“What’s the best superhero” film ever made is a question endlessly debated with no concrete answer. There’s too many subcategories. You want fealty to the spirit of the source material? “Spider-Man.” You want the best performance of an iconic hero? Chris Reeves’ “Superman.” Comic strips? “The Phantom.” Most street cred with the Academy? “Dark Knight.” And so on.
But for pure fangasm…for a comic book superhero film that will not leave a dry seat in the house (metaphorically, one hopes)…you simply cannot beat “The Avengers.”
This is the type of film that Warner Bros. had a decades-long head start on and couldn’t get its act together. It should have been easy. Do Superman, do Batman, do Wonder Woman (must…avoid…obvious…joke…) and then put them together on the big screen with a couple more guys as the JLA. Instead the JLA remains fettered to the small screen and they fired Joss Whedon off Wonder Woman, thank God, so that comicdom’s Designated Fan could unleash the combined efforts of what is now effectively four years worth of prequels on screens across America.
And oh lord, was it worth the wait.
When Marvel first launched the Ultimate line, I opined that it was effectively a blueprint as to how to do the Marvel Comics movies, right down to the fact that Nick Fury had suddenly turned into a dead ringer for Samuel L. Jackson. And now here we are, and there he is, sporting the eyepatch that will forever deny poor Nick the opportunity to see this film in 3D. (That’s actually a cartoon I’d like to see: Nick Fury and Odin at the movies with the 3D glasses on and Fury muttering, “I *knew* this was going to be a waste of money.”)
I’m not going to give you vague plot beats because you’ve probably heard them all. I’m not going to ruin anything in the film because that just wouldn’t be right.
I will say that there’s a good deal of methodical block building in the first 45 minutes, but director/writer Whedon doesn’t automatically assume that everyone has seen all the preceding movies. And that’s fair. You can’t assume, and even if you’re completely up to speed, there’s enough there to keep you engaged.
The plot holds together for the most part. And the film is replete with all of the classic Whedon-esque touches, including my personal favorite: Anytime a Whedon villain starts delivering a self-aggrandizing monologue, it always ends prematurely and badly for the villain. Happened in all his television series, particularly “Buffy,” and usually to Spike. Most memorably up until now was the guy that was mouthing off to Mal in an early episode of”Firefly” who had his speech truncated, along with the rest of him, when Mal kicked him into one of the ship’s turbines. But all of those were warm-ups for the example that occurs this time with one of THE most humiliating defeats in the history of comics films.
Everyone in the film is great, although every time Cobie Smulders was on screen I kept waiting for Nick Fury to say in narration, “And kids, THAT’S how I met your mother.” But that’s probably just me. Also for a while there I kept having a sense of universe shift. When Tony and Pepper were on screen, I felt I was watching “Iron Man 3.” When Cap was there, it was “Captain America II,” and when Thor showed up, “Thor II.” Eventually, though, they had enough screen time together that I finally felt I was watching an Avengers movie, particularly when we got to another Whedon trademark: a vertigo-inducing spin around shot of everyone in a circle.
Plus there were all the aforementioned “fangasmic” moments. Iron Man vs. Thor. Thor vs. Captain America. Thor vs. Hulk. Black Widow vs. Hawkeye. Black Widow vs. Hulk which is, granted, more like Black Widow runs like hëll from Hulk. (It should be noted that the Hulk has FINALLY been rendered well on screen (thank you, motion capture) and Mark Ruffalo appears to be channeling the more urbane attitudes of Bill Bixby than he is the more morose and self-obsessed Banners of his immediate filmic predecessors.) With all this internecine squabbling and battling, it’s thus all the more gratifying when the crew–face to the foe–is able to put aside its differences and finally work as a team. Which is what it’s all about.
Oh, and stay ALL the way through the end.
PAD
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I generally agree with everything you said, and want to reitterate that Mark Ruffalo IS Bruce Banner. The best Bruce banner ever in a film. I also like how Joss gave everybody their spotlight without it feeling like * Oh, this is the Hawkeye scene. * I never got the sense that any scene was just taked on. Definitely worth seeing twice.(Which I plan to do).
The 2003 HULK was also motion captured, though weirdly Ang Lee did the motion capture himself, whereas now it’s actually Mark Ruffalo doing it. It makes a world of difference, I think.
For what it’s worth, I thought the Hulk performance looked wayyyyy too good for straight motion capture. Right now I associate the state-of-the-art in performance capture with TINTIN and TRON LEGACY, and Hulk looked more alive than the CG characters in those films.
I suspect that the technique used for Hulk was closer to that used for Serkis’ Gollum and Ceasar, where animators crafted a hand-keyed performance on top of whatever motion capture was used for the film.
(It should be noted that the Hulk has FINALLY been rendered well on screen (thank you, motion capture)
I have a quibble with the association of the word “rendered” with “motion capture.” As a VFX artist, I associate rendering with the lighting, shading and texturing used on the Hulk model. I might stretch the term to also include the compositor who successfully blended the CG render with the film plate. However, I do not associate rendering with character performance.
I just saw the film this morning and my feelings are pretty much the same. As a lifelong comic book fan, I was in seventh heaven during some of those ‘versus’ moments, particularly when the Hulk tries to lift Thor’s hammer. And while I think Whedon did a pretty dámņ good job of directing, I think his true contribution to the piece was a superb script (especially that interrupted villain speech you alluded to earlier). I guess one of the best parts of being writer AND director is you can write a crackling piece of dialogue and not worry about the director throwing it out because it ruins the pace.
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And thank you for the admonition about not leaving until the FINAL credits. At the screening I was at today, at least half the audience was long gone by the mid-credits sequence, and a lot more of them were gone by the end. Iguess they’ll just have to wait for the DVD now.
Does super strength via magic potion count for a superhero comic book film? If so, the live action ASTERIX films are hard to beat. When the first one came out in ’99, it beat out STAR WARS I at the Québec box office, and deservedly so. They didn’t bother with CGI when they recreated the famous Gaul village and, Gérard Dépardieux as Obelix? At least on a par with Downey Jr’s Stark. The multiple levels of humour didn’t hurt, either. Even my unilingual anglophone friends were practically falling off their chairs laughing. But, yes looking forward to seeing AVENGERS tomorrow. Thanks for the ‘stay to the end’ tip, though, these days, the rare times I go, I do this as a matter of course.
P.S. Am I the only one who, in childhood, heard there was this TV show called THE AVENGERS and was [initially, I’m now a fan] disappointed it was about a guy in a funny hat and some woman who did judo and not about superheroes?
Oh, yeah. If I recall correctly, the studio even had to go out and modify the current movie’s name in the UK so folks there would know it was an altogether different film. Otherwise, some folks probably would have been heard muttering “Where’s Steed? Where’s Mrs. Peel?” instead of enjoying it.
