Time To Choose Sides For Marvel's Cinematic Civil War

Yesterday some alleged concept art was released revealing whose team each Avenger will choose for the upcoming film Captain America: Civil War.  The origin miniseries is one of my favorites and seeing how both Marvel Studios and the Russo brothers handled the Winter Solider storyline I have no doubt this movie will also be awesome.

In the comic, after a disastrous event causes many casualties, the government proposes the Superhero Registration Act.  This act demands all super powered beings reveal their identities and work directly for the government.  This splits the Marvel heroes into two sides; Iron Man being for registration and Captain America leading the rebellion against it.  Hawkeye himself, Jeremy Renner, went on Twitter and confirmed that this concept art is legit and that these are indeed the two sides to this war.  Fighting with Captain America will be Falcon, Winter Solider, Hawkeye, Agent 13, and Ant-Man.  Fighting along side Iron Man will be War Machine, Black Widow, Black Panther, and Vision.

I have a few issues with these teams.  First off, why is Black Widow fighting against her best friend, Hawkeye, and also Steve Rogers.  The progression of Steve and Natalia's relationship in the last Captain America film was one of my favorite parts of the movie.  She started off thinking he was an outdated boy scout, and as the film progressed she ended up respecting him as a true hero; the kind she's never encountered in her life.  Also, at the end of the Winter Soldier she basically told a government committee to grow screw themselves.  Now, I have no idea how close the film will stick to the source material.  For all I know Cap could be for registration, but given how he helped take down S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't see him liking big brother telling him and his friends who to fight.

The other issue I have is how stacked Tony Stark's team is.  Tony is a genius and a pretty formitable opponent himself, but then he gets another super suit with War Machine, and most all, Vision.  Vision has an Infinity Stone in his forehead.  He could take down Cap's team by himself!  They only way I can see this being more even is if Scarlet Witch, with her hex powers, ends up siding with Steve.  That might give Vision a little trouble and even out the battles a little.  But this is Captain America's movie.  And we always love rooting for the underdog.  

Everyone else is pretty predictable.  Of course Steve and Tony will have their best buds, War Machine and Falcon, on their sides.  Black Panther runs a country so he'd be for government supervision.  Agent 13 was also gimme.  However, with her being in the concept art it makes me hopeful that Emily VanCamp with be in more of the film than I thought.  Maybe among his biggest fight ever Cap gets a little lucky in love.  They hinted at it in Winter Soldier and if you know the comics you know it's coming.  

I knew best friends Hawkeye and Black Widow would be on opposite sides fighting each other.  I just thought they'd be on the other opposite sides.  Though, I liked how in Avengers: Age of Ultron we saw more of Hawkeye's personal life and what he fights for.  I felt like we got to know his character better the way we got to know Black Widow better in the first Avengers film.  Now that we know he is a family man I think it make sense he'd be for the people's rights.  I'll buy it in hopes that Renner is given a chance  to grow this character even further.

So, I have not seen any of the D23 footage nor do I know the exact plot of the film.  But given what I know about the comic book and which side Iron Man and Captain America both fall on these are my thoughts on the announcement of the teams and concept art.  What's yours?

My Blu-Ray Purge

The other day I did something I've thought about for a while now.  I went through my blu-ray collection and got rid of a few movies that I felt did not live up the high standards I think my collection should project.  Now, a few movies I kept because my wife enjoys them.  Some of which have now been separated from the main collection like The Hobbit films and the Twilight saga.

Some blu-rays I thought long and hard about whether to give them up or not.  In the end, I felt like I kept a few people may disagree with, but I don't think anyone would argue with what I sold off.  Here are 3 I Sold, and 3 I Saved.

SOLD

Green Lantern (2011)

Like the Star Wars prequel trilogy I think there are some good qualities in this film, but suffered due to bad directing.  I wasn't on board when Ryan Reynolds was first cast as Hal Jordan, but he eventually won me over.  I even enjoyed Blake Lively as Carol Ferris and Mark Strong as Sinestro, but this messy film could not be saved by the great casting and mythology.  The movie had one of the weakest villains with Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond and a poop cloud as Parallax.  Whenever I try and watch this film I get about half way through and turn it off.  Such a shame.  I hope WB goes a better job with their Green Lantern Corps movie, but my hopes are not high.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Speaking of great comic book villains turned into smoke monsters I give you the devourer of worlds; Galactus.  This is just one of many things wrong with this movie, from Jessica Alba's bleached hair to Mr. Fantastic break dancing.  Again, this film did have a few good things about it such as the Johnny/Ben banter and the Silver Surfer I felt was done pretty well.  But I also believe this movie was just more of a victim of it's time.  It came out the year before The Dark Knight and Iron Man was released, and a time before studios knew how to do these comic book properties right. 

