Catching Up With the Avengers: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor

Today Disney and Marvel release The Avengers in America. The movie's already done stellar overseas business and Marvel hopes their superhero nest egg, throwing four comic protagonists into one film, pays off. Of course, those heroes have successful features of their own.

This article looks at Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (both 2008) and Thor (2011). I've already reviewed Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America (2011) elsewhere.

Iron Man (2008, Jon Favreau)

Iron Man was a risky investment. Marvel brought one of their more obscure heroes to the screen, starring has-been Robert Downey Jr. Imagine everyone's surprise when Iron Man turned out to be clever and incredibly fun. It's certainly better than 2008's other big superhero movie.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) heads Stark Industries, America's largest weapons manufacturer. Tony indulges in a fantasy lifestyle replete with cars, booze and women, while Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) actually runs the company. But a run-in with Afghan insurgents using his weapons leads Stark to change his worldview. With the help of an Afghan scientist (Shaun Toub) and, later, assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark manufacturers an iron suit with which to fight evildoers. Soon Stark discovers that Stane is selling arms to the Afghans, and building his own suit for nefarious purposes.

Iron Man is a well-packaged film. Jon Favreau proves a dab hand at action and storytelling, delivering a fast-paced, exciting 126 minutes. The movie works as a self-contained story, admirably breezing through Iron Man's origin, but also sets the stage nicely for future installments: Clark Gregg and Samuel L. Jackson make their first appearances as SHIELD agents, reminding Tony there's "a bigger Universe" out there.

Iron Man is smart and cynical without descending into dreariness or pomposity. Tony Stark is a spoiled, narcissistic sybarite who perverts the square values of a Superman or Captain America. He finds a cause to believe in but retains his personality quirks, a credible characterization. Behind Tony's back, Stane runs a heinous double-deal that would make Basil Zaharoff blush. This chilling picture of corporate perfidy grounds Iron Man (somewhat) in reality. Tony not only kicks ass but demands corporate accountability, a very 21st Century hero.

Robert Downey Jr. revived a long-moribund career with his effortless performance. He's superb, whether smooth-talking contractors, debating his morality or trading barbs with feisty Gwyneth Paltrow. Stark's transformation from stuck-up pretty boy to do-gooder is perfectly conveyed, Downey sacrificing neither humor or depth in the process.

Iron Man isn't perfect. Opening things in contemporary Afghanistan is gutsy, but Favreau cops out by making the main baddie (Faran Tahir) a Genghis Khan wannabe. Bald-pated Jeff Bridges makes an agreeable corporate pirate but doesn't pull off the transition to supervillain. The action scenes are mostly exciting, especially Iron Man's Afghan debut, but the climactic fight is underwhelming. On the other hand, Stark's press conference ends this successful crowd pleaser on a perfect note.

The Incredible Hulk (2008, Louis Leterrier)

Less successful is Marvel's stab at a better-known hero. Ang Lee's dreary Hulk (2003) failed in its ambitions as a cerebral Hulk-smash. Unfortunately, Louis Leterrier's 2008 reboot is even worse. It's a perfunctory film, existing solely to keep the Hulk in the Avenger line up.

Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) hides out in Brazil after his initial transformation into the Hulk. Unfortunately, a screw-up at the bottling plant where he works leads Banner's nemesis General Ross (William Hurt) to him, tasking elite soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) to bring Banner down. Banner hooks up with old flame Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), the General's daughter, and tries to cure himself. Meanwhile Emil experiments with Hulk juice, transforming into the Abomination, a creature even more monstrous than Hulk.

Noting the criticisms leveled at Lee's Hulk, Leterrier's The Incredible Hulk overcompensates by being as dumb as possible. Lee's movie had too much back story and not enough action, you say? How would you like lame ciphers and two hours of explosions? Between the repetitive action scenes, nonexistent characters and facile dialogue it's a thoroughly generic, artificial Hollywood product. The Hulk-Abomination showdown is a fun set piece, but too little too late.

Edward Norton reportedly demanded script rewrites and control over the film, hardly endearing him to Marvel. He's been replaced by Mark Ruffalo for The Avengers. Norton's blandness is matched by his costars: even good actors like William Hurt (Robin Hood) and Tim Roth (Rob Roy) struggle with cardboard characters. Robert Downey Jr.'s cameo provides a rare glimmer of life in this misbegotten mess.

Thor (2011, Kenneth Branagh)

Thor raised eyebrows with its unique pedigree: what was Shakespeare auteur Kenneth Branagh doing directing a superhero flick? But Branagh proves an inspired choice, ably mixing character drama with pulp heroics. It's the least action-heavy Marvel film, but possibly the best to date.

Prince Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of planet Asgard shatters an intergalactic truce by attacking the rival Frost Giants. Father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) banishes Thor to Earth, where he meets researcher Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her partners (Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings). Jane and Co. try and figure out who Thor is, while the omnipresent Agent Coulson attempts to recruit the demigod. It turns out that Thor's banishment is really a plot by his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has designs on Asgard's throne.

Thor is an interesting blend of Norse myth, comic book lore and Shakespeare. Thor goes from callow youth to mature leader in approved Henry V style, while Loki's scheming recalls Iago and Richard III. Branagh provides the right level of pulpy seriousness: the character dynamics are credible without breaking the fantasy mindset. The movie goes for humor in the Earth scenes, with Thor getting some fun gags (especially his visit to a pet shop) while maturing as a character. The "warriors three" sidekicks and mysterious sentry Heimdall (Idris Elba) complement Thor nicely. Only the humans fall flat.

Chris Hemsworth makes an agreeable Thor. Besides his chiseled physique, he comes off exceedingly well navigating Thor's character arc. Tom Hiddleston (War Horse) gives a wonderful villain turn, apparently channeling Peter O'Toole. Idris Elba has some brief but effective scenes. Anthony Hopkins hams it up, while Natalie Portman's lame character gets overshadowed by goofy Stellan Skarsgard (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and cute Kat Dennings. Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) cameos, presaging a more prominent role in The Avengers.

Action fans may find Thor disappointing. Branagh realizes Asgard with some wonderful computer designs, and early scenes feature exciting battles with the Frost Giants. But the big Earth-bound set-piece (a robot rampage) is flaccid, and Thor's duel with Loki isn't compelling as it should be. Still, this reviewer finds a character-driven superhero flick sans ponderous angst refreshing.

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Marvel's Avengers films have, to date, been a mixed bag. Still, they can be very proud of making three entertaining movies, superhero flicks that prove fun and intelligence needn't be contradictory. Here's hoping that The Avengers is more Iron Man than Incredible Hulk.