Looking forward to an adventure when I finally get to see it!
yesterday, i sent an email to a friend, who’s normally very well-informed on fandom, urging her to see the avengers. she replied she couldn’t see anyone else as mrs. peel.
Diana Rigg is definitely a superheroine.
Thirty or forty years ago, she would have been short-listed to play the Widow. Guaranteed.
Was Diana Riggs portrayal of Mrs. Peel on the British “Avengers” in any way an influence on the development of the Black WIdow character itself?
I seem to recall that when she was first introduced she looked totally different … today’s version always has me thinking somebody stole Diana Riggs’ look in the tv series and altered it to fit the Black Widow.
Well, I’m old enough to remember when Black Widow first appeared as a villainess, with Hawkeye as her partner/plaything. (At this time, Hawkeye had a very melodramatic voice pattern. Then, after he became an Avenger, he was such a smartmouth that I kept hearing Morey Amsterdam for his voice.) In the late 60s, Natasha had a kind of black bathing suit with a webbing/fishnet pattern to it. It wasn’t until 1970 when she began to wear the wetsuit. Emma Peel might’ve influenced it to some extent.
But not as much as she influenced what Wonder Woman was wearing during her Diana Prince period from 1968 – 1972!
Thanks for the info on Diana RIggs/Black Widow. Always wondered if there was a connection of some sort.
Saw it. Loved it.
Hated the 3D.
Still have a splitting headache. (And it was my first 3D film, and will be my last)
TAC
TAC, please don’t make this your last 3D viewing until you’ve seen a real 3D film. AVENGERS was not shot or rendered in 3D. The “3D” version of AVENGERS was a post-process 2D-to-3D stereo conversion. That’s why I watched the 2D version last night instead of the “3D” version.
I recommend seeing true 3D films like CORALINE, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and the upcoming PROMETHEUS. I do not recommend watching 2D-to-3D conversions.
If it helps, this website lists which films were shot/rendered in 3D and which were not:
http://realorfake3d.com/
There are only two films that in my experience were 100% worth seeing in 3D. The first was “How to Train Your Dragon.” The second was “Hugo.”
PAD
Actually, I’d recommend against it. There are a small percent of people who will get a headache watching 3D no matter how good the 3D is. They have eye problems that are very minor and otherwise go unnoticed but the 3D effect aggravates it and gives them headaches. Travis is probably one of those people.
Aaahhhh… I actually found the article I was looking for – http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/01/09/us-headache-3d-idUSTRE6080XO20100109
Of course I’m going to see it. But this is one of those times when I surprise myself: I’m not looking forward to this movie as much as I thought I would be. My passion for Marvel/DC superheroes has cooled a little this last couple of years.
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I agree with PAD about the superhero movies mentioned as all-time greats, except that I’ve never seen THE PHANTOM. I would include IRON MAN as the most surprising mega-success (yes, one expects Batman and Spider-Man to be hits, but Iron Man?). I’m also in the minority in that I really, really liked the WATCHMEN movie. Oh, and UNBREAKABLE, that I still think is the more underestimated superhero movie ever.
I’m a big fan of the original Lee Falk Phantom and I feel that the film version did a great job of capturing the essence of the comic strip.
To be fair, when most people talk about Comic Book movies, they’re usually talking about adaptations of some graphic medium to the big screen. I don’t know of any story/characters that were adapted for Unbreakable.
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That being said, I absolutely LOVE Unbreakable and IMO it is by far the most underrated M. Night Shamalam movie.
Am I the only who thought, at one point, “Fury, how could you? Those cards were in near mint condition.”
I thought the same thing.
Yeah, as a collector myself (of action figures), I cringed when I realized Fury ruined a mint collector’s item. And then I cringed when I realized that I’m THAT MUCH of a geek. 😀
It’s okay–didn’t you see the disclaimer at the end?
“No actual collectibles were harmed during the filming of this motion picture.”
Yeah, I thought that…for a second. But they aren’t real. lol And they are the possessions of a dead man. And Fury gets paid “the big bucks”…grand scheme? Not important.
Are you kidding? Imagine finding this on eBay:
“Complete set of Captain America training cards. Mint condition expect for blood of man who died fighting alongside Cap.”
But was it blood of a man who died fighting alonc with cap? For all we know Nick just fake the blood or used blood from any other agent that died during the assault. Heck, maybe he is not even dead.
I was extremely impressed by this (shameless review plug: http://thearmchaircritic.blogspot.com/ ). While many ensemble movies focus on one character to the detriment of the rest (Wolvering in X-MEN, anyone?) this one managed to give both time and development to ALL the characters. (No, the Black Widow wasn’t just eye candy for the males.) There’s a tremendous amount of sly humor here, some sad moments too, and TWO “extra” scenes during the credits. It’s not a perfect movie (matbe a little long in the setup) but it’s tremendously enjoyable — and sets the bar pretty high for other summer blockbusters.
Agreed, James. “Avengers” should be used as a primer for how to handle an ensemble piece without giving short shrift or too much spotlight to any one member of the group.
Just got back from the movie. Absolutely incredible. My only (minor) quibble was with a scene leading up to the dramatic final battle. When Stark was faced by a seemingly unsolveable problem, my immediate question was: why not come at it from below? If he (or JARVIS) had spent fifteen seconds asking that question and getting some technobabble response as to why that wasn’t a good idea, I literally wouldn’t have had a single bad thing to say about the movie.
The beatdown of Loki by Hulk was definitely the highlight of the film. But everyone was laughing so hard at it that I barely heard the Hulk’s (soon-to-be-classic) quote of, “Puny god!”
Also, Coulson’s line of, “So THAT’S what it does,” should be one that will be repeated for years to come.
On an unrelated note, PAD, I recently picked up your novelization for Battleship and loved it, which got me thinking this: why haven’t you done more media tie-ins like that lately? You used to be all over them, particularly with Marvel’s movies like both Hulk movies, the first Iron Man, and of course all three Spider-Man films. I’d really like to see you get back into doing more stuff like that.
Aside from a handful of juvenile versions, have you seen ANY novelizations of Marvel films lately? Aside from IRON MAN 2, a job I passed on because the terms were absurd, there haven’t been any. No Thor or Cap. No Avengers. No Spider-Man (that I know of). Studios have gotten paranoid about allowing writers access to scripts or don’t want the books to get out early (which is customary) because they don’t want plot details to go global on the Internet.
PAD
Haven’t seen ’em so far.
Lots of Art of… books on offer, which I hope to lay hands on someday, mind you, and I wish those books saw wider distribution in their own right.
