MCU Rewatch Part 2 - Iron Man (Again) and Thor

Apologies for the lack of update on Sunday, but I’m back at it…

Iron Man 2 is a mixed bag, and ends up kind of being forgettable. At the time, a lot of the film’s qualities were blamed on needing to expand the universe, with all of the S.H.I.E.L.D stuff. However, the whole movie feels like it sort of lost its way somewhere in the scripting process.

It’s clear that Favreau was building toward Tony Stark being a loose cannon and eventually dealing with his alcohol issues (drawing from the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline in the comics). Shane Black takes this emotional arc to a much different place in Iron Man Three, substituting alcohol addiction for suit-building addiction. I think part of the issues here are that this needed to lay a path toward The Avengers while also trying to be the middle part of a trilogy. It wants to bring Tony to his lowest point, but ultimately his character arc is muddled by being pulled in too many different directions.

Of course Stark enters this movie being super arrogant, having “privatized world peace.” The ghost of his father comes back to haunt him and save him through Ivan Vanko and the plans for the new element that will ultimately save Stark’s life. Seeing Robert Downey, Jr. and Sam Rockwell bounce off each other is really fun, and Mickey Rourke’s offbeat choices as Vanko make his snooze of a villain at least somewhat interesting. That all works pretty well, even if it doesn’t have a ton of forward momentum. I do hope they bring back Justin Hammer again, he’s such a fun character.

Of course, in between The Incredible Hulk and this film, Disney acquired Marvel entirely. Casting John Slattery as a Walt Disney-like Howard Stark was a fantastic choice, even if trying to retcon the impression we got in the first film that he was primarily as a weapons developer.  

Tony’s relationships with Pepper Pots and Rhodey (now played by Don Cheadle) are just kind of a mess in this movie, which also robs it of a lot of character development feeling earned because it just kind of bounces around. And there’s some additional cringe in the way Downey interacts with Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. She’s shown to be competent, but the film is really into her body in a way that feels a bit too much.

Also Bill O’Reilly, Jim Cramer, and Elon Musk cameo, and are unfortunate inclusions. I have no idea why superhero movies insist on including real-life figures. It takes me out of the film every time.

The first Thor film hits my exact weak spot. Not only is Thor one of my favorite Marvel comics characters, but the grandiose Shakespearean family drama colliding with fish-out-of-water comedy just works for me. While Tom Hiddleston’s Loki gets a lot of the attention from fans, Chris Hemsworth’s presence and comedic timing is so good it often goes unnoticed. He exudes a sense of casualness that actually demonstrates how used he is to having power as well as contrast his Asgardian speaking style. 

But the film’s secret weapon is actually its women. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster (nicely updated from the comics’ nurse to an astrophysicist) is the kind of earnest scientist we rarely get to see portrayed by women on screen. She’s smart and not at all ditzy, absolutely fearless, and angry when her stuff gets taken away from her. In addition, Portman’s performance is also the key to selling Hemsworth’s Thor. The way that she reacts to him, even just the way she looks at him with a sense of awe, makes him appear that much more majestic. Jane sees him the same way she would a nebula, but tall and with killer abs. And he’s nothing but respectful of her, treating her as a peer. Kat Dennings’ Darcy is a great audience surrogate, moderating the faith of Jane and the disbelief of Stellan Skarsgård’s Selvig. Plus she gets some great lines. Jaime Alexander has great presence as Sif, and she’s one of the most underutilized characters in this entire series. While Rene Russo really shines in The Dark World, her turn as Frigga is the kind of understated performance needed when Hopkins is going all out as Odin. 

But we do need to talk about Loki. Branagh told Hiddleston to study Peter O’Toole for the kind of raw emotional intensity he wanted from the performance, which allows the film to highlight the similarities and differences between the two brothers. Thor is impulsive and quick to react with his hammer, while Loki is often seen as a schemer, planning moves ahead. In reality, much of Loki’s plan in this film feels improvised. And his raw, seething anger at Odin (as well as some opportunity with some too-convenient Odinsleep) is what propels a merry prank into near regicide. It’s a great role reversal here, and both brothers feel like they are changed by the events of the story.

Ranking after this viewing: