Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn) [Archive]

TGM

08-01-2014, 04:15 AM

Though there's nothing about this movie that necessarily propels it and makes it stand out among the pack, it was still just a whole lotta good solid fun. Nothing really objectionable here, though there were some moments that had a cheap TV look to them, most notably during the initial daytime action scene where all our heroes first meet each other. But outside of that, the movie looked fine enough I thought.

Also, Groot was amazing. Vin Diesel finds so many ways to convey so much all while only ever saying a single phrase throughout the movie. Awesome.

And that post-credits scene, LOL! Guess we're due for a Howard the Duck reboot. :P

Ezee E

08-01-2014, 05:09 AM

Certainly enjoyable, even if some of the ways that the heros get out of situations seems kind of out of nowhere or without inspiration.

number8

08-01-2014, 05:31 AM

By the way, everyone in my theater reacted to Stan Lee's cameo, but I was the only one who did to Lloyd Kaufman's.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 08:27 AM

The real Guardian of the Galaxy was love.

Skitch

08-01-2014, 12:05 PM

By the way, everyone in my theater reacted to Stan Lee's cameo, but I was the only one who did to Lloyd Kaufman's.

Are you kidding me?? PLEASE tell me you're not kidding. That would be epic.

TGM

08-01-2014, 12:59 PM

By the way, everyone in my theater reacted to Stan Lee's cameo, but I was the only one who did to Lloyd Kaufman's.

Heh, same in my theater. :P

number8

08-01-2014, 02:00 PM

Some thoughts about the actors...

- They gave some of the funniest lines to Bautista, and he didn't drop the ball. Pretty unexpected and great.

- I was really skeptical about Cooper as Rocket, but man, no complaints there. The drunken monologue took me by surprise, and pleasantly affecting.

- Glenn Close was underused. She was boring.

- John C. Reilly felt perfectly used. Didn't take up a lot of screen time, but when he's on, it's always hilarious.

- Didn't expect Peter Seranofowicz to get a bigger role than those two, and played it straight, too.

- So many people missed Nathan Fillion's cameo.

- Karen Gillan was kind of a non-entity for the most part. I really like the expression she made when Thanos called Gamora his favorite daughter, though. Her character arc is so subtle, but she didn't get a lot of scenes to play with it.

- Lee Pace was grrrrreat in this, even though they made Ronan a very one-note villain. As a comic fan, I was less than enthused to see the character used this way, but Pace's scene chewing is just a lot of fun to watch. Really menacing for the most part, and then a perfect delivery of "What are you doing?" at the end there.

Fezzik

08-01-2014, 02:22 PM

Some thoughts about the actors...

- They gave some of the funniest lines to Bautista, and he didn't drop the ball. Pretty unexpected and great.

- I was really skeptical about Cooper as Rocket, but man, no complaints there. The drunken monologue took me by surprise, and pleasantly affecting.

Quoted to agree with you. Bautista was an absolutely unexpected surprise to me, especially his non-verbal acting and his deadpan delivery. Very impressed.

The only things I didn't like were Ronan (I agree with 8, that he was too one note, and I wasnt as enamored with Pace's over the top portrayal) and there were moments near the beginning that felt awkward as they tried to get their footing. Other than that, its a ton of fun, and I am looking forward to another round.

And I want a little Dancing Groot in a flower pot for my desk

Grouchy

08-01-2014, 04:23 PM

By the way, everyone in my theater reacted to Stan Lee's cameo, but I was the only one who did to Lloyd Kaufman's.
Also happened to me.

This movie was excellent. For what it's worth, I thought it balanced action and comedy way better than Avengers. My favorite character was, unexpectedly, Drax. "Finger on neck means death" is just a great quote.

Dukefrukem

08-01-2014, 04:31 PM

So 7 YAYs and only 3 ratings.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 04:32 PM

number8

08-01-2014, 05:20 PM

Anyone else love the intentional unintentional slam at Man of Steel in this?

"We need to evacuate this city! Make sure no one gets hurt."

Or Nova stopping to shoot at falling debris from crashing to the surface.

Yeah. It's actually kind of improbable and jarring how quickly and easily they evacuated an entire city off-screen, but they obviously threw that in to emphasize that that's what heroes do.

number8

08-01-2014, 05:26 PM

It's also I think why I didn't find the final assault as boring as the large scale aerial set pieces in Thor 2 or Iron Man 2. It's not just things flying around blowing up each other. I really like that they break that up with the Nova net moment and the aforementioned Space Invaders sequence.

number8

08-01-2014, 06:09 PM

Wow, this had the biggest Thursday night opening of the year, beating out Winter Soldier.

Dukefrukem

08-01-2014, 06:30 PM

Yeh, but there were 7PM shows (which I was tempted to go to) and school is out.

Still good, but I don't think it will do $100 mil this weekend. '

Also, nice new Avatar and User Title.

TGM

08-01-2014, 06:36 PM

Wow, this had the biggest Thursday night opening of the year, beating out Winter Soldier.

Yeah, it was the first Thursday opening I've been to since The Dark Knight Rises that actually had a line waiting to get in.

number8

08-01-2014, 06:52 PM

Yeh, but there were 7PM shows (which I was tempted to go to) and school is out.

So did Winter Soldier and a bunch of other blockbusters for the past few months. It's kinda standard now.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 07:25 PM

It'll make a lot of money Thursday/Friday and then drop off. There's a lot of people (like me) who just don't give a shit.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 07:43 PM

It'll make a lot of money Thursday/Friday and then drop off. There's a lot of people (like me) who just don't give a shit.

Nah. This movie will have huge legs.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 07:54 PM

Nah. This movie will have huge legs.

It will do well, but not X-Men/Cap Am well. Prediction: around $200 million and in the top twenty B.O. for 2014. There's also competition down the road from Ninja Turtles (unless it really sucks), The Expendables 3, The Giver, and most esp. Sin City 2.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 07:55 PM

Sin City 2? Really? That movie will barely make a dent in the box office. No one wants to see that movie.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 07:58 PM

Sin City 2? Really? That movie will barely make a dent in the box office. No one wants to see that movie.

Right. It's only the sequel to one of the most beloved comic book movies of the past 15 years. The only thing that will stop it is the R-rating.

TGM

08-01-2014, 08:00 PM

I personally don't know a single person who has shown any interest in Sin City 2...

Watashi

08-01-2014, 08:01 PM

Right. It's only the sequel to one of the most beloved comic book movies of the past 15 years. The only thing that will stop it is the R-rating.

Sin City? One of the most beloved comic book movies of the past 15 years?

You are smoking some of that prime shit. I want it.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 08:03 PM

I personally don't know a single person who has shown any interest in Sin City 2...

I personally don't know anyone that has seen or has any interest in seeing Transformers 4, in yet it's still the third highest grossing movie of 2014.

Sycophant

08-01-2014, 08:15 PM

I can't claim to have a finger on the pulse of Sin City's place in contemporary pop culture or the public appetite for a sequel. In 2005, it made $74 million domestic. $84 million foreign. A success to be sure, but I'm not sure who remembers it or is excited to see more of it. I was a huge fan of the film on release, but a decade later, I have no special interest in seeing more of it. I'm not sure who's in my boat, who still has a lot of enthusiasm for seeing a follow up, or if it's had enough success on home viewing platforms to make this a hotly anticipated movie on a scale the first couldn't be. I somehow doubt it's going to really rival Transformers or Marvel properties, but I genuinely don't know what's what with this stuff anymore.

Skitch

08-01-2014, 08:18 PM

There's a lot of people (like me)...

:D

Skitch

08-01-2014, 08:20 PM

I personally don't know anyone that has seen or has any interest in seeing Transformers 4, in yet it's still the third highest grossing movie of 2014.

Theres a lot of people unlike you, I guess. Not trying to insult you or anything, its fine, but this is generally mainstream stuff, and you tend to hate mainstream stuff (I think?), so its not odd to think you don't hang out with the mainstream crowd. I doubt most of us here do.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 08:24 PM

The R-rating will prevent Sin City 2 from making as much money as Guardians but unless it gets totally panned it will probably make about 100 million or so. I guess my initial point isn't that Guardians won't make a boat load of cash, just that it isn't the only hot property coming out this August and thus won't have the amazing legs people think.

People underestimate franchise name recognition in the real world with people who drag their kids to these things. On the internet you would think Scott Pilgrim made more money than Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

TGM

08-01-2014, 08:42 PM

I dunno, I guess I always assumed Sin City was considered more of a cult classic than some big mainstream movie that the masses would flock to.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 08:53 PM

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 09:01 PM

I will give you every penny credited to my name if Sin City 2 breaks 100 million domestic.

Sounds fantastic. This "bet" is only one sided fyi.

Dead & Messed Up

08-01-2014, 09:03 PM

The first Sin City is well-regarded, but it's really been too long for a sequel to capture attention, and its original lure - the bizarre aesthetic and big stars - is likely a one-time-only draw. It'll do business, but I don't see it as any kind of a threat to something like Guardians.

Grouchy

08-01-2014, 09:05 PM

People will watch anything with marketing.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 09:08 PM

Sounds fantastic. This "bet" is only one sided fyi.

Just fyi, the sequel to 300 barely cracked 100 domestic and that had a far more successful first film than Sin City.

Watashi

08-01-2014, 09:09 PM

I am also very poor.

Pop Trash

08-01-2014, 09:09 PM

Just fyi, the sequel to 300 barely cracked 100 domestic and that had a far more successful first film than Sin City.

Then your bank account is safe........

OR. IS. IT?

Dukefrukem

08-01-2014, 09:30 PM

number8

08-01-2014, 10:35 PM

If Sin City 2 is a box office success, I won't give anyone my money but I might commit suicide.

