Eternals - Review

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Fresh from sweeping Awards season earlier this year with Nomadland, Chloe Zhao looks to stamp her visionary style on the MCU with Eternals.

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces the Eternals, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years, out of the shadows to reunite against mankind's most ancient enemy, the Deviants.

Zhao's film undoubtably marks a departure from the previous entries in the MCU.

First of all, it is the first Marvel film to feature a sex scene. Albeit a brief, tender and very PG-13 one. It also has a same sex couple. Yes, no just someone talking about being gay but showing the couple together, interacting and even sharing a kiss on screen.

Its scope is much grander in scale, spanning centuries. Rather than driven by action, it explores the results of inaction. Here are a group of beings who have the power of Gods. Yet they do not use that power to rule, Rather they use their gifts to give humanity a little nudge here and there.

Under orders from the Celestials not to interfere, this leads to the central conflict between the characters. Some believe they need to do more (Druig argues he could use his mind control to end wars instantly), others feel they have done too much. In a scene taken wildly out of context on Twitter prior to the film's release, Phastos is seen mourning the devastation at Hiroshima, blaming himself for the tragedy. It should be made clear here as it is in the film, just not on social media, that he did not make or detonate the bomb. He merely has provided assistance to the human race in terms of technological advancement.

The "titular" group consists of ten characters. The ranks are filled with a cast more diverse than a 1980s United States of Benetton advert. From A-Listers like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek to rising stars like Korean actor Don Lee.

The nominal leads are played by heroes, and former lovers, Sersei (Gemma Chan) and Icarus (Richard Madden). Tasked with "getting the old gang back together for one final job".

Given the sheer quantity of characters to introduce, and then reintroduce, Eternals is a rather apt name for its 157 minute runtime. Despite the bloated length, the time spent on uniting everyone results in a rushed finale. All the individual actors are good in their roles yet not everyone gets their moment in the sun. Of the cast, Chan brings heart and soul as Sersei but the highlight is Kumail Nanjaini as superhero-turned-Bollywood star Kingo.

As one would from Zhao and cinematographer Ben Davis, the film looks fantastic. In fact, jarringly so. Until one realises that the initial reticene to the visual style is because it not reliant on over-production and CG enhancement. Instead using real locations and natural light where possible.

However once the film enters the third act and its contractual CGI-heavy battle, the two aesthetic styles fail to gel cohesively and the result is disappointingly generic and the effects ropier than usual.

The struggle to successfully incorporate Zhao's storytelling and visual style into the rigid and unflexible Marvel Studios mold is a sad but entirely expected state of affairs.

The issue with the Marvel Cinematic Universe now, twenty five films in, is that despite having limitless characters and storylines to draw on, narratively speaking they have backed themselves into a corner. Audiences have loved seeing their favourite characters team up to crack wise and crack skulls as the universe has expanded. However it has now reached the stage that the MCU finds itself at the pointy end of its own double edged sword.

The Eternals, by their very nature, admit to having been on Earth for 7000 years. So introducing them now, post Endgame, brings up the question from audience surrogate Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), "Why didn't you fight Thanos?". The wishy washy excuse of "We were instructed to only intervene when Deviants were involved" feels akin to The Doctor in Doctor Who rambling on about "fixed points in time".

When the Emergence begins, it is described a world-ending, extinction level event. One that bears a striking resemblance to Ego's plot in GOTG Vol. 2 by the way. It feels like the type of situation that would merit the attention of any superheroes or Avengers available at the time. Yet no sign of anyone. No Doctor Strange, no Spider-Man, no Hulk or Captain Marvel, etc.

It evokes memories of The Simpsons episode where Homer is added to the Itchy and Scratchy show as the voice of Poochie. When looking to increase his character's screen time, Homer pitches to the executives that "Every time Poochie is off screen, the other characters should be asking 'Where's Poochie?'".

Ambitious but flawed, Eternals is ultimately low to mid-tier Marvel. However that sounds harsher than it should because mid-tier Marvel movies are still a lot better than most Hollywood blockbusters... especially comic book movies. The problem is Feige et all, still haven't found that magic formula for allowing unique, distinctive directors to make their mark on the Universe.