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Ever heard the joke, "I thought The Avengers was Iron Man 3?"  If only.  Setting aside the whole Mandarin issue, this franchise hit a new low when War Machine was just a bystander and not the kick-ass soldier he is meant to be.  And did I mention Pepper got super powers?  The villain and plot of this film was so lame this ranks as my least favorite Marvel Studio film to date.  I'm seeing Ant-Man in a few hours, and I'm pretty sure it'll be better than this toy-selling vehicle. 

SAVED

The Punisher (2004)

Out of the three films starring Frank Castle this is still my favorite.  Some prefer War Zone, but it had too little of plot and character development for my enjoyment.  Sure this film has a few laughable moments that might not be intentional, but this is still the Punisher killing everyone involved in killing his family while still trying to come to grips with the tragedy himself.  Thomas Jane is a great actor and after the short film, Dirty Laundry, I think we'd all like to see Jane have another crack at playing Castle. "God's gonna sit this one out."  Classic dialogue!

Fantastic Four (2005)

Yes, the sequel to this film has very few redeemable qualities that make it watchable a second time, but this film I feel still stands up.  Aside from Sue Storm I think the cast is pretty solid; especially Chris Evans as the Human Torch and Julian McMahon has Dr. Doom.  It's a decent origin story with some laughs that I feel nailed the family dynamic between the four heroes.  Ben and Johnny are the kids,  Reed is the distracted dad, and Sue is the frustrated mom.  I'm hoping Fox's new interpretation(otherwise known as Ultimate FF) is a good one, but I feel like this film gets a bad rap from people who know nothing about Marvel's First Family.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

My 2nd least favorite Marvel Studio film, but my wife thinks Thor is hot. 'Nuff said.

Avengers Sequel Worth A 2nd Viewing

In my house, hanging on my wall, is a poster from the 2012 film, The Avengers.  I'm actually a much bigger X-Men fan, but I bought this poster for it's significant value.  Growing up as a reader of comic books I was looked at as a geek or spaz.  Superheroes were uncool during my childhood unless it was Batman, Ninja Turtles, or Power Rangers.  But as the years went on more movies based on comic books came out, and then The Avengers broke box office records and set the bar for shared cinematic universes that every movie studio is now trying to copy.  We comic book readers are no longer outcasts; we are trailblazers.

God of Geeks, Joss Whedon, has returned to direct a sequel to his 2012 hit, but when you make a colossal movie like The Avengers it's an even bigger task to make a follow-up than can hold up.  I knew I had to see this film twice before I could accurately say if it was better than the original.

This time around Earth's Mightiest Heroes take on Ultron; the artificial intelligence Tony Stark created in hopes of being the Avengers substitute police force for the world.  After becoming self-aware Ultron, voiced by James Spader, realizes that the only way humanity can be saved is by sacrificing the billions of weak humans on the planet first.  Aiding him is the genetically modified Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro, who are brought in to shake up the Avengers confidence in each other.  The team must find a way to break their hexes if they're going to save the world from extinction.

I will admit, during the first viewing of this film I found it a little lackluster.  It wasn't until the end of the film when the Avengers, along with their new comrades, started fighting that I got really excited.  That scene was like a big Marvel crossover event come to life.  But before that, I kept thinking how Ultron wasn't the maniacal menace he is in the comics, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch weren't as fleshed out as I hoped, and there was too much set-up for future films.

Before my second viewing of the film I realized something.  No matter what, I would never think this film was better than The Avengers.  The first film was a cinematic monument in film history.  In it, I saw the Avengers come together for the first time on screen, something I never thought I'd see, and it was awesome.  And nothing will ever compare to it.

