Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Overall: A-
Cast: B
Plot: A
Special Effects/Stunts: A
Similarity to Comic: A
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Comic Company: Marvel
Stars: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Rating: PG-13
See the IMDB page
See the Rotten Tomatoes page

This movie was just as good as the first overall.  It improved in some areas and didn't quite measure up in others, but at the end of the day it's a fine film.

The Good: This movie had a much different feel to it than the first one.  It was a little slower paced, and not as rigid and raw.  This led to more focus being placed on the special effects and the fight scenes.  The addition of George St. Pierre for one scene really spiced things up and it added a little bit of realism to the fighting (for that one scene).  Adding other non super heroes to the mix was also a good change of pace, and put into perspective just how strong Cap is.

The plot was much more comprehensive than the first movie.  There were many more twists and surprises and the only thing easy to predict is that the Winter Soldier was Bucky.  I like that they brought back many of the characters from the first movie and tied the movie back to the first one well.  Captain America is definitely one of the most intriguing and exciting Marvel characters, despite the fact that he is often considered one of the weakest.

The Bad: I was not as impressed with the cast in this movie as I have been in other Marvel movies.  Scarlett Johansson wasn't great, I wasn't a big fan of the guy who played Falcon, and Bucky was incredibly bland for being the main antagonist.  Samuel L. Jackson was good but wasn't in very much of the movie, and Chris Evans was good but his character in essence is kind of boring anyway, he's too predictable, too righteous, and just plain too good.

I didn't like how SHIELD was portrayed totally differently than how it has been in the previous movies.  It went from being secretive and small and covert, to being too big, bloated, and a perfect metaphor for every other United States government agency.  I don't like how they let Hydra grow inside it and I don't like how they all turned on Captain America so quickly.  It was all building up to the next Avengers movie I'm sure, but in this movie it seemed very forced.

The Interesting: Why was Scarlett Johansson so ugly in this movie?  She was cute in 'Iron Man 2' and 'The Avengers' and all of a sudden she looks like a train wreck.  I don't know if it was her hair or her makeup or if she wasn't feeling good, but something was off and it was obvious.  It wouldn't be so bad if every other character (including herself) acted like she was she most beautiful girl in the world.  She was a 6 at best.

Why didn't Captain America inform the other Avengers of SHIELD's infiltration?  Instead of being like "Oh hey Iron Man, I need your help rescuing Nick Fury and saving the world and stuff."  he's all "I'm going to take on shield myself while Tony Stark and the other Avengers are being targeted for elimination!".  This movie could have easily been another Avengers movie if it had any of the other Avengers in it.

Conclusion: This movie improves upon the first while falling short of it at the same time.  Overall a very good movie and it fits into the Avengers storyline better than any movie before it.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Overall: A-
Cast: A
Plot: A+
Special Effects/Stunts: B+
Similarity to Comic: B
Director: Shane Black
Comic Company: Marvel
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce
Rating: PG-13
See the IMDB page
See the Rotten Tomatoes page

I liked this movie a lot, it may be the best of the franchise except for one simple thing; it doesn't quite fit with the others.

The Good: The cast was solid again which was to be expected and they didn't replace anyone this time! Guy Pearce was excellent and put up much more of a fight than Whiplash and his henchmen were much bigger threats to Iron Man than Whiplashes drones were.  The fight scenes were pretty good, especially the final one, it was everything you could ask for in a fight scene that involved nearly invincible super-humans and 50 some Iron Man suits,

Another thing I really like about this movie was the plot.  For once there was a villain who's main goal wasn't just killing Iron Man but also to get rich and rule the world, a much more classic and likable villain.  His idea for world domination was also very well thought out, controller both the United States and the worlds most notorious terrorist was smart and modern.  Overall it was very well thought out, written, and directed.

The Bad: There aren't many bad things about this movie.  My main point of contention is that by switching directors they totally changed the feel of the movie.  This movie is good but it doesn't really mesh with the other ones, it brings a fresh perspective but becomes too unique in the details.  I would have kept Favreau as the director, unless they plan on using Shane Black to direct Iron Man 4 and 5.