3 stars

Eternals is in cinemas now

Ant-Man and the Wasp - Review

When the original Ant-Man was released, it could be fair to say that some Marvel fans (this reviewer included) did not have high hopes following the departure of writer-director Edgar Wright.
It turned out however, that the finished film turned out to be a light, fluffy, bite-sized delight that was the perfect palette cleanser after the all-you-can-eat buffet that was Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Fast forward three years and seven films later and Ant-Man and the Wasp arrives, once again on the back of a super-sized Avengers main course. Will it be another fun-filled treat that will help lift the mood of Marvel fans following the events of Infinity War or is there another sting in the tale?
The sequel makes the wise move to distance itself from Infinity War in terms of tone but also in terms of timeline. Instead setting itself in the couple of weeks before Thanos's masterplan comes into effect.
Speaking of Thanos, any film following the biggest bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have an impossible act to follow. That is why they make the smart move in that this film doesn't really have an out-and-out villain, despite what the trailers lead you to believe.
Instead, characters like the quantum phasing Ghost (Hannah John Kamen) and weapons dealer Sonny Birch (Walton Goggins) are more obstacles for the team to overcome in the main quest to bring the original Wasp back from the Quantum Realm.
The film begins with a flashback to 1987 when Hank and Janet go off on their ill-fated mission, saying goodbye to a young Hope. It is a nice scene that helps to develop the bond between mother and daughter and instantly increases the emotional investment.
It is also another opportunity for Marvel to give a pay raise to the team who de-age the actors in these movies because the work they do here on Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfieffer is breathtaking... that is up to the point when we meet her later in the film and you realise that she has hardly aged at all and clearly must be drinking from the same fountain of youth as co-star Paul Rudd.
Rudd once again has a writing credit on the screenplay, much like Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool, which means he has had a huge creative hand in developing the character into the likeable Everyman the audience wants to see win the day but at times is his own worst enemy. Particularly with his actions in Civil War having a dramatic impact on his life, his family and his relationship with Hope and Hank.
Rudd might still be the first name above the credits but he is not the only hero as this marks the first film in the MCU with a female hero in the title.
Evangeline Lilly grabs the brass ring with both hands and flies through the glass ceiling, paving the way for Captain Marvel to follow her.
Importantly the film reintroduces her with a solo action scene in which she defeats a group of armed goons singlehanded (without the need of a man to help her or bail her out of trouble).
Of course, the title suggests that this is the formation of a crime fighting duo and the two actors build on the chemistry from the original and it has developed into the best MCU partnership since Thor & Loki. Their constant verbal sparring (and flirtatious banter) is reminiscent of a 30s/40s screwball comedy.
One of the successes of Ant-Man was the uniqueness of the action set pieces that organically grew out of the hero's abilities in the suit and the gadgets and powers that came with it. Just like transforming from the size of an ant to a giant, this film expands on the visual flair of the fighting style to incorporate not only hand-to-hand combat but also now car chases and Innerspace-style journeys to the Quantum Realm.
It was a very self-contained story, similar in many respects to this year's Black Panther, but this could have major implications going forward for the MCU, particularly in the battle against Thanos, as we delve even deeper into the Quantum Realm and the effect and power it can provide those who interact with it.
So while it is very much the light comic relief when compared to the rest of the recent output (Thor Ragnarok aside), it is heartwarming to see it lean into it and embrace its role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This reviewer found himself laughing out loud even before Birch asked Luis a question while under the effects of truth serum because you know what was coming. And it was glorious.
The jaw-dropping mid credit scene means that all bets are off as to the characters roles in Avengers 4 but it is safe to say that Ant-icipation levels are sky high now.

