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Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) is the fifth installment of "phase 1" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This film is actually fairly solid, I think phase 1 had some struggles coming out of the gate as The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, and Thor are all flawed movies in their own ways, but I think Captain America rises above that crop which acts as a nice build to the finale of the phase. First off, an underratedly loaded cast puts forth good performances across the board, led of course by Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell, who manage to create a believable romance and make it work even as a subplot, so by the end there is actual emotional weight that comes with it, a first for Marvel. Steve Rogers is without question the strongest lead character since Downey Jr's Tony Stark for almost entirely the opposite reasons. He is a true underdog with the strongest moral compass of any of our heroes, and when that comes from a place of weakness, yet stays consistent once true strength is acquired, it makes this character incredibly respectable, likable, and easy to root for. The film's biggest flaws are ultimately the general construction of the second and third acts, which are both underwhelming and underserved by the writing. The second act features a conceptually fascinating rescue of P.O.Ws, which is unceremoniously montaged through in order to push the film at a breakneck pace towards the underwhelming collision between Captain America and the film's underdeveloped antagonist - The Red Skull. Yes, this is yet another Marvel film with a less-than-stellar villain, and unfortunately, this one is not bred from a lazy concept or a forgettable performance; it is bred from a lack of creative utilization of an incredibly interesting character who is backed by a tremendous actor (Hugo Weaving). The conclusion lacks spectacle, impressive choreography, or any mounted tension; however is ultimately saved by the gut-wrenching sacrifice and epilogue that the film concludes with. Overall, when this movie is at its best, it is one of the better Marvel movies to date, but what makes it frustrating is how inconsistent in quality it becomes after the first act concludes. A solid film whose powerful strengths outweigh its noticeable weaknesses. Go to Review

Thor (2011) is the 4th installment of "Phase 1" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I have to admit, this was easily the hardest concept for Marvel Studios to nail down early on in the MCU, and I think they've done a fairly good job here. It has a much less sporadic plot than Iron Man 2, it's more entertaining and engaging than The Incredible Hulk, but unfortunately, it is a bit incoherent tonally, which does impact the overall flow of the movie. Chris Hemsworth is a good lead for the film, although I don't think they quite had a clear vision towards what they wanted the character of Thor to be, he is represented as stoic, prideful, and quick to anger, but then when he goes to earth he is a sensitive, fish-out-of-water, goofball type of character. Now, of course, some of that is attributed to the obvious character growth that the character endures during the movie, but it flip-flops in overall tone between the two worlds so often and so aggressively that the personality of the film's lead follows it all over the movie. Anthony Hopkins (Odin) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki) carry the film's dramatic and emotional depth (Hiddleston to a much higher degree), which not only develops the family dynamic but also, secondarily, strengthens Thor's character in a way that the writing, while he is on earth, does not. Overall, the film, while offering a little bit of everything for everyone (action, comedy, drama, fantasy) and doing most of those fairly well, tends to struggle with blending those elements together in a seamless fashion. A fun, solid introductory movie, but flawed nonetheless. Go to Review

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