With that in mind, I watch the Avengers: Age of Ultron a second time and tried to appreciate it for what it was, and no compare it to the previous film, or ask if it could beat Captain America: The Winter Soldier as my favorite Marvel Studio film.  This is not the comic book Ultron. He was made by Tony Stark, not Hank Pym, which means those quirky and egotistical bits of Stark's personality fit into this Ultron.  The Maximoff's weren't as well rounded as I hoped, and their Russian accents still weren't good the second time around, but in a film with lots of characters they served their purpose; especially Quicksilver.  X-Men: Days of Future Past brought a phenomenal Quicksilver to life, so the only logical thing to do was make MCU's Quicksilver a sacrificial lamp that hopefully will serve as a stepping stone for Wanda's character evolution.  

The Avengers seemed to be more comfortable with each other in this film as well, which made the combat banter that much better.  The actors have also been together for a while now so their chemistry showed on screen and was quite entertaining.  Every time Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr had a conversation it seemed like it was set-up for Captain America: Civil War and Thor leaving just after the team had suffered a major defeat seemed odd, but then we would not have gotten more knowledge about the infinity stones for the next Avengers film, and Vision's importance would have been nullified.  And I loved how Vision was presented in this film; great job Paul Bettany!  So while I'm still not sure about the way Whedon and company went about setting up future films to come I couldn't have thought of a better way to do it, so I'll let it slide.

I hear talks about how this movie didn't have depth to it, but let's look at The Avengers people.  We've all put that film on a pedestal, but yet it doesn't come close to The Godfather or Schindler's List as far as Best Picture worthy.  Sequels to beloved films are always judged to harshly in my opinion. 

My final gripe about Avengers: Age of Ultron was stripped away after a conversation with my wife.  I was baffled that they didn't explain why Tony Stark become Iron Man again after quitting in Iron Man 3(and as I type this I realize I have not read the Age of Ultron prelude comic that may explain it).  But my wife said to me, "I never saw Iron Man 3 so I never knew he quit."  And that is the beauty of the MCU.  If a person just wants to watch The Avengers films, or Captain America films, they won't be lost.  Someone can watch The Avengers then Avengers: Age of Ultron right after and just be fine.  Sure if you watched the four films in between you get more out of it, but it's not a necessity.  What happens in the Thor films has no affect on what happens in the Iron Man films; you can enjoy them both separately.

While I am sad to see Whedon leaves this franchise I think it's for the best given his recent public comments.  I believe there are a lot of deleted scenes that have more character development, and I can't wait to see them on the blu-ray, or maybe a 4-hour directors cut.  The Russo Brothers, who did such a terrific job on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, are now taking over with Infinity War parts I & II, as well as the next Captain America film.  My only hope is they make Captain America: Civil War the mature film Winter Soldier was and then continue to make the Avengers films the kind of movies the whole family can enjoy like Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man 3(which was my least favorite Marvel film so far). 

So after seeing this film twice now I see that it is a good movie that has something everyone can enjoy so long as you stop trying to compare it to the first film.  Lightening only strikes once kids, unless you're carrying a hammer.  I loved seeing the new characters added to the MCU, Hawkeye getting his due, and the new Avengers team assemble at the end.  Yes, I said the "A" word.  Because it now bugs me that Cap didn't get too.

RATING:  B 

   

Worth A RE-Read? Avengers Disassembled

Twas the night before Avengers: Age of Ultron and all through my house, not a Marvel blu-ray was spinning.....but hey, it's still early.  In less than 24 hours director Joss Whedon's sequel to the 2012 blockbuster will hit cinemas around the country.  Whenever a comic book film is about to be released I hop on Amazon because that means comics related to that subject are on sale.  With several Avengers books to choose from I decided to purchase the digital copy of Avengers Disassembled.

The storyline started in issue #500 of The Avengers and was promoted as "the worst day in Avengers history."  And it definitely lived up to it's name.  The Avenger's mansion gets blown up, She-Hulk goes berserk, Tony Stark acts like a jackass in front of the UN, Ultron attacks, the Kree Empire decides to invade, and several key Avengers don't make it out alive.  If you haven't read this one in the decade it's been out then SPOILER ALERT the Avengers were being duped by one of their own; the Scarlet Witch.  Played by Elizabeth Olsen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Magneto's daughter goes a little crazy and uses her reality-bending Hex powers to make all these villains attack her friends.    