4 stars

Avengers Infinity War - On Location in Edinburgh

Avengers Infinity War is the culmination of ten years and eighteen films of the Marvel Studios and you can read my full 5 star review here that is more glowing than a fistful of infinity stones.
The film's release this weekend is a cinematic event of monumental scale and looks set to have box office records falling before it faster than War Machine out of the sky after being blasted by Vision.
Wind the clock back a year to a cold, dark night in Edinburgh in early April, where hundreds of Marvel fans were patiently camped out on the Royal Mile for a glimpse of some action.

Yes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had come to Scotland.
Edinburgh was chosen by directors the Russo Brothers as the only location outside of their Atlanta base for filming Infinity War and Marvel Studios spent six weeks in the Capital doing night shoots for a major sequence involving Scarlet Witch and Vision.
Not only was there a night shoot taking place on the Royal Mile and inside Waverley Station but the team took over a hanger at Leith harbour and turned it into a makeshift sound studio for filming.
Reports estimate that the shoot brought in around £10 million to the local economy and furthers the argument for Scotland to have its own proper film studio.
During April, Twitter was alive with rumoured sightings around town of Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany and Chris Evans. Anthony Mackie's Falcon had flown the coop to St. Andrews for a round of golf and Team Thor (Hemsworth, Ruffalo and Tessa Thompson) were spotted at the Waldorf Astoria.
So enamoured with the city was co-director Joe Russo, he returned during the world press tour to screen 20 minutes of footage to a hugely appreciative crowd of fans. Full report here.
With the plot kept a complete secret until the film was released, fans were left to wildly theorise and speculate as to the plot of the sequence shot in Edinburgh.
Based on what was seen, it appeared as though Scarlet Witch and Vision were hiding out in Edinburgh following the events of Captain America: Civil War. They seek to fan the flames of their burgeoning  relationship when they are attacked by Thanos's Black Order, looking to reclaim the Mind Stone.

*Mild spoiler warning - the plot of Avengers: Infinity War will be briefly discussed from this point but nothing that is not already featured in the trailers*

Upon seeing the film, this is pretty much how this storyline plays out but with the addition of Steve Rogers, Black Widow and Falcon arriving to save the day.

What is immediately noticeable to anyone from Edinburgh, is how geographically accurate the sequence is. The action flows from Cockburn Street up to the Royal Mile before heading back down the road to Waverley Station. This level of accuracy is something that T2 Trainspotting could not even achieve!

So if you want to visit the "set" of Avengers Infinity War, here are the spots to go:

Miss Katie Cupcake, 52 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh

Don’t worry if you don’t immediately recognise the location because Miss Katie Cupcake, a vintage inspired store, was transformed into Hüsnü Kebab House for the purposes of filming.

This is where Vision and Scarlet Witch stop to discuss their relationship. Probably before sampling some of that Avengers-favourite schwarma or the Scottish twist on the delicacy - the deep fried kebab - pay attention for the sign in the window.

Laila's Bistro, 63 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh

Scarlet Witch is sent flying through the window of this Mediterranean bistro by Proxima Midnight before returning to save Vision as Glaive attempts to remove the Mind Stone rather forcibly.

St. Giles' Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh

Located on the High Street on the Royal Mile, St. Giles' is the historic city church of Edinburgh. Some of the fight scene between Vision, Corvus Glaive and Scarlet Witch takes place upon the top of the Cathedral.

City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh

Down on the street below the Cathedral, Proxima Midnight and Scarlet Witch go one on one outside the City Chambers, resulting in the spectacular explosion that featured in the above video.

Waverley Rail Station, Edinburgh

The site of the biggest night shoot for filming, the attempt to retrieve the Mind Stone from Vision's head climaxes inside Edinburgh's main railway station and sees the appearance of Captain America's beard (no, not Sharon Carter!), Black Widow and Falcon to turn the tide and save the day.

An area towards the rear of the station next to Platform 20 was cordoned off for the duration of filming. A green screen was installed along with a fake coffee shop that could and would be destroyed in the fight.

 

For those wanting to recreate the moment Steve Rogers emerges from the shadows, you will need to hop over to Platform 1 and look for the third alcove which has some graffiti and a mark on a brick that makes it easier to identify.

