REVIEW: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the ninth movie in the lineup, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbayiPxkUMM[/embedyt]
After another bland entry to Phase 2 with Thor: The Dark World, will Captain America: The Winter Soldier be able to steer the ship in the right direction or will the MCU finally sink?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 4 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story beings with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), and his new friend Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) going for a jog in the morning. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), arrives to take Steve in order to lead a strike team against a stolen SHIELD ship taken over by a private military op. The action goes on and while Steves mission is to save the hostages, Widow has a different mission of downloading SHIELD intel onto a hard drive for Director Fury (Samuel L Jackson). The mission is a success and everything seems to be going to plan when Fury shows Steve what he is hiding from Cap. Underneath the SHIELD Base, they are constructing Helicarriers so they can be used to protect the people. Shortly after, Director Fury is attacked by a new villain called The Winter Soldier and his squad. While Fury is half dead, he breaks into Steves apartment and after Steve finds him, he takes him to a hospital where Fury is presumed dead. With everyone mourning the loss of Fury Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), takes over operation on SHIELD and turns everyone against Captain America and Black Widow. When they both go on the run, they find themselves being hunted down by SHIELD and come across an old SHIELD lab where they find out that after the WW2, SHIELD and HYDRA both joined forces and HYDRA has slowly been taking over SHIELD from the inside. Once they discover this, they bring Sam into their group and when they try and to escape. They are ambushed by the Winter Soldier and are locked into battle with this new foe. After their battle, Steve finds out that the Winter Soldier is actually Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who now has a metal arm. After Steve and friends are captured by SHIELD, they escape with the help of Maria Hill (Coble Smulders), who takes them to see that Fury is actually alive. Once everyone regroups, they go back to the SHIELD Base in Washington for one last assault again the SHIELD/HYDRA Operations. While they are fighting, HYDRA tries to launch the Helicarriers into the air and target about 1 million civilians who are deemed a threat. Once they are brought offline, all of SHIELD/HYRDA files get leaked online and this causes SHIELD to disband with Fury (Dead Man Walking), goes his own way while Steve and Sam try and go after Bucky.
The story seems like there is a lot going on but that’s ok because it is all told in such a fun, interesting and very James Bond way. It’s a mystery that unfolds right before your eyes and it’s a great non-stop thrill ride from start to finish.
The acting is amazing in this movie. Everyone brings their A game with the Winter Soldier and Alexander Pierce being the best and most likeable villains in an MCU movie so far (Aside from Loki of course). Chris Evans is always amazing as Captain America and Evans is starting to embody Cap much like RDI embodies Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson is also badass as Black Widow and continues to show off her #GirlPower.
The CGI is also a huge step up from the last two movies. Everything looks more clean and crisp then what we got more previous MCU movies and the Winter Soldier’s metal arm looks dope as well. Even the fancy tech they use at the SHIELD Bases looks really awesome and makes me wish we had that type of tech that we could use.
Trust me when I say that this movie really changed the MCU as a whole. Not only did it disband SHIELD, it also changed what is possible in the MCU. The fact that HYDRA was able to get into SHIELD without anyone noticing really begs the question, can our heroes trust anyone anymore? These types of ramifications really set this film apart from the others. Captain America: The Winter Soldier dared to change everything and it had the balls to pull it off. All the while doing it in such a great style that it comes out swinging while also asking, “Who’s next?”.
The Verdict:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an excellent movie. Not only is it a great sequel to the first movie, but it is also a fantastic MCU movie in general. What is it about Captain America that Marvel always seems to give him the best movies in each MCU Phase? Whatever Marvel is doing, they need to stick to it because Captain America: The Winter Soldier steers the MCU back in the right direction and also changes it forever as well. If you haven’t seen this yet, change that because it’s on Netflix still (At the time of writing this anyway), and it serves as a great popcorn flick that everyone can enjoy.
9.5/10
Next up, Ground control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmets on because the MCU is going to space! With the next massive hit, Guardians of the Galaxy.