This was probably the first Avengers plot I really got into.  This book sets into motion things that effect the Marvel universe for quite some time.  Disassembled kick-started other great story lines like New Avengers: Breakout, House of M, Civil War, and Avengers vs. X-Men.  It would take the Scarlet Witch years to redeem herself in the eyes of her teammates, and to this day some still don't trust her.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis was a fairly new name to comics at the time, but this book leaped Avengers over X-Men to become the #1 team title at Marvel.  That is until Bendis started writing X-Men in 2012.  In this book, Wanda uses her Hex powers to make herself pregnant because it's the only way for her to have children, given that her husband is an android.  It's so messed up I have no idea how Bendis thought of it.  Also adding his terrific art was David Finch, who gets to draw almost anyone in the Marvel U who's ever been an Avenger by the end of the book; plus some Fantastic Four.  It must have been a comic artist's wet dream. And I say all this as a guy who was rooting for the X-Men in Avengers vs. X-Men. 

If you have watched all the Marvel movies that have come out since X-Men hit it big in 2000 then you should know most of the characters, and would have no problem just picking up this book.  Though I guess it would be best to wait till after you see Avengers: Age of Ultron to get a better sense of who the Scarlet Witch is.  And just to get your facts straight, she's a mutant, not an Inhuman.  You'll get that reference in a few years; trust me.

WORTH A RE-READ?  Oh Yes!

Spidey Joins the Avengers in the MCU

Last night I was doing my usual thing, watching some television and casually browsing the internet on my tablet.  After drinking a few beers I came across a piece of news claiming Spider-Man will be in a Marvel Studios movie.  I've heard these claims for years now, but then I saw that this came straight from marvel.com.  I couldn't believe my eyes, and I was way too tipsy to think about the possibilities and hurdles.  But today I'm as sober as Captain Amierca on a Sunday.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have reached a deal that will allow Spider-Man to appear in an MCU film before getting another film in 2017.  The web slinger will still be Sony property, but will be produced by Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige.  Plans are even in talks to bring Marvel Studio characters into a Spider-Man movie.  Shortly after this announcement Marvel Studios released a statement saying that their film slate for the next four years has been altered.  The next Marvel film we will see after Captain America: Civil War will be the new Spider-Man movie and not Thor: Ragnarok.

I was one of the non-believers who said we would never see this day.  Even though rumors have been swirling for months.  Sony Pictures had high hopes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and even though it made money, the film fell quite short of their expectations.  Since then Sony claimed it was still moving forward with its Spider-Man film universe.  A Sinister Six and Venom movie were rumored to be in the works.  But with Sony's financial trouble, along with some e-mail hacks, Marvel must have seen their opportunity to bring ol' web-head back home.  

The problem is going to be integration.  I never saw a mixture of Spider-Man into the MCU because the two studios would fight over every detail.  Spider-Man is a bigger franchise than Captain America,  so would Sony get a bigger cut of the movie profits?  If someone is in trouble, Sony will want Spider-Man to do the daring rescue and not Iron Man.  With Spidey staying under the Sony banner I think these questions will arise.  However, with Feige basically in charge of the production, I  also believe these issues will be taken care of.

The two Marvel Studio films coming out this year will be Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man.  Both of these movies are already done filming and are in post production.  The next film will be Captain America: Civil War, and then a Spider-Man movie is promised.  If Marvel wishes to bring Spidey into the fold before his own solo movie it's a safe bet he'll be joining Cap and Iron Man for Civil War. Which sounds exciting to me because Spider-Man was a big part of the original Civil War comic.  

However, with the third Captain America film almost a year away, plans have to be made in regards to Spider-Man.  Word has it that this will be another reboot for the web slinger.  It won't be Andrew Garfield playing Peter Parker, so casting for that role has to begin soon.  But with such a big story as Civil War I don't believe there will be time for another Spider-Man origin story.  Will Marvel just put Spidey into the mix and worry about the origin in his solo film?  But why do we even need another origin story?  It's been done twice within the last thirteen years.  In the Civil War comic Peter has been Spider-Man for a while.  I think they should just start off there.  I'd much rather see a seasoned Spider-Man than another tale of Peter discovering his powers.    

  As much excitement as this announcement has caused I feel like it has posed over a dozen question about Spider-Man's future, his part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and whether he'll be in it for the long hall.  Could we see Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War Pt. 1?  Or is Sony only trying to use this deal to springboard Spider-Man back to the top of film franchises?  Is Marvel Studios now setting their sites on bringing Fantastic Four or X-Men into the MCU?  I'm sure we'll all have these answers in time.  All I can leave you with is the same phrase I've been saying the last few years; In Feige We Trust.