Sycophant

08-01-2014, 11:06 PM

Always nice to get a reminder that Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland made a billion dollars worldwide regardless of the fact I found it unwatchable.

Irish

08-01-2014, 11:18 PM

Gosh, all this talk of box office is really strange. What does it matter, anyway? You guys enjoy movies in ways that's just so alien to me.

Sycophant

08-01-2014, 11:27 PM

I usually don't do it either, but the way you get into talking about anticipating the toothless, pandering content of, say, the Star Wars films by mind-reading the executives and creatives involved is a pretty big non-starter for me, too.

A film's box office does not impact my enjoyment of the film, though talking about the business side can be interesting now and then.

Dead & Messed Up

08-01-2014, 11:28 PM

Gosh, all this talk of box office is really strange. What does it matter, anyway? You guys enjoy movies in ways that's just so alien to me.

Box office determines whether or not certain movie "types" get traction, whether by imitation, knockoff, or whatever. It forms the landscape. The box office of a movie like Guardians won't just encourage Marvel to travel off the beaten path, it will probably influence other studios to consider space opera projects or otherwise discarded properties that might have potential.

As another example, the modest box office of Hercules bums me out, not because I care about the film (Ratner, blughrh), but because I would love to see more movies adapted from classical myth.

Irish

08-01-2014, 11:30 PM

I was joking, Syco. Poking fun at some of the predictions in the thread. Everything in my post is an actual statement that someone has said to me at one time or another, because I was endlessly jawing about box office.

(Also, it's not "mind reading" when something is plainly obvious :D)

EyesWideOpen

08-02-2014, 12:08 AM

I forgot how clueless the moviegoing public is about most movies even in this internet age. I had two co-workers talking about this movie this morning. They had both gone to midnight showings and one of them had no idea these were comic book characters and neither knew that it was part of the Marvel Avengers universe. And I don't mean before they saw the movie. I mean after they saw the movie and they didn't know until I told them. They are both in their mid-twenties.

eternity

08-02-2014, 12:22 AM

James Gunn essentially Jiro-Dreams-of-Sushi-d a plate of Hamburger Helper. It's a nearly perfect version of what it is, save for the underdevelopment of Gamora and the film's antagonists. That doesn't change that all its individual elements are cheesy, chemically processed, and freeze-dried.

eternity

08-02-2014, 12:24 AM

Boxoffice.com is predicting Sin City 2 is going to finish around 40-50 million domestic, so by all means predict it to overperform twofold.

Skitch

08-02-2014, 12:25 AM

Hmm? BoM is pretty accurate.

Pop Trash

08-02-2014, 02:21 AM

Boxoffice.com is predicting Sin City 2 is going to finish around 40-50 million domestic, so by all means predict it to overperform twofold.

Considering Wats is willing to have a one-sided bet over it involving all of his money, I will do just that.

Dukefrukem

08-02-2014, 02:24 AM

Drax had the funniest lines in the movie and this was probably the best comedy I've seen in a long time. This was everything I was expecting it to be; setup the characters perfectly. Marvel finally designed a villain where I felt something was in stake (The Thor movies do not do this very well); Thanos looked great. I'm probably going to see this again.

Dukefrukem

08-02-2014, 02:28 AM

Kevin Feige has revealed that there is something from it in The Collector's archives / lab. So we can all feel unnecessarily delighted by the idea of these movies technically taking place in the same universe.

Was looking for it, but I couldn't see it.

Ezee E

08-02-2014, 02:46 PM

I figured the "Man of Steel" slam was actually ADR to prevent it from getting the criticism of Man of Steel.

Don't recall any evacuation or people fleeing. Just a random line over the cityscape.

Mal

08-02-2014, 10:23 PM

At times this felt a little thin to me, but the characterizations and universe is so much more engaging, strange and entertaining than any of the other recent Marvel movies.

DavidSeven

08-03-2014, 04:49 AM

Hmm...

I think Gunn may have outdone Whedon here.

Exceptional character design; believable effects by contemporary digital-age standards; and a deft mix of self-awareness and gravitas. One of the few Marvel films that finds a way to be visually interesting in spite of Marvel's mandate of toothless homogenization. Slight? Someone point me to this treasure trove of thematically deep Marvel films. There's great character work here, and in terms of emotional richness, I'd put this up there with any of the others. It's probably my favorite Marvel.

Pratt, to my surprise, looked like a movie star and was able to carry this fine.

KK2.0

08-03-2014, 05:59 AM

Happy to see Gunn scoring a blockbuster. I had little knowledge of the Guardians (I know Thanos, The Kree etc from other comics) but they did a great job presenting the universe. I disliked the previews and went to the theaters because of hype, glad I changed my mind because I was completely absorbed within minutes, the characterizations were all delightful and I know a lot of people here despise the movie, but It reminded me of The Fifth Element which I enjoy a lot, light hearted, humorous, some pulp sci-fi camp, got a smile on my face for most of the time.

Ezee E

08-03-2014, 03:32 PM

At times this felt a little thin to me, but the characterizations and universe is so much more engaging, strange and entertaining than any of the other recent Marvel movies.

Great way to describe my feelings.

Spun Lepton

08-03-2014, 11:53 PM

It surpassed my expectations. I loved it. Made me feel like a kid again.

I was looking for Kaufman, but I missed him. Where was he?

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 01:52 AM

He's one of the prisoners.

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 01:54 AM

BTW, this pulled in $94 million for the largest August opening ever.

number8

08-04-2014, 02:04 AM

Aye. It's record breaking, but also the third biggest opening weekend of the year, beating out Spiderman 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Wats can keep his savings.

number8

08-04-2014, 03:03 AM

Oh, in case anyone's wondering, Gunn confirmed that it was the Power gem. That was my guess.

Spinal

08-04-2014, 03:09 AM

I was brand new to these characters and so I had kind of a hard time acclimating to the universe at first. I could have used a little more back story to gain some investment in the characters and their fates. And I didn't feel like the flippant comedic tone was entirely successful. And yet, I don't know. It won me over by the end and I was curious to spend more time in the universe. A re-watch might help.

Ivan Drago

08-04-2014, 04:02 AM

Ronan was a one-note villain, and like Spinal, I was new to this universe when the movie started, so I had to . . .but by the end of it, I was invested with each protagonist and their development, every frame looked like something right out of a comic book, and its comedic tone clicked with me. An overall awesome experience that has me excited for the next one! Also. . .

Vin Diesel now has two effective 'dying' lines in his voice-acting career.

Pop Trash

08-04-2014, 05:04 AM

Wats can keep his savings.

That has to do with Sin City 2's B.O., not this.

Barty

08-04-2014, 05:35 AM

Peng

08-04-2014, 06:44 AM

I feel the emotional sledgehammer of an opening is a bit too forceful, but the payoff in the climax is excellent. Also strange and weirdly moving to think that this is one blockbuster where the world is saved by holding hands.

Watashi

08-04-2014, 08:19 AM

No one has mentioned my favorite bit.

The cutaway to Peter and the prisoner. "You want my what?"

transmogrifier

08-04-2014, 10:13 AM

Enjoyable. I haven't seen Thor 2 (and I won't; I thought the first one was a bore) or Captain America 2 (I will eventually, I guess; the first was okay), but this is the best of the Marvel movies. In fact my top three (Guardians, The Avengers, Iron Man 3) are my favorite because these things NEED to be funny to work. All of the blustering and chasing MacGuffins and the cheesy "it's the end-of-the-world for real this time, I swear" is wearing and, let's be frank, total nonsense, so its better to just grit your teeth and plow through all that while playing around in the edges with jokes and inventiveness.

Plus, Zoe Saladana. Everything is better with Zoe Saldana.

Edit: I realise that all the Marvel movies use humor to some extent, but not all humor is created equal.

Morris Schæffer

08-04-2014, 10:54 AM

94 million opening, an August record.

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 11:26 AM

Oh, in case anyone's wondering, Gunn confirmed that it was the Power gem. That was my guess.

Hm. According to the internet it should have been the space gem.

bac0n

08-04-2014, 01:04 PM

94 million opening, an August record.

hooray!

Spinal

08-04-2014, 03:52 PM

No one has mentioned my favorite bit.

The cutaway to Peter and the prisoner. "You want my what?"

"I'll need THAT GUY'S EYE!" :lol:

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 03:56 PM

"I'll need THAT GUY'S EYE!" :lol:

Yeh that scene got me good. Why are we spoiling this though?

Henry Gale

08-04-2014, 04:56 PM

Yeh that scene got me good. Why are we spoiling this though?

People like me who haven't seen it but are tiding themselves over with reactions and whatnot in this thread!

Just a few more hours...... IMAX, here I coooommmee!

Watashi

08-04-2014, 04:57 PM

Where are you Svenny? That zero is looking mighty lonely.

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 05:03 PM

Are you kidding? If anyone Irish will vote Nay.

Watashi

08-04-2014, 05:25 PM

Sven hasn't liked a single Marvel Studios film.

number8

08-04-2014, 05:36 PM

Parents who saw it with their kids: any Jackson Pollock questions from them?

Spinal

08-04-2014, 05:37 PM

Yeh that scene got me good. Why are we spoiling this though?

Doesn't it bother you when people have told you the funny lines and moments before you see a movie?

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 05:43 PM

Doesn't it bother you when people have told you the funny lines and moments before you see a movie?

I generally don't read anything about movies I haven't seen after a trailer is released.

Dukefrukem

08-04-2014, 05:44 PM

Parents who saw it with their kids: any Jackson Pollock questions from them?

I'm wondering how Quill knows about Jackson Pollock. Was he a fan when he was 10?

DavidSeven

08-04-2014, 06:21 PM

I generally don't read anything about movies I haven't seen after a trailer is released.