I was actually the writer on one of DC/WB’s Art Of… books, the one for The Dark Knight.
Access to the script and the novelization didn’t seem to be a problem at the time, though I wish I had been able to do more as far as unique interviews go. There were pretty strict NDA type things I had to sign. I don’t know what WB/DC policy is on those things nowadays, or how that differs from what Marvel does. Can’t believe that was four years ago….
Thank you Jacob. I was one of the people laughing so much at my showing that I didn’t realize Hulk has said anything until after he was done. Now I can watch for it on the second viewing. And probably third and fourth.
The Avengers was quite simply the best superhero film of all time. PERIOD!
Okay PAD… Give us the truth now… You wrote the scene with Hulk & Thor… You know the one that I mean…
If you’re thinking of the one I am..then yes, it does play that way:)
PAD,
I went see this at my local Regal IMAX and I enjoyed the hëll out of it. The best part: Hulk SMASHING Loki. I was laughing so hard at A. How brutal the beatdown was. B. How unexpected it was. The entire audience was laughing and clapping. Hulk’s line HAS to be put on a T-Shirt!! Puny God Indeed! 🙂
It sounds like a good idea, but I can just see some “good” Christian passing someone wearing a t-shirt with “Puny god” on it, and then having a fit because they think it’s referring to THEIR God.
In fairness, some of the people who’d buy that shirt would do so with exactly that intent.
My response would still be, “Do you really think He needs you to get offended on his behalf?”
Brilliant, brilliant film. I almost wouldn’t care if they stopped making Marvel movies now — this was the culmination, the peak they’ve been building up to for four years. Joss Whedon’s writing, which can be a VERY two-edged sword, was perfect here. He should write to a PG rating more often; it keeps his more annoying habits in check with no reduction in fun. (He was even subtle! There’s an unfinished line in the film that will absolutely kill you when you realize how it was supposed to end.)
My one real complaint was something I knew going in: no Hank and Jan. It’s not quite the Avengers without ’em.
By the way, I have NEVER seen so many people stay through the full credits. The Marvel films have taught viewers well.
I, too was disappointed by that. But I seem to recall Dr Pym being mentioned in the original SPIDER-MAN film, so there may yet be hope? If banner can gain an extra half ton or so as Hulk, then Giant-Man should be no problem (pesky square-cube law aside).
People stayed? Other than the people I’d come with, there were maybe a handful who satyed for the end bit. Even some around me I tried to warn they would miss the Easter Egg left anyway.
You and I are the sort of people who are being complained about on message boards and weblogs for exactly that behaviour. Rely upon that, ‘Wolf!
I was bummed when I got home. I’d been trained to watch for the Easter egg. I didn’t realize there were TWO of them until hours after I saw the movie.
David: If it helps, that second Easter egg is a total throwaway. I’m torn between telling people to stay for it and telling them NOT to stay for it.
@ Zeke: I have to admit, I thought the line was coming, and I was wincing in anticipation. And then it didn’t come, and I appreciated it. I think it might be my favorite thing NOT said in a film.
I went to see it for the second time today ($5 Tues.!)and discovered I could watch the mid-credit scene, go to the restroom, even had to wait to pee, and still got back into the theater in time to see the end scene. Men’s room was right next to the theater this screening was in, so it wasn’t that far to walk. Is there a real Schwarma’s Palace?
JohnJ: Don’t know if there’s one in the real NY, but there is in the movie’s NY — you can see it at one point during the fight.
I get the feeling shawarma was meant to sound more exotic than it did to us here in Ottawa. We’re the shawarma capital of the world; the downtown core has a shawarma place every block. One of these days I should try some.
Well, it seems shwarma is seeing a boon in the last few days:
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/avengers-shawarma-scene-i_n_1500762.html
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http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Has-Avengers-Sparked-Surge-Shawarma-Sales-30814.html
I have to wait till MONDAY. 🙁
I would change places with you in a heartbeat. It is so good, I wish that I could see it for the first time AGAIN.
Here’s a hint: see it with a goggle-eyed eleven-year-old. I saw it with my Grandson, and it was the best time ever.
Absolutely incredible film! So many things to comment on! This is they type of film that is WORTH paying IMAX 3-D prices for! It is pure spectacle! So MANY awesome moments, especially those who have loved these characters for years, but the effects are so incredible and the dialogue was crisper than the “Tanorexic Mom”!
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The film was like the most thrilling amusement park ride ever! Where you can’t wait to ride again!
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I have on;l seen a literal handful of films twice onscreen and only the 1989 “Batman” three times..this film may cause me to set a new record:)
Hey PAD any chance of spoiler filled review? I would really love to read your reactions to the plot the acting the everything basically.
Seconded.
I would love his reaction to this movie’s version of the Hulk.
Saw it at midnite with an audience that was must have been 50% former or current students…I got an ovation walking in because, I assume, they knew I’d been waiting for this movie longer than they’ve been alive times 2 1/2.
Loved every minute. had a smile on my face the whole time (except during a particularly emotional sequence). More applause during a movie than I can recall having heard in a long time.
The Hulk had one line but all the best scenes! And i didn’t even hear the one line as it was drowned out by applause and “holy šhìŧ”s. They finally got banner and Hulk right and i am now really looking forward to another Hulk movie.
Between this and CABIN IN THE WOODS I’m loving Joss long time.
If you haven;t seen the movie stop reading this thread. There are so many great bits and it’s best to see them yourself, be surprised. Don;t talk to anyone about the movie. And for Gods sake don;t leave until all the credits are over. We were yelling at people not to leave but they ignored us and then they came running back in when the big collective WHOA! went out. Ðûmbáššëš.
One complaint, a small one–the alien army. Meh. the snakeships were wonderful but the aliens were nondescript and unmemorable. I know they can’t use Skrulls for legal reasons but, I don’t know, use Dire Wraiths or something. And yeah, make a ROM movie while you’re at it.
Just a great, great film. Kudos and congratulations to all. Many repeat viewing in my future.
It WAS the Skrulls. The Chitauri, the film’s aliens, are, to the best of my understanding, the Ultimates version of the Skrulls; which makes sense since most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is based on the Ultimates incarnations anyways.
ah. Well, they weren’t very good. I remember the Skrulls as having more personality.
Actually, they can use the Skrulls. An interview with Kevin Feige I saw said so. It was just that Whedon didn’t want to add shapeshifting into the mix. There are certain characters that are in a grey area and can be used by both licensees and Marvel Studios. The Skrulls are one. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are two others.
Oh cool, that’s good to know. Losing all of the fantastic Four Universe would leave an awful lot of characters untouchable.
Everybody gets a Crowning Moment of Awesome … but Hulk gets the film’s CMoA.
