MCU: Phase 2 - Branching Out and Adding On

Here we are, just one week away from the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, and I'm losing my mind every day, you know, in that quiet way where all anyone notices of it is a small twitch or sudden giggle for no reason. Yeah. Like that.

So it's time to do my "short" analysis of Phase 2 MCU movies (if you missed my Phase 1 post, you can read it here). 

Sequels to movies have a sordid history, usually as failed copies of the original movie. Sometimes they are a bridge to something better, typically the third part of a trilogy. While I won't claim that Phase 2 fits into either one of these categories, I will note that it has a connection to one very famous sequel: Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.

Phase 2 pays homage to one of Empire's most iconic moments: the severing of Luke Skywalker's hand. This moment (and its subsequent line "I am your father"), has been referenced and parodied in almost every way imaginable, but Marvel decided to do something special: 

In every movie of Phase 2, someone loses an arm. 

It could be the whole arm or just to the wrist, cut off or sucked into another realm. Even though it started out accidentally, the filmmakers decided to run with it, and, for anyone who's paying attention, this is a fun Easter egg. So I added all the moments in Phase 2 when there's an appendage removed...you know, just in case you missed it or forgot. You're welcome.

Another thing this set of "sequels" does is to delve a bit deeper into the psyches of our heroes. In each one of these movies, we get to see some soul-searching. Some of the films go deeper than others, but this line-up is all in service of getting our characters ready for what's to come.

And this roster starts where Phase 1 did: Tony Stark.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

After seeing Iron Man & Iron Man 2, two things are abundantly clear.

1. Tony Stark is "cool". He's smart and rich, and he can design world-changing tech.
2. Tony Stark is a hot fuckin' mess.

So when Tony survives the battle of New York in the Avengers, it is no surprise that we're in for some psychological cleansing in the third installment. Before we even know of the intended audience of this installment, the narration feels like a therapy confessional, and underneath the discussion of Tony's PTSD, we find something incredibly vulnerable: a lost boy.

Tony has savant-like skills as an engineer, it's no great leap to say that he gets machines more than he gets people. This talent, though, comes at a cost for our titular hero: Tony's fear of abandonment and inability to connect with those around him. Machines have been his constant companions, and he is obviously attached to them; he talks to Dum-E and U (his robot assistants) like they are people, or rather, annoying dogs. J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) has the voice of his father's butler and companion, Edwin Jarvis, who had a hand in raising Tony until his own demise. Tony needed that companionship; his was a lonely childhood. His parents were often away, and his relationship with his own father was strained at best.

So when Dum-E and U go over the edge in the destruction of the mansion, we all feel a little pang, as though it were animals or some other living creature plummeting to their demise. And when the Iron Man suit shuts down somewhere in Tennessee, and Tony pleads, "Jarvis, don't leave me, buddy," it's almost heartbreaking. Tony's all alone again. But it's necessary for what will be the reemergence of Tony the Mechanic.

In the first movie, we see him design and assemble the Mark 1 suit in a cave....a freakin' cave! Behind all the glitz and preening, the fancy clothes (hey, those vintage tees don't come cheap), and the obscene fortune, Tony is a legit genius. On the run, and trying to figure out what is happening, he manages to show not why he is Iron Man, but why he deserves to be Iron Man.

We see that Tony doesn't simply have some unhealthy need for these machines, as a great deal of the story-line suggests. These machines are his friends. In many ways, these machines are alive to Tony. They're...real, and it's why I love that he goes back at the end, and pulls DumE and U from the wreckage of his mansion. In the end, we get to see him trying to connect as much to humans as he does to his machines. That's why I believe the ill-advised giant rabbit that Tony buys Pepper is a (huge) hint - one which I believe has its roots in The Velveteen Rabbit - that this story is meant to symbolize aspects of Tony's emergence as a more evolved "human being", to becoming a real boy, if you will.

Stan Lee's Cameo - Small-town Pageant Judge

Empire Homage - Tony lops off Aldrich Killian's (a.k.a. - Mandarin actual) arm with the Silver Centurion blade.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Phase 2 saw the revisitation of what I consider the three main heroes of the Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. In Dark World, we're treated to more of Asgard and the Nine Realms. Seeing more of these worlds come to life is a great deal of fun, and though we don't know it, we're getting set up for what may be my favorite MCU film: The Guardians of the Galaxy. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Again, Phase 2 is going for the psyche, and what makes this movie so much fun boils down to more Loki: Loki in prison, Loki losing their mother, Loki conning and joking his way through everything,  Loki getting slapped by Jane Foster ("That's for New York!"), but mostly Loki and Thor. You get a much better sense of the relationship between the brothers, and it is so much more fun to watch them banter as they work together, than to watch them try to destroy each other. You can feel their relationship as brothers, rather than simply seeing it. When they discuss vengeance for their mother's death, you almost feel sorry for the ones who killed her...almost. I mean, these guys have incurred the wrath of both the God of Thunder, and the Trickster. Bad move.