I think some people still like to scan the threads for general reactions, especially within the first few weeks of release.

Sven

08-04-2014, 09:53 PM

Where are you Svenny? That zero is looking mighty lonely.

I'll see it soon. The promise of more villainous Lee Pace has assured that.

Oh, and I liked the Hulk films.

megladon8

08-04-2014, 11:31 PM

"Don't you EVER call me a thesaurus."

Irish

08-04-2014, 11:57 PM

Are you kidding? If anyone Irish will vote Nay.

The overhype is getting to me. (Not from MC, but everywhere else)

megladon8

08-05-2014, 12:24 AM

Liking or disliking something based on popular opinion is lame.

Henry Gale

08-05-2014, 12:35 AM

Oh fuuucck yeeeaaah.

So stunningly enjoyable, hilarious, massive but beautifully etched with its details and still insanely tear-jerky (in the best, most effortlessly and genuinely earned way) despite all of its relentlessly offbeat nature. It's almost deliberately messy and nowhere near a perfect film, and yet it still feels like the latter because of how singularly invigorating it is along the way with the upward momentum it builds.

Irish, Sven, and anyone else understandably skeptical: If there's going to be a MCU movie you fall for, it's most likely going to be this boisterously weird chunk of determinedly goofy bliss.

Ivan Drago

08-05-2014, 03:38 AM

"I'll need THAT GUY'S EYE!" :lol:

My favorite bit....

WE. ARE. GROOT.

transmogrifier

08-05-2014, 05:45 AM

My favorite bit....

WE. ARE. GROOT.

Too Iron Giant-y for my liking. Especially considering the voice actor involved. If I had never seen Bird's film, it probably would have played better.

Pop Trash

08-05-2014, 05:45 AM

The overhype is getting to me. (Not from MC, but everywhere else)

Yup. If I see this at all, Imma be a grumpypants and wait for the charming Hollywood seduction that may or may not happen.

Dukefrukem

08-05-2014, 11:13 AM

Liking or disliking something based on popular opinion is lame.

Well MC has been doing this for a while... so.... your move.

[ETM]

08-05-2014, 11:37 AM

It opens on the 7th here. I haven't seen any "overhype" though... Most of the reviews were carefully positive, with reasonable criticisms.

Peng

08-05-2014, 12:22 PM

My dad wanted to see it so I went a second time. The plot feels more slipshod this time around, but I appreciate the character stuff more, and surprisingly like the final battle better after feeling it too overwhelming last time.

Still not the best Marvel film for me, but might be the one I'm going to rewatch the most.

Dukefrukem

08-05-2014, 12:29 PM

Ok, let's rank Marvel now. (MCU)

1. Guardians
2. The Avengers (I could go with either of these being 1)
3. Iron Man 3
4. Winter Soldier
5. Iron Man
6. Thor
-------- Reservations Line --------
7. Captain America
8. The Incredible Hulk
9. Iron Man 2 (I could go with either of theses being 10)
10. Thor 2

Peng

08-05-2014, 12:44 PM

1. The Avengers
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Iron Man
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Thor
6. Iron Man 3
7. Iron Man 2
8. The Incredible Hulk
9. Captain America: The First Avenger
10. Thor: The Dark World

Number 10 is easy for me, because I really dislike the first half of Thor 2. The film picks up quite a bit when Loki comes into play, but still.

transmogrifier

08-05-2014, 12:53 PM

1. Guardians
2. Avengers

(the two above are the only two I could probably watch a second time)

3. Iron Man 3
4. Captain America

-------- Reservations Line --------

5. Iron Man 2
6. Iron Man
7. The Incredible Hulk
8. Thor

Haven't seen:
Thor 2
Captain 2

Dukefrukem

08-05-2014, 12:55 PM

Number 10 is easy for me, because I really dislike the first half of Thor 2. The film picks up quite a bit when Loki comes into play, but still.

Yup. The Villain is just completely inept and Frigga's death was not done very well. Loki is clearly the most interesting part of the movie.

IM2 was very poorly done in this light as well. Tony floating around shooting robots just doesn't exhume much concern. You could probably say the same about IM3 but at least IM3 has many other sub plots that make the film enjoyable. Favreau just doesn't have that capability as a director.

number8

08-05-2014, 01:08 PM

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Iron Man 3
4. The Avengers
5. Thor
6. Iron Man
7. Captain America
8. Thor: The Dark World
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Iron Man 2

First 5 I love. Bottom 5 range from with reservations to plain bad.

Dukefrukem

08-05-2014, 01:14 PM

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Surprising. Don't get me wrong, I love this movie but what for you stands out OVER the next 3 movies under it?

Irish

08-05-2014, 01:21 PM

I still think Iron Man was the best of the lot overall, because it has the most ambitious story.

But can I take individual moments over whole movies?

1. The Avengers, "I'm always angry"
2. Hulk versus Loki, same
3. The henchman who bolt in IM3
4. Any time Cap threw his shield in Winter Soldier
5. Whiplash on the racetrack in IM2

number8

08-05-2014, 01:23 PM

Surprising. Don't get me wrong, I love this movie but what for you stands out OVER the next 3 movies under it?

Its sincerity. I love smarmy banter as much as anyone, but that ironic distance can often be used as a crutch. I like how unapologetic Cap 2 is about how sincere he is, which is what I liked most about the first movie too, but the sequel has much better action scenes.

Fezzik

08-05-2014, 01:32 PM

Hmm... rank em? Damn.

Guardians of the Galaxy
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Avengers
Iron Man
Iron Man 3
Thor
Thor: The Dark World
Captain America
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man 2

The only one I outright disliked was IM2. The top 4 are all ace for me.

Ezee E

08-05-2014, 02:14 PM

Spinal

08-05-2014, 02:38 PM

Well MC has been doing this for a while... so.... your move.

You keep talking about the website as if it's one person. It's very confusing.

Lazlo

08-05-2014, 02:58 PM

1. Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. The Avengers
4. Iron Man
5. Thor
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
7. Iron Man 3
8. Thor: The Dark World
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Iron Man 2

number8

08-05-2014, 03:16 PM

Still waiting for the first GOOD Marvel villain.

Mickey Rourke as Whiplash seemed to have the potential, but they really dropped the ball on that one. Red Skull, Mandarin, the big Robot in Thor, and Loki are all kinda meh.

Hopefully they can establish Thanos a little more.

Loki was kinda meh in how he was used in The Avengers, but he's one of the reasons why Thor is my favorite of the individual Phase One movies. He actually offered an interesting contrast to play off of that gave their confrontation some weight, rather than just an evil variant of the hero to defeat the way Iron Monger, Whiplash, Abomination, and Red Skull were. For the most part, though, yeah, Marvel doesn't seem to put as much effort into the villains as they do the heroes.

It's funny because they've kinda changed the stereotype of superhero movies in that way. People used to say that a good villain makes a good superhero movie and would focus their marketing around the villain. Fans got excited for the Batman and Spiderman movies based on who they're gonna fight this time, Man of Steel was all about hyping Zod, and Magneto is pretty much the second lead in the X-Men movies. But Marvel is now using humor and charming actors to diffuse that belief. None of the marketing for Guardians even gave a shit about Ronan at all.

TGM

08-05-2014, 03:55 PM

1. Iron Man 3
2. The Avengers
3. Thor: The Dark World
4. Captain America: The First Avenger
5. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Iron Man
7. The Incredible Hulk
8. Thor
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
10. Iron Man 2

That's my rankings for now, though as Guardians settles in a little more, I can see it possibly rising in the ranks...

megladon8

08-05-2014, 04:04 PM

Did anyone else find Ronan quite creepy?

Watashi

08-05-2014, 04:33 PM

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Iron Man
4. Iron Man Three
5. The Avengers
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
7. Thor
-------------
8. Thor: The Dark World
9. Iron Man 2
10. The Incredible Hulk

Watashi

08-05-2014, 04:34 PM

Best scene in any MCU film:

http://i.imgur.com/2h73RFh.gif

Peng

08-05-2014, 04:56 PM

If ranking by moment or scene, my list is going to be almost exclusively from The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. With Chris Patt throwing his arm to the latter's title with "Come and Get Your Love" maybe nearing the top. Such a rush of pure joy.

Henry Gale

08-05-2014, 06:33 PM

Guardians of the Galaxy (8.8)

The Avengers (8.4) - Underseen gem. Well worth a watch.

Thor (8.3) - Like 8, my favourite solo movie of Phase 1. I really don't think Branagh gets enough credit for the world-building (both the realms and the SHIELD-infested New Mexico of Earth), the many sharply loaded character moments (both sinister and charming), and the pervasive humour which has seemingly been the tonal template for every Marvel movie since. It's the MCU movie I've watched the most.

Iron Man 3 (8.2) - Tight, smart with a strong arc that allows one of these movies to stand alone and be about something for a major character that begins and ends within its runtime rather than just picking up pieces from one to set up another.

Captain America: The Winter Solider (7.7) - For every strand of greatness, the cogs of its storytelling employ so many annoying cliches that end up deflating the experience more for me than it's seemed to for most. I am looking forward to rewatching it soon, though.

Iron Man 2 (7.6) - I know I've talked about it before, but for me it's just such a breezy, funny, exciting Summer movie with so much sleekness in its action setpieces and dialogue (particularly with Stark's square-offs with Rourke and Rockwell, the movie's MVP). I've never really understood the distain for it, I've always found a nice emotional center to it with the subplot about the framework for different breakthroughs Howard left for Tony that he knew technology wouldn't allow him to achieve in his time, and most of all,
Best scene in any MCU film:

http://i.imgur.com/2h73RFh.gif

Iron Man (7.2) - Aside from Downey's all-encompassingly great work, I thought it was efficiently paint-by-numbers when it came out six years ago, and now that's only become more retroactively true with its influence on seemingly ever superhero movie (and maybe simply blockbuster movies) that have come since. The first half has some really strong things that I always enjoy when I revisit it, its latter has very few that come to mind.