The station has installed a couple of standing screens displaying photographs from the filming plus video and still images from the final film to allow fans to check out exactly where the shots were taken. That way you can recreate the scenes from the movie using cosplay, LEGO figures or just yourself.

So there you have it. complete guide to the Edinburgh locations featured in Avengers Infinity War. We'll just all have to wait and see if there is a deleted post-credit scene where Thanos goes for a deep fried kebab to celebrate a job well done!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe - RANKED!

With the Road to Infinity War complete, the time has come to rank the eighteen films that currently make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe... only for that ranking to change tomorrow with the release of Avengers Infinity War!

So in reverse order, here we go...

18. Thor The Dark World

Would have bottom for the Greenwich tube stop gaff alone but it is also the dullest and most dour entry in the MCU with the saga's most non-descript villain of all-time in Malekith.

Full review here.

17. The Incredible Hulk

Whilst it is an improvement on Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk, this film always seems out of place with the rest of the MCU & feels like the weird family member nobody talks about anymore.

Full review here.

16.  Iron Man 2

Suffered from being a movie setting up the Avengers and wider MCU than a true Iron Man sequel. Bonus points for Sam Rockwell.

Full review here.

15. Thor

Kenneth Branagh turned a potential Flash Gordon misfire into a thundering Shakespearean family drama boosted by the performances of Hopkins and Hiddleston. Loses points for dyeing Hemsworth's eyebrows.

Full review here.

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

Any film with The Star Spangled Man With A Plan musical number should really chart higher but Steve Rogers became a much more interesting character once he came out of the ice!

Full review here.

13. Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch goes full Hugh Laurie doing House M.D. in a straightforward but visually stunning origin story for the Sorcerer Supreme. Nice twist on solving Marvel's third act problem.

Full review here.

12. Black Panther

The biggest movie in the world at the moment until Infinity War comes out at least is a huge leap forward for Hollywood. Part Black Bond film, part Lion King. This film starts with a roar but loses its teeth during the CG heavy finale.

Full review here.

11. Ant-Man

Rudd-y hilarious and the perfect palette cleansing sorbet between the all-you-can-eat Avengers Age of Ultron buffet and the indulgent dessert of Civil War.

Full review here.

10.  Guardians Of The Galaxy

The moment that we realised Marvel Studios could do anything they wanted and succeed. A space adventure soundtracked to the Seventies featuring Andy Dwyer from Parks & Rec and a talking raccoon? More please!

Full review here.

9.  Iron Man 3

Shane Black stripped away the suit, leaving Tony Stark to rely on his skill and wit (ably assisted by Black's razor sharp dialogue) in the first film of Phase 2 that showed Marvel were willing to push the boat out and not rely on a tried and tested formula.

Full review here.

8. Avengers Age of Ultron

A better film than many give it credit for, it improves on a rewatch now seeing how it fits in to the wider MCU universe following Phase 3.

Full review here.

7. Spider-Man Homecoming

The version of Spidey we didn't know we wanted or needed until Civil War, Tom Holland is perfect in his first solo movie as part of the MCU.

Full review here.

6. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Better than the original and focused on building character than action, resulting in the most emotional instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Challenge anyone not to well up at "He may of been your father boy, but he wasn't your daddy"

Full review here.

5. Iron Man

The film that started it all and still one of the highlights of the MCU. Not only did it offer redemption to Tony Stark, it gave it to Robert Downey Jr. as well.

Full review here.

4. Thor Ragnarok

Taika Waititi reinvents Thor as the Lord of Thunder with lightning fast comic timing, bringing the Ragnarok n roll to the franchise.

Full review here.

3. Avengers Assemble

At the time it seemed impossible but Joss Whedon delivered a movie that perfectly balanced an ensemble cast of Earth's mightiest heroes, caused a billion geekgasms and showed that anything was possible in the MCU.

Full review here.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The first film to feel like a legitimately great film that broke free of the comic book genre. Also contained the MCU's best action scenes until the next film...

Full review here.