Loki stands out in pretty much all the movies, and steals nearly every scene he's in. He's the perfect trickster, but what starts to become abundantly clear is how he tricks himself. He pretends to care in order to get his way, yet it is fairly obvious he does it more to cover up that he really does give a crap, that he loves his brother, family, and kingdom. In the end, Loki is exactly who he is, and we love that about him.

This Thor is overall rather fun. Loki (it can't be said enough), the return of Jane and her companions, Erik Selvig without pants, the blatant rip-off of an Animatrix short, Darcy and her intern, Mjolnir trying to reach Thor through all of space and time during the final battle ("Mew-mew!")....it's all fun. But my favorite part? Frigga's funeral. Beautiful.

Stan Lee's Cameo - Mental patient that wants his shoe back from Selvig

Empire Homage - Thor appears to lose his arm while fighting Malekith, an illusion brought on by Loki.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

By this point, it's important to note that there's also a "feel" to these movies. The MCU has it's own distinctive mark, and each part of the franchise has their own style to it. It adds texture, it creates contrast, and it sets the tone for upcoming films. So I think it's also important to note that Winter Soldier is the start of things getting darker...and they need to. Because Civil War is coming.

Overall, it's the brutality of Winter Soldier that stands out. Many of the fight stunts in previous MCU films look kind of cartoon-ish, which works. This isn't The Dark Knight, after all, and too much darkness would be out of place in this version of the Marvel Universe. Still, Winter Soldier steps things up with incredibly vicious blows during fight scenes - the kind that make you go "Oof!" and "Oh, damn!" - with an ease that's kind of scary.

This movie sets us up for Civil War, not merely because of the introduction of Bucky as the titular Winter Soldier, but by setting Cap's affiliations. He is not the tow-the-line soldier one might expect him to be. No, indeed, he fights for what's right, what he believes to be the highest ideals for humanity. As I mentioned before, he actually has a brain, and I can't argue much with his political ideologies, especially when it comes to Big Brother surveillance and assassinations. It gets him into trouble, but he fights nonetheless, cementing him as the dark horse contender for my favorite Avenger.

There are some other tasty things in this movie, too. For one, there's everything about Fury in this movie, from his epic battle with and escape from the strike team and Winter Soldier, to having used his ruined eye as a secret backdoor access to the S.H.I.E.L.D. mainframe, to the subtle nod to Samuel L. Jackson's roll in Pulp Fiction at Fury's grave. There's the savate face-off between Cap and Batroc (played by Georges St-Pierre, a champion mixed martial artist of French-Canadian decent). There's also the continued subtleties of costuming that Marvel has achieved so very well in the hinting at Brock Rumlow's change to Crossbones with the simple use of a cross harness. Effective.

This movie hits Cap where it hurts, too. His memories come back to haunt him in the flesh, first with Peggy, then with Hydra, and finally with Bucky. It's absolutely heartbreaking to see Steve's reaction to Peggy's Alzheimer's, and the way he keeps it together for her sake. To see someone whom he not only loved, but admired for her mind and lively spirit brought so low in one of the worst ways... As if that's not enough, his journey to try and help Bucky is so very Steve. When he tells Bucky, bleeding and battered nearly to death, "I'm with you til the end," it's kind of perfect.

Stan Lee's Cameo - Smithsonian security guard seeing Cap's missing suit ("I am so fired.")

Empire Homage - Bucky lost his arm when he fell from the train in the original Captain America, and is given his new metal prosthesis by Hydra to become the Winter Soldier.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!! This movie was such a welcome surprise. From the opening credits to the very end, this movie hit an infectious rhythm, and made you believe that a talking raccoon and a walking tree could actually work in a live action film. They did it smart; by hooking into the absurdity of the concept of this comic, they provided a great contrast to the preceding Winter Soldier. GotG was fun, it was funny; it embraced itself as a "comic book" better than most of the rest of the MCU has.

I think it was this attitude that made so much of the cinematography work. In the opening credits scene when Quill lands on Morag, there are several beautiful shots of Quill walking up to the ruins that hold the orb. They look like panels directly from a comic book. Later, there's another scene where Quill saves Gamora in the icy emptiness of space. The framing of the shot and the effects worked so well to boost the moment of the scene, that I found myself awestruck. It was actually gorgeous.