Thor: The Dark World (6.8) - I think a lot of my goodwill towards it comes from my love of the first movie's world and characters, and the final act being as fun as it is. The first section of it is pretty weak though.
------------
Captain America: The First Avenger (5.5) - The first of the most two perfunctory, inert duds of the Marvel Studios bunch for me. At least it has its own unique, intermittently fun period mechanics allowing it to stand out. It also puts what's seemingly the most important stretch to understanding Cap's influence as a solider, a team member and an icon in a terrible montage. But at least it helped set up a lot of things, unlike...

The Incredible Hulk (4.1) - The deleted scenes for this really let on to how much more nuanced and interesting this could've been, and I know those pieces' inclusion are something Leterrier, Norton and the studio separately fought over, but the final product is just a whole lotta nothing.

Wryan

08-05-2014, 08:19 PM

Plus Thor had Colm Feore in fine form. That's gotta add a few points to any score.

Irish

08-05-2014, 08:35 PM

It's funny because they've kinda changed the stereotype of superhero movies in that way. People used to say that a good villain makes a good superhero movie and would focus their marketing around the villain. Fans got excited for the Batman and Spiderman movies based on who they're gonna fight this time, Man of Steel was all about hyping Zod, and Magneto is pretty much the second lead in the X-Men movies. But Marvel is now using humor and charming actors to diffuse that belief. None of the marketing for Guardians even gave a shit about Ronan at all.

Reminds me of Roger Ebert ("a hero is only as good as his villain") when he was talking Bond. Your observation is an interesting one. I suspect they don't advertise on the villains because their villains aren't well known. They don't have the major media precedent that DC villains do (live action tv shows, cartoons, etc). DC benefits from multiple generations knowing who The Joker and Zod are. Marvel and Thanos, not so much.

Also, seen this? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-guardians-galaxy-movie-theaters-box-office-20140804-story.html#page=1

Steve Zeitchik in the LA Times talking about Guardians and the "rise of the post plot movie." Curious what you think of that.

megladon8

08-05-2014, 09:28 PM

This was seriously a delight though. I hope Marvel naysayers give it a chance.

The sheer creativity on display is astounding.

Pop Trash

08-05-2014, 10:26 PM

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1&2. Everything else can go piss up a rope.

D_Davis

08-05-2014, 10:30 PM

It's all been downhill since Ang Lee's Hulk.

Although this looks like a lot of fun - like the cosmic SF that Green Lantern should have been. Looking forward to it on on-demand.

transmogrifier

08-05-2014, 10:33 PM

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1&2. Everything else can go piss up a rope.

Yuck.

Burton's Batman films for me, and even those I don't love love.

Skitch

08-05-2014, 10:37 PM

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1&2. Everything else can go piss up a rope.
:rolleyes:

D_Davis

08-05-2014, 10:39 PM

Reminds me of Roger Ebert ("a hero is only as good as his villain") when he was talking Bond. Your observation is an interesting one. I suspect they don't advertise on the villains because their villains aren't well known. They don't have the major media precedent that DC villains do (live action tv shows, cartoons, etc). DC benefits from multiple generations knowing who The Joker and Zod are. Marvel and Thanos, not so much.

Also, seen this? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-guardians-galaxy-movie-theaters-box-office-20140804-story.html#page=1

Steve Zeitchik in the LA Times talking about Guardians and the "rise of the post plot movie." Curious what you think of that.

Interesting.

I used to collect comic books, a long time ago (we're talking mainly up through Secret Wars II era).

And I always viewed Marvel as having the better heroes, and DC as having the better conflicts between the hero and villain.

I can name a whole bunch of DC's villains, but with Marvel I can name a few.

I can't even remember the names of the villains in my three favorite Marvel books - New Mutants, Excalibur, Doctor Strange / Cloak & Dagger. For me, Marvel was all about the heroes, and the interaction between them as characters.

Irish

08-05-2014, 10:55 PM

And I always viewed Marvel as having the better heroes, and DC as having the better conflicts between the hero and villain.

Great observation. I think that depends the comic. (Daredevil vs Uncanny X-Men, for example.)

Marvel has three big properties that operate around groups. Fantastic Four, X-Men, The Avengers. Two of those were conceived as teams from the start. They were never about individual heroes. This was in marked contrast to DC's approach, and I think that kinda sorta maybe explains your observation about heroes versus villains, etc.

D_Davis

08-05-2014, 11:00 PM

Yeah, I don't know if that observation is true, but it's how I remember things.

Irish

08-05-2014, 11:02 PM

I dunno. When you said it, it made intuitive sense to me.

D_Davis

08-05-2014, 11:02 PM

Now that I think about it, who the fuck did the New Mutants, Excalibur, and Alpha Flight (another favorite of mine - never liked the super popular ones like X-Men, Avengers, etc.) fight?

DavidSeven

08-06-2014, 12:31 AM

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 1&2. Everything else can go piss up a rope.

Ewww.

Irish

08-06-2014, 04:58 AM

Seated for late night show. So expect a tirade in about ~3 hours :D

Watashi

08-06-2014, 07:08 AM

Spiderman 2 is better than any MCU movie. Even with the silly ending.

Sycophant

08-06-2014, 07:58 AM

This starts off pretty strong, and the very opening promises something that is almost entirely missing from the remainder of the film. I'm glad everyone's enjoying this as a comedy, as a fun action movie, and whatever else. I could see it was making jokes and attempting funny, but somehow almost every such attempt failed to land with me.

I don't know. I was excited to see this movie.

The throughline stuff with the hands basically worked for me, for whatever that's worth.

Sycophant

08-06-2014, 08:02 AM

1. Iron Man 3
2. The Avengers
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Iron Man

I guess that's all I've seen. I liked about two-thirds of Iron Man 3.

Sycophant

08-06-2014, 08:10 AM

Irish

08-06-2014, 08:29 AM

Lotsa fun.

I was in a bad mood walking into the theater & the movie pulled me right out of it. Favorite part was the prison bit, and the guy with the prosthetic leg. Jesus, I just about died laughing.

Weird thing: Everyone in my theater was a complete stiff. A few jokes elicited reserved chuckles from the crowd. I couldn't stop giggling when the soundtrack kicked in and Star Lord danced around.

Observations but not necessarily complaints:

- I wish they had gone for practical effects. So much of the movie hits that 70s/80s sci-fi vibe-- Black Hole, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Ice Pirates-- that I wish they'd gone all the way down to the look of it.

- Some of the CGI was bad, but maybe it just didn't project well on my screen (the theater I saw this in sucked). Too many times it was painfully obvious that Zoe and Pratt were standing in front of green screens. The climax of the film looked muddy, like late gen Playstation or out takes from the Battle of Naboo.

- I got a kick out of some of the stunt-ish casting (John C Reilly) and some of the cameo voice work, but others were distracting Nathan Fillion?.

- I miss the days where action determined character. Can you imagine Han Solo busting out with private trauma or droning on about his shitty childhood? Everybody here has their little character moment, and every one of those moments is shoe horned into its respective scene.

- Nobody here has a good reason for doing anything they do. Not the heroes, not the villains. (Pet peeve: When a character does something totally against their established nature and then explains it away, starting with something like, "Heh! You're probably wondering why I just did that...")

- I really loved each individual planet settings. Every time they moved somewhere else in the galaxy, I was gawking like a slack jawed rube ("Oooooh.... Cooooool"). There was a ton of detail to every one of these sequences.

- It seems like Gunn et al got all the small stuff really, really right and then fucked off on the big stuff. The plot & story is so slight & the movie follows Marvel formula so rigidly it felt like they just didn't care.

- I don't understand why this did so well (even allowing for Marvel's brand power) and Slither tanked.

Two questions:

- What is with Marvel's never ending hardon for floating ships & third act CGI aerial battles? It worse than their sudden-death character syndrome

- Who would win in a fight, Chewbacca or Groot?

Dukefrukem

08-06-2014, 12:25 PM

Groot obviously because... you can just replant him.

Spinal

08-06-2014, 02:51 PM

The better question is 'Who would win in a debate between Groot and Hodor?'

Spun Lepton

08-06-2014, 03:35 PM

I don't understand why this did so well (even allowing for Marvel's brand power) and Slither tanked.

Slither's ad campaign was focused on ooey-gooey-slimy. Most of my friends were a little sickened by it. I suspect that's a big reason it flopped.

Irish

08-06-2014, 03:37 PM

Slither's ad campaign was focused on ooey-gooey-slimy. Most of my friends were a little sickened by it. I suspect that's a big reason it flopped.

Fair enough-- tbh I don't remember the ad campaign at all. I only remember Slither having a similar tone. Light, funny, entertaining, etc.

number8

08-06-2014, 04:03 PM

I remember it. The trailers and TV spots were actually really faithful to what it is. It looked like a funny, gross out, low-budget, R-rated, B-movie. Which is why I went to see it. I don't think that kind of thing draws a big theatrical audience.

Bosco B Thug

08-07-2014, 07:26 AM

This film really takes off with thesaurus joke.

Simple, unobjectionable story ridden enough with good gags and a climax that successfully and inventively ties up all the emotional arcs.

I was hoping Drax would eventually bob his head during the little stinger with dancing baby Groot, because now it's just the Groot show and, ugh, no, let baby Groot not be a thing and also clearly Drax is the best of them all.