1. Captain America: Civil War

Liable to have nabbed the top spot for the airport sequence alone but this adaptation of Civil War perfectly fits into the MCU and provided an incredible story that came from the characters and not the action.

Full review here.

Road to Infinity War - Phase 3 - Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Controversial opinion it may be but you know what? I'll just come out and say it.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is better than Guardians Of The Galaxy.
While it might not have the shock and surprise factor of the original (in that "Wow, this is actually really good"), Vol. 2 is a much richer, deeper, more emotional film that's true focus is not some scheme to wipe out all life in the universe (well it slightly is).
The film begins the most enjoyable title sequence of any Marvel movie as Baby Groot dances to ELO's Mr Blue Sky and the Guardians battle a giant space monster behind him. Actually come to think about, it, is it the only Marvel title sequence? They don't usually have any credits until the end of the film do they?
Anyway, the fight to protect some Anthrax batteries for the Sovereign race is merely a Macguffin to lead to the real story. Similar to an episode of Family Guy where the first ten minutes of the episode are just set up for another story.
And that story is, as Vin Diesel mentions every ten minutes or so in all of the Fast & Furious movies, "Family".
It is about the relationships between a father and a son, a surrogate father and a son and between two "sisters".
Following on from the events of Vol. 1 where Star Lord Peter Quill discovered that his father was not of Earth, his father Ego The Living Planet comes looking for his son after hearing of a human who "held an infinity stone in his hand and didn't die".
The face of the Living Planet takes the form of the "rugged good looks" of Kurt Russell which harks back to the Eighties as he was one of the decades most iconic heroes in the likes of The Thing, Escape From New York and Big Trouble In Little China and he brings all of that swagger and charisma to the role and is a perfect fit for Peter's father.
Having found him, Ego wants to show Peter his true potential as part-Celestial being. He takes Peter, Gamora and Drax off to his planet, leaving Rocket to repair their ship and babysit Groot and Nebula. But he'll have problems of his own when the Ravagers return with Yondu looking for payback.
Vol. 2 plays out a bit like a Greatest Hits mix tape compiled by Peter's Mom.
On the A side, if you liked the 80s references from the first film, don't worry there are plenty more here. Enjoy the surprise MVP of Vol. 1 Drax the Destroyer? He gets more time to shine and develop in this one. And once again, Gunn has picked the perfect song list to go with the story. Who doesn't spend the next two days after seeing this singing Brandy?
Flip the tape over to the B side however and as expressed earlier, the film is a very deep, emotional family tale.
Gamora and Nebula attempt to work through their issues by doing what any sisters would do. Try to kill each other of course! This manifests in an unexpected but wonderful North by Northwest homage that leads into a proper scrap with some excellent work from Karen Gillan, relishing the increased screen time.
Of course, the main plot is Chris Pratt working through his daddy issues. Early on he tells Gamora he wished he could have played catch with his dad and told the kids at school his real father was David Hasselhoff and both of these references come back later on in surprising ways. When Ego's ultimate plan for Peter is unveiled, it is up to Yondu to float in Mary Poppins style to help save the day.
If Batista was Vol. 1's MVP, then Michael Rooker is certainly the MVP of Vol. 2. He has worked with James Gunn on a number of projects but he delivers his finest work with this performance.
I was not expecting the climax of the film to have the emotional sucker punch that it did.
*Spoilers ahead*
From the moment Yondu sacrifices himself to save Peter with the line "He may of been your father boy, but he wasn't your daddy", to Peter's realisation that he has lost two father figures, to the Ravager funeral...

The new line up of the Guardians confirmed at the end of the film, adding Mantis and a now surly, teenage Groot, there is nothing but excitement to see how they interact with "Earth's mightiest heroes" as all the different plot threads come together for Infinity War.