REVIEW: Thor: The Dark World (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the eighth movie in the lineup, Thor: The Dark World.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npvJ9FTgZbM[/embedyt]
After the rocky start of Phase 2 with Iron Man 3, will Thor: The Dark World deliver something more or will it be forgotten like Iron Man 3?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 5 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story takes place after The Avengers where we learn the origins of the Dark Elves and an Infinity Gem know as the Aether. We cut back to present day where Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), is trying to move on from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and is on a date when she is interrupted by Darcy (Kat Demmings). They soon go to an abandoned building to discover an anomaly when Jane is transported to Asgard where the Aether takes control of her and brings her back to earth. Shortly after, Thor comes back to earth to retrieve Jane so that they can find a way to remove the Aether from Jane. Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), brings his army of Dark Elves and invades Asgard in order to retrieve the Aether so he can destroy the nine realms with it. Malekith is soon defeated and retreats from Asgard with Thor planning to travel to the Dark World with the help of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), in order to stop Malekith and bring peace. Loki is then killed and Jane gets the Aether extracted from her by Malekith who soon sets his sights on earth realm. Once in Greenwich, London, the final battle for the nine realms commences and Thor does everything he can to stop the convergence from happening. When the day is saved, Thor returns home to Asgard to speak with Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and Thor no longer wants to be king. He wants Odin to remain the King of Asgard so he can go back to earth realm to be with Jane. Odin accepts this and then we learn that Odin was actually Loki in disguise.
The acting in this movie was good but not everyone pulled their weight. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are always great to see on the screen when they are together and really help make the movie somewhat fun to watch. Anthony Hopkins always brings his best when he is Odin. Everyone else was either one dimensional or just forgettable.
The CGI is up to the Marvel standard but you can start to tell that some of the scenes were green screened. This can be distracting at times and can somewhat take you out of the movie because it can be noticeable. The Dark Elves in this movie also look really bad because only Malekith and his right-hand man, Algrim look really cool as Dark Elves. Every other Dark Elve just looks like some guy in a cheap costume and is really bad and noticeable.
This review would have been longer but there just isn’t much to talk about in this movie. Don’t get me wrong, stuff does happen but none of it has any major consequences for the MCU as a whole (Expect for Thor’s mom being dead and Loki disguising himself as Odin).
The Verdict:
I’m not gonna sugar coat this, Thor: The Dark World is bad. While it’s not as bad as Incredible Hulk, I would much rather watch Iron Man 3. When I have to write a sentence like that, you know you have a stinker on your hands. Just like Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World is forgettable and bland. It packs a lot of noise but no substance to make it the least bit enjoyable.
5.5/10
Next up, let’s cleanse ourselves of these bad marvel movies with one of the best MCU movies to date, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
REVIEW: Iron Man 3 (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the seventh movie in the lineup, Iron Man 3.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLorLVa95Xo[/embedyt]
After the ground backing Avengers, we start Phase 2 of the MCU with the third entry in the Iron Man trilogy. Is Iron Man 3 a great threequel or does it go down in flames?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 5 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story takes place after the Avengers and we see Tony Stark (Robert Downey JR.), doing his own thing and still trying to make improvements to his Iron Man suits. While everything seems to be holly jolly (Because this movie takes place around Christmas Time). The Ten Rings terrorist group resurfaces bring a new leader known as the Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), he is threatening the President (William Sadler), with war and destroying certain monuments around the US. The newly branded Iron Patriot (Don Cheadle), is tasked with serving his country and putting a stop to Mandarin. While this is happening, an old colleague from Tony’s past, Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), resurfaces with a new advanced form of genetic manipulation called Extremis. When Tony threatens the Mandarin with war, the Mandarin destroys Tony’s Mansion and he is saved by JARVIS who blasts him to rural Tennessee. While in Tennessee, he meets a young kid named Harley (Ty Simpkins), who helps Tony repair his suit and also investigate more into AIM. Tony is finally able to locate the source of the Mandarin broadcasts and breaks into the mansion using a bunch of cool DIY weapons. While he is there, he finds out the truth. The guy who we thought was the mandarin was nothing but an actor named Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley). Tony is then captured along with Rhodes and Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), Tony and Rhodes escape but the Iron Patriot suit is stolen from Rhodes. The president is then kidnapped from Air Force One by one of the Mandarins Extremis goons in the Iron Patriot suit. This all leads to one final confrontation at a docking area where the president is being dangled from a height in the Iron Patriot suit and it’s up to Tony and Rhodes to save him along with Pepper. This all leads to a giant epic battle with a whole lot of Iron Man suits and the big twist finally revealed to be Killian as the true Mandarin. After this, Tony saves Pepper, destroys all his suit and starts to rebuild a new life for him and Pepper. Tony gets the shrapnel removes and Pepper is cured of the Extremis.