Dukefrukem

08-07-2014, 02:57 PM

Sycophant

08-07-2014, 03:31 PM

Yeah. Ultimately, I didn't like it.

number8

08-07-2014, 03:44 PM

LEGENDARY OUTLAW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAoZDKlbzTc

Sycophant

08-07-2014, 03:50 PM

Looking back at my post, it looks like I so softened my post in an attempt to not be incendiary that I obscured the fact I disliked the film. It was pretty boring and unfunny. Not an awful movie, but I am a bit confused about how this is resonating so well with so many.

Grouchy

08-07-2014, 05:17 PM

I can't believe how many of you prefer Iron Man 3 to the original.

Morris Schæffer

08-07-2014, 05:31 PM

I can't believe how many of you prefer Iron Man 3 to the original.

Well, I prefer Condorman to all three Iron mans!

Pop Trash

08-07-2014, 06:09 PM

I barely know who Chris Pratt is and I'm already tired of him.

Sycophant

08-07-2014, 06:10 PM

Chris Pratt is pretty great, though.

Dukefrukem

08-07-2014, 06:12 PM

I barely know who Chris Pratt is and I'm already tired of him.

And 8 calls me old n grumpy.

Watashi

08-07-2014, 06:32 PM

I'm tired of Pop Trash.

Watashi

08-07-2014, 06:34 PM

More Prattness.

Pratt shopped as Indy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bub_BsRCUAEueUg.jpg

MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Dukefrukem

08-07-2014, 06:39 PM

Yes Wats, I agree. Yes.

DavidSeven

08-07-2014, 06:40 PM

Already mentioned this in my initial thoughts but I was pretty surprised by Pratt's "movie star-ness." He had good presence in this movie.

Zoe Saldana is also a star, pure and simple. Shame that she'll be locked into the Avatar stuff for a while.

number8

08-07-2014, 07:14 PM

And 8 calls me old n grumpy.

I don't think I've ever done this.

Dukefrukem

08-07-2014, 07:36 PM

I don't think I've ever done this.

Remember when I was making fun of the hipster kids in the bar? You weren't directly calling me old, i think you were tongue and cheek asking me how old I was.

number8

08-07-2014, 07:47 PM

Oh riiight, 'cause you said green hair is unusual. That's pretty old.

Grouchy

08-07-2014, 07:54 PM

http://www.ioffer.com/img/item/918/116/36/o_6wambQojyBa7Z3c.jpg

TGM

08-07-2014, 08:49 PM

So I really liked this one a hell of a lot more on a second viewing. And the emotional moments really packed a way bigger punch the second time around.

Henry Gale

08-07-2014, 09:59 PM

So I really liked this one a hell of a lot more on a second viewing. And the emotional moments really packed a way bigger punch the second time around.

Oh boy, if this is even more affecting on a re-watch, I'm not sure what it'll do to me. I was already in semi-blubbery awe before the Marvel Studios logo even came up. And a large part of that opening scene's strength came from having the sneaking suspicion that the "Take my hand" moment would be a a motif called back on later. Welp, I was right, and guess what happened when it returned? :cry:/:lol:

I also blame the Interstellar trailer for blowing the floodgates open beforehand. The couple of times I'd watched it at home mildly choked me up (even with the questionable "Love is the only thing that transcends time and space" line!) with its vast beauty and potential, but finally seeing it in IMAX, with that level of imagery and sound completely enveloping me, it hit me pretty hard, leaving me in a pretty heightened and vulnerable state before this actual movie even started. So everything there was like two hours of icing on the cake, whether that meant was laughs or sads or a glorious mix of everything cinematically/cosmically/operatically rich in between.

I have no idea how a movie I've also already described as gloriously goofy almost managed to design such a heart-tugging core, but it absolutely did, and I think above all else about trying to decipher how Gunn, Marvel and everyone made this so creatively and financially successful considering all the weird and risky elements it manages to pack into it, that genuine emotional resonance is the ultimate key.

number8

08-07-2014, 10:04 PM

Speaking of callbacks, I'm surprised at the criticisms I've read of his mother's wrapped gift being too predictable. I would think that it's pretty obvious that it's not meant to be a surprise, and that his opening it is what's important, not what he finds in it.

Henry Gale

08-07-2014, 10:12 PM

Yeah, exactly. Why would anyone want to ignore the impact of it just because they guessed what it was?

But I hope if that's one of their vocal criticisms about it then it's because they were just scraping to find anything. Or they're just the sort of the people who cockily whisper what they think is going to happen every chance they get, forgetting to actually enjoy things as they happen. (And there's nothing necessarily wrong with doing that sometimes (or jokingly) but c'mon, not everything has to be unpredictable to be effective.)

Skitch

08-07-2014, 10:32 PM

I can't believe how many of you prefer Iron Man 3 to the original.

Me too.

Irish

08-07-2014, 11:05 PM

God help me, I just bought the fucking soundtrack.

number8

08-08-2014, 01:13 AM

I, uh, I got it on vinyl.

Gunn said they're working on releasing it on cassette.

Peng

08-08-2014, 03:04 AM

Tide turning against Pratt already? Must be cured by more Prattness indeed.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BucOSWGIUAAHHYO.jpg

Fezzik

08-08-2014, 03:15 AM

So I really liked this one a hell of a lot more on a second viewing. And the emotional moments really packed a way bigger punch the second time around.

Likewise - it was SO much better on a repeat view, especially some of the little touches I completely missed the first time around.

My favorite:

When Groot releases the glowing spores and Drax asks him "when did you learn to do that?"

After Quill says "Im pretty sure the answer is I Am Groot," Groot gives a small knowing nod at Peter as if to say "Ya damn right."

Fezzik

08-08-2014, 03:16 AM

God help me, I just bought the fucking soundtrack.

I got it the day after I saw it. I actually listened to it while on my afternoon walk the next day and might have hop skipped down the thoroughfare at the mall when "I Got You Back" came on.

Sxottlan

08-08-2014, 08:37 AM

Really enjoyed this, but it took a little while to find its way. Can't put my finger on why, but the scene of everyone chasing Quill on Xandar I thought was kind of a haphazard way to introduce Groot and Rocket. They just appear and go right after him. Rocket himself I liked, but it was kind of hard to shake seeing Bradley Cooper just reading his lines in my head. The character also did not seem to be well integrated into some scenes.

Once the gang gets to Nowhere, the film finally achieves lift off for me. Bringing the film back around to connect with the ongoing Avengers Saga I think helped (although the Collector played a much briefer role than I thought he would). The humor isn't as laugh-a-minute as I was somehow expecting, but the visuals and imagination carry the day. Nowhere in particular was inspiring. Fantastic use of music. I love "Come and Get Your Love" and to have that over the opening credits was delightful.

Ronan was pretty one-note, but it was also clear that it was Thanos in the background where the real menace came from and finally getting to see him in full was great.

I've enjoyed Phase 2. My only worry for Age of Ultron is how that villain will seemingly come out of the blue. What I loved so much about Phase 1 was the drawing together of different elements from the previous films to create a very natural-feeling continuation in Whedon's film.

number8

08-08-2014, 02:06 PM

I've enjoyed Phase 2. My only worry for Age of Ultron is how that villain will seemingly come out of the blue. What I loved so much about Phase 1 was the drawing together of different elements from the previous films to create a very natural-feeling continuation in Whedon's film.

I mentioned it in the upcoming thread a while back, but the creation of Ultron will actually be the direct result of Iron Man 3 and Winter Soldier.

(Sort of spoiler but not really at this point) Stark creates Ultron because he's no longer making the Iron Man suits, so he creates an AI drone army instead to replace SHIELD being gone.

megladon8

08-08-2014, 02:09 PM

Sxottlan, I too was surprised by how brief the Collector's role was.

Morris Schæffer

08-08-2014, 05:35 PM

More Prattness.

Pratt shopped as Indy.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bub_BsRCUAEueUg.jpg

MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Chris Pratt is the new Nathan Fillion!

Watashi

08-08-2014, 06:03 PM

Fillion is nowhere near the star power that Pratt is now. Fillion is stuck doing cameos while Pratt is headlining three huge franchises.

Plus Pratt is a way better actor.

Morris Schæffer

08-08-2014, 08:39 PM

Fillion is nowhere near the star power that Pratt is now. Fillion is stuck doing cameos while Pratt is headlining three huge franchises.

Plus Pratt is a way better actor.

oh agree wholeheartedly, but I meant that pratt is the new go to guy now when it comes to these kinds of roles and we can finally, and thankfully, stop talking about how Fillion is the only person in the galaxy who can play Nathan Drake.

Wryan

08-08-2014, 08:53 PM

This was fun but not amazing. Although funny, I felt like they used off takes for so many lines. They just felt really rough around the edges, and not in a way that complements the offbeat, scattershot tone of the movie. Rather, they just felt like badly chosen takes. I liked the characters a lot though. Hope Drax gets a little more powerful because if it's his sole mission to kill Thanos, dude's got a long way to go--he got tossed around by pre-stone Ronan like a rag doll. Speaking of, I'm quite excited to see Thanos enter the game. Just his brief scene was terrific, even if he does join the rogues' gallery of Villains with Menacing, Low-Register Voices--number, oh, 157? I can't wait for a villain with a voice pitched so low we can't even make sense out of it, like a whale or something. That's gonna be really scary.

Not sure if I'll rewatch while it's in theaters, but I had fun nonetheless.

Wryan

08-08-2014, 08:53 PM

Damn, the Fillion backlash is strong. He's perfectly fine, and they have similar strengths.

Wryan

08-08-2014, 09:23 PM

I really liked how much of Ronan's monologuing got cut short.

Thirdmango

08-08-2014, 10:47 PM

Surprising. Don't get me wrong, I love this movie but what for you stands out OVER the next 3 movies under it?

It's my number 1 as well. By far and away the best Marvel movie of recent.

Sxottlan

08-09-2014, 06:27 AM

And my ranking of the Avengers Saga so far:

1. The Avengers: ****
2. The Winter Soldier: ****
3. Iron Man 3: ****
4. Captain America: ****
5. Iron Man: ****
6. Thor: ***1/2
7. Guardians of the Galaxy: ***1/2
8. Thor: The Dark World: ***
9. Iron Man 2: ***
10. The Incredible Hulk: ***

#2 - #5 kind of shift around on a regular basis. The theme of identity in Iron Man 3 is explored in such an incredibly entertaining manner while The Winter Soldier is infused with thrilling dread. The First Avenger is ultimately a sad story of a lonely man and Iron Man remains a wonderful take on the classic redemption story.

Spinal

08-09-2014, 07:30 AM

Chris Pratt is the new Nathan Fillion!

More like the new Barty.

Henry Gale

08-09-2014, 07:49 AM

The theme of identity in Iron Man 3 is explored in such an incredibly entertaining manner [...] and Iron Man remains a wonderful take on the classic redemption story.

Has anybody written a piece about how you could look at the three Iron Man films acting as metaphors for Robert Downey, Jr's life and career once the movies came into them, making him who he now is? I mean, what better visual metaphor do you need than him in the first movie injured and imprisoned in the cave (indirectly by his own devices), considered down for the count, only to then miraculously burst his way out of it from his own ingenuity by becoming Iron Man? Fast-forward to the third movie where in real-life he was at the end of his contract for the franchise, not signed on to make any more, and his final gestures on screen him are him choosing his loved ones over everything else, initiating a protocol to destroying all he's built, ultimately concluding that in the end, he is Iron Man not the suit.

I mean, this thing writes itself!

TGM

08-10-2014, 10:32 PM

God help me, I just bought the fucking soundtrack.

Add me in to this club as well. B)

Neclord

08-11-2014, 12:28 AM

I have to say, I'm enjoying Lee Pace's recent turn as scenery chewing villain.

Ezee E

08-11-2014, 12:31 AM

I do have to say, I actually preferred Michael Rooker's villain more than Ronan even if his twang was a little weird for an alien.

Neclord

08-11-2014, 12:42 AM

I have to say, Michael Rooker really brings it to every role.

transmogrifier

08-11-2014, 12:59 AM

Rooker reminded me of an intergalactic Dewey Crowe.

Wryan

08-11-2014, 04:45 PM

Thanos was in my dream last night. And he beat up Superman. And he was actually sort of charming. And for some reason, he was all green when he beat up Supes, like Hulk green.

I don't know.

megladon8

08-11-2014, 05:39 PM

So regarding that after-credits clip...

Are they teasing Howard the Duck joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Or was it just something to chuckle at?

Dukefrukem

08-11-2014, 07:15 PM

So regarding that after-credits clip...

Are they teasing Howard the Duck joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Or was it just something to chuckle at?

Sorry Meg, I LOLed.

Henry Gale

08-11-2014, 08:31 PM

So regarding that after-credits clip...

Are they teasing Howard the Duck joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Or was it just something to chuckle at?

May 6th, 2016.

Lots of people assumed it was going to be Captain America 3 there, including DC who just flinched and moved Batman v Superman away from there, but nope! Howard's finally getting his day in the sun!

EDIT: Feige just confirmed it:

"It's all lead up to this as far as we're concerned.

The fine people at Warner Bros. and DC - with them now laying the groundwork for the start of their own cohesive cinematic universe, that I'm sure is going to be great - were completely justified in wanting that prime release date, but they were just as noble in backing down from it. When it comes down to it, they're at the very beginning of what they're doing, but this is what we've been building towards since we made Iron Man in 2008, particularly with Nick Fury in Stark's home in that very first post-credits scene. It's also most of the reason why we just made this Guardians movie, which actually became a pretty big hit. Go figure.

Nobody knew Tony Stark, Loki, Rocket Racoon, Star-God [at this point he looks to his assistant, they both shrug], Chris Pratt's character, the green girl Zoe Saldana played or who any of those were before they we put them in the pictures, except for y'know, the nerds. [Feige tries to clarify after an awkward pause: "You know, those people who live at Comic-Con that we visit once a year..."] So we used characters like Hulk, Thor and Cap to boost the public's confidence in what we were doing, but if there's one name everyone has always known and loved in the Marvel world, and especially in the movie world, it's absolutely Howard the Duck.

With Disney's recent acquisition of Lucasfilm, we at Marvel are now allowed complete access to the original costumes, characters, storylines -- you name it, from the classic 1986 film, picking up right where things left off there both stylistically and plot-wise. We can't wait for people to see the wild adventures we've cooked up for our Howard."

[When asked who would be writing/directing] "We'll likely settle that a few weeks before our release date. After shooting, but before the final trailer. Somewhere in there."

[Interview ends, Feige thanks us for our time, drives away in his orange Lamborghini with the custom license plate: HWRDDUCKRULZ] We think this franchise is in pretty good hands, or... wings!

megladon8

08-11-2014, 08:36 PM

Sorry Meg, I LOLed.

At what?

Spinal

08-11-2014, 10:12 PM

the classic 1986 film

This phrase seems to be used without irony. I'm perplexed.

number8

08-11-2014, 10:14 PM

This phrase seems to be used without irony. I'm perplexed.

Are you... under the impression that that was a real article?

Irish

08-11-2014, 10:15 PM

I can no longer tell who's serious in this thread and who's doing meta-meta level jokes.

Dukefrukem

08-11-2014, 10:30 PM

I repped the hell out of Henry Gale for that.

Henry Gale

08-12-2014, 01:46 AM

It would be ridiculous to assume that I spent 10 or more minutes just making that up, fake edit and all.

It would also be correct.

megladon8

08-12-2014, 01:55 AM

By the way my question was sincere.

Are we to expect his presence in later Marvel movies?

ledfloyd

08-12-2014, 02:01 AM

Wow. I went into this a bit skeptical, mostly because I thought Winter Soldier was completely uninspired and bland despite the hype, but it won me over pretty quickly. I was fully on board by the time the team came together in prison. Not that it's on the level of Ghostbusters or Jurassic Park, but it felt fun in a way very few (no?) recent blockbusters have. Michael Bay and Christopher Nolan have drained the fun out of the blockbuster. This film, in some small way, pushes back the other way.

- It seems like Gunn et al got all the small stuff really, really right and then fucked off on the big stuff. The plot & story is so slight & the movie follows Marvel formula so rigidly it felt like they just didn't care.
I wonder how much this is forced on these films by Marvel though. They obviously were forcing Edgar Wright to do stuff he didn't want to do.

ledfloyd

08-12-2014, 02:05 AM

By the way my question was sincere.

Are we to expect his presence in later Marvel movies?
I really hope so. In Guardians 2 please?

Omega the Unknown would not be unwelcome either.

Irish

08-12-2014, 03:33 AM

It would be ridiculous to assume that I spent 10 or more minutes just making that up, fake edit and all.

It would also be correct.

Wait.

You made that up? Impressive. That was inspired stuff. I thought it was a copypasta from somewhere.

"You know, those people who live at Comic-Con that we visit once a year..." :lol:

Spinal

08-12-2014, 04:17 AM

Are you... under the impression that that was a real article?

Yeah, I'm an idiot. Scanning stuff at work and not reading closely. You got me.

Ezee E

08-12-2014, 04:59 AM

Best Match Cut prank since Goofy.

Gittes

08-12-2014, 05:14 AM

Best Match Cut prank since Goofy.

Just out of curiosity, are you praising your own prank here or were you not responsible for the addendum?

Ezee E

08-12-2014, 05:16 AM

Just out of curiosity, are you praising your own prank here or were you not responsible for the addendum?

I can praise my own prank.

Gittes

08-12-2014, 05:21 AM

I can praise my own prank.

I wasn't curious about whether or not you're capable of praising your own prank, but alright. :)

TGM

08-12-2014, 05:23 AM

So this movie has resonated EXTREMELY well, and left me with quite a bit of feels. So much so that I wrote a really in depth review on it, for those interested in checking it out. :) http://cwiddop.blogspot.com/2014/08/guardians-of-galaxy.html

[ETM]

08-13-2014, 11:30 AM

Just so much fun. The audience laughed more than at any comedy I've seen on the big screen.

dreamdead

08-13-2014, 08:32 PM

Enjoyable, though formulaic to a fault in the final act. The standoff against Pace was a bit too long, and I'm saddened that Karen Gillan didn't get to have much range. Pace's scenery-chewing was good, but he didn't ever seem villainous enough--I'm not advocating for more violence necessarily, but showing his execution of Batista's family would have raised the stakes a little. As it is, if memory serves, he's never shown directly executing anyone of importance.

I was legitimately impressed with Zoe Saldana's depth, and the lead performers were all solid. Pratt's line delivery had a few too many early one-liners that didn't feel natural, but overall entertaining enough. We've missed all of the second round of the Marvel cycle, but this one did seem to have a bit more spontaneity.

dreamdead

08-14-2014, 04:56 PM

Found this article (http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/08/guardians-of-the-galaxy-we-need-to-talk) interesting. It takes up a typical criticism on the charges against Marvel of gender exclusion, but this part did strike me as off immediately:

That “whore” joke:
There were two, really. The first was Rocket telling Gamora to use her sexuality to seduce the quarnex battery from the watchtower guards, which still doesn’t make any sense to me. How in the world is that plan even remotely a good idea? They just established that everyone in the prison is either terrified of her or wants to kill her. While she flirts with Peter in the beginning to steal the Infinity Stone from him, the difference is that in the prison it’s treated as a punchline meant to degrade Gamora rather than a desperate plan she forms herself. In the beginning, she makes her own choice; in the prison, the male characters decide what to do with her body. In the former, she has all the agency; in the latter she’s a sexual object.