Infinity Stone counter = 5

Road to Infinity War - Phase 3 - Doctor Strange (2016)

Things to take quantum leap forward in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to Doctor Strange. We had previously seen travels into the Quantum Realm in Ant-Man and this film would take that to the max with multiple mystical dimensions along with a hint of magic. Or is it science? As Thor would say "I come from a world where they are one and the same."
Strange was mentioned in passing during The Winter Soldier but it took another four films before he would make an appearance. Why? It could be argued that his powers were too great to be involved in the Civil War fight as he could have easily influenced the final outcome with a quick spin on the Eye of Agamotto.
Instead, Mister Doctor is given an origin story set some time during the increasingly confused MCU timeline (but one that ends synced up to the events in Thor Ragnarok).
In terms of plot, this is the most straightforward origin tale that Marvel has done since the original Iron Man.
Benedict Cumberbatch is well cast as the pompous, over-opinionated surgeon and he plays it as though he is doing an impression of Hugh Laurie doing his House accent. Following an accident in which he loses the use of his hands, he travels to Nepal in search of answers on how to heal himself and that is where he finds Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One (Oscar winner Tilda Swinton).
One of the first things that is noticeable about the film is the cast list. Cumberbatch, Swinton, Ejifor, Mikkelsen, McAdams. It reads more like an Oscar contender than a superhero blockbuster and it is to Marvel's credit that they are now in a position to attract this calibre of talent for lead and supporting roles.
So while the plot might be straightforward, the visuals are anything but. Twisty, turny and dizzying to the point that it feels like if Inception had labyrinthitis, they are unique within the MCU and make for a welcome (and by this point needed) change to the formula). Beyond Strange's first trippy, er, trip into the Quantum realm that borders on the horrific, it is the Manhattan sequence that is the stand out.
Thankfully, the mirror realm allows the wizards to fight without causing any destruction or death to the people of New York (goodness knows they've been through enough!).
And it was nice to see a novel twist on the third act climax with having Strange stuck in a Groundhog Day-style time loop being killed over and over again by the big bad Dormmamu until he agrees to bargain. Was a nice change to having the hero solve the problem with their fists.

Infinity Stone counter = 5 (Time Stone)

Road to Infinity War - Phase 2 - Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor The Dark World. The darkest moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not in terms of plot or backstage drama (that would come with Ant-Man) but in terms of colour palette and reviews.
The sequel to Thor is widely regarded as the least popular film in the MCU.
Following on from the excitement of Shane Black's Iron Man 3 straying from the convention and of Phase 1 Marvel movies, this feels disappointingly formulaic.
Following Patty Jenkins' departure (she would get her own back by directing Wonder Woman four years later), Alan Taylor was hired. Best known for Game Of Thrones, he brings a workman-like quality to the production but never threatens to bring the same level of wit or inventiveness to proceedings like Joss Whedon or Shane Black
The problem lies in the villain Malekith and the Dark Elves. Underneath the make up and auto tuned voice, you wouldn't be able to tell that Malekith is played by Christopher Eccleston (something he wants to forget as well).
There is a Macguffin about planetary convergences, eternal darkness and dark matter but really this is all there to introduce the third Infinity Stone... even if it is not currently in the form of a stone.
The real story is Thor's relationships. With Jane (who is moving on with a date with Chris O'Dowd), his father Odin and incarcerated brother (adopted) Loki.
There is double and triple crossing as the battle against the Elves and for the throne reaches its climax in... Greenwich, London of all places. I think this was during the two year period where every US blockbuster was contractually obligated to destroy Central London (G.I. Joe - Retaliation, Fast & Furious 6, London Has Fallen, Independence Day Resurgence, etc, etc).
Now there are continuity errors and goofs in every film. It's part and parcel of film making that things will go wrong.
This leads us to the single moment in the MCU that will wind up every Londoner or person from the UK who is familiar with the London Underground where Thor gets on a tube train at Charing Cross and asks how far to Greenwich and a woman tells him two stops. TWO STOPS! More like "two stops to Waterloo then change for the Jubilee line and then take it six stops to North Greenwich and walk to the Naval College mate"!
Still, it was nice to see Kat Dennings back as Darcy just for the moment she can shout "Meow Meow" at Mjolnir as the hammer goes flying by.

