industries to keep on eye on Tony. They can get him back to working with an injection, but it’s not a cure. Nick further reveals that he knew Howard Stark, who was actually a founding member of S.H.E.I.L.D.; yes, Anton Vanko used to work with Howard, but saw the arc reactor as a weapon, not energy, and was in it for the money. Howard is the reason Anton was sent to Siberia and his life declined. Furthermore, Howard once told Nick that Tony was the hope of the future. Tony doesn’t quite agree with this; he remembers his father as cold and never said he liked him. Nevertheless, Fury has other problems to be dealing with and leaves Agent Coulson in charge. “I got my eye on you,” he warns Tony. Tony does as he’s instructed and goes through Howard’s notebook and watches the reels that are left, mainly of outtakes of his Expo introduction [which honestly remind me of videos I have seen of Walt Disney introducing Disney World…not wholly ironic, considering that Disney now owns Marvel]. At the end of the reel is a message that Howard leaves for Tony; all of what he was building was for Tony; it is the key to the future, he says. And above all, his greatest creation was Tony [there exists a version where Howard is holding a young sleeping Tony as he says this; apparently available with the Infinity boxed set…or on YouTube]. So Tony takes a quick trip in to Stark Industries, in attempt to apologize to Pepper and maybe explain. But it comes out wrong and she sends him home. Though on the way out, he catches sight of the old Stark Expo models. And they give him an idea. At home he makes a digital model he can manipulate and the layout is actually the atom of a new element. Coulson stops in long enough to say he’s heading to New Mexico, after using a shield to prop up the coils Tony is using. Of course Tony makes his own system to synthesize the new element after JARVIS tells him it’s impossible. And it works, with a few mishaps.

Hammer is not happy with Ivan, who doesn’t deliver on what he said he would. His drones will only be suitable for presentation, not demonstration. Hammer is mollified since he has a new suit to kick things off with, but he sets guards on Ivan while he heads out to the Expo. (Really dude, you didn’t think this ex-convict would try to double cross you? Are you that dumb?) After Ivan takes care of his guards, he calls Tony and Tony realizes what Hammer has been up to and the danger that is looming. Tests will have to wait on the new care (which is a new shape as well), he shoves it in and suits up. Tony arrives in the middle of Hammer’s military presentation and manages to warn Rhodey before the new suit shuts Rhodey out and the drones actually open fire. Tony flies off to draw fire away from civilians and evades what he can. [SPOILER: the kid that has an Iron Man mask on, that Tony saves, is a young Peter Parker, confirmed by Tom Holland and Marvel studios, which a lot of fans theorized for years.] Pepper confronts Hammer behind the scenes and Natalie heads to his headquarters with Happy. Happy keeps one guard busy while Agent Romanoff kicks butt. But Ivan has escaped, though she manages to override his code to Rhodey’s suit so the friends can take on the rest of the drones, and dropping the bomb that Tony had been dying, freaking Pepper out momentarily. Their last opponent is Ivan in a new suit with larger whips. The blast from their two hands manages to take him out, yet he had rigged the drones to blow, so Tony races off to rescue Pepper.

Their argument on the rooftop results in a kiss, interrupted by Rhodey. Afterwards, Tony meets with Fury and while he is not recommended for the Avengers Initiative at this time, they would like him to be a consultant. The film closes out on a presentation for Rhodey and Tony by Senator Sterns to Highway to Hell by AC/DC, and the after credits scene is Coulson’s arrival to New Mexico (the license plate confirming it is the Land of Enchantment as Tony joked). There is a carter holding a hammer and Coulson remarks “we found it.”

Overall, I still enjoy this film. Does Tony act like an idiot at times? Yes. Do we forgive him a little considering he was dying? A bit. On the one hand, it looks like he doesn’t trust those who truly care about him, but in reality, he does. He trusts Pepper to run him company. He trusts Rhodey to have a suit, because he certainly could have made it impossible for Rhodey to take one if he really wanted. He is looking out for the future and what mess he’ll leave behind and he’d rather be remembered as that crazy billionaire who went out in a bang. He’s just bad at actually having serious conversations with those closest to him.

Next Time: Thor

Connections Start Appearing

The Incredible Hulk

There are several Hulk movies, but this one from 2008 is considered part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though funny enough, not offered on Disney+. This film features Edward Norton (most recently he was Miles Bron in Glass Onion) as Bruce Banner, Tim Roth (the antagonist in The Musketeer and he faces off against Liam Neeson in Rob Roy) as Emil Blonsky, Liv Tyler (Arwen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) as Betty Ross. William Hurt plays General Ross (this character will show up throughout the MCU; though the actor played William Marshal [one of the advisors] in 2010’s Robin Hood), and Ty Burrell (I recognize him from the commercials for Modern Family) makes an appearance as Leonard.

The film opens with flashes of the infamous gamma radiation experiment that Banner ran on himself. People were hurt and he fled (and we catch a glimpse of “Stark Industries” and “Nick Fury SHIELD Command”). Banner is now trying to control his condition and hiding out in Brazil. He works at a bottling factory and his boss even remarks he is too smart for the work that he is doing and wants to put him on the payroll. Bruce declines, but then he scratches himself and blood drops to the belt below. He cleans it up, however, he missed a bit that went into one bottle. That Stan Lee then drinks and that incident alerts General Ross, who gathers a team to track Banner down and bring him back to the US Army. That team includes Emil Blonsky and they’re just told that Bruce “stole military secrets” and responsible for several deaths. A chase ensues once the team finds Bruce (though you can’t tell much part of the time because the scenes are so dark). Bruce has to monitor his heart rate and once it gets too fast, he “hulks out.”

Emil survives the first chase, but is intrigued. He convinces General Ross to give him more details, which Ross explains they were trying to recreate the super solider serum, but Banner didn’t know his research would be turned into a weapon. Ross considers Bruce’s body property of the US Army since he did the test on himself. Blonsky is willing to go after Bruce again, but would benefit from a younger body. So Ross gives him a small dose of the serum they developed.

In the meantime, Bruce manages to make his way to Culver University, where a Dr. Elizabeth Ross is teaching. He stays out of her way once he sees she has a new boyfriend, but she eventually catches sight of him and immediately begins to help him. But Bruce is found on campus and General Ross decides to send the Army to the campus to apprehend him (how does he get away with this?). Blonsky does well for a bit, until the Hulk throws him into a tree. The Hulk also protects Betty, which is why the boyfriend won’t help the General further (her father). Bruce calms down and plans to go on the run with Betty. He wants rid of his condition and he’s been in contact with a “Mr. Blue,” as to how to go about it. He needs to get to New York City.

Blonsky manages to recover, thanks to the dose he already has, but he wants more and the general gives it to him. They manage to track Bruce to New York, but he meets Dr. Stearns first. Stearns is excited by all the possibilities that Bruce’s research and blood offers, but he doesn’t realize the destruction that can come. They run an experiment and believe they have cured Bruce. And that’s when the military strikes again. Betty is furious with her father and sits with Bruce as they’re taken away. Blonsky stays behind and wants Bruce’s blood from Stearns, which turns him into an Abomination. Then he goes on a rampage of Harlem.

Bruce orders the helicopter turned around and hopes he’ll be able to hulk out again and take on Blonsky. It takes a minute, but it does work, though it’s a tough fight. The helicopter with the general and Betty crash, though they survive. The Abomination tells the Hulk that he doesn’t deserve this power and asks him for his last words. “Hulk…smash!” The Hulk subdues the Abomination, though Betty shouts for him to not kill the creature. Yet Bruce still has to run at the end of the film. This time, he’s in British Colombia.

Our final scene is General Ross getting drunk at a bar and Tony Stark walks in. He warns Ross that the super solider serum was put on ice for a reason, though he’s putting together a team. (I question part of this; I get what it’s setting up, but why did Tony think it was a good idea to approach Ross? Also, why did Blonksy want Ross dead during the attack on New York?)

Overall, not a film I terribly enjoy. Not one I really intend to watch again. Questions are raised and not really answered and some of the scenes with the body morphing are a bit disturbing. Now, Betty and Bruce are sweet together and you can see why they make a good couple. At the end of the day, I’m more excited to continue on with the rest of the universe.

Up Next: Iron Man 2

“Let’s face it, this is not the worst thing you’ve caught me doing.”

Iron Man

I am back! I apologize for the lengthy break, but I did get some of my own writing done (there is still a lot left to work on, very much an on-going process) and I will endeavor to balance it all, but I did want to get back to blogging. So here we are, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which I will shorten to MCU). I am aware there are a lot of Marvel movies and shows and I have not watched them all (and there are some I quite possibly won’t watch), and there will be a bunch that won’t be covered; my plan is to tackle the films that make up the “Infinity Saga,” [so no Agents of SHEILD or Agent Carter, and I’m still trying to get around to watching Loki]. And thus, the one that started it all: Iron Man.