This movie didn't follow up on the plot lines from the second Iron Man movie.  I would have liked to know the United States governments stance on letting Tony keep the suit and continue being Iron Man.  Since he saved the world from Whiplash and an Alien Invasion and leads a gang of other superheros all of a sudden he is exempt from all laws of combat and they're just fine letting him fly around and hunt terrorists?  I think they could have at least brought this up at some point and upped the realism just a little bit.

The Interesting: PTSD.  Tony Stark has it in this movie.  I like that they're finally showing a more emotional side of Tony, and a more real perspective on what it would actually be like to be in charge of defending the Earth from unknown threats and not knowing if you protect everyone or not.  I do not like that they're showing a hero being weak and unable to take care of himself.  I'm kind of torn on this issue but I think it plays into the movie well.

At the end he gets his heart fixed and no longer requires the electro magnet in his chest.  How will he power future Iron Man suits?  Will they be as effective?  Will he try to leave the Avengers?  The end of this movie brought up a lot of questions and I am very excited to see how they all get answered in the next Avengers movie.

Conclusion: This is a very good movie but it doesn't quite fit.  It's like putting a delicious apple in a basket of oranges, you don't mind it, but it's a little odd.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Overall: A+
Cast: A
Plot: A
Special Effects/Stunts: A+
Similarity to Comic: A
Director: Jon Favreau
Comic Company: Marvel
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow
Rating: PG-13
See the IMDB page
See the Rotten Tomatoes page

I went into this movie thinking it was going to be worse than the first Iron Man movie, and most critics and fans agreed that it was.  I however found it to be wildly entertaining and by far my favorite movie Marvel has ever done.

The Good: I am a huge Mickey Rourke fan and he did not disappoint in this film.  He is such a versatile and talented actor he can bring life to any character he is asked to play, and whiplash was no different.  My only complaint is that there wasn't more of him in this movie.  The rest of the cast was solid and consistent with their first Iron Man performances, always a plus.

My favorite part of this movie was that there were multiple villains, not only did Iron Man have to fight Whiplash but he also had to fight his army of Iron Man look-a-likes.  Also they added Iron Man's sidekick to the plot just in time for some sweet fight scenes and explosions.  But the thing I like most about Iron Man is how they make him very much like a normal person emotionally.  When he thinks he's going to die and there's nothing left to do he gets drunk and rampages around in the suit, then gets donuts the next day as he's hungover, very real.

The Bad: My biggest pet peeve in superhero movies is when they change actors for leading roles for no reason at all.  Don Cheadle was War Machine in this movie, and he did a great job, but Terrance Howard was Rhodey in the first film and might have been an even better War Machine.  Why was he cut?  He doesn't have that boyish look that Cheadle sometimes has and in my opinion he's much more rugged and fit for an action role.

The final fight between Whiplash, Iron Man, and War Machine wasn't long enough.  It was built up perfectly by the fight with all of the military suits and then Whiplash shows up and instead of a fifteen minute long battle to the death we got thirty seconds and then the ending is overshadowed by Pepper being in danger.  Not the best way it could have ended but I'll take it since the rest of the movie was so good.

The Interesting: How did Tony go the entire first movie and not know that the metal in his system was going to cause him to die?  That problem seemed to just appear out of nowhere unnecessarily and then get cured all of a sudden by him randomly discovering (er, re-discovering) a new element?  I don't buy it and I don't think it added much of anything to the plot.

I like how they portrayed the American government acting like it really would in this situation, mainly trying to take Iron Man's suit away so they can use it for themselves.  After they get their hands on one they try to add to it and make it better which of course backfires (the ex wife).  Then they settle for the next best thing which is unmanned robots that have the same purpose but in greater numbers and far less effective or well built.

Conclusion: This movie blew my mind and I have loved it since they day it came out, I've watched the Blu-Ray multiple times and it never gets old, an instant classic and a must have for everyone's collections.