Wait. You mean there were two teases and i missed one?
Well, that’s it. Got to see it again.
Peter, it appears that you’re not the only one to employ the little death in his reaction to the film. David Edelstein of New York magazine predicted, “Comic-Con nerds will have multiple orgasms.”
I’m amazed to see that are already two people in these comments have basically said “…and the best moment in the film is when X does Y…”
I know. Seriously.
Oh and I do have 1 minor nitpick b4 going into the movie that I figured wouldnt be resolved and wasnt…. which is where da fûçk was War Machine. The end of Iron Man 2 they say they want to recruit the suit but not Stark. Well hello thats War Machine, and considering he’s the only big gun (Black Widow and Hawkeye still being “normals”)who actually is part of the Armed Forces it just makes to much sense.
And yes I realize he was never going to be a part of the movie but a short bs explanation why wouldve been nice.
JC,
Sure Rhodes comes with a suit, but Stark brings a suit and his intellect. In any case there ought to have been a one line shout out.
Perhaps the War Machine armor was still being unbefouled of Hammer tech…
The question briefly crossed my mind, but then I very quickly dismissed it. The Iron Man movies pretty clearly establish that Rhodey’s stationed on the west coast, and the action took place in New York. (Yeah, yeah…the last time we saw him, he was in New York, but that was for Stark Expo.)
–Daryl
I’m pretty sure they don’t want Rhodes stealing the Helicarrier and delivering it to the nearest air force base like the two bit thief he is.
“And now here we are, and there he is, sporting the eyepatch that will forever deny poor Nick the opportunity to see this film in 3D. (That’s actually a cartoon I’d like to see: Nick Fury and Odin at the movies with the 3D glasses on and Fury muttering, “I *knew* this was going to be a waste of money.”) ”
Minor point; I don’t think that’s how 3D works anymore, at least not the kind they used for this movie. I went to see it with someone who is blind in one eye, and they were able to fully experience and enjoy the 3D.
Matt, I’m not sure how that’s possible…without two eyes it’s impossible to see in stereoscope. The glasses will eliminate the ghosting effect but they won;t see in depth.
The 3-D was fine in Avengers, though it became less of a factor as the movie went on–I suspect the toned down the effect during the fight scenes because the quick edits make it difficult to pull off without headaches. The best 3-D shot in the film was Nick Fury on a spiral staircase.
But the film WAS bright enough to compensate for the 20% loss of light in 3-D so that was nice.
I imagine Jerome’s experience in both 3-D AND Imax would be optimal.
You still see depth with one eye. The perception of depth is due to many factors, most of which are already present in 2D films. Just close one eye and observe how you can still distinguish between what is close and what is far.
As to your friend, Matt, 3D movies still work through synching up two images. Most 3D movies, including some Avengers screenings, use glasses that block one image for the left eye and one for the right eye. He probably just noticed the focal shift, which is present in normal movies but exaggerated in 3D movies because… well, things need to fly in your face in a 3D movie.
If you want to see a 3D movie on the big screen but do not like the 3D effect, check this out:
http://www.2d-glasses.com/
All of the screenings of The Avengers near me are on either large 3D screens or tiny 2D ones. Now I get the best of both worlds!
Sorry, Jeff – not so. to perceive stereoptical depth (i.e., the 3D in movies) you need two eyes.
In fact, “foreground miniature” special effects shots (where a much smaller model is placed near the camera and appears to be larger and part of the background) depend on the fact that the “one-eyed” camera has no depth perception. The “depth” perceived with only one eye is synthesised by your brain.
Mike – Maybe this wasn’t clear, but I wasn’t talking about stereoscopic depth. I was talking about depth in general. I specifically said that the perception of depth was due to many factors. 3D movies add in stereoscopic depth, but even then they do so by cheating the actual focal point. This is said to be one of the reasons people get headaches in these movies.
I used to work in film, so I know all about the ways the camera can be tricked. My favorite example is actually when a five foot tall actor was placed several yards in front of two six foot tall football players in silhouette. That way, they all looked the same height.
The kind of “depth perception” you’re talking about does not, in fact, exist. It’s strictly a mental effect that can go wrong in many ways. Are you familiar with the “Ames Room”? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_room) It is a classic case of perceived depth (using a one-eyed view) that is completely wrong and is more likely to be perceived correctly using two eyes.
Speaking of films – the opening sequence of the original “Lethal Weapon” proves that depth perception with one eye is completely arbitrary, since it uses the camera’s monocular vision and a painted sheet to present a convincing illusion of parked cars where there is actually an airbag that the stuntwoman lands on. Similarly whichever James Bond film it is that has the bit with the mini-jet in the pre-credit sequence used a 1/10 scale model of half of the hangar door and a 1/10 scale RC model airplane to give a completely realistic-looking perception of depth that wasn’t there.
Monocular depth perception does not exist. It is an illusion created in your brain.
I fess to not having a clue about the science of it, but all I can tell you guys is that she was practically jumping out her seat, unprompted, at the specific moments where they had 3D effects coming at you (particularly in the final battle when that giant mechanical serpent appears to lunge through the screen). And afterwards she said to me, “The 3D was awesome!” Maybe she’s not seeing exactly what we see, but she got something out of it, that’s for sure. I am tempted now to go back and watch the movie with one eye closed, because this has got me really curious.
Mike, you’re kind of limiting depth to only physical, stereoscopic depth. The depth that is created in the mind is still depth. To be more accurate, “depth” is the sum of several sources of information, only some of which require stereoscopic vision.
Wikipedia lists the elements that factor into depth perception. It actually specifies monocular cues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_perception
I’m familiar with the Ames room, they’re very cool I actually love playing with depth (I’m actually loving talking depth with you [even though I should be talking about how awesome the Hulk is {I’m a dork}]). There was an incident on an Apollo mission where the astronauts wanted to go see a large rock. They kept walking and realized that it was in fact a massive boulder. Because certain forms of depth perception are lost on the moon, they didn’t realize how far away it was.
Loved it.
Going next week. Since it is post production 3D, is it worth the extra $$ to see it with the glasses, or should I save the 5 bucks they charge and see it in 2D?
I haven’t seen it in 2D yet, so I’ve no basis for comparison. I will say there was a lot of kicking stuff in the 3D. If I see it again in 2D, which I probably will, I’ll post an update, so watch this space.
PAD
I hadn’t paid any attention to whether or not it was filmed in 3D but during the first Black Widow fight scene (the one they released online before the film) I suspected it was post-converted.
It was definitely a good enough movie to see again so I’m planning on catching the 2D version next time.
