Welcome to the main discussion thread for the Marvel Cinematic Universe! This pinned post is here to establish some basic guidelines. All of the Media Forum rules
still apply.
- This thread is for talking about the live-action films, TV shows, animated works, and related content that use the Marvel brand, currently owned by Disney.
- While mild digressions are okay, discussion of the comic books should go in this thread
. Extended digressions may be thumped as off-topic.
- Spoilers for new releases should not be discussed without spoiler tagging for at least two weeks. Rather, each title should have a dedicated thread where that sort of conversation is held. We can mention new releases in a general sense, but please be courteous to people who don't want to be spoiled.
If you're posting tagged spoilers, make sure that the film or series is clearly identified outside the spoiler tagging. People need to know what will be spoiled before they choose to read the post.
Edited by Mrph1 on Jul 29th 2024 at 3:09:00 PM
The historical setpieces and the charisma of the stars are enough to carry it, I think. Tommy Lee Jones as Colonel Phillips, Stanley Tucci as Erskine and Toby Jones as Zola are all pretty underrated, and I'd still really like to see Zola come back one last time.
Doctor Strange has a larger problem in that the only person who I'm looking forward to seeing more of is Mordo. It does have a few great moments, but so much of that is in spite of its lead, who I can't help but feel would've been better if he was playing the character as older and more remote. This franchise could've done things with a Gandalf, it didn't really need another Tony Stark Lite.
I got the joke, but having that joke in the middle of what was ostensibly the serious part of the movie didn't really work. They would've worked better for reaction shots of the mounting horror.
edited 29th Jan '18 12:34:43 PM by Unsung
Personally I think that The First Avengers is easily the most underrated movie in the MCU...or at least it was until Got G Vol 2 was released.
Here are my reasons:
1. Neither The Winter Soldier nor Civil War would work as well if this movie didn't do such a great job to establish Steve as a character.
2. Peggy Carter
3. It is a great commentary on the American propaganda machine
4. Peggy Carter
5. It is a great commentary on a nostalgic view on WWII
6. Peggy Carter
7. It also does a great job to make Bucky a likable character, improving greatly the comic book version of him
8. Peggy Carter
9. I really love the set-designs and how much care went into them...even the German labels are correct (which is rarer than one might think).
10. Peggy Carter
11. The ending is truly unexpected if you aren't too familiar with the story. And one of the best moments in the MCU.
12. Peggy Carter
13. I absolutely adore the soundtrack.
14. Did I mention Peggy Carter?
edited 29th Jan '18 12:01:15 PM by Swanpride
Yeah, I love The First Avenger because it absolutely nails Captain America as a character. And the soundtrack is good. I'm still mad that "The Star-Spangled Man with a Plan" didn't win an Oscar for Best Original Song.
edited 29th Jan '18 12:05:21 PM by RedM
The very best, like no one ever was. Check out my Spider-Man fanfic here! [1]Same, I personally think Captain America is the only Avenger with three good movies. There's good humour, they're able to sell Cap as a compelling character, it knows when to be corny but it also knows when to be grim, and it has some pretty decent action.
edited 29th Jan '18 12:06:43 PM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"All of the Phase 1 Marvel movies get half-forgotten by virtue of being the lead-up to THE AVENGERS. They take themselves a lot more seriously too, because they really had to sell people on the characters. Now that the characters are more well-known, the movies can afford to lighten up a little. Cap 1 has to play the character straight in order for Homecoming to put him in a running gag, for example.
The very best, like no one ever was. Check out my Spider-Man fanfic here! [1]I actually really liked Captain America: The First Avenger. Its WWII setting makes it very different from every other film in the MCU, and I really like how they basically adapted Captain America's propoganda-based origins by making him propoganda in-universe.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!
I also love how it is tinted in sepia to give it a nostalgic feel....and the dozen memorable character moments..."Nope!", "I can do this all day", the whole Mulan scene, the grenade (especially that Peggy run in the same direction, Steve was just faster), the slight smile Steve has when he watches this cheesy face Captain America movie revealing that he kind of enjoy the attention to a degree, and especially the scene in the bar when he grieves Bucky. Putting him in the same spot in which the Howling Commanders were formed but now it is a bombed out building instead of a lively bar is pretty effective.
The Mulan scene? You mean, trying to enlist?
The flag on top of the pole, which was solved with intelligence rather than strength.
Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.I always thought First Avenger was the only one of the Phase 1 movies besides Iron Man 1 that was above-average in any way.
Haven't people generally been quite receptive of Vol 2? I haven't seen it myself yet but a lot of people have told me it has a much more emotional and compelling story than the first film.
Well, the "nerd reviewer" have decided that it one of the weakest comic book movies of the year...with some placing it under Justice League even. Which...Yeah....And did you see where it ended up in Collider Top 50 Superhero movies? It was in the Top 40, if I remember correctly...for sure pretty low.
"Marvel movies have weak villains! Too many jokes! Other criticism!"
"Did you enjoy the movie, though?"
"Yeah, it was the most fun I've had all month."
"Well there ya go."
Weirdly enough, I feel like Marvel movies get held to some weird standard where no one expects them to be art films, but somehow they can't get away with just being fun and well-made.
The very best, like no one ever was. Check out my Spider-Man fanfic here! [1]I don't mind fun but the problem is if you're looking for something more weighty or thematically ambitious then a lot of the movies don't quite get to that level. Though Marvel has proven they can deliver on that with the Netflix shows anyways so I just watch those instead for the most part these days.
Regarding Vol. 2 being underrated, it's mostly directed at the humor which, given how well-received the humor in the first movie was, is notable. I don't think anyone has ever seriously questioned the emotional aspect as a whole.
This song needs more love.Vol 2 really goes hip deep into the damaged people clinging together thing
Forever liveblogging the AvengersYou guys are making me want to watch this movie now. I liked the first Got G alright so I suppose this wouldn't be a bad time investment.

I laughed when the Warriors Three were unceremoniously killed off in Ragnarok, because I saw it as the movie's way of acknowledging how little anyone cared about them. Like, "They're dead! Did you notice that those were Thor's three buddies? You don't even remember their names, do you? You didn't even notice when we recast one of them in Thor 2!" I kind of chuckled at how even the movie was acknowledging how forgettable the first Thor movies were.
The very best, like no one ever was. Check out my Spider-Man fanfic here! [1]