MCU's Civil War: Drawing the Battle Lines

Last week Marvel Studios invited quite a few members of the press to a secret announcement.  Many speculated what it could be; from the casting of Dr. Strange to Spider-Man joining the MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe).  President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, surprised everyone when he presented the studios films for the next five years that included Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, two more Avengers films, and a Black Panther film starring Chad Boseman from 42 and Get On Up.  One of the bigger announcements came as little surprise given recent rumors, but a giant delight, as Feige read the title of the next Captain America film; Captain America: Civil War.

Based on the 2006 mini series, we'll see Captain America and Iron Man face-off against each other on opposite sides of the Superhero Registration Act.  Feige says that MCU's Civil War will be more about who the heroes report to rather than their identities since this world knows who Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner are.  Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans appeared on stage with Boseman to sell the upcoming rivalry.  This leads some to believe that Black Panther may play a key role in Civil War.  Perhaps a Switzerland type who chooses to stay neutral? 

Missing however from the original Civil War story line will be Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and may other heroes Marvel Studios does not have the rights too, or have yet to introduce.  But both Cap and Iron Man still need soldiers to support them.  So given the current Avengers/MCU characters I've got my team predictions.

TEAM STARK:  Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, War Machine, Ant-Man, and Maria Hill

In the comic book mini series Tony gets the inside scoop before the Act goes into effect and tries to soften the fallout.  Stark feels that super beings should be trained properly and report to someone.  His team would be a posse that is used to following orders.  War Machine and Maria Hill have ties to Tony so I'm sure they've got his back.  Meanwhile, Thor is a demi-god, and knows how power can be abused.  Therefore I feel like he'd side with Stark on supervising those who have power.  

Not much is known about how Ant-Man will fit into the MCU, but given he sided with Tony in the comics I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he'd be on Team Iron Man when the battle lines are drawn.

TEAM ROGERS:  Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Falcon, Nick Fury, and Agent 13  

I was on Team Captain America while reading the comics so I'm a bit bias; but I like this team.  Each person on Cap's team has been burned by the government before so they'd be a bit suspicious of the Superhero Registration Act.  Natasha really started to believe and trust in Steve in their last film, which included their team-up with Falcon.  Nick Fury also got burned by his friend and boss so he's all about questioning "the man" now.  And Agent 13?  Well, anyone who knows Sharon's story knows her chips wouldn't fall anywhere else.  

The Hulk was probably the hardest to choose a side for.  He and Tony are science buddies so I can see that bond.  However, Bruce knows what it's like having his government hunt and try to contain him.  I think he'd be against being put in a "cage".  I also think these teams give for some great match-ups.  

Iron Man vs Captain America(leader vs leader)

Hawkeye vs Black Widow(good friends/partners face-off)

Thor vs Hulk(they really never finished their fight in Avengers)

War Machine vs Falcon(black best friend battle royale)

Nick Fury vs Ant-Man(the man(s) with a plan)

Maria Hill vs Agent 13(S.H.I.E.L.D. agent cat fight, MEEOOWW)

Like my teams?  Disagree with them?  Let me know! 

Marvel's Cinematic Civil War A Good Idea?

This week has been a comic enthusiasts dream.  After coming off all the news from the New York Comic Con there were also two big movie stories that broke.  I'll share my thoughts on Warner Bros announcement in my next post, but for now I'm gonna focus my feeling about Marvel Studios.

Robert Downey Jr seems to be teasing Iron Man fans lately with saying he wants to do another Iron Man film and then retracting his statement just hours later.  Now, Variety has reported that Downey is in negotiations to guest star in the third Captain America film opposite Chris Evans.  This is happy news, but the 'exciting' part of the rumor is that Cap 3 is set to start the infamous Marvel storyline, Civil War.

In the 2006 miniseries, the government has implemented the Superhero Registration Act, a law that requires any vigilantes or masked heroes to reveal their identities and work for Uncle Sam.  Tony Stark sees just how serious the American government is about this and decides to support the Act.  Meanwhile, Captain America opposes the Act and leads an underground group against Iron Man and those who follow him.