I plan to see it again in 2D relatively soon, so i’ll try to remember to report back,
I have now seen it in both 2D and 3D. I think the 2D was better, even though the IMAX screen was larger. There was one shot early on where a 3D-emphasized foreground object distracted me from the actual background action (it’s the one where a helicopter takes off).
For the record, it was NOT filmed in 3D, but it isn’t a bad conversion like, say, The Last Airbender was.
Save your money. This movie is perfectly enjoyable without being charged even more for BS effects.
I saw it at a local theater’s “grand balcony.” They serve food and spirits (which makes some movies more interesting, but that’s another story), and don’t allow anyone under 21 in. As someone who has never indulged in either matrimony or patrimony, I enjoyed seeing a movie where all the kids had to stay on the floor below. But, because of the food, no 3D films show for the balcony.
I saw it in 2D first, then later in 3d. Nothing about the 3D version really jumped out at me, if you’ll pardon the pun. Nothing about the 3D edition really made it worth the extra money.
While I agree that between the dialogue and geek-gasmic moments the film would undoubtedly be a helluva ride in 2-D, I thought certain moments were even more intense and awesome because I was seeing it in IMAX and 3-D.
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A movie like this, between the long anticipation and all that is going on, well I just feel seeing it in 3-D (and IMAX) is the only way to go – or, at least, the best way to go.
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If that means I may not be able to see another film I want to see for a couple weeks because I spent a bit more to get what I feel was the “ultimate” experience, then that’s the way I was happy to go.
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Depending on what I hear, I may not go this route with even “Amazing Spider-Man” or “The Dark Knight Rises”. But for THIS film? Felt I had to get the best experience possible and felt it was worth every penny:)
Zeke, I know Ant Man and the Wasp were in the original Avengers line-up, but did you really miss them? Although that said, I’d kinda like to see a scene someday where Hank Pym, in full Ant Man mode says, ‘You know, I don’t JUST shrink things!’ and suddenly grows into the 30-foot Goliath.
There is a scene in the videogame ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3 with Ant Man/Giant Man. It’s one of Hawkeye’s special combos, and it can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsM5gsJ4sVo at about 3:25.
I did miss them! They are to the Avengers what J’onn J’onnz is to the Justice League – not a big shot superhero with his own book, but nonetheless a constant of the team. Their powers would’ve looked amazing on the big screen. Instead, we’ve got the Hulk, who was an Avenger for two issues. Ah well.
On the plus side, the recent animated series “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” has all the classic characters and absolutely nails them. It’s the first Marvel show that can stand up to the DCAU. In particular, it’s good evidence against the idea that Hank would be redundant with Tony around. They’re both smart guys, but very different kinds.
Interesting side note – Jan actually proposed an Avengers movie script in the comics once. (West Coast Annual #6 filler story.) Her version started with her and Hank’s origin, then moved into the team’s first adventure. That would actually have worked nicely for the real film, since the other three characters have all had their films already!
I’d love to see The Wasp in a movie with a scene without a molecularly unstable molecule. It could be done, just like they did Mystique after she lost her powers in the third X-Men movie. (To my knowledge, no one has at least complimented that movie on successfully doing a comic-book-style nude scene!)
Well, apparently, the post I made about the “Premake” of Avengers didn’t get through, for whatever reasons. So, I’ll repeat it again (without the link, because I suspect that was the reason it failed to appear):
A year or so ago, somebody did a clip on YouTube which showed what “The Avengers” would have looked like if it was done in the fifties, and really, his work is worthy of being included in the DVD extras of the real movie. Go to YouTube, and search for “Premake Avengers”. You’ll even see a version with the Marvel references used (lots of cameo appearances here.
And I’m sure you’ll agree wholeheartedly with his choice of actress for the Black Widow.
Someone also put together a version of what THE AVENGERS might have looked like if it were made in 1978 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0jBF912xYY&feature=player_embedded (And if anyone knows where this “Ironman” is from, I’d love to know!)
I’m pretty sure that the “Iron Man” in the video is from the TV movie “Exo Man,” about a crippled scientist who develops an exoskeleton suit to allow him to move.
Also, I think the “Spider-Woman” is a villainess from “Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl.”
Yup, that was ExoMan, all right. With David Ackroyd and a pre-ALF Ann Schedeen. I also recognized Peter Wyngarde as Tony Stark (good shot), and got a kick out of Alan Alda as Hawkeye. On the other hand, I’m drawing a blank on the actress playing the Black Widow. And too bad that, unlike the 1952 “Premake”, we didn’t see cameos from other Marvel Universe denizens (Nicholas Hammond, anyone ?)
They should do one for each decade. I’d love to see a silent movie version of the Avengers.
I’ve been actually been wanting to do something like that for a while — make trailers for ’20s versions of modern movies. Just thinking about a silent Pulp Fiction, for instance, makes me laugh. But I don’t have the means or the knowledge to do something like that, so I’m throwing that idea out for free.
Well, the same guy has done quite a few of these: Ghostbusters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, The Empire Strikes back, and so on. Worth watching.
I judge every single Hulk, no matter the media, by how closely the character reminds me of your interpretation. With The Avengers, I feel like we FINALLY got beyond the old “Sad Banner, Angry Hulk” dynamic and moved forward with the idea that these two personalities are intrinsically linked.
I enjoyed how every hero gave something to the next one. That’s how a team movie should work and that makes this film a perfect middle point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony needed to learn about the finer points of heroism from Cap (it’s not just about saving people). Bruce needed to learn to have control over his powers from Tony.
This movie was so densely packed with awesome that there were times when the audience would be cheering one moment, but then another awesome thing would happen and there would be an audible jitter as the crowd adjusted to cheering the next thing.
This was a celebration of The Avengers, cinema and life.
World premiere was one week ago. so Ive been able to watch it twice so far. The first time in the original language, the second a dubbed version. Mostly so i could bìŧçh in unison with the local fandom at the ways the spanish branch of the distributor butchers films with cheap translations and stupid adaptation decissions. The “Puny God” line? butchered. The Flying Monkey’s reference pun? Adapted into a mess that was neither funny or poignant to the character, both qualities the original line had. And so on.
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I loved the movie so much I will probably go see it a third time before they pull it from the only place in the whole country you can catch it in english.
Howard, you’re right about Exo-Man, which I think came out in 1977. I think it works better as a 1970s TV Iron Man, as that YouTube video will attest.
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And Jeff, you put your finger on something very important when you note that Avengers is a celebration of cinema. There are some movies that will never be as good without the shared experience of seeing it on a big screen with an audience and this is definitely one of them. I don’t count 3D as part of that experience, as the film wasn’t shot for that medium and has simply been retro-fit in order to squeeze more a bit more money out of enthusiastic movie-goers. But as a well-crafted 2D experience, it’s going to be difficult to match any time soon.
