A Big Week for Comic Book Movie Fans
Caffeineforge has been following the ups and downs (mostly the ups) of the comic book movie renaissance since the site’s inception. With this post, we’ve almost come full circle, as I sit here jamming on one of the topics that inspired us to start blogging in the first place. Its been a big week for comic book movie fans, as new trailers dropped for some of Marvel’s mightiest properties. Click below the fold for my impressions of the movies on the horizon.
First, before we get into the newest stuff, lets spend a minute on the film nearest to release. Thor: The Dark World thunders (heh) into theaters on November 8th, and I have to say that the most recent clips and press have turned my opinion on this one around. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking that the original Thor film was a risky proposition, since the Asgardian wunderkind embodies what I’ve always thought of as the “cheesy end” of the Marvel Universe. Of course, I was pleasantly surprised with the film that we got. In fact, I rank it as my fourth favorite Marvel U movie (after Iron Man, Avengers, and Capt. America), which may sound like a dis, but not when you consider its hallowed company and how tightly packed they are near the top of the scale. The science-fantasy flash of Asgard, the way the narrative slipped back and forth between the contrasting worlds of the Aesir and the Earth, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki still feeling fresh and not played out… the combination of these things resulted in an eminently watchable–nay, quite enjoyable–flick.
Given the inherent cheese factor of Thor’s corner of the Marvel U, I thought it unlikely that lightning would strike twice (heh) and give us two decent Thor flicks. However, the second trailer has instilled me with hope that my fears may be misplaced. Its tighter than the last, and it suggests that much more of the storytelling happens in wider universe and not on an earth I am all too ready to steer clear of in a post-Iron Man 3 (didn’t like it), post-Agents of SHIELD (like it less and less) world… Early reviews are certainly trending positive (click here for a spoiler free review from ComicBookMovie). As far as I’m concerned, so long as I get to see Idris Elba’s Heimdall cracking some dark elf skulls (don’t click that if you’re totally spoiler averse), then the movie is worth the price of admission. Thor lands November 8th (but if you watch TV, YouTube, Hulu, or listen to the radio, you’ve probably gotten the memo).
Now, on to the hits!
First up, Captain America: The Winter Solider! Oh. My. God. This may be the movie that unseats Iron Man as my top M.U. flick. The Cap and Fury at odds. A hyper-militant, hyper-paranoid U.S. capital, brimming with SHIELD’s super tech. The Falcon blasting away and swooping out of danger. And of course, the Winter Solider himself (pictured above, being badass). I’ll be the first to admit that the security state depicted in the Winter Solider is a timely (if somewhat on-the-nose) rendition of a world after the Battle of New York, but I confess that I like the somewhat darker-tinged world we’re being treated to in Phase 2. While the next Avengers installment is ostensibly based on edit: called-but-apparently-has-nothing-to-do-with the recent Age of Ultron arc, the darker interpretation of SHIELD presented in the trailer, in conjunction with the (even more) emotionally troubled Tony Stark of Iron Man 3, is enough to make me wonder if we won’t be treated to a taste of Marvel’s Civil War at some point (one of the great all time plot arcs in my opinion). One can only hope!
Last but not least, yesterday we were treated to the trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past. Now, I quite enjoyed Bryan Singer’s installment of the franchise, but after the drubbing sequels gave me (not to mention Wolverine: Origins sneaking up me while I rocked hysterically in the shower, the stink of the X-Men sequels still hot on my skin…), I was very reluctant to like First Class. That said, thanks to repeat viewings and a killer cast (well, Fassbender and McAvoy, at any rate), First Class really grew on me. Now the best parts of both incarnations of the franchise (McAvoy, Fassbender, Stewart, MacKellan. and Hugh Jackman) are coming together in one mutant filled ur-flick. After five views of the trailer, I am officially excited. It’s pure Days of Future Past with overtones of Age of Apocalypse. Stewart and McAvoy getting up in each other’s grill? Was that Bishop? How meta can a time traveling Wolvie get? Peter “Motherfracking Tyrion Lannister” Dinklage as the wormy Bolivar Trask? Yes, please! I won’t say that I’m all-in quite yet, but this trailer makes me hopeful that Days of Future Past will start to close the rift that this abusive relationship edit: franchise has created between the X-Men and I.
It’s hard to argue that the next few Marvel movies will be setting new benchmarks of awesome, whether they’re Disney or Sony backed. If these trailers are any indication, 2014 will be a banner year for supers flicks.
Now we just need to survive Guardians of the Galaxy… Groooot!
Caffeineforge 
Did you see The Wolverine? I think it is my new favorite in the series, and probably the only reason I am excited for this new one.
Honestly, I have not. After Wolverine: Origins, I couldn’t bring myself to pay theater prices. I’m holding out for On Demand, which should be any day now (if it isn’t out already). With your endorsement, I’ll definitely watch it!
I went in with incredibly low expectations, so don’t let me endorsement hype it up too much!
I must admit I’m pretty easy going when it comes to Marvel movies (though I LOVE the Fantastic Four – especially older comics, and didn’t care at all for their movies. I wanted a Jack Kirby Fantastic Four with Real Galactus and more interesting Silver Surfer). I enjoyed All of Marvel’s recent movies – mostly. I enjoyed First Class, but as a default in all the movies, I prefer for them to stick as closely to Marvel canon as possible, and they keep taking tangents.
Some of the tangents haven’t bothered me too bad (like the latest Spiderman not inventing his own webbing and hoping to sell it as glue to make money, but finding that it was near worthless as it crumbled soon after use, then getting the idea to use it for webbing).
I liked the first Thor and there’s a chance I’ll get to see a pre-release screening of Thor in a few days if I can get the tickets from my local gas company giveaway, because I can’t afford to see any movies this year, sadly).
I look forward to seeing Winter Soldier and am heading over now to check out Days of Future Past (I’m a huge Marvel fan). I agree the Civil War storyline rocked. Another wonderful (and blended-genre!) storyline I wish they’d make a live action movie about (instead of just the cartoon they made) is Planet Hulk – my all-time favorite Hulk story! Heck, I could see them doing a trilogy on Planet Hulk and it could be great if they did it right. Nice and gritty! Sometimes the reason superhero movies do so poorly is that they don’t get into the heads of their characters enough.
Oh, I assume I’m not the only one that noticed that yesterday’s Agents of Shield was a rerun? If they don’t get their act together soon, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got cancelled. I’ve only seen one episode that I really liked quite a bit, and that was bearing in mind that I’m a fan. I heard that X Factor was on and maybe that’s why they did a rerun, so as not to hurt their ratings even further, but I worry for that show and hope they get their act together.
Marvel Movies I’d like to see (and see done right, of course), besides Planet Hulk: The Black Panther, a new Fantastic Four Reboot done with more serious acting and more Kirbyesque, somehow more I dunno, better, A Silver Surfer movie, an Avengers movie that actually has the Avengers in it (er I mean all of the Avengers – Wasp and Ant man, but not done silly, Vision maybe and at some point an Ultron movie where he was actually made by Ant Man (duh!) like in the comics. There was an interesting storyline in which the Scarlet Witch tries to develop a relationship with the Vision because he has the same brain pattern as Wonderman, whom she loved, but he was robotic. That was an interesting storyline, but there are many, of course. Ok, back to my rant: An Avengers movie that actually features Thanos for more than 2 seconds (heck, I’d go for a Captain Mar-vell movie with Warlock, Thanos, Gamora, the whole Jim Starlin 9 yards!)
I wonder if my post was messed up above. I don’t think I logged in right. Maybe it got dumped? Anyway, good post! Cheers!
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