One major theme of this movie is Rebirth. We see Tony trying to keep busy after the new york incident while he deals with PTSD, Insomnia and Panic Attacks. Then when everything is taken away from Tony, he rebuilds and defeats not only the bad guys but also comes to terms with his inner demons in the end. This is the best part about Iron Man 3 because every hero has to eventually rebuild themselves from the ground up in order to discover their true selves.
The acting in this movie is also good. RDJ always kills it as Iron Man and Tony Stark and he has practically become the real-life Iron Man in a way. Ben Kingsley also does a great job as the fake Mandarin and also as Trevor Slattery. Even though I still hate that twist, you can tell that Kingsley had fun with the dual role and he makes it work. Everyone else just kind of blends in and doesn’t leave such a mark on the viewer. Especially Guy Pierce as the real Mandarin. He doesn’t really make a great villain and ends up dying in the end so it’s just forgettable at best.
The CGI is another one of the stronger aspects of the film. Iron Man always looks great, the Extremis people look awesome but scary at the same time and the huge sets look impressive as well.
The Verdict:
I remembered Iron Man 3 being way better. The Mandarin twist was a huge piss off and I never liked that at all. However, I thought everything else in the movie was good. After rewatching it, I can say that Iron Man 3 is a mess. The story is fine but the execution and everything else about it is misguided or downright fails. Out of all the MCU movies to date, this one is one of the forgettable ones (But still not as bad as Incredible Hulk). The best way to sum up this movie is that it has a lot going on but no substance behind it.
6.5/10
Next up, we return to Asgard to see what Thor is up too in the other mixed bag of a film, Thor: The Dark World.
REVIEW: The Avengers (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the sixth movie in the lineup, The Avengers.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrNdBpGMv8[/embedyt]
This is it folks, the big one, the conclusion to Phase 1 of the MCU. It’s been a long road so far but we have finally got the Avengers to assemble for the first time ever on screen. Does the film still hold up or it is best left in the dust?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 6 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story is simple and it feels like it was ripped out of the pages of an Avengers comic book. After getting the Tesseract and trying to study it, it starts to cause havoc and even opens up a portal to bring Loki (Tom Hiddleston), back from space. Once Loki is in the SHIELD base, he takes control of Hawkeye (Jeremy Reiner), Doctor Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), and a few SHIELD guards. Loki and his crew escape with the Tesseract right before the building collapses. Most of the important SHIELD members escape and Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), calls in the Avengers to stop Loki. After the title credit rolls, we start the gathering of all the members of the Avengers. Once everyone is gathered, they are sent to Germany where they have tracked down Loki in order to capture him. After capturing Loki, they are all taken to a Helicarrier to start the search for the Tesseract. Things get heated between everyone when they discover that Nick Fury is hiding various secrets from the team and when they try to question him about it. They are ambushed by Loki’s crew who try to destroy the Helicarrier and break Loki out of his prison. After the destruction and the fights, half of the team is missing and the other half is hurt and trying to come up with a plan. The Avengers eventually all team up again for one big giant final clusterf**k of a battle in New York to stop Loki from destroying it.
The acting is just pure gold. This movie is the cream of the crop and you can tell that everyone in the cast knew that and it shows. The whole cast brought nothing but charming, fun, humour and action. I think the perfect word to describe the cast is Balanced. Everyone does their part, everyone is on point and everyone plays well with the others.
The CGI is simply the best we have ever seen in a Marvel film. The Alien creatures look outstanding, the Hulk looks better in this then Incredible Hulk, Loki’s powers look epic as usual and so many more awesome things. You can tell that this movie had a huge budget to work with and what we get on screen is absolutely beautiful.