Infinity Stone counter = 3 (Reality Stone [Aether], Space Stone, Mind Stone)

Road to Infinity War - Phase 1 - The Avengers

The Avengers was the film that proved dreams really do come true. They came true for Kevin Feige. For Stan Lee. For all Marvel fans.
For all the talk about "Infinity War is the most ambitious crossover film event of all-time", that would not have been possible if The Avengers.
The comic book movie had only really begun to find its feet again in 2008 following the disastrous Batman & Robin nearly destroyed the genre. Sure there was the odd success like X-Men or Spider-Man but 2008 saw both Marvel and D.C. delivering the goods with Iron Man and The Dark Knight.
Doubling down on the success of their individual movies, Marvel Studios now successfully pulled off something that seemed impossible at that stage. A superhero team up where all their heroes appeared in the same film... not only that but it totally worked and a lot of that credit must go to Joss Whedon.
Best known for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Whedon had only directed one feature film at this point but that film was Serenity. A big screen sequel to his cancelled TV show Firefly, it proved that he could perfectly balance an ensemble cast in a movie. Never losing sight on the story but also giving every character their chance to shine... and also never afraid to kill someone off if it was serving the plot!
It might not be the *best* MCU film in the series now (that title goes to Civil War) but it is probably has the highest number of "geek out", "mark out" moments that had fans cheering in the cinemas.
The first half of the film does get bogged down a little bit by having to reintroduce all the main characters into the story but once they are all aboard the Helicarrier, it is just pure comic book joy.
One of the best scenes, that shows how well Whedon understands and showcases the characters and relationships between them, is when the heroes start to argue with each other after it is revealed that Fury is using the Tesseract to build weapons, which he blames on Thor which sparks Tony and Steve to have a pissing contest, all the while threatening to set off the Hulk (played with wit and intensity by the new Bruce Banner Mark Ruffalo).
Once the film gets to the final battle, Whedon gives the fans exactly what they want with that incredible 360 degree shot of the team finally assembled; the tracking shot of them all in action against the Chitauri and the Hulk/Loki "Puny God" exchange.
It was a game changer for the genre, the first movie to take over $200 million in its opening weekend and showed just what could be achieved by Marvel Studios and the Extended Universe idea. Something that no other studio has successfully managed to replicate.

Infinity Stone Counter = 2 (Space Stone and Mind Stone)

Road to Infinity War - Phase 1 - Thor (2011)

Again, it seems hard to believe but at the time, Thor presented a huge gamble for Marvel Studios. It introduced Asgard, Norse Gods, Space, Alien races and monsters. It could have gone so horribly wrong. Yet this was the studio that would go on to give us a film starring a talking raccoon and a tree monster!
Thankfully for Marvel, under the guidance of director Kenneth Branagh, Thor was the best movie since Iron Man.
It works because Branagh does not treat it as a Flash Gordon-esque adventure (that would have to wait till Ragnarok) but as a Shakespearean tragedy with the focus on a family feud between a King and two squabbling Princes both with an eye on the throne.
It succeeds thanks to having British heavyweights like Anthony Hopkins spitting out lines like "You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy" and "But you're NOT King. Not yet". Plus it introduced the majority of the world to Tom Hiddleston as Marvel's number one villain you love to hate, Loki.
Chris Hemsworth was also a relative unknown at this point. Really only appearing in the first ten minutes of the Star Trek reboot. But he perfectly captures the fish out of water element of his character as the selfish, boorish warrior who is stripped of his power and forced to learn a lesson on earth... and find love along the way.
Thor continues the development of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Coulson is firmly established as Fury's number two, running the whole show in New Mexico and even ordering around Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).
It remains one of the strongest entries in Phase 1 but contains the single biggest mistake in the history of the MCU. One that was thankfully rectified come The Avengers and that was the decision to dye Hemsworth's eyebrows blonde!

Infinity Stone Counter = 1 (Brief glimpse of the Tesseract aka the Space Stone in the post credit sting)

Road to Infinity War - Phase 1 - Iron Man 2

"I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a phoenix metaphor been more personified"
It is difficult if this line was talking about Tony Stark, warmonger turned superhero, or Robert Downey Jr, troubled actor turned A-list superstar.
After the surprise success of Iron Man, the third film in the MCU was to continue the adventures of "Shellhead".
Looking back at it now, it is full of surprises such as the screenplay being written by Justin Theroux. The appearance of later Fox superheroes Kate Mara (Sue Storm) and Olivia Munn (Psylocke) in tiny roles. It is the film that brought together Hollywood couple Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb.
It also deals with the casting change of James Rhodes in a similar way to the introduction of George Lazenby as Bond with his "This never happened to the other guy". When Don Cheadle is introduced, there is the wonderful exchange between Stark and Rhodey:
"Didn't expect to see you here." "It's me. I'm here. Deal with it"
Heroes were present and correct. It's a shame that the villains didn't quite match them. Mickey Rourke's Whiplash is wasted after an entertaining action sequence in Monte Carlo. Although not a match for Iron Man physically, there is more fun to be had from Sam Rockwell's rival arms dealer Justin Hammer (love the way he refers to Stark as "Anthony") and Garry Shandling's Senator Stern.
Stern's committee hearing is one example of how Marvel is able to ground their films in reality, with a very real discussion of how Iron Man's actions on foreign soil would affect America and how he is not accountable to the government. This is something that will come round full circle in Age of Ultron and Civil War.
The issue with Iron Man 2 is not the CGI man in flying metal suit battles multiple other flying metal suits but that it was less concerned with being an Iron Man sequel as it needing to be an Avengers prequel.
Whereas the original Iron Man only had a couple of nods to the wider Marvel universe, this film burns through references faster than Tony Stark burns through palladium cores for his arc reactors.
There could have been a fantastic take on the Iron Man "Genie in a bottle" storyline from the comics where Tony descends into alcoholism to cope with the pain that his arc reactor is causing him.
Instead we get multiple references to SHIELD, Nick Fury, Captain America's shield and the introduction of Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow.
Jon Favreau's direction keeps things moving at a good pace however and manages to showcase Stark's inventiveness and action credentials. He even manages to give himself a chance to use his UFC skills in a fight... even if he is upstaged by Black Widow!
Overall, it is the weakest of the Iron Man trilogy but does serve as an effective building block in the foundations of the MCU.

Infinity Stone Counter = Big Fat Zero

Road to Infinity War - Phase 1 - Iron Man (2008)

Has it really been ten years since it all began? It's hard to believe right Jeremy Piven?

Who would have believed that a movie directed by the guy who was Pete Becker on Friends, about a second tier Marvel hero played by a post-jail & troubles Robert Downey Jr would launch a billion dollar franchise that is still going from strength to strength 18 films down the line?
But the Marvel Cinematic Universe hit the ground running and they are forever indebted to RDJ because his performance as "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" Tony Stark is note perfect.
The film is fast, loose, full of colour, wit and boundless energy. A world away from DC and Nolan's (excellent) but "Why so serious?" Dark Knight trilogy.
The references to the comics are there for the fans (the original Mark I suit) but never at the expense of an audience entirely new to this world.
It also does a subtle job of universe building. There is Rhodey's look at the Mark II suit and quipping "Next time baby" (sadly not for Terrence Howard though!), and the introduction of SHIELD through Agent Coulson's character who would become pivotal to Phase I.
But it was the post-credit sting with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury turning up at Stark mansion to talk about the Avengers initiative that sent fanboys into meltdown.
It isn't perfect. Jeff Bridges is very "un-Dude" but ultimately won't rank highly on the list of top Marvel villains (although I would dare you to come up with a Top 5 list of truly memorable MCU villains that doesn't have to include Wilson Fisk or Kilgrave and therefore not canon).
One can also see the beginnings of the MCU's biggest criticism. You know, the one where Act 3 descends into two (or twenty) CGI men in metal suits smashing into each other.
However Downey Jr is a charisma fuelled arc reactor that powers this entry to classic comic book movie status and arguably one of the finest and most complete superhero origin stories.

Infinity Stone Counter: 0