Marvel Movie Minute • Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Minute Sixty-Five: From Gaslight Success to Hammer FailJoining us sadly for the last time to discuss Thor’s apology to Loki due to Loki’s gaslighting tactics and Loki’s failed attempt at picking up Mjølnir are Kyle Olson and Rob Kubasko from Marvel Movie Minute seasons 2 & 3!In the sixty-fifth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Loki’s gaslighting has pushed Thor to a place where he is the one who apologizes to Loki. Wow, that’s dark.
• What we read from Thor here is again how genuine he is.
• He’s been so broken that this is the point where he can start rebuilding himself.
• Thor’s “thank you for coming here” is really the turn for Thor. But again, it’s also a sign he’s been taken by Loki’s gaslighting. Victims look at themselves as the problem.
• That tear on Thor’s cheek leads us to a Waterworld reference.
• Loki’s turn to leave and closeup shows us that he does not smirk. Is this because the door is mirrored and he doesn’t want Thor to see him smirk? Or is it because he knows that there’s a glimmer that Thor could still make his way back?
• To be honest, though, a smirk would’ve made the moment worse.
• Is it possible this moment is what plants the seeds for how Loki gets us to the Loki TV show?
• Would anyone have thought that Odin actually died and Loki is actually telling the truth here? The Odinsleep isn’t that clear after all.
• How does Loki actually leave?
• Thor’s goodbye feels like he’s really saying goodbye to his life in Asgard.

After Loki’s gaslighting, Coulson finally returns.

• So did Loki actually control Coulson or is his return here coincidental?
• Again, what would Coulson see before coming in?
• And back to Loki’s outfit, why is he wearing this?

Meanwhile, Loki heads straight to Mjølnir.

• What have the SHIELD agents and scientists been doing since nabbing Thor? There clearly has been quite a bit of work in here since he was trying to pick up his hammer.
• Great hand shot of Loki’s hand as he gets ready to try picking it up.
• Did we need Loki trying with two hands?
• Is Heimdall watching Loki?

It’s a week of Loki’s gaslighting success, Coulson’s return, and Loki’s failed attempt at picking up Mjølnir, all while Rob and Kyle chat with us about it. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Sixty-Four: From Blame to ApologyJoining us to dig into Loki’s lies – aka everything Loki says to Thor, and everything Loki means – are Rob Kubasko and Kyle Olson from MMM seasons 2 & 3!In the sixty-fourth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• We’ve got so much to break down with Loki’s lies throughout this minute.
• While we do, the music that plays is called Loki Lies.
• Too bad Loki doesn’t have anyone to talk with about what he’s done.
• We take each sentence Loki says to Thor and discuss what he’s actually saying.
• All of this is really Loki twisting the knife that he stuck in last minute.
• Loki’s great at putting things out there that gets things put into people’s heads.
• But should Thor know better about his brother by now?
• So Loki brings up Odin and tells Thor Odin wouldn’t acknowledge Thor’s love.
• He brings up Frigga and tells him she doesn’t want him to come home.
• Truly, he’s just the meanest.
• “The burden of the throne has fallen to me now.” So he’s even blaming Thor for him having to carry the weight of the throne? Again, he’s the worst.
• Tom Hiddleston plays each sentence in such unique ways. Kudos to both him and Branagh for directing him this way.

Thor finally speaks.

• Now that he knows Loki is king, Thor asks (kinda begs) Loki to come home. But Loki once again has excuses. Ouch.
• Loki’s lies really make him seem like he’s the only one who will deal with Thor at this point and those lies hurt Thor.
• It’s all gaslighting. Loki’s lies push Thor to a place where he feels he’s actually responsible.
• It comes across even meaner now that he knows he’s also the Jotun prince.
• Again, though, the big question we debate is if Thor should know better when things like this come from Loki.
• We certainly feel like it’s Thor’s blind spot.

It’s a juicy minute of Loki’s lies as he lays into Thor with all the reasons he can’t come home. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Sixty-Three: From a Probing Coulson to a Dead OdinJoining us to discuss Coulson’s continuing probing of Thor when Loki shows up, Loki’s dark message, Thor’s reaction, and a fart joke are once again Kyle Olson and Rob Kubasko from seasons two and three!In the sixty-third minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Coulson’s having a very one-sided conversation. Thor gives him nothing.
• That being said, Thor does react when Coulson asks him who he is. Still, it’s just a look. No speaking.
• In the script, however, Thor did reply, “Just a man.” Wow. We’re all glad they kept that out.
• But is Thor’s look a reaction to Coulson? Or perhaps just to his place at rock bottom?
• Chris Hemsworth performs so well through this sequence. He really carries this moment. So much more weight than his silliness we’ve had earlier.
• What’s interesting is that in the script, Coulson brings up Hydra. Why was that cut? We have our theories...
• Before Loki shows up, Coulson gets a text. He pulls it out in the coolest way possible, then he has to step out.
• But who calls him? Is it Fury? Or is Loki involved in some way? The script – which isn’t canon – certainly leads us down one path.

And this is where Loki shows up.

• What a slick way to have Loki appear.
• But before Loki show up, we actually see a report about methane hanging up outside the sliding glass door. Is this here as a fart joke? Possibly the first and only fart joke in the MCU?
• Back to Loki – Thor sees him and reacts. Do people in the command center see Thor by himself? Is he talking to no one? Obviously, Loki’s invisible.
• So if he’s invisible to everyone on Midgard, why is he in Midgardian garb?
• To that end, did you know that the scarf is the one thing Tom Hiddleston kept from this shoot?
• Wow, Loki brings dark fake news for Thor. He clearly works his machinations through this conversation.
• And with that, we’ll be talking about this conversation for a few episodes.

It’s fart jokes, Coulson’s in-and-out as Loki shows up, and Loki’s bad news, all with Kyle and Rob in the guest chairs. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Sixty-Two: From Arthur C. Clarke to South AfricaJane and Erik debate while Agent Coulson interrogates Thor, and Kyle Olson and Rob Kubasko from seasons two and three are here for all of it!In the sixty-second minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Erik continues pressing Jane about science.
• Jane presses right back about Arthur C. Clarke, but does she quote him correctly? Turns out most people don’t!
• They each have great points but again, it feels like Erik has shut off his scientific mind simply because of the nature of the myths Thor represents to him and his childhood.
• It’s Darcy, though, who pops in with some surprising smarts that surprises both Jane and Erik, and ends their conversation.
• Once again, we have yet further proof about how many laughs there are in this film. Sure, Darcy’s at the heart of many of them, but Natalie Portman certainly holds her own here.

We return to the SHIELD Crater Base where Agent Coulson interrogates Thor in the holding cell.

• Yeah, so apparently the holding cell is yet another room they trucked in as a part of this quick-assembly job at the crater.
• We start in the Command Center where we can see Agent Sitwell and Techie, but there are so many other SHIELD agents here who we just can’t identify. It’s frustrating.
• To that end, while we’re in the Command Center, we can see that they’re still monitoring the hammer and it’s still glowing in the monitors. So why is it no longer causing electromagnetic interference?
• Agent Coulson interrogates Thor. Is there a reason he’s approaching the interrogation as if Thor is from Earth? Does he know Thor’s from space and is just toying with him? Or does he really not know yet?
• Thor remains not just tight-lipped through this interrogation but also does everything he can to avoid Coulson’s eyes. He’s very sullen here.
• But why isn’t he in cuffs or tied up in some capacity? Is Coulson that trusting of him?

Agent Coulson interrogates Thor but not before Darcy drops some smarts on Erik’s and Jane’s debate. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Sixty-One: From the triquetra fading to Erik ragingJoining us on the show as Heimdall gazes upon Thor as he’s arrested while Jane and Erik fight about it are seasons 2 & 3 hosts Kyle Olson & Rob Kubasko!In the sixty-first minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Before we dig into this minute, we reveal that we figured out who played Huge SHIELD Agent in last week’s fight. It’s Jamal Duff! We talk through his work both in the NFL, the MCU, and what he’s known for on IMDb.

Thor gets taken away by SHIELD agents. Heimdall gazes upon him.

• The triquetra disappears. Does Thor now know what this is all about?
• Has Thor completely given up? He doesn’t have any more fight in him, that’s for sure.
• The script had a moment from Jane who starts running in to save him but who turns back after hearing guard dogs coming her way and seeing searchlights looking for her. We’re fine with this not being shown. Plus, it allows the moment last week when she hears him scream to be the last thing she takes away from here.
• What we do see instead is a beautiful shot of Heimdall’s eye with a reflection of the SHIELD Crater Base in it. Heimdall gazes upon Thor, unable to do anything.
• To that end, we debate if Heimdall should have lowered his head as he does in the script or if by not doing that, he’s acknowledging that all of this is what Thor needs to become a better king.

Meanwhile, back in Puente Antiguo...