This series was epic and one of my favorites.  I've always dreamed of seeing it on the big screen, but I'm hesitant about this decision.  A main focus in this story was Spider-Man.  He's the Marvel hero that protects his identity the most, which is why Stark convinces him to reveal who he is at a press conference.  Later on, Peter Parker switches sides to Cap's team.  Peter's journey in this plot is central, and without him I feel like the movie(s) will be missing it's heart.  However, there are talks about Sony loaning Spider-Man to Marvel Studios due to their financial situation.  Could Marvel take advantage of this and get Spider-Man mixed in to the cinematic Civil War? 

 Another major perspective in Civil War is the Fantastic Four, which Fox currently owns the movie rights too.  Having to choose sides tares this team in two and almost destroys Reed and Sue Richards marriage.  Without this subplot I feel like the film may also be missing another piece of it's center.  I don't believe for a second Marvel is canceling the FF comic book in an effort to try and hurt the upcoming film, thus allowing Marvel to possibly get the rights back.  By the time the Fantastic Four movie is released next year you can bet Marvel Comics will have another FF series out to take advantage of any buzz the film may get.

My last gripe about bringing up Civil War on screen is the lack of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Sure we have more characters coming like Ant-Man and Dr. Strange, but all of these superheroes have already outed their identities.  The only issue would be those who are forced to work for the government or hang-up their tights, or leather now-a-days.  Of course, if they need more heroes Netflix's Defenders team will be coming up soon.
And what about Thanos?  We all figured Avengers 3 would be the Infinity Gauntlet.  Are they really going to continue that slow burn until perhaps Avengers 4 or 5?  I could however see all the Marvel heroes splitting up, but then having to put aside their differences to face the galaxy's ultimate baddie.

With all the concerns I've listed don't think for a second I'm not ecstatic about this!  Sure they'll probably have to pay RDJ a crap-load of more money, but seeing this all unfold will be sweet.  You can see in Captain America: The Winter Solider how the small seeds were planted for the idea of Civil War.  Speaking of which, the second Captain America film strayed pretty far from the original source material, but was still the best film Marvel Studios has released in my opinion.  So if this "Civil War" doesn't follow the miniseries exactly I won't be upset as long as it's good.

A year ago there was a phrase that I, and perhaps others, have started reciting; In Feige We Trust.  Guardians of the Galaxy was a risk for Marvel Studios that paid off big time because their president knows what he's doing.  I'm sure he's had Civil War planned for years now and is just now letting us all in on a fraction of his plan.  The story may not be exactly like the original comic, but as long as it's a good film I'll be ok with it. 

 Marvel Comics seem to be bringing back old story lines like Secret Wars, Planet Hulk, and Civil War, but the cinematic world is still a toddler that has a lifetime of stories to tell that will be fresh to us all.  Now if you'll excuse me I'll need a break before I start my DC/Warner Bros post.  Or I may just watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier because I could literally watch that film every day. Until next time true believers, In Feige We Trust. 

My Favorite Comic Book Film Chemistry

This weekend I, like many others in this country, went to go see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters.  I'm not a big Spider-Man fan, and I really didn't like The Amazing Spider-Man as compared to the previous Sam Raimi films.  As far as rating AS2 I give it a C-.  It had a lot of flaws in it, but the most redeeming quality was the love story between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy.  The real-life actors are actually dating and you can see the chemistry between them on screen that really helped with their performances.

This got me thinking about on-screen chemistry.  I think it can make or break a film, specifically in the superhero/comic book genre.  I couldn't think of many couples that are good, but the ones that did worked seemed to sizzle on screen.  And some of them aren't even love interests.

5) Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone  (The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2)

Like I mentioned above, these two saved The Amazing Spider-Man 2 from being a complete waste of time and talent. The scenes between them seemed very genuine.  If I didn't know that they were already a real-life couple I would definitely be on board for them hooking up.

Not to spoil anything, but if you've seen the movie or read the Spider-Man comics you know Peter and Gwen's relationship does not end well.  I knew from Gwen's graduation speech at the beginning of the film she was not going to make it out alive.  The whole film built to that moment and when it came Garfield's performance was the best I've ever seen him.  You felt his sadness and felt like he didn't have to dig too deep to imagine the pain of losing his Emma Stone.  Without their chemistry in the 3rd film I don't know how the franchise will thrive.

4) James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class)

It takes a lot of skill for actors to try and portray a life-long friendship.  Especially one that is as complicated as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr.  But it might be even harder to portray that friendship at the beginning; knowing how it'll end.  McAvoy and Fassbender are already good actors, but together they are great.  

My favorite scenes in First Class were the moments when it was just the two of them.  Their yin and yang view points played perfectly on-screen.  I've never been more interested in watching two people play chess.  I'm can't wait for that chemistry to continue in the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past.

3) Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Solider)

Every once and a while you get a bromance that you know will last a lifetime, or at least 3 or 4 films until the actors contracts are up.  Evans and Mackie just seem to click from the film's first scene.  I even choose this relationship over Evans and Scarlett Johansson's, and those two have worked on multiple films together.  

In the film, both of their characters had lost their wing man, and by the end they each knew, along with the audience, that they had found a new one.  Both Steve and Sam have a strong sense of duty and bravery.  These guys are like two peas in a pod, and it plays off perfectly thanks to the actors playing them.  I can't wait for a third Captain America film to see Cap and Falcon back in action together!

2) Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen (X-Men, X2, & X3)

I'm not sure how well these two knew each other before they signed on to play mortal enemies/best friends in X-Men, but ever since their real-life bromance has become legendary.  From their first scene on-screen together back in 2000 you could feel the energy between them.  They're both classically trained actors and it takes such an actor to play characters worthy of Shakespeare. 

Now you can see them all over social media hanging out.  It makes me wish I could hang out with them too.  Professionally, they been in several plays together and they're both coming back to reprise their roles as Xavier and Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past.  I think this is a bromance will stand the test of time.

 1) Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man 1, 2, & 3)

Downey as Tony Stark is one of the greatest casting choices in the history of film!  He makes the audience love that character and steals every scene he is in.  This can make it difficult to find a good counter-part to Stark, but when the people at Marvel Studio saw Downey and Paltrow test screen together they must have shed tears of joy.   

Pepper Potts never let's Tony get away with anything and always has a come-back to combat Tony's boyish charms.  Their rapore is thee highlight of the Iron Man franchise, and their one scene together in The Avengers is one my favorites.  These two definitely need to work together again soon.

My Dream Marvel Film Franchise: Animated

Last month DC released the animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, based on Flashpoint, a mini-series by Geoff Johns.  In this story Barry Allen, the Flash, woke up in an alternate reality.  CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD, FOR THIS ENTIRE ENTRY.  In this reality Bruce Wayne was shot and his parents lived.  Thomas Wayne became the Batman and his psychopathic wife became the Joker.  Superman never landed in Smallville, KS but the middle of Metropolis where he was taken by the government and treated like a lab rat his whole life.  Meanwhile, Aquaman and Wonder Woman are fighting a war that would destroy the entire world!  Barry must either find a way to change reality back or find a way to stop his former friends from killing billions of people.

This was a great film.  It didn’t stray too far from the source material, and was the right mixture of drama and action to make the story pop.  DC has done a tremendous job with their animated films in recent years with Batman: Year One to Superman: Doomsday.  To dare say I’ve enjoyed their animated films more than their live action.  With a direct-to-dvd animated film you aren't constraint to theater prices, weekend numbers, and big special effects that hike the cost of the film millions of dollars.  Animation is a great alterative to telling comic book stories so long as you have the right story, directing, and animation.  A little well-known voice-acting doesn’t help either.

Last week I read a Robot 6 article describing 5 DC storylines that would make great animated films.  While I agree with them all this inspired me to make my own list of Marvel storylines that would make great animated films.  So, I thought of several separate storylines, but when I started jotting down my favorite Marvel stories they all kind of flowed into each other, minus Civil War.  Then it occurred to me, why not just make them all sequels to one another, leading to one big event, just like the Avengers did!

Part 1) Avengers: Disassembled

This film would see the destruction of the Avengers by one of their own.  Having gone insane over the loss of her children the Scarlet Witch kills several member of her teammates, including her own husband, Vision.  But not before she brings down every hideous villain the Avengers have fought onto the Avengers mansion.

With Marvel Studios hitting it big with Joss Whedon’s Avengers and a sequel on the way with Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver set to appear, this film would be perfect to roll out right after Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Anyone who would watch this film would know most of the characters so you can skip the back story and go straight to the destruction of the Avengers.  You could play the franchise hype like a fiddle.  I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it!

Part 2) House of M

Following Avengers: Disassembled came this doozy of a storyline.  Professor X has been tapped to help put Wanda, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, back together again.  When he can’t the Avengers the X-Men come together to decide her fate.  Suddenly reality has changed and the only person who knows it is Wolverine, head of S.H.I.E.L.D.  Logan finds himself in a world where Magneto and his family rule, Peter Parker is a celebrity, and every hero is living their dream life.  With the help of mysterious girl Logan must rally his friends to give up their happiness and change reality back to how it was. 

The twist at the end of this story is 2-fold.  First, Magneto didn’t tell his daughter to change reality, his son Quicksilver did. Second, when the Wanda changes reality back she makes one diversion, “No More Mutants.” 90% of the mutant population has lost their powers, including Magneto.  This forces the few hundred mutants left on the planet to take refuge with the X-Men and sets up everything to come.  Did I mention Peter Parker is pissed as hell that his perfect happiness got taken away from him?

Part 3) The New Avengers: Breakout

With most of the worlds mutants de-powered and the Avengers shut down of course it’s the perfect time for a super-villain prison break!  Captain America and Iron Man must get the band back together, along with a few new members like Spider-Man and Wolverine, to catch all the bad guys who broke out of the Raft, the maximum security prison.

This would be a first look at Spider-Man and Wolverine brought into the Avengers mix, a formula viewers would already know from Marvel’s big screen adaptations.  It also would re-establish the Avengers and Wolverine for their role in Part 6 of this animated film anthology.

Part 4) X-Men: Messiah Complex

With less than 200 mutants left in the world they are no longer the next step in human evolution, but a species on the brink of extinction. It’s been over a year since a new mutant has been born, until one pops up in Alaska.  The X-Men arrive only too late to see the destruction Mr. Sinister’s Maruders and human Purifiers have caused on the Alaskian town.  The baby is safe, in the hands of Cyclops’ son from the future, Cable.  It’s a race to get to Cable and the baby first and it all ends with an epic battle that leaves Cyclops with the decision to send Cable and the baby girl away, into the time stream, so she can grow-up and decide her own fate.

This story has all the X-Men into the mix and re-introduces X-Force, led by Wolverine.  Again, thanks to all the live-action X-Men films most of the characters have been established to the general audience, just not well in my opinion.  Anyway, I would love to see the 90’s X-Men voice-cast come back to do this film and all the others.  For a generation of kids like myself those voices are what we hear when we read Cyclops and Wolverine's words on the page.

Part 5) X-Men: Second Coming

Cyclops sends Cable and the baby, Hope, into the time stream so of course they’re going to come back just as Cyclops believes they would, and just in time to save them all.  The villain Bastion is making his final move to end mutant-kind and when he hears that the so-called “mutant messiah” is back he’ll stop at nothing to destroy this now teenage girl.  Some notable deaths along the way include Nightcrawler and Cable.  The ending leaves some X-Men wondering if Hope was worth the price they paid, and if that was the Phoenix that twinkled in her eyes at the end.  You ready for the big pay-off?

Part 6) Avengers vs. X-Men

The Phoenix is coming for Hope and the Avengers believe that, like Jean Grey, the Phoenix will corrupt her and surely destroy the world.  Cyclops however believes that the Phoenix has always signaled rebirth and that this could be the salvation the mutant race has been waiting for.  Of course then we get Captain America vs. Cyclops, Hulk vs. Colossus, Magneto vs. Iron Man, etc.  Wolverine falls down with the Avengers, people switch sides, and when it’s towards the end Cyclops is the sole possessor of the Phoenix power.  He then is corrupted so much by that power that he kills his teacher, and surrogant father, Professor Charles Xavier. 

With the help of Hope, the Avengers, and now the X-Men, are able to take down the new Dark Phoenix and re-spark the mutant race.  So this sparks the debate, was Cyclops right?  I’m sure he’ll have time to think about in a prison cell as a now known super-villain.  Remember when everyone thought Cyclops was just an up-tight boy scout?  Suck it!

So there you have it people, six great stand-alone animated features that would kill as one giant animated franchise.  You wouldn’t have to worry about aging actors, make special effects look real, and who owns what because Marvel has the right to make all their characters animated.  I would much rather enjoy this in the privacy of my own home then go back $12 to sit in a noisy theater just see the current A-List celebrity try to act like he has integrity before he goes back to his trailer and does another line.  Was that a little too much?  Oh well.  I know I’m not the only fanboy who would kill to see this happen.  So, to the House of Ideas, here is mine, let’s make it happen!