Continuing my MCU rewatch

[AceofKnaves]

This movie, of all movies, gets a pass from me in the category of "how well does it stand on its own." It's the second part of the finale of a 22 movie epic famous for how it overlaps. It shouldn't be anyone's first MCU movie.

Fair, but I also think that takes it out of the “just a really good movie” category. And some of the “time heist” bits are just absolutely awful except as pithy little jokes: “eat a salad” stands out for me as literally the bottom of the barrel of shitty, mean-spirited “jokes” as well as just absolutely gut-punching Thor’s character development for the sake of a cruel quip. Not remotely the payoff of seeing his mother again I’d have hoped for.

On the other hand, I think Infinity War stands on its own very well, and is much more re-watchable. I think it’s an “actual good movie” on its own merits even if I don’t love the aggregate mass from which it is spawned.

 

[fac]

Then he flies off to be an adventuring hero space god.

I feel like that is the ending from Thor Love and Thunder, plus he has added the responsibility to have a family and be a Dad.

 

[Fletch]

“eat a salad” stands out for me as literally the bottom of the barrel of shitty, mean-spirited “jokes” as well as just absolutely gut-punching Thor’s character development for the sake of a cruel quip.

For what it's worth, the scene between them *is* really good, and Hemsworth acts the shit out of it.

But yes, undermining the drama of a scene for the sake of a dumb joke has become Thor's thing.

 

[Schizm]

That line is one of my favorite MCU lines. It's completely in character and in context and it does not trivialize Thor's three-second-prior victory. Also, he should eat a salad. It's also completely unexpected from a regal queen, which makes it all the more funny.

I'm on record as loving Gwyneth as Pepper Potts in the MCU - she's very high up there in my favorite characters. The second Tony tells her he figured out time travel her face shows she knows she's going to lose him to save the universe.

"Something tells me I should put it in a lock box and drop it at the bottom of the lake. Go to bed."
"...but would you be able to rest?"

It's a beautiful exchange.

I like the idea of fitting Coulson in somewhere, but Marvel really wanted to keep Agents of SHIELD separate so that probably kneecapped that idea. Also, scheduling. But he should have been in the roll call at the end.

As should Paul Bettany!! Vision not being included feels really off to me. I know he's not in the movie, but giving him a tiny bit so he could be included would have been worth it. He and Natasha are both standing in my Endgame line-up.

 

[Fletch]

I'm on record as loving Gwyneth as Pepper Potts in the MCU - she's very high up there in my favorite characters. The second Tony tells her he figured out time travel her face shows she knows she's going to lose him to save the universe.

"Something tells me I should put it in a lock box and drop it at the bottom of the lake. Go to bed."
"...but would you be able to rest?"

It's a beautiful exchange.

Conversely, Pepper's one of my least favorite characters in the MCU (post-Ironman 1, at least), so it stands out to me when she's used really well. That whole scene was really good, and I think they ended her character strongly, not because she fought as Rescue, but because of the way she kept her composure for Tony's sake and eased his death. I don't think Ironman 2 or 3 Pepper would've held it together like that.

 

[AceofKnaves]

That line is one of my favorite MCU lines. It's completely in character and in context and it does not trivialize Thor's three-second-prior victory. Also, he should eat a salad. It's also completely unexpected from a regal queen, which makes it all the more funny.

Wow, couldn’t disagree more, it literally made me tear up for poor Thor that his mother was so shitty to him, just an awful “kick him when he’s down” moment. The poor guy is depressed and suffering, and it’s constantly used as an excuse for low-hanging-fruit body shaming, even by his own mother. Exactly the kind of nasty put-down played for “laughs” that I hate about these films.

 

[fac]

Wow, couldn’t disagree more, it literally made me tear up for poor Thor that his mother was so shitty to him, just an awful “kick him when he’s down” moment.

Or, people who have a healthy, caring relationship can poke a little fun at each other with mildly snarky comments and have no malice behind it. Or use a joke to serve as a little nudge to remind someone who they are as well.

 

[AceofKnaves]

Or, people who have a healthy, caring relationship can poke a little fun at each other with mildly snarky comments and have no malice behind it.

Not to get all therapist-y, but nah.

 

[fac]

I watched that scene again and she is so supportive and concerned, and he is so clearly feeling better after the talk, that I feel the "eat a salad" line is just a typical Mom line like "clean your room" and is barely even a joke but a worst a slight rib - more about a parent believing in her child while pushing him to be the person he could be, or had been - and this is just after absolving him for not being perfect which he needed to hear, but also that he can pull himself together, which he also needed to hear.

I think some scenes/films play differently in a theater than at home. In theaters I suspect some people laughed, but I do not see anything about how that was written or performed that it was meant to be even remotely cruel or an attack. At home, I think it plays innocently.

But that's just me, we all view things through different lenses.