• Jane and Erik argue about Thor having been arrested. How do they know he’s been arrested? All Jane knows is that Thor screamed to the heavens. Last thing she actually saw of him was him running in. It feels like script machinations to have them assume he’s been arrested.
• Darcy points out both Mjølnir in the book Erik apparently checked out from the library and Loki. We have a great time reacting to the write-ups for these.
• But wait... does that mean Erik got himself a Puente Antiguo library card after he realized Jane took off without him?
• Jane and Erik argue about science versus magic. Jane seems right here. Erik seems to have really closed himself off to any possibilities of the unknown as soon as he connected all of this to myths from his childhood.

Thor gets taken by SHIELD agents, Jane and Erik fight about it, and Heimdall gazes upon them. Lots to discuss with Kyle & Rob! Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Sixty: From Odin’s-Eye View to Odin’s TriquetraJoining us to discuss Thor’s scream of agony and confusion as well as Coulson’s possibly sympathy for him are Andrew Darowski from Disney Animation Minute Essentials and Joe Darowski from The Protagonist Podcast.In the sixtieth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Thor screams at the heavens. It’s sad. It’s powerful. It’s heartbreaking. It’s all of his emotional weight coming out in intensity.
• Thor clearly knows he’s looking up at Heimdall and maybe Odin. But it’s kinda funny that Coulson is right there too. We like to think maybe he’s screaming at Coulson. Who’s literally staring at him from above.
• Thor’s scream feels like a child melting down. He still has no understanding as to what’s going on. Or at least it may be slowly starting.
• We break down parental responsive quadrants and discuss where Odin perhaps falls. And Frigga too. She was awfully permissive of Thor.
• Was there a switch in Odin’s parenting style after everything he did with Hela? Did that leave Frigga to carry the load?

We cut to Jane and see her reaction.

• It’s shot like she’s seeing this which makes no sense but it does make sense that she’s reacting to Thor’s scream.
• Coulson also seems to be reacting to Thor’s scream. Or maybe he just wishes something happened.
• Hawkeye doesn’t look at all. At least we don’t get a shot of him.
• But to that point, we do determine that all the clips of Renner were shot after the fact to fit in to this scene after the fact.
• We hope the guy who Renner replaced doesn’t feel too bad about being replaced.

Thor falls to his knees in defeat.

• Patrick Doyle’s music works so well here and doesn’t make the scene feel too much.
• The slo-mo scream feels a bit Peter Jackson but when he’s on his knees, the slo-mo of the water dripping off his face works really well.
• That Doyle shift to the hopeful/sad theme as the triquetra appears on the hammer is incredible. Between Thor’s scream and this moment, this minute if filled with emotional power.
• It’s likely seeing the appearance of the triquetra on the side of Mjølnir that signals to Thor that this is by design.
• Last but not least, we discuss the place of Thor in the MCU. It’s not the favorite or least favorite of anyone. But how interesting that it has such a substantial footprint throughout the MCU.

It’s an episode of Thor realizing the reality of his situation for the first time, and he screams it out. Joe and Andrew Darowski are here to dig into it. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Fifty-Nine: From Rainy Triumph to Rainy FailureJoining us to discuss Thor’s failure to move Mjølnir and Coulson’s and Hawkeye’s reactions to it are Andrew Darowski from Disney Animation Minute Essentials and Joe Darowski from The Protagonist Podcast.In the Fifty-Ninth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• This is a big minute for Thor. He just can’t pick up Mjølnir. It’s the low point for Thor on his hero’s journey. But it’s great that Thor’s failure doesn’t have to involve a funeral like Spider-Man.
• This story is so big and fantastical, but this moment of Thor’s failure is so human and internal.
• Does Thor get it? Does he understand yet? We think it’s likely the next minute when he finally will start to understand, but here, the hammer won’t budge and Thor’s failure breaks his brain.
• Thor’s failure is very relatable. We’ve all had moments like this.
• It’s great seeing Thor go from believing he can pull the hammer to complete confusion from his failure.
• Wow, did Chris Hemsworth really work out for this scene. He really looks like the strongest man in the world.

Did any of us think that he would be able to lift Mjølnir and the story would continue from there?