It stars Robert Downey Jr (who I had never watched before, and gosh, looking back at this movie from 2023 to 2008, he looks young! After watching these movies, I’ve come to respect the actor) as Tony Stark, billionaire weapons designer. He’s aided by his best friend, Air Force Colonel James Rhodes aka Rhodey (in this iteration, he’s played by Terrence Howard, who appeared in Red Tails); his assistant, Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow (one of the leads in Shakespeare in Love); and his driver “Happy” Hogan, played by Jon Favreau (who also directed the film, and several others in the saga). There is also Obadiah Stane, played by veteran actor Jeff Bridges. Shaun Toub (he was in the failed movie adaptation of The Last Airbender, but that film did not justice for the wonderful show, so that is all I will say) is Yinsen, Clark Gregg is Agent Coulson (just a minor character here). And if one of the Ten Rings’ members looks familiar, that is Faran Tahir, who was Captain Nemo in Once Upon a Time, and Captain Robau in Star Trek [the one where Chris Hemsworth plays Jim Kirk’s father], among other television show appearances like Supernatural, NCIS: Los Angeles, and MacGyver. Paul Bettany (he was Bryden Vos in Solo, and unforgettable as Chaucer in A Knight’s Tale. He was also Lord Melbourne in Young Victoria and Silas in Da Vinci Code, along with playing Dr. Stephen Maturin in Master and Commander) provides the voice of JARVIS.

The film opens on a convoy in Afghanistan, AC/DC’s Back in Black setting the mood [which always makes me think of Supernatural now]. Tony Stark is bantering with the soldiers, until they come under attack. He gets out of the Humvee when the attack intensifies and tries to make it to safety, but he’s caught in the blast of one of his own weapons. We get a brief glimpse of a hostage video before we’re taken back thirty-six hours previous. Tony is supposed to be accepting an award; instead, he’s in the casino. We do get a narrated backstory to our character, but he’s more interested in sleeping with a female reporter who is asking questions about his company. The next morning, Pepper Potts arrives to guide the woman out of the house (where JARVIS is the AI butler), while Tony is working on a project in his workshop. She manages to get him packed off to meet Rhodey, who takes him to a weapons demonstration at an air base in Afghanistan. Stark demonstrates his newest weapon, the Jericho missile to the attending brass, then gets in the Humvee that later is attacked, bringing us to some flashes on Tony’s surgery to save his life.

Upon waking, he meets his cellmate, Yinsen, who helps translate the terrorist group Ten Rings’ demands that Tony build them a Jericho missile. At first he refuses, but he’s tortured into cooperating; well, saying he’ll cooperate. He’s under no illusion that he’d be let go if he actually builds them what they want. Yinsen was the one who saved Tony’s life, by putting an electromagnet in his chest to repel the remaining shrapnel from his heart. The first thing Tony actually builds is a new version, based on a miniature arc reactor (not a scientist, I don’t know how any of that is actually supposed to work). Yinsen also points out to Tony that his real legacy at the moment are his weapons and what they mean to the civilian population in the Middle East (the female reporter earlier had commented that one of Stark’s nicknames is the Merchant of Death [there is the story that Alfred Nobel was termed the Merchant of Death in an obituary that was incorrectly printed, for his creation of military explosives and he determined that was not the legacy he wished to leave, so he funded the Nobel Peace Prize]; that is most likely what that comment by the reporter was alluding to).

Tony continues his work, but he’s not building a missile. He’s forming an escape. Honestly, one of my favorite scenes of this film is Tony Stark working at the anvil, the strikes of the hammer matching the downbeats of the theme building in the music. And proof that Tony knows what he is doing; he knows the techniques to build what his mind creates. And his escape plan is a suit of armor, with some upgrades. When it comes time to put the plan into action, Yinsen has to buy Tony some time; which just makes Tony more determined to blast all of Ten Rings into oblivion. Yinsen ultimately dies in the attempt, but that was how he figured it would end; he’ll see his family in the afterlife. Tony burns the weapons cache and rockets out of the compound, crashing into the desert.

He is picked up by the American Air Force and returned home. He calls a press conference, after he gets a cheeseburger (Happy is so good to his boss), and makes the announcement that he will be closing down the weapons division of Stark Industries, until he can figure out a new path for the company. That creates chaos and Obadiah instructs Tony to lay low. But Stane’s mind is now whirring with the knowledge that an arc reactor is keeping young Tony alive. So Tony lays low at his home and has Pepper help install a new arc reactor, and tells her to get rid of the old one. He tries to tell Rhodey about his new project, but since it’s not for the military, Rhodey cautions him to just take time.

So the tech genius tinkers in his workshop and builds another suit. He instructs JARVIS to keep the files on a secret server, since he doesn’t know who to trust at the moment. Tony works up to his first flight, though he discovers that the suit ices over if he climbs too high in altitude; something to fix in the next model. While he’s designing that, and painting it red, he catches the TV showing his own benefit, that he wasn’t invited to. So the playboy crashes the benefit (Stan Lee cameo!), wrangles a dance with Pepper, briefly meets Agent Coulson, then is questioned by the reporter again, who shows him pictures of his weapons still in the hands of terrorists in the Middle East. Tony confronts Obadiah, who reveals that is was the older gentleman who was nudging Tony out of the company, in an effort to “protect him.”

Tony takes matters into his own hands and uses his latest suit to take out a weapons cache in the Middle East. The Air Force picks up his flight and he faces off against two F-22 Raptors. Rhodey wonders if his friend has anything to do with the small craft and calls Tony; Tony keeps quiet, until he’s in the 22’s sights and yells “it’s me!” Tony in the suit crashes into one of the planes, but helps the falling pilot, then skedaddles. Rhodey cracks “you owe me a plane.” Obadiah pays a visit to Ten Rings. He was the one who put a hit out on Tony, for the terrorist group to kill him. But they’ve recovered Tony’s first suit from the desert and Obadiah has a new plan, once he kills all the members present.

Pepper is the next person to discover Tony’s new suit and he instructs her to go to his office and download information from the server. She initially tries to quit, because she won’t stand by and let her boss get himself killed. But Tony is determined: “There’s the next mission, and nothing else.…You stood by my side all these years while I reaped the benefits of destruction. Now that I’m trying to protect the people I’ve put in harm’s way, you’re going to walk out?…I shouldn’t be alive…unless it was for a reason…I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it’s right.” Pepper agrees and has to distract Obadiah from what she’s doing. Except he knows. So his timeline is sped up. Pepper meets Coulson on her way out, after discovering that it was Obadiah who put the hit out on Tony. She’ll take the agents to arrest him. Except Obadiah stops at Tony’s house first, to take his arc reactor because no other scientist can replicate it; while Tony Stark was able to build it in a cave with a box of scraps, no one else has his genius. So Obadiah reveals his whole plan to Tony, having briefly paralyzed him, because he figures without the arc reactor, Tony will die, and he needs the reactor to power his own suit.

Tony manages to make it to his workshop and DUM-E helps him smash open the old reactor; “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart,” Pepper displayed. Pepper sends Rhodey to Tony, where Tony tells him to keep the skies clear. He races to his company to save Pepper, taking on Obadiah in his Iron Monger suit. The fight starts in the streets, where Obadiah doesn’t care what destruction he causes, but Tony knows to take the fight to the skies. As Tony predicted, Obadiah’s suit ices up, but Tony also starts to fall back to Earth because that first reactor was not meant to sustain flight, as JARVIS warned him. Their next face off is on the roof and Tony has Pepper overload the system to fry Obadiah. He would have likely gotten fried too, if the blast hadn’t knocked him out of the way.

So Tony has to hold another press conference to explain the events that occurred at his company (and knocked power out). Coulson and SHIELD have come up with an alibi, but Tony goes off-script and reveals that he his Iron Man as the papers are calling him. Cue the famous Black Sabbath song. And the first of many post-credits scenes: Tony comes home to find Director Fury there, who warns him he is not the only superhero out there, and he wishes to discuss the Avenger Initiative. [Robert Downey Jr. had ad-libbed the “I am Iron Man,” line at the end, but producer Kevin Feige approved it, going with the concept that MCU will do away with secret identities for the most part.]

This was not a film that I watched when it initially came out, because I’m not a comic book person. I rented it at one point and enjoyed it. And I still like it, even with all the other movies that have come out after it. It’s a simpler film; made when it just had to be a superhero film with action, a bit of backstory, a hint of a love story. It didn’t have to fit into a web of plot lines and how will it match up, etcetera, etcetera; though it was well planned and does fit in with the arching stories. It’s a fairly happy film (because SPOILER, later films are not), and I like seeing a character have a change in heart.

Up Next: The Incredible Hulk [I’m aware there is technically more than one, but the MCU one is from 2008 with Edward Norton; there is one from 2003 with Eric Bana, but it’s not part of Marvel’s continuity]