But the more offensive joke was when Drax the Destroyer calls Gamora a whore. Gamora, warrior, assassin, and all-around BAMF, is apparently nothing more than “this green whore.” Drax can only speak literally. So where does this accusation of whorish behavior come from? It is neither implicitly nor explicitly noted anywhere that she has previously prostituted herself. If we’re going around accusing people of slutty behavior, that joke would’ve been more appropriate directed at Star-Lord. He’s notorious for sleeping around, so much so that Gamora - who never met him before this movie - rejects his infamous “pelvic sorcery.” He has so much sex with so many random women that he forgets he has one of them in his ship when he steals the Infinity Stone. (Bereet should be a clever Easter egg tie-in to the Avengers, but here she’s hardly more than a briefly seen sexual conquest.) Peter Quill may have started out as an homage to Han Solo, but in the Guardians movie he’s closer to the rebooted, over-sexed Captain Kirk.

The males around Gamora have simply decided that she’s a slut, without any evidence supporting it. (Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with prostitution or being a slut in the first place, but the movie clearly uses the term in a derogatory sense.) Slutty Peter gets Drax’s gratitude while not-slutty Gamora is called a whore. And to do so as a punchline is even more inexcusable. At best, it’s an unfunny joke that has no place in a light-hearted PG-13 movie. At worst, it reinforces rape culture by attempting to make it funny that women should be thought of only in terms of a straight male’s sexual appetite. I mean, come on. It’s infuriating.

Lazlo

08-14-2014, 05:26 PM

Found this article (http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/08/guardians-of-the-galaxy-we-need-to-talk) interesting. It takes up a typical criticism on the charges against Marvel of gender exclusion, but this part did strike me as off immediately:

Yeah, it's a glaring, slam-on-the-brakes misstep in a movie that doesn't make many. Similar to the Latino kid thanks Patricia Arquette for inspiring him to get an education moment in Boyhood. Just, what's the point? Both are distracting and undermine the goodwill and momentum created by what's come before.

number8

08-14-2014, 06:07 PM

Mm, I talked about that for a bit after I saw the movie. Framing it as an "accusation" seems wrong, given Drax's overly-literal nature. He obviously didn't mean it as a slight since he was professing his affection, just like he didn't mean offense when he called Groot a "dumb tree" two seconds earlier, but his character was devised to be the guy who didn't really understand what an insult is, so he kept obliviously saying offensive things to people he considers friends. Gamora rightfully chose to put a stop to that.

I actually took it as a teachable moment of how the words you choose matter regardless of your intent.

Dukefrukem

08-14-2014, 06:09 PM

I feel like you can't do or say anything without being called misogynistic today. I'm still gonna call my friends bitches.

number8

08-14-2014, 06:20 PM

I don't know what the secret to avoid being called a misogynist is, but one thing I like to try is to not say or do anything that is misogynist, and so far it's working pretty well.

DavidSeven

08-14-2014, 07:11 PM

Seems pretty nitpicky to me, especially on the first point. First of all, is it established that the guards are terrified of her and/or want to kill her? Secondly, it was a jokey suggestion made by Rocket, who is far from the "moral center" of the film. Are we also to assume the film supports dismembering cripples for pure amusement? I think Gamora's reaction properly conveyed that Rocket was being a "pig" in that instance, and I'm not entirely convinced that it was even conveyed as a serious suggestion. Even if it was, I don't see the immediate leap from acknowledging a person's feminine appeal to being a misogynist.

On the second point, I can see where he's coming from, but it takes some mental acrobatics to make it as egregious as he's portraying it. Maybe they could have used a different word, but I understood the intent of the joke -- which was just to convey that, while Drax had gained respect for Gamora, he still remained oblivious to her cultural sensibilities. On the point of Peter not receiving similar treatment for his slutty ways, didn't Drax refer to him once only as "man who lays with [grotesque alien species]?"

I mean, come on, "reinforcing rape culture"? I feel like the criticism itself is doing that more than the film would be to any rational person.

Dukefrukem

08-14-2014, 07:12 PM

Is it a guy even writing that?

Watashi

08-14-2014, 07:53 PM

It's a girl. It says so in the first paragraph.

I find that article troubling because I never felt Gamora was sexualized or locked into an unnecessary romance with Quill. In fact Gunn actually cut out a revealing shot of Gamora in prison because he didn't want to further fetishize her.

Also, the author really takes the end credits stinger a bit too seriously.

Irish

08-14-2014, 08:27 PM

Even if it was, I don't see the immediate leap from acknowledging a person's feminine appeal to being a misogynist.

It might have been nit-picky to point it out, but it seems like you're going the other way and making excuses for the movie.

The problem with the prison scene is the problem with her character overall-- the second she joins the group she goes from galactic assassin to "the girl" and loses most, if not all, of her own agency. She has nothing to do within the group, no special ability, and nothing to set her apart aside from her gender.

Rocket's line was at the very least sexist, because he wouldn't have made that suggestion about a male character in any serious way. He wouldn't have noted that the go-to option would be for Starlord to use his gender to get what he wants. This isn't a case of the character being socially backwards, because he isn't presented a sexist in any other scene. It's the writers falling back on an old, tired social trope.

And it's boring.

On the second point, I can see where he's coming from, but it takes some mental acrobatics to make it as egregious as he's portraying it.

Whore is a loaded term with an ugly history. For some reason, many men don't get this. Gunn certainly doesn't, and he's too dumb to see how completely off-tone this joke was with the rest of his movie.

If Drax had called Starlord a "faggot" or a Rocket a "fucking Jew*," would you make excuses for that line?

It's like the movie wants everybody's buy in and creates this kick ass female characters and then, at the end, turns around and tells every girl and woman in the audience that, gee, sorry, you're actually not a member of the group, worthy of basic respect, and you never will be because you're a "girl."

I think that "rape culture" is badly named, because people get hung up on the word "rape" and take the phrase literally. This isn't about that. It's about reinforcing the view that no matter how good or capable a woman is, her primary asset is always, always, what's between her legs.

* Yes I realize this is a fantasy story and who knows if there's intergalactic Jews running around deep space. And yes, I also realize that there's nothing wrong with the word Jew in an off itself. These things are about context, and about how slurs aren't just an insult but a way of putting someone in their place and keeping them there.

Spinal

08-14-2014, 08:41 PM

The problem with so much modern feminist critique is that it is not so much commentary, or a discussion, as it is dictating rules of behavior to perceived offenders. Typically, this involves assuming the worst intentions in other people. So, even when I agree in principle with the general points being made, I tire quickly of the sanctimony that so often fuels them.

DavidSeven

08-14-2014, 08:54 PM

The problem with the prison scene is the problem with her character overall-- the second she joins the group she goes from galactic assassin to "the girl" and loses most, if not all, of her own agency. She has nothing to do within the group, no special ability, and nothing to set her apart aside from her gender.

I'm pretty sure her skill and agility is utilized in every major set-piece of the film. Not sure how she was "minimized" anymore than Drax or the tree or the raccoon.

Rocket's line was at the very least sexist, because he wouldn't have made that suggestion about a male character in any serious way. He wouldn't have noted that the go-to option would be for Starlord to use his gender to get what he wants. This isn't a case of the character being socially backwards, because he isn't presented a sexist in any other scene. It's the writers falling back on an old, tired social trope.

And it's boring.

Whore is a loaded term with an ugly history. For some reason, many men don't get this. Gunn certainly doesn't, and he's too dumb to see how completely off-tone this joke was with the rest of his movie.

If Drax had called Starlord a "faggot" or a Rocket a "fucking Jew*," would you make excuses for that line?

It's like the movie wants everybody's buy in and creates this kick ass female characters and then, at the end, turns around and tells every girl and woman in the audience that, gee, sorry, you're actually not a member of the group, worthy of basic respect, and you never will be because you're a "girl."

I think that "rape culture" is badly named, because people get hung up on the word "rape" and take the phrase literally. This isn't about that. It's about reinforcing the view that no matter how good or capable a woman is, her primary asset is always, always, what's between her legs.

* Yes I realize this is a fantasy story and who knows if there's intergalactic Jews running around deep space. And yes, I also realize that there's nothing wrong with the word Jew in an off itself. These things are about context, and about how slurs aren't just an insult but a way of putting someone in their place and keeping them there.

Eh, my impression is that you're latching onto one side of this debate for the sake of having the debate (shock!). I'm not really interested in being cornered into moral positions just because you feel like arguing today. I'd feel differently if you had made any mention of these issues in your initial lengthy (and glowing) impressions from the film.

If it's your revisionist opinion that Gamora was an after-thought on this team or that her power/skills were at all minimized, so be it. That's not the way I saw it, and I don't think that's how the film plays.

Irish

08-14-2014, 08:59 PM

Eh, my impression is that you're latching onto one side of this debate for the sake of having the debate (shock!). I'm not really interested in being cornered into moral positions just because you feel like arguing today. I'd feel differently if you had made any mention of these issues in your initial lengthy (and glowing) impressions from the film.

If it's your revisionist opinion that Gamora was an after-thought on this team, so be it. That's not the way I saw it.

I hesitated to respond to you because you're usually reductive and narrow minded, but there it is. Your response is disappointing, but not surprising.

I'm not arguing for the sake of it. What I said I actually believe, and my thoughts are a genuine response to both the article and the movie. Shock!