• Unfortunately, few of us remember but this moment of Thor’s failure really makes sense for this particularly hero’s journey.
• Patrick Doyle’s score already has such power, pride and strength in it. This moment shines for Doyle as it carries such a range of emotions.
• Early on, we have a great god’s eye view shot. Is this Heimdall’s perspective as he watches what Thor’s going through?
• Unrelated to that, what are all these chemical tanks around for? Are they meant to imply the sorts of experiments they’re doing on Mjølnir?
• Barton’s starting to root for Thor. What does this mean? He’s beating his own team’s agents. Is it a rebel thing?
• Coulson wants to watch what’s going to happen, but what if Thor got his powers and flew off? This certainly feels like the naïve character from the show.
• The script had a lot of electricity coming off the hammer. Here, it’s just a... feeling?... that Coulson has?
• Honestly, it must just be the sheer determination that Thor has that makes Coulson want to see what’s going to happen.
• Would Coulson think Thor might just be another drunk townie?
• Interestingly, there’s a dutch angle that almost looks like Thor’s hammer pull is actually moving the shot.
• This is seriously a powerful piece of set dressing. It really just doesn’t budge.
• How many of these agents have tried by now to pull the hammer?
• Last thought: “Lavender.” We really want to hear Coulson say this.

It’s the bottom of the barrel for Thor today as he can’t pick up Mjølnir. Where will we go from this big moment of Thor’s failure? Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Fifty-Eight: From Coulson’s Entrance to Mjølnir’s ShadowJoining us to discuss Thor’s fight tactics against the huge SHIELD agent and Mjølnir’s shadow are Andrew Darowski from Disney Animation Minute Essentials and Joe Darowski from The Protagonist Podcast.In the fifty-eighth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Thor finally sees Mjølnir. Great dutch angle again as Thor swaggers on his walk to his hammer.
• But then he’s punched from out of nowhere by the huge SHIELD agent. But where did this guy come from? We just saw a wide shot and he wasn’t there. He would’ve had to be running in to get here.
• We try to figure out if there’s any rhyme or reason for the dutch angles in this film. We think it’s largely Branagh’s desire to make a film that looks like a comic book.
• Do that many comics have dutch angles in their frames? Andrew and Joe point out a few examples, including the comic Silver Age as well as the Batman TV show.
• Release the dutch cut! Ha!
• How many people understand what a dutch angle is? Is it a common bit of knowledge?
• There’s certainly a sense of love of dutch angles here, and we talk about them in relation to Orson Welles’ The Third Man.
• The huge SHIELD agent who punches Thor may just be the first person who can hold his own against Midgard-bound Thor without his powers. They really feel more on the same level.
• Unfortunately, we can’t figure out who plays the huge SHIELD agent. (Check back next week when we figure it out!)
• Thor’s cockiness remains as he seems excited to have to fight this big guy, who sadly is only known as ‘huge SHIELD agent,’ as we’ve been calling him.

Thor and the huge SHIELD agent take the fight outside. Well, not intentionally.

• They end up bursting through the plastic wall of the hamster cage and land in the mud. Great mud wrestling fight!
• It’s a frustrating fight, though, because we really never get a great shot of this agent except at the start. He’s left as nothing more than an obstacle for Thor to overcome.
• Thor does a great speed ramping slo-mo double leg kick to the huge SHIELD agent’s chest. Well, really his clavicle. Ouch!
• Is this really an effective move? Or would your momentum push you opposite and slow how much you hit your opponent?
• After Thor takes huge SHIELD agent out, why does he kick the guy while he’s down? Is it just to prove how great a fighter he is? Does he think this would make him a more worthy king?
• Seriously, though, this last kick on huge SHIELD agent feels like a dirty move. No wonder Thor’s not worthy!
• It’s written even worse in the script though. Ouch!
• What’s funny is that Clint is just sitting here watching this whole fight between Thor and huge SHIELD agent from his bucket. Talk about the Watcher!

It’s a minute full of pugilism as we all debate Thor’s tactics. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Fifty-Seven: From Thor Fighting in the Tunnel to Coulson Entering the TunnelJoining us to discuss Hawkeye, his weird placement in this film, and Thor’s sense of direction are Andrew Darowski from Disney Animation Minute Essentials and Joe Darowski from The Protagonist Podcast !In the fifty-seventh minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Thor runs through the hamster cage for a while. Is he lost? Or is there some strategy?
• Andy reveals he mapped out Thor’s entire run through the hamster cage. Unfortunately, there’s a moment where they hide in the edits that he runs down the stairs to the lower level then suddenly is on the higher level again. Hrm...
• We see the shot of Coulson next to the crashed ATV from the script. Clearly they cut this early from the film because it’s not included as a deleted scene.
• There’s quite a bit of hand shots throughout this film, as Andrew points out. Is this a Branagh thing? Something to find a way to ground the story with these more tactile moments?
• Why does Coulson ask for someone to go up with a gun into the bucket. Didn’t he know he was calling for Hawkeye?
• Should Hawkeye be chucking the bow into the bucket? Wouldn’t he be taking more care of his gear?
• Why does the sniper go into a bucket hanging from a crane in a rainstorm? Wind... lightning... visibility... This doesn’t seem like a safe plan.
• Interesting that they choose to go slo-mo when Thor kicks the guy through the wall of plastic.
• Thor may be confused, but there’s a moment he’s literally down the hall from Mjølnir. Sure, there are agents between him and it but that hasn’t stopped him up to this point...
• When Hawkeye’s up in the bucket, you can again see the broken hamster cage tunnel from the unseen ATV crash.
• Coulson goes into the Command Center. Oooohhh... electric static on the monitors...
• Barton’s lines are so great here. Too bad we get so little of him here.
• As always, Coulson does a great job acting confident against things he completely doesn’t understand.