The Avengers is also the first big comic book team-up movie to ever hit screens and what an event it was. This movie has set a precedent that no other comic book movie has been able to stop since (Although Black Panther is trying to claw it’s way up). There is a reason why this movie made $1.5 Billion when it was in theatres, it is just pure fun and awesome. This is a movie that everyone and anyone can sit down, watch and have a grand old time.
The Avengers is that it transcends being a movie. It is also an event because the depth and scale that this movie is able to achieve is a sight to behold. With the amount of money this movie made, you can tell that almost everyone has seen The Avengers. If someone you know or if you have managed to never have seen The Avengers, what are you even doing? Drop everything and see this movie.
The Verdict:
This is the best of the best. Avengers is a non-stop thrill ride that anyone and everyone can enjoy. The story feels like it was ripped out of a comic book, the cast is just on fire and everyone shines, and the CGI is the best money can buy (And you can bet it cost a lot). Everything about this movie is fun and it really is a one of a kind movie that will never be topped by anything that will come after. The Avengers came, they saw, and they assembled for the best Marvel movie ever.
10/10
Next up, we commence Phase 2 of the MCU with a movie that left everyone mixed, Iron Man 3.
REVIEW: Captain America: The First Avenger (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the fifth movie in the lineup, Captain America: The First Avenger.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JerVrbLldXw[/embedyt]
The first movie to feature the new Captain America and also the movie right before the biggest comic book movie of all time, Avengers. Is cap’s solo movie worth watching or should you just skip to Avengers?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 7 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story is, of course, an origin story for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who before becoming the super soldier we all know and love was a short and weak adult just wanting to join the army back in the 40s. Steve wanted nothing more than to join the army but his size and many illnesses stopped him from doing so. This all changes when Dr Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), gives Steve a chance because he feels that there is more to Steve then meets the eye. Steve is then drafted into the army and begins his training. Along the way, he meets Colonel Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). They help Steve discover his full potential when he is injected with the Super Soldier serum. Along the way, we meet Hydra, the scientific division of the Nazi’s that study science and magic. Hydra is led by Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving), also known as the Red Skull. He discovers the Tesseract and uses it to create new weapons and power sources. Steve gathers a squad after a rescue mission to help save his best friend James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes (Sebastian Stan), to stop Hydra from spreading and helping the Nazis win the war. During the final mission, Steve and his squad stop Red Skull and derail his plans to nuke NYC. Although this mission causes Steve to sacrifice himself so that the war can be won but he doesn’t die, he just gets frozen in time. Fast forward to present day where Steve wakes up in a hospital room with the radio playing. Turns out this is all a rouse and Steve escapes to find himself in modern day NYC with Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), showing up to stop Steve and tell him what is happening.
Captain America: The First Avenger builds on the formula that previous MCU movies have now adapted and makes it shine. The story, although a flashback origin story, works really well and sets up the MCU and Avengers. The Tesseract and Captain America serve as a nice transition to the Avengers and also flesh out the MCU a lot to help it grow even more.
The acting in this movie is amazing. The whole cast is all around likeable and they all have great chemistry together. Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell and Tommy Lee Jones are some of the big names in this movie and they bring their A game to this movie.
The CGI is also very well done in this movie. You can tell that the effects and make-up evolve with each passing MCU movie, and it really shows how much work goes into every single film. Red Skull is a highlight of this movie because when you see what he actually looks like for the first time, it doesn’t look cheap or fake at all. Red Skull looks realistic and it helps bring a sense of realism to the movie.
The best CGI in this film has to be the short and sickly looking Steve Rogers. You can just tell by looking at him that its just someone with Chris Evans face over top and it can be distracting at times. However, that doesn’t mean its a bad thing. It shows just how much they wanted to get everything right about Captain America. You can tell by at this point that the MCU was gonna be a mainstay and that it was no longer a gamble with each passing movie.
The Verdict:
Move over Thor because Captain America: The First Avenger has become my new favourite MCU movie. The story is great, the acting is awesome and the CGI is amazing. This movie has aged very well (Just like Steve Rogers am I right?) and is a great movie from start to finish. If you haven’t seen this one or haven’t watched it in a while, you won’t be disappointed.
9/10
Next up is the big one people, the highest grossing comic book and MCU movie of all time. Of course, I am talking about The Avengers.
REVIEW: Thor (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the fourth movie in the lineup, Thor.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ[/embedyt]
The first MCU movie to take us to a new place far from earth to show us a new side of the MCU. Is Thor out of this world or should it be buried with the frost giants?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 7 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story of Thor is an origin story. It starts by Odin (Anthony Hopkins) telling a story to his children about how the battle with the frost giants long ago. After that, we cut to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) about to be named the new king of Asgard, when the frost giants invade the castle but don’t get very far. Angry that this happened, Thor swears to take down the frost giants with Odin telling him to stay away. Thor disobeys these orders and takes his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and his Warrior friends to kill the frost giants once and for all. This quickly leads to a huge brawl with Odin having to save them in the end. After this, Odin banishes Thor to earth and takes away his powers. Thor spends a good chunk of the rest of the movie on earth with the scientists that take him in. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and her friends slowly help and teach Thor the ways of earth people and they help Thor with getting his hammer back. After failing to get the hammer back, Thor is captured by SHIELD agents on the site and Jane and friends help get Thor out. When Thor is lost for the first time in his life, he talks to Jane and a romance slowly brews between the two. Meanwhile, Loki starts to turn everything again Thor and his father when he learns the truth about Loki being an adopted frost giant. This sends Loki into a rage and he becomes the new king of Asgard and sends the Destroyer to kill Thor. Once the hammer deems Thor worthy, he get’s his powers back, defeats the Destroyer and returns to Asgard to stop Loki and his evil plans. During the battle, Thor destroys the only way back to earth in order to save Asgard and the other nine realms from destruction.
The acting is pretty great from such a stellar cast. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston both are awesome in this film and really sell their roles as Thor and Loki. Anthony Hopkins also does an excellent job as Odin. Hopkins can play the fatherly type very well it and is awesome to see him as Odin. I didn’t like Natalie Portman as Jane. She comes off as the girl who is always there and she just feels like a forced love interest for Thor when there are better opinions. I will also mention that Kat Demmings is in this movie for some reason trying to play a smart nerdy looking girl but he is just more dull then Natalie Portman.
The CGI has great with some few exceptions. Like when Thor files or when he is hovering, it is really noticeable that it’s just an effect and comes off as kind of hokey. If you can look past that, everything else in this movie is gorgeous. From the Destroyer to Asgard itself, you can tell a lot of time and $$$ went into the effects and it pays off in a big way.
I should also mention that Thor strikes that perfect balance between world building, action and character development. Although some character development gets lost in the movie, it focuses on the most important characters like Thor, Loki, and some of the human cast that it really gives them their time to shine.
The villains aside from Loki are kind of bland. The frost giants look and act cool but in the end, they are just there to throw you off from the real villain and they end up giving you the cold shoulder (Sorry not sorry for the ice puns).
The Verdict:
Out of the 4 MCU movies I have rewatched, so far this one is my favourite. Although I know that’s not really saying much now, just hear me out. Thor is a great movie from start to finish. The story is great, the acting is great (except for Natalie and Kat), and the effects look great. I had a blast watching this and I bet you will too.
8.5/10
Next up is Captain America’s first movie before the Avengers. Better known as Captain America: The First Avenger.
REVIEW: Iron Man 2 (Road To Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the third movie in the lineup, Iron Man 2.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKtcmiifycU[/embedyt]
The sequel to the successful start of the MCU. Does it still hold up after 8 years or does this suit need to be left behind?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 8 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story takes place after Iron Man in Russia where we are introduced to the main villain of the movie Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), and we see his father is about to pass away. Right before he does, he lets Vanko have the plans to his fathers work and Vanko creates his own Arc Reactor. On the other side of the world, we see Tony Stark (Robert Downey JR.), kicking off the year-long Stark Expo event in New York. Shortly afterwards, he is forced to appear in court to debate control over the Iron Man Suit. He wins the case and continues his playboy lifestyle when Vanko shows up at the Grand Prix that Tony is participating in and attacks him. After Vanko is caught and sent to jail, he is then set free in order to work for Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), to recreate the Iron Man Suit. After a house party gone wrong, James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), steals an Iron Man Suit and takes it to the military to be modified. After the fight, Tony gets the attention of SHIELD and they give him his fathers secrets in order to make a new type of ARC reactor so Tony can prevent his Death. After Vanko makes new Iron Man drones, Hammer goes to the Stark Expo to present them, when Vanko takes control and everything goes wrong. Tony and Rhodes put on their suits to fight the drones and Vanko to save the day.
The acting in Iron Man 2 on par with the first Iron Man. Robert Downey JR. continues to show why he is the only Iron Man we need and why he is Iron Man. Don Cheadle and Sam Rockwell are also worth mentioning because they bring the comedy and action to the movie and serve as perfect balances and counterparts to RDJ. I should also mention that this is the first time we see Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff and she kills it. Mrs Romanoff is both gorgeous and can also kick butt all in one.
The CGI is also on par with the first Iron Man (Are you starting to see a pattern here?). The War Machine and Iron Man suits look awesome and can really put in some work. The suits may not be real but you will want one for yourself after watching this. I should also mention that Vanko’s whiplash suit also looks awesome. The prototype one looks cool but the final suit at the end of the movie looks really cool as well.
One bad thing I will say about Iron Man 2 is that it doesn’t try to top the first movie. Most movie sequels try and outshine their first outing but, Iron Man 2 doesn’t try to do this. The movie instead goes for showing more and introducing more characters. However, it also tries to play it safe as well but trying to follow the formula of the first movie. That is a choice that harms the film in the end because instead of going bigger and better, it goes bigger but skips the better which is a shame. Iron Man 2 shows it had potential but instead just only gives the minimum effort.
The Verdict:
While it isn’t as bad as Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2 also isn’t better than Iron Man. Iron Man 2 tries to emulate the formula of the first one but, also try to play things safe. Sequels are supposed to be bigger and better than the first. Iron Man 2 puts in the effort to be a good movie, just not a great sequel to Iron Man.
7/10
Next up on the list, we take a trip to Asgard to see what our favourite Norse God is up too in Thor.
REVIEW: The Incredible Hulk (Road to Infinity War)
Alright, let us continue The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event with the second movie in the lineup, The Incredible Hulk
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbqNb2PFKKA[/embedyt]
This one has mostly been forgotten but is still in canon with the MCU. Is the second movie in the MCU a hulk smash or a pass?
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Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 10 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story is about Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) on the run from the government and looking to cure his Gamma sickness (AKA The Hulk). When he is discovered by the Military lead by Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt) and is forced to flee his house and avoid getting captured. When he is cornered in the same factory he worked at, he turns into the Hulk and goes on a rampage. After nearly escaping, Bruce is once again lost and on the run when he is picked up and travels back to the USA to try and finally get a cure. However, while back in the US, he comes across his old lover Elizabeth Ross (Liv Tyler), she wants to help Bruce by any means possible. This leads the couple to New York where when they make the cure but all is lost when a Super Soldier went wrong Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) uses Bruce’s blood to gain more power and become the Abomination. This leads to a final showdown in New York when Hulk and Abomination clash with Hulk winning and saving the day (Of Course). In Conclusion, Bruce leaves to go to BC and Thunderbolt Ross gets an unexcepted visitor which turns out to be Tony Stark (Robert Downey JR.) who wants to talk about the Avengers Initiative.
Right off the bat, I want to say that this film comes across as dull and boring at times. Sure it has plenty of action but it’s done in such a way that it feels more like white noise than anything exciting. The only good part of the film is the last 30 mins with the fight between Hulk and Abomination and the RDJ cameo at the end. This is really bad when this is supposed to be a continuation of the fresh MCU.
The acting in this movie is also dull as well, everyone in this movie looks like they don’t want to be there and they are only doing this because they got better things to do. The performances are also bland with everyone in the cast trying too little or not even trying at all. The worst has to be Liv Tyler, she basically whispers all of her lines and comes off as annoying as well. The best performance in this film is from Tim Roth, sure he looks bored as well but, you can tell he is having fun playing the proto super soldier.
For all the negative I have been giving the film, the CGI still holds up after 10 years. The Hulk and Abomination look visually pleasing and are awesome to see on screen. It feels like more work and effort was put into the CGI then the rest of the movie itself.
The Verdict:
Before watching this movie, I kept thinking, “Why is this movie so forgotten by most MCU fans?”. Well, now I finally have the answer, it’s because this movie is dull. The story is simple but the execution is what falls apart. The acting is also dull and no one seems to be trying in this movie. When the only good thing about the movie is the end and the CGI, you really done screwed it up. I can only recommend you watch the last 30 mins of this film. Other then that, this is most definitely a hulk pass.
5/10
Next up on the list, we look at the sequel to the excellent Iron Man, Iron Man 2. Is Iron Man 2 a worthy sequel or will it derail the franchise?
REVIEW: Iron Man (Road to Infinity War)
This is it folks! The Papi Chulo RADIO Road to Infinity War (RTIW for short) review event has begun!
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With Infinity War coming out this May, we will be going back and reviewing every single MCU movie in release order! After all, every end has a beginning. So let’s start at the beginning with Iron Man.
Iron Man is the first movie in the now famous MCU and even 10 years after it’s release, does the movie still hold up?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hYlB38asDY[/embedyt]
Before we get into it, it should be said that there will be spoilers if you haven’t seen it yet (Although since it’s 10 years old, you should have seen it already).
The story of Iron Man is an origin story for Tony Stark, played by the famous and expensive Robert Downey JR. After a weapons testing, Tony get’s ambushed and captured by the Ten Rings. They demand that Tony Build them the Jericho missile and then they will kill him afterwards. However, along with us saviour and cellmate, Yinsen, they secretly build a prototype Iron Man suit to help them escape. After Tony barely escapes with the suit, he is rescued and learns he has been gone for 3 months and tries to shut down production of his weapons for good, after seeing all the harm he has caused with them. However, Obadiah Stane, played by Jeff Bridges, has other plans for not only the weapons but Tony’s prototype suit as well.
The story is easy and simple to follow which is one of the strong aspects of the movie. Iron Man has had a strange and crazy ride in the comics and seeing as this is the first movie, they had plenty of material to choose from. Now, I haven’t read a single issue of Iron Man so I don’t know if this story is from the comics for not. So, it’s nice to see them go for their own story of good vs. evil. It’s this moral dilemma that Tony has is what makes him so likeable and charming.
It also helps that the acting in this movie is awesome. Robert Downey JR. is the star of the show and he nails Tony Stark and Iron Man. Jeff Bridges is also very charming and can also be menacing as the villain of the movie. Everyone else in the cast did a great job as well.
The CGI also still holds up after 10 years and seeing some amazing improvements with each new Marvel film. From the Iron Man suits, weapons testing and Tonys mansion. You can see that they did not want to get the look and feel of Iron Man wrong. Because if they did, we wouldn’t have an MCU after all and just try to imagine a world without the MCU.
One thing to also point out is how this movie doesn’t try and spend it’s time building a universe. The movie is focused on the character and only drops little hints to make it feel grander in scale. This is the perfect set up for a solo movie and it also feels like if this movie did bomb, it would have been a one and done.
The Verdict:
Iron Man is not only a great superhero movie, it’s also a great popcorn flick. It’s also a really impressive start to what we call the MCU. No one really knew who Iron Man was until this movie put him and RDJ on the map. Iron Man isn’t perfect, but it get’s the job done and is a great start to a new universe.
8/10
Alright, one down, 16 more to go. Stick around because up next will be the mostly forgotten but still in canon, The Incredible Hulk.
Season 2 of Legion Gets New Twisted Promo
Fans eagerly awaiting season 2 of Legion get excited! We got another new promo for Season 2. Although it doesn’t feature much footage, it may give us some clues on how this new season will play out for David and friends.
You can watch the promo below:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s1M-rkDO8Q[/embedyt]
FX’s Legion will return on April 3rd.
Source: FX and YouTube