Thanks for letting me know that there's a time limit on making observations about a movie. I didn't raise these points originally because what would have been the purpose? Guys like you never get it.

number8

08-14-2014, 09:02 PM

Jesus, you guys can't discuss anything without resorting to name calling like a couple of drooling morons.

amberlita

08-14-2014, 09:29 PM

Rocket's line was at the very least sexist, because he wouldn't have made that suggestion about a male character in any serious way. He wouldn't have noted that the go-to option would be for Starlord to use his gender to get what he wants. This isn't a case of the character being socially backwards, because he isn't presented a sexist in any other scene. It's the writers falling back on an old, tired social trope.

Whore is a loaded term with an ugly history. For some reason, many men don't get this. Gunn certainly doesn't, and he's too dumb to see how completely off-tone this joke was with the rest of his movie.

I think this sums it up quite well. While I appreciate the collective's fatigue with people crying misogynist-foul at every turn, that doesn't mean the argument should be dismissed. Some people are particularly attuned to catching those sorts of social offenses than others, and despite my gender even I am often oblivious to when I'm being reduced to little more than my worth as a woman, rather than as a person. I didn't notice the inappropriateness of using "Whore" in that context. I don't damn the movie for it, but I do lament its reflection on the social acceptance in using sexually reductive words to describe women as if it's always funny because the deliverer meant no harm.

It's not a particularly egregious foul here. The movie has a good heart toward Gamorra. But it speaks volumes about the ingrained tendencies of a male dominant world to be ignorant of how women might perceive even the most innocent of insults.

It's like the movie wants everybody's buy in and creates this kick ass female characters and then, at the end, turns around and tells every girl and woman in the audience that, gee, sorry, you're actually not a member of the group, worthy of basic respect, and you never will be because you're a "girl."

And now I think you're overstating. :) The sum effect was not so devastating. I don't think Gamorra had any more or less to do in the group than Drax. At least Gamorra wasn't stupid.

DavidSeven

08-14-2014, 09:48 PM

Fair enough. Irish, I apologize for the flippant response.

I didn't feel like being the torch-bearer for people who use terms as offensive as the one used in the film. Simply, I didn't think the filmmakers wrote the quip with bad intentions or any latent disregard for that specific character or gender. I think they found the juxtaposed respect/disrespect followed by the female character's reaction to be a funny bit. Perhaps that was ignorant on their part -- but I would argue not more so than Quentin Tarantino's frequent use of the "N-word" early in his career. Considering this term's frequent usage in other media (along with its apparent easy passage through the MPAA), it feels like expungement of that term's usage is a broader cultural issue as opposed to a reason to crucify these specific filmmakers. The non-literal connotation I feel they were going for with that term is similar to how one would use the term "dick" or "bastard" -- similar to how it was used in the Tina Fey-penned Mean Girls. Obviously, the issue here is that Drax is established as someone who "speaks literally." I think that's probably just an oversight -- after all, if he was truly being literal, it would take more than an gender-based assumption of promiscuity for him to use that term. Nevertheless, I agree, we should try to write different kinds of jokes that don't rely on potentially harmful words. But again, I'm not sure the term's actual usage in the film does more to perpetuate harmful thought processes than the discussion that comes in the author's criticism -- which itself is loaded with some baggage that not every viewer is going into the film with.

In regard to Gamora being minimized after joining the team, I would characterize that as a fabrication by the article's author invented to further her article's thesis. The character's skill/power/agility are directly linked to the prison escape (retrieval of the arm band) and the team getting to Ronan (disabling that green-glowy thing). I don't see how her skills/powers were utilized less in any material way than Drax, Rocket, and/or Groot. She's also probably portrayed as the most well-adjusted character of that entire group and arguably acts as the true moral center of the film.

megladon8

08-14-2014, 10:00 PM

With regards to what Duke said about finding that everything these days is accused of being misogynistic:

I can't deny that I often find debates and issues regarding sexism go over my head, or seem like they are grasping at straws. But honestly, this just enforces how deeply engrained sexism is in our society and culture, and it ends up making me feel even worse about myself and even more disgusted when my eyes are "opened" to something new that I never really noticed.

I'm constantly learning about these things, as silly and ignorant as that might sound. I hope it doesn't, and I hope the "point" i am trying to get across, IS coming across.

What may seem like a simple little one-off comment, and "hey, you're taking that too seriously...have a sense of humor!", all piles up into a much larger issue.

I don't think that James Gunn is "stupid" as he's accused of being a few posts back - I just think he is, unfortunately, part of this same culture that I (we) are a part of, where a comment like that doesn't seem like a big deal, and perhaps in and of itself it's not, but it's indicative of a huge, persistent problem that is far from being solved.

Like I said, it sounds silly, but I am constantly learning about this stuff - through conversations with my wife, through conversations with posters on here. It really is scary and sad to see how deep this stuff goes.

number8

08-14-2014, 10:14 PM

Irish

08-14-2014, 10:19 PM

Thanks, David. I likewise apologize for my own flippant response.

You make good points. As anyone here can imagine, I could talk about this stuff for days. But in a nod to what 8 just said, I should let it lie there. Mostly because I'm too limited to continue without either becoming argumentative or appearing sanctimonious.

Dukefrukem

08-14-2014, 10:26 PM

Skitch

08-14-2014, 10:34 PM

megladon8

08-14-2014, 10:54 PM

Wow.

Watashi

08-14-2014, 10:57 PM

I blame Kevin Smith.

Dukefrukem

08-14-2014, 10:59 PM

I blame Kevin Smith.

I'm missing the connection.

amberlita

08-14-2014, 11:32 PM

It's why I'm a big fan of anyone who's zealous enough to make these passionately uber-progressive critiques. They risk appearing dumb by really digging into stuff that people take for granted, and catch all the shit for it, and the rest of us get to sit back and act measured while we polish what's uncovered.

Very well said. While he didn't write the article, I think it's fair to say Irish has always caught shit on this board for taking the feminist stance against the typical male-dominated-fanboy-circle-jerking that tends to be oblivious to the female audience. "Male gaze" is forever in my lexicon now because of him.

Like Meg said, I feel silly when I realize I've missed it. More so because I'm a woman and should be particularly primed to spot offenses.

Or maybe I'm just chronically used to being subjugated and objectified. :)

DavidSeven

08-15-2014, 12:04 AM

While he didn't write the article, I think it's fair to say Irish has always caught shit on this board for taking the feminist stance against the typical male-dominated-fanboy-circle-jerking that tends to be oblivious to the female audience. "Male gaze" is forever in my lexicon now because of him.

Seems like an unfair generalization for the people here, who I think are usually pretty thoughtful in talking about female portrayals of in film (my knee-jerk dismissal of his initial post notwithstanding). And again, I didn't dismiss his post for content. I just didn't feel like being the "ying" to the feminist "yang" in this particular instance and going through the motions of a debate.

However, I don't remember where the "male gaze" comment was made, so maybe that was a discussion I didn't read that might change my view. I do remember Irish and I taking a similar position on how a female character was portrayed in the last Coen bros. movie, so I know gender issues is something he talks about on occasion. In that case, I didn't see much disagreement on this forum with his perspective on the topic.

Spinal

08-15-2014, 12:19 AM

"Male Gaze" is a pretty standard term in gender studies and feminist film critique. If you ever have difficulty pinning down what it looks like, watch a Tinto Brass film. :lol:

amberlita

08-15-2014, 12:25 AM

Seems like an unfair generalization for the people here, who I think are usually pretty thoughtful in talking about female portrayals of in film (my knee-jerk dismissal of his initial post notwithstanding). And again, I didn't dismiss his post for content. I just didn't feel like being the "ying" to the feminist "yang" in this particular instance and going through the motions of a debate.

However, I don't remember where the "male gaze" comment was made, so maybe that was a discussion I didn't read that might change my view. I do remember Irish and I taking a similar position on how a female character was portrayed in the last Coen bros. movie, so I know gender issues is something he talks about on occasion. In that case, I didn't see much disagreement on this forum with his perspective.

Oh despite the current context I wasn't really singling out this particular exchange, or you, with what I said. I was thinking on the aggregate. I consider MC to be a more open-minded and discerning group of internet posters than anywhere else I've gone, and I enjoy the hell out of conversation here. That's why I frequent this board only. Nevertheless, it is still representative of the key internet forum demographic to which these sort of male-dominated movies, tv shows, comic books, and videogames cater (95% of the posters here are fairly young men). As such, MC is not above the tunnel vision that occurs when the vast majority of all entertainment media is catering to your wants and desires. While the conversation here isn't "BITCHES BE CRAZY FUCK THEM PUSSY HOES!", I've still found a tendency for MC to defend artists and filmmakers when someone takes them to task for misogynistic or sexist tendencies.

And Irish has mentioned the "male gaze" only about eleventy-billion times in the past year alone. If you missed it, you weren't pay attention. ;)

Irish

08-15-2014, 12:27 AM

amberlita

08-15-2014, 12:33 AM

"Male Gaze" is a pretty standard term in gender studies and feminist film critique.

Oh I have little to no doubt everyone here was familiar with the phrase eons before I was (hey, it didn't come up often in my Organic Chemistry classes, dammit!) But it's bears noting that even if everyone here WAS familiar with it, it wasn't discussed with enough regularity for me to notice it until Irish came around. He doesn't hold the MC monopoly on feminist defense, but I think he takes that stance more than most.

OK, I'm done talking to you pricks.

see what I did there? GIRL POWER! :P

amberlita

08-15-2014, 12:39 AM

Really, guys, when it gets right down to it, I'm a goddamn saint.

Edit: Thank for the kind words! To spread the love around-- 8 has frequently posted with what I'd call a more progressive slant, and Milky Joe has made some great posts about gender representation, too.

I wasn't damning the whole board in favor of you! I was just trying to be nice. Christ I can't even remember the last thing I said something kind in your direction. :lol:

(yes, credit where credit is due, number8 and co. have also had some really great and insightful posts on gender politics)

Anyway, I like Groot the best in this movie.