We meet Hawkeye!

• We talk through our histories with Hawkeye and what we think of his introduction here.
• Why do they do the whole gag of him reaching for a gun before reaching for a bow? Are we meant to think that this may very well be the moment he decides to switch to the bow, making this his origin story as well???
• Does Hawkeye design his own arrows too?
• There’s something about him that feels very Batman as a non-super who has mad bow skills. It’s great to watch what Jeremy Renner does with him, even if this feels a bit last-minute.
• Was it a surprise when he showed up? Turns out, they released this footage before the movie came out. Perhaps they were excited they had a recent Oscar nominee...
• It’s scripted as someone grabbing a gun. Did they film this with someone else then replace the footage with Renner, filming him later when making The Avengers?
• As always, we break down Renner and his movies IMDb says he’s known for.
• And of course, we talk about his comic book origins.

It’s Hawkeye’s official introduction into the MCU! Meanwhile, Thor’s lost in the hamster cage. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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Minute Fifty-Six: From Red Alert to White TunnelsJoining us on the show today to discuss Jane’s message, Erik’s last name, and Thor’s mission are Andrew Darowski, host of Disney Animation Minute Essentials, and Joe Darowski, host of The Protagonist Podcast.In the fifty-sixth minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• Dutch angles? We don’t need no stinkin’ dutch angles! Actually, it seems to be that Branagh slows the dutch angles down during fight scenes.
• Holy cow! Natalie Portman’s so funny! Her monologue as she leaves a message for Erik is hilarious. Great comedy from Portman and Jane’s message.
• Ever thought about E.T. when you see the SHIELD Crater Base? We call it the hamster cage but it feels an awful lot like what the governmental figures set up at Elliott’s house.
• This hamster cage feels very flimsy and cheap. They were clearly going for something that could be set up quickly, but does it work or does it end up feeling more like something from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
• It also feels like they’re trying to keep things sterile, but what and why? And if so, why aren’t the people in sterile suits?
• What changed with Thor that got him sneaking so much instead of just running in and fighting?

Back to Jane’s message for Erik.

• Does Erik actually pronounce his last name as Selvidge? Or is it just that it crackles while he’s talking?
• It’s hard to tell and we’re likely wrong, but there is a bit that makes it sound that way.
• Regardless, the focus is Jane’s message, not what Erik says for his message.
• Why does Jane assume Erik knows where they are?
• So much is revealed in this call about Jane’s relationship with her advisor. It’s so impulsive of her!

Back to the hamster cage.

• Andy spent far too much time mapping out where Thor was through this whole chase in the hamster cage.
• Thor clearly loves the fact that lightning strikes and thunder rumbles. Does that mean he and Mjølnir have some psychic connection?
• To that end, is that ringing sound from Mjølnir something everyone can hear when they grab its handle? Or only Thor? Regardless, there’s a great hum that starts with the shot of Mjølnir and it reminds us how much we love all the sounds that connect to it.
• Thor works his way around the complex and finally runs into the hamster cage entrance. But what happens to the guard who runs in after him?
• The first fight in the entrance to the hamster cage feels a bit generic. Nothing too special, but nothing wrong with it either.
• Was that move that pulled his rain slicker intentional? Or accidental and they kept it in?
• Thor really feels like a secret agent, not a god fighting men, in this hamster cage fight sequence. It is a great contrast seeing him fight mano a mano without his hammer.
• In the script, there’s a moment where Thor picks up a rifle then throws it at an ATV’s headlights. This is why there’s an ATV crash seen throughout these next few minutes!
• We’re really glad they didn’t give him a gun. That would’ve seemed strange. These aren’t bad guys, after all.

We’ve got Jane’s message of hilarity and Thor’s journey into the hamster cage with Andrew and Joe. Tune in!Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!Film Sundries

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