I thought it was all right. Good with the action, not so much with the comedy or the drama. Whedon still writes dialogue as if he’s writing for a bad ’80s sitcom, and even these seasoned actors can’t find ways to wrap their mouths around his one-liners to make them funny. But then, he’s not very good at directing actors, either (I’ll never understand why people like this guy so much).
But once the action started in New York, he totally brought it, and even managed some funny (non-dialogue) moments with the Hulk.
But now I demand a Hawkeye movie! They still didn’t develop his character, and yet, even so, he was my favorite Avenger.
“It should be noted that the Hulk has FINALLY been rendered well on screen.”
Really? I thought he looked kind of plastic. He looked better in the last movie, I thought.
I also thought Cap’s costume looked a bit ridiculous. He also looked better in his solo film.
If this movie had been made 10-15 years ago the climax would have been a fistfight between a depowered Loki and Tony Stark without an armor suit. You know, a mano-a-mano between the villain and the “main” hero (at least the hero played by the most recognized actor).Comic book movies have come a long way.
Robert Fuller, I second the motion for a Hawkeye film. I learned archery pretty much from when I was big enough to hold a bow (and the sheer number of runaway arrows that made their way into neighbors’ yards will probably attest to that) but it was because of Hawkeye’s appearances in Tales of Suspense and Avengers that led me to try making every stupid trick arrow you can think of. Not surprisingly, the boxing glove arrow was less than successful, but I got myself into all sorts of trouble tying fishing line to them. Ah the things you could get away with when you’re a kid.
The first superhero comic book I ever read was Hawkeye #1 (the first one, from the early ’80s). That got me interested in West Coast Avengers, which got me interested in The Avengers, which got me interested in Marvel comics. So I’m pretty much a superhero/comic book fan because of Hawkeye.
But even if that weren’t true, I’d still be demanding a Hawkeye movie, because Jeremy Renner is awesome. And with the success of this movie as well as his success as an actor (MI4, the Bourne movies, etc.), I think it’s possible in a way it never was before. I like how he’s becoming the go-to guy for action movies, sort of an A-movie answer to the (let’s face it) B-movie Jason Statham.
It’s weird how I love Hawkeye, but I’ve never liked Green Arrow. Go figure.
Loved it. Will not indulge in spoilage. I, too, think the world might buy into a Hawkeye movie now. If they can line up both Renner and ScarJo, a Hawkeye/Black Widow: Agents of SHIELD movie might be even bigger. All-out superhero/espionage action in the Mighty Marvel Manner! Get a script with the right snappy dialogue, and they could channel Steed/Peel for the 21st century. They could take on someone trying to restart Hydra (w/ post-credits reveal that the Red Skull survived to the present…setting up Cap III) Ah, so many possibilities!
Hawkeye and Green Arrow have the same bag of tricks, but very different personalities. Clint is a fun-loving smartass, but underneath that, a reliable team player; Ollie’s a self-righteous cynic whose wit is genuinely mean. With that in mind, there’s nothing weird about liking one and not the other (or liking both in different ways, as I do).
I just wish they hadn’t gone with Ultimate Hawkeye for the films. Compared to the real Hawkeye, he bores me to tears.
Classic Hawkeye’s role of the authority-questioning smartass is pretty much filled in the movie by Iron Man, so it made a certain amount of sense to take Hawkeye in a different direction. (Making him a SHIELD agent also meant that they didn’t need to establish an origin for him or explain why Fury would recruit him for the team.)
The humiliating defeat you mentioned got the biggest cheer I’ve ever heard from an audience in a movie theatre. From the defeat itself to the defeatee’s look of utter bewilderment. The end of Thor and Cap’s fight got a pretty impressive reaction as well.
I think Loki was not well-developed. He lacked screen time and display of power. In the comic books he’s such an amazing character!
I liked more what they did with him on Thor, the actor is very good, they could have gotten more out of him.
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I remember hearing somewhere that Samuel L. Jackson had licensed his likeness to Marvel Ultimates under the condition that he got first dibs on playing Nick Fury in any film project made in 5-10 after the release of Ultimates. I’m not sure if Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed debunked that rumor or not.
The Avengers was certainly worth the wait, particularly with the mid-credits scene.
The post-credits scene, however, waste five minutes of my life (in waiting for it) wasted.
Really? thought it was note perfect.
Agree with roger.
I’m with Craig on this one. I was like, “Really? Not even a snappy punchline?” I liked the idea of the scene in theory, but the execution was all wrong. It was cliched and obnoxiously complacent, and looked like something shot spontaneously as an after-thought.
Interesting.
There weren’t a lot of people remaining in the theater when I saw it but the reaction to the tag was fun:
Watching.
Watching.
Watching.
A few giggles.
Watching.
A guffaw.
A few more giggles.
Watching.
A couple more guffaws supported by a few giggles and titters.
Watching.
Giggles.
Watching.
Giggles.
Conclusion.
Applause and laughter and a few comments of “That was awesome.”
I guess it depends on the audience’s sense of humor.
Like whether they have one or not.
🙂
Actually I think it was. As I understand it was only shot a few weeks ago.
It more or less was an afterthought. They filmed it after the premiere – since they had everyone together. The reason Cap wa covering most of his face is the full beard Evans is sporting for a currently shooting movie.
so, has anyone ever had Shawarma? What’s it like?
I guess it depends on if you find superheroes sitting in a shawarma restaurant intrinsically funny. I don’t really see the humor there.
Shawarma is just meat, Kim. But it’s usually really good.
Yeah. the idea sounds good on paper…and I get what Joss Whedon was trying to do…show that this crew will indeed find themselves together again…and that any line or revelation may be anticlimactic…that this was his way of saying..”What more can I do after all THAT?”…but the average person – especially after the Thanos scene, which SHOULD have been the one they ended with – probably was underwhelmed.
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A lead-in to “Iron Man” 3 would have been better.
Well, I speak as someone who runs a comedy group. Tickled MY funny bone.
What does running a comedy group have to do with anything?
What does running a comedy group have to do with anything?
Everything.
Not really. It’s like saying, “I speak as someone who runs a brothel. That sex scene turned me on.” It’s irrelevant.
I’m going to hijack this sub-thread:
Roger Tang, I’m curious what, as someone who runs a comedy group, you think of my proposition that all humor is about pain. It’s not a thought I’ve pursued sufficiently to pose it as an overall theory of humor, but I suspect that if I did, I could.
Whadda you think?
Wait. A bunch of extraordinary individuals opting to sample a mundane adventure while ordinary people rebuild around them without need or expectation of help is cliche, but it could have been made at least made slightly less unbearable with a punchline?