Probably most enjoyable was the coming together of the characters. I love Zoe Saldana, so she could pretty much read the phone book and I'd be there. Karen Gillan (of Doctor Who fame) is a perfectly rage-filled Nebula. Vin Diesel (who is a huge D&D fan) makes a great talking tree; Dave Bautista comes out of nowhere to make Drax the Destroyer far too gleeful as a berserker (and I love it). Easily my favorite is Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon. Read any articles on how he came to the voice for Rocket, and you'll fall in love with the character all over again. Put these characters together, and it's the best kind of TNT. Their fighting-to-family formula was so well executed, that you can't even be mad if they rip off some basic tropes here and there.

Ultimately, though, the most surprising element for me was Chris Pratt. Having little information about him going into it (I had heard of Parks and Recreation, and seen a couple scenes here and there), I was not prepared for him to be so good. Not only does he manage to put a perfectly irresponsible comedic spin on an adolescent-minded Star Lord, but he even pulls at your heartstrings a little. He's obviously a bit of a lost boy - another theme running throughout MCU - which you can see in his altercation with Yondu. So when he grabs the Power Stone and they show the immediate pain he's in, Pratt really makes you feel it, and honestly, I was not expecting that. More so, when Gamora calls to him, and he sees his mom, a lone tear rolling down his face, it's another very tasty moment from Pratt. He made me care about his character as more than some irresponsible jackass. No wonder Gamora likes him.

So, after poking fun at itself the entire movie, when the time comes for them to get serious, GotG pulls it off spectacularly. When you hear the complete badassery of Quill's response to Ronan's question, "How?" "It's like you said, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy," you totally believe them.

And that's pretty damn impressive.

Stan Lee's Cameo - The "world-class prevert"

Empire Homage - Many articles have pointed out Gamora cutting off Groot's arms early in the movie, but I felt the real homage is Nebula cutting off her own hand to escape Gamora and the Aster.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

The psychological torture continues as we meet up with newcomers Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as allies of the charmingly disturbing Ultron, played by James Spader (a favorite of mine!). While I admit to preferring the first Avengers over this one, I love so many of Ultron's exchanges with other characters, particularly the end when he and Vision discuss humanity and chaos. Good stuff.

I'll also give them credit: they totally had me believing that Barton was going to bite it in the end. Leave it to Joss (Whedon) to throw you a curve.

I also want to give a quick nod to Hill at this point, because I think Cobie Smulders doesn't get enough credit. When she is describing the twins to Steve, only to have him look at her funny, and she says "He's fast and she's weird," I nearly snorted my drink.

Age of Ultron often seems more like it's working up to something, rather than a movie in its own right, and perhaps that's why I don't connect with it as much as I should. It feels like a lead-up to Civil War, and maybe even an excuse to introduce a new Infinity Stone. It feels the most like a "sequel" than all the other sequels in Phase 2. Either way, I still enjoyed the hell out of it and, if it were human, I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers.

Stan Lee's Cameo - The veteran after he tries Thor's hooch ("Egg-celsiorrr")

Empire Homage - Ulysses Klaue loses his arm to Ultron in a fit of AI pique.

Ant-Man (2015)

Can I saw how much I love Michael Pena as Luis? His meandering, hyper-verbal stories are one of the best parts of Ant-Man. Okay, just had to get that out of the way.

In the midst of Phase 2's general psych-fest, we have two very silly, very fun, movies that somehow manage to be two of the best of the entire MCU. There is, of course, the aforementioned GotG. And then there's Ant-Man.

Aside from Luis and the other two "Wombats," I also liked the choices of Paul Rudd and Lily Evangeline. His sarcasm and general dissatisfaction with the world he inhabits is hilarious, and her churlish anger plays off this beautifully.

I give full approval of the use of the ants in this movie. Even if they weren't always 100% scientifically-accurate (hint: they should all be female), the filmmakers did put some research into this. What I particularly loved was the way that Scott Lang bonds with the little buggers (pun not intended). He cares for them, tries to keep them safe, and even names some. His concern that all the ants make it out during the mission and his rage at the death of Antony was satisfying.

The best choice they made for Ant-Man was to make it a heist movie. It provided some really great energy, in general. Furthermore, it takes focus from brooding too much on the whole "Honey, I Shrunk the Superhero" vibe, a phrase a friend of mine used to describe his fear that the movie would suck. I have to admit; he's right. It could have gone in such a terrible direction. But they really made it work.

Stan Lee's Cameo - Bartender in Luis's story: "Craazy Stupid Fine!"

Empire Homage - Yellowjacket (Darren Cross) loses his arm first as he is sucked into the Quantum Realm.

Phase 2 prepares us for what's coming next: an era of estrangement and sacrifice. Things are about to get rough. But it's necessary. If our heroes don't face their demons and step away from each other to center themselves, they won't be ready for the big battle, and it's coming. Thanos is coming.

Quote:

"Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won't be. But there is grace in their failings." ~ Vision (Avengers: Age of Ultron)