I liked it too. It got a little unwieldy in a few spots, and I think Ultron was a little underserved as a the antagonist, but still plenty to like about it.

The timeline as far as characters and their "remnants" and "time wraiths" and shit, is getting a little too convoluted for me.

The fact that they've already started screening this movie for critics weeks before it comes out, is a good sign for how much confidence Marvel Studios has in the quality of it. I think the review embargo is even up this week, which is crazy.

Sure, but the problem is that fans of the characters hate these incarnations of the characters.

You're right, and lots of people don't like these version of the characters, because they aren't faithful to what they've been symbols for in the comics the past several decades.

You could say the same thing about any hero, really. It's the one big "leap of faith" you have to take with characters who have "no kill" rules - that none of the people they fight ever die from blunt force trauma, or falling back and hitting their head, or brain swelling, or via shrapnel from explosions, or falling…

Because Superman and Batman have specific "no kill" rules that are central to the psychology of their characters, and Captain America doesn't?

"So you're not going to tell us about the scarf?"

I enjoyed the first Thor. Hemsworth really nailed the fish out of water comedy beats. Portman was a total flatline as the romantic interest, but then, she always is. And, of course, Hiddleston nailed Loki.

Winter Soldier is in my top 3 MCU films, but I agree that the "political thriller" aspect was oversold in reviews and the internet commentariat. Of course, as long as it's a good movie, what genre bucket it gets put into is really of little consequence to me.

Thor 2 was indeed rough, but also still had a lot of fun character moments, and I enjoyed the humour in the climactic battle. The script was a mess, however. Thor beat Malekith with Jane Foster's Science Sticks of Destiny. And Kat Dennings needs to never be in an MCU film, ever again.

So is Jaime Lannister just back to being a stooge for Cersei, and his family name again?

Cutting Megan Fox and Will Arnett from this movie would probably raise it's average review score a full two letter grades.

I mean, it's kind of impossible to even rebut a criticism like "there's something soulless about them", without pointing to what makes that the case, and what makes that NOT the case when it comes to the DC shows.

With Netflix, it's definitely at least even.

I recommend "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys.

The part of that statement that always made me laugh, was the "Mexico isn't sending us their best" part - as though Mexico handpicks and packages up their own citizens with a change of clothes and a sack lunch, then sends them across the border.

More modern punk? Buy a "Fat Music" compilation or two, and see if any of the bands on there appeal to you.

"Dark and gritty" is fine - when PAIRED WITH THE RIGHT CHARACTER.

I liked Sam Rockwell, but Mickey Rourke was forgettable. IM2 is an odd movie. The weirdest part, for me, is still when the movie stops dead so Justin Hammer can give a long presentation of a bunch of random firearms that are ostensibly supposed to be for the War Machine suit.