The humour came from stripping all of the glamour the audience watched for two hours and twenty minutes. The scene is supposed to be as awkward and unpolished as possible. (The drop in film quality was a nice touch.) A punchline would have been pretentions.
Well, it depends on the punchline. But actually, what the scene needed was not a punchline, so much as simply some mundane dialogue to go along with the mundane setting. Or just SOMETHING happening, even if it was just something small. Anything! As it was, it just seemed lazy and amateurish and cutesy.
Any dialog would have undermined the scene. The reason it worked, for those for whom it worked, is the recognition that these people were so spent that it took them that whole scene to build up the energy to raise a sandwich to their mouths. I suspect that the people who find it funny are those who could identify with that and, for them, the scene was a way of connecting in a very human, relateable way with these fantastic characters. I’ve experienced it when I worked at a bar and, after a particularly trying and exhausting night – say, Halloween or New Year’s Eve, that’s exactly what we were like. There were also the nights I drove home and would sit in the car for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes before I had the energy to get out of the car and go inside. So, yeah, the scene totally worked for me. But, as with any joke, it’s not funny when you have to explain it.
It wasn’t about Shawarma.
Oh, the Avengers are tired! Hahahaha!
Nope, not seeing the funny.
Nothing more I can add, really. Great film. Great time!
After I left the midnight show my head was filled with possible plot ideas for the sequels.
So if you’ll indulge me….
• Iron Man 3: Villain The Mandarin with CGI Fin Fang Foom. Introduce socialite Janet Van Dyne as complication to Stark/Potts Romance. (she becomes The Wasp)
• Hulk 2: Villain The Leader. Introduce Dr. Hank Pym to aid Banner. (He Becomes Giant Man)
• Thor 2: Villains Enchantress & Executioner. Enchantress draws a wedge in Thor/Foster romance.
• Captain America 2: Villains Arnom Zola, working with A.I.M. creates Modok. Together they revive Red Skull. Cap, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Black Widow & Hawkeye defeat Zola, Modok & Skull.
• Avengers 2: The Avengers along with new members, The Wasp & Giant Man, battle the “mystery” villain shown on end credit Tag #1. At the end of Avengers 2, with the team triumphant, when they return to Earth, things look different as if someone has tampered with “time” as the mystery villain is revealed as….. (see Avengers 3)
Ah, yes…one of the more pleasant developments with the stunning success of “The Avengers” movie is that there is now not only no question that there will be another “Hulk” film but if they keep Ruffalo and get someone who writes/directs as well as Penn/Whedon, then it won’t be wishful thinking to think it will actually be good..or be a “smash” in it’s own right!!
Hmmmm …
Who could possibly write The Hulk as well as Penn & Whedon?
Let me think ….
This is me gloating:
We have a theater in Portland which actually secured a 35mm print of “The Avengers”. Gorgeous!
And, man, what a fun movie.
And to gloat further: After The Avengers, I had dinner and then went to see “My Neighbor Totoro”. Also 35mm.
Effin’ great day.
I vote for Daniel Day-Lewis as Thanos.
(Look, we’re allowed to dream, aren’t we?)
Hey! It’s not thaaat far-fetched a dream…in the Iron Man films alone we have had Oscar-worthy (and nominated) actors like Robert Downey, Jr., Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrance Howard and Don Cheadle. Heck, even Scarlett Johansson has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Tony – while Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow both have the Golden Guy on their mantle.
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And that’s just the two “Iron Man” movies.
I only see one possible problem… When DDL prepares for his roles he REALLY gets into his character.
That would be…interesting:)
Ben, while he might put in a good performance, if Daniel Day Lewis was given that role, I’d recommend he wasn’t allowed contact with anyone else working on the picture until it was done. It would be safest for everyone involved, especially him.
I’ve not yet seen this comment regarding the Moment That Shall Not Be Spoiled. It’s the enactment of Angel and Spike’s long-running argument: In a fight between a Caveman and an Astronaut, who would win?
The question has been settled.
The Dark Knight Returns may be the critics’ darling this summer blockbuster season… but The Avengers was the most fun superhero movie I’ve seen thus far.
Joss Whedon got it right with the script, the acting was par for the course (and Cobie Shulders actually held her own), and the action sequences didn’t disappoint.
And that LAST postcredits sequence… very Whedonesque! (Only 5 people in the theater – counting myself – stayed through all the credits. You’d think after 5 Marvel Studios films, people would know by now…)
*Cobie Smulders… hey, at least I didn’t call her Robin Sparkles! 😉
I love Cobie on HIMYM, and she did okay here… it’s just too bad her character was only named Maria Hill. She was nothing like the one in the comics, who’s all soldier — more Kira than Ivanova.
One other minor quibble–this Agent Maria Hill character was terrible. Other than giving Nick Fury someone to talk to, what was her purpose? And the actress came off pretty stiff, though there wasn’t much for her to work with.
I want to go see this again right now. I’ll get the DVD of course but this is one of the rare movies where I want a CROWD of people in the theatre, if they as enthusiastic as the one I saw it with. really added to the enjoyment, which is a pretty rare thing. The slack jawed yokel sitting right behind me would have driven me to thoughts of homicide with his dopey comments but he was far from alone and they were only slightly less articulate than what I was thinking. This was an EVENT and that’s probably why it smashed the records like the Hulk (Edited to remove spoilers)
This leaves just Batman, Prometheus and maybe Spiderman to keep me thrilled this summer.
“One other minor quibble–this Agent Maria Hill character was terrible. Other than giving Nick Fury someone to talk to, what was her purpose?”
I didn’t even realize that was supposed to be Maria Hill until you said that. But yeah, her presence was a bit odd. I just chalked it up to Whedon’s fetish for pouty young actresses of limited acting ability. I couldn’t really see her as anything other Robin Scherbatsky, which is always a problem when you get a sitcom actor of limited dramatic range and put them in a movie. To me, Don West in the Lost in Space movie was just Joey Tribbiani in one of his acting roles.
I don’t know why they didn’t just hire an actress who’d be around for a few more films and have her play Agent 13. Agent 13 (or Sharon Carter) would be a natural second in command and could lay a foundation of a romance with Rogers in Cap 2.
I don’t have a link, but there were a bunch of deleted scenes that involved Captain America including scenes with him and Peggy that will be on the DVD. The original run-time was over three hours.
Well, it was minor, but yeah – they didn’t really give Hill’s character much to do…I feel this is a shame since writers like Bendis have portrayed her as pretty kick-ášš in the last few years in the comics.
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Buuuut…to be honest, Jackson’s Fury wasn’t really that kick-ášš either..though that may be hard since A.) He has demanded that he not be given any scenes where he has to run and B.) (possibly the reason for A_) he is sporting quite the gut for a soldier/spy of his stature.
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If the success of this film helps a “S.H.I.E.L.D.” or “Nick Fury” movie come to fruition – along with a “Black Widow/”Hawkeye”/”Black Widow and “Hawkeye” film(s) – then maybe those characters will have more room to breathe and actually reach their potential.
Still couldn’t see the movie. I went with my girlfriend last Saturday. All sessions were completely full (the next one, and the two others after THAT).
Wooow! Well, good luck in the immediATE FUTURE, RENE..i HOPE YOU GET TO SEE IT SOON
With all of the sequels already planned (Iron Man 3, Cap 2, Thor 2, Avengers 2), I’m curious to see if there will be any lessons learned.
Iron Man 2 seemed to lose a lot of what worked from Iron Man. I also felt that Captain America lost steam in the end.
Meanwhile, with The Avengers, dámņ near everything worked. I attribute a lot of that to Whedon, as this movie silently screamed his name over and over. There was even a misbehave!
Well, all I have to add is that my post-Avengers buzz lasted about three days. Now I need to see the film again.
Holy carp, that was a FUN film.
Wow! “Avengers” had a $104 million SECOND weekend…unheard of (except now of course).
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http://www.newsarama.com/film/the-avengers-box-office-total-could-be-staggering.html
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This makes me very happy! I remember it was only a decade ago when “Spider-Man” blew everyone away with $114 million it’s first weekend…and how that spawned more superhero films and helped launch Free Comic book Day and get new fans into stores.
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Now, with the movie on track to generate $600 million in North American box-office, good for third place all-time and the highest-grossing film not directed by James Cameron, well I’m thrilled to no end.
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Because A.) Whatever the appeal of Jackson, Downey, Jr. etc., I think it is clear people are seeing this film for the spectacle and the characters
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B.) With this under his belt, Whedon will finally be taken seriously in Hollywood and do more high-profile stuff the way he wants to do them. That can mean anything to a “Buffy” reboot onscreen or “Wonder Woman” or who knows what else.
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Comic book movies will be hot again…and sure there my be some duds…but with so many characters to choose from, the sky’s the limit.
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And I’m not just talking about DC. Maybe we’ll finally get “Shi”, “Red Sonja”, “Y The Last Man” and others onscreen.
I know I’m late to the conversation, but despite the fact that I live in a country that got The Avengers about 2 weeks before America, I just now got to see it.
It was freaken awesome.
At this point the only thing I can probably add to the conversation is to say that the Dominican audience absolutely loved “Los Vengadores” too. They cheered every single time the Thor showed up. They laughed at almost all of the jokes, especially Tony Stark’s, which should say something to those people who think that Whedon is too dependent on pop culture references. Like me, they responded very well to Big Ðámņ Moments like Banner saying, “That’s my secret Captain: I’m always angry,” and then punching out a battleship-dragon.
Oh, and one more thing. The way that Stark and Banner talked about science feels like how Stark and Hank Pym always should be depicted in the comic, but never quite are.
That was an incredibly satisfying experience.
Oh, and there was one major advantage to watching the movie in a foreign country. I could read the Spanish subtitles whenever the audience was cheering too loud to hear the dialogue. That was about half of the scene after Hulk beat the crud out of Loki.
Ok, saw it for the second time in 2D today, I think the color was better in 2D but we’ll see when the Blu Ray comes out. Now my only question is if was my imagination when Steve Rogers runs to get his suit on board the Helecarrier he comes to the shelves where the Capt. America costume is mounted, they pause for a shot of him looking at the suit. I swear I saw Ant Man’s helmet besides him…….
I was finally able to see The Avengers this weekend (the 3-D version). Saturday, I took my 9-year-old nephew, who twice told me, “this is a great movie.”
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Then yesterday we went to the Motor City Comic Con, which was his first convention. He enjoyed it. Especially the 50 cent comics. And most especially the 50 cent comics in like-new condition (he doesn’t know “near mint” and other comics terms).
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He didn’t have any comics to get signed, per se, but many guests signed his program book; and Buffy artist Georges Jeanty gave him the latest issue and signed it. He also likes to draw; and without seeing anything, a local Detroit artist encouraged him to keep at it.
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So, he had a fun comics-related weekend, one that will hopefully make him a life-long comics fan.
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And help encourage a love of reading.
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As to my thoughts about the film: First, I read almost nothing about it, to avoid spoilers, so I wasn’t giving any thought to who was directing it. I only remembered that Joss Whedon was the director when I saw his name in the credits at the end. Of course, I might not have given the director any thought because I was too engrossed in enjoying the movie. And I’m sure most directors would probably rather people enjoy a movie than give any thought to whomever is behind the cameras.
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My nephew, by the way, was so caught up in it, that he wasn’t aware of the movie’s length. When he saw the time as we were going out, he was surprised at how long we’d been there.
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I’ve never read much of The Avengers or titles related to SHIELD, so I’m not familiar with either Maria Hill or Phil Coulson. But I didn’t need to be familiar with them from the comics to enjoy the film. She, as far as I could tell, was Fury’s second-in-command; he was an agent who happened to be a Captain America fan. Of course, viewers who’d never read a Marvel comic didn’t need to know much more than that, either.
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IMDb lists several actors as being members of the “World Security Council.” Are those the people who interacted with Nick Fury on the viewscreens? I remember Clay Quartermain arguing with them early in PAD’s run on The Incredible Hulk, but never knew (or had forgotten) who they were.
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Personally, when they gave the okay to nuke New York (or at least allowed some SHIELD agent to try), I think Nick Fury should have made that fact– and their names– public. Or at least threatened to do so (not a long scene; just a quick line or two). As I recall, he threatened something similar to some government agency near the end of PAD’s Hulk run with respect to an old girlfriend of Bruce Banner’s. SHIELD may be a secret organization, but I doubt it’s so secret that no one’s even heard of it. It’s one thing not to know what specific operations the CIA has going on around the world; it’s another not to know about the CIA at all.
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I enjoyed the interaction among the characters, and thought the film struck the right balance between clash of egos and genuine teamwork.
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Speaking of the bickering, recall the arguments in the lab. Was Loki’s staff thing (which was in the room with them) causing or at least exacerbating them? I’ve probably read less than a dozen issues of Thor in my life, so I’m not all that familiar with what weapons he uses and what they do.
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And, of course, I liked that there was a storyline, not just fights for the sake of fights, as sometimes happens in superhero comics.
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Which reminds me of a comment in a recent Avengers-themed issue of Comics Buyer’s Guide. I don’t have it with me, so I’m going from memory; but of an upcoming title involving The Avengers, someone said something to the effect that it would be more about fights than any sