Since falling head over heels with the Avengers last year, I
have been on a steady diet of rewatching the solo outings: Captain America,
Iron Man 1 and 2, Thor. It’s an interesting experience. I’m not a massive fan
of any of the standalone films – I think they all have plenty to like, whether
it’s RDJ’s snark in Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s larger than life Thor (and the
sublime Tom Hiddleston as Loki, of course) or the nice old fashioned vibe (and
Tommy Lee Jones snark) of Captain America (plus how can you not like a film
that features a tribute to Singing in the Rain?). But they are all also flawed –
both Iron Man movies turn into CGIO bloated messes, Thor is hampered by all
that Asgard stuff and a chemistry-free romance (seriously, he should have gone
for Kat Dennings, she’s way more fun) and I always think Captain America works
best when he’s a man out of time, bouncing off other people: as a standalone
hero in the time he was born in, I think he’s pretty dull.
But rewatching them, post-Avengers, throws up many, many
pleasures, and Marvel deserves all the kudos it has reaped for making each film
feel properly part of a cohesive universe. The most obvious tie-in is the
appearance of Coulson and Fury (I particularly love faux-meek Coulson – we all
know he’s not meek!), though Hawkeye’s brief appearance in Thor is one of the
best moments of the film, and the sight of Black Widow kicking ass in Iron Man
2 is worth the entry fee alone (not coincidentally, the only bit I could
actually remember from the first time I watched it).
While I still wish they would curb the plethora of solo
outings to just get the hell on with Avengers 2 (nobody needs another Hulk
movie), rewatching the first batch has made me slightly more hopeful that,
whatever else they include, the new films will have plenty to keep the fans
happy. In the meantime, there’s always the SHIELD series…
(Coulson fans should also check out, if they haven’t already,
a couple of fantastic, fun shorts: the Marvel One Shots 'A Funny Thing Happened to
Thor’s Hammer' and 'The Consultant' – I can’t find the official link but that’s
what Google is for, right?)
Forgive me, Tracey, for what I'm about to say.
ReplyDeleteI hope Coulson remains SUPER dead for the SHIELD series.
Flashbacks in the pilot episode? Fine. A grave for agents to visit in moments of introspection? Perfect. Clarke Gregg leading from the front? NO NO NO.
Also, looks like Heroes for Hire is on Marvel's slate, which is interesting because they haven't made a 'street level' film before.
We know about Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant Man and my money's on a Doctor Strange (or even a Blade reboot) in the near future too.
I see your point; it would certainly make for questionable continuity and undermine the emotional impact of the Avengers film, but I'm afraid mty rational brain is overwhelmed by my Coulson love in the desperate hope that they manage to do something cool. I can't say any of the other projects excite me, other than the new X Men movie and Wolverine - mainly because I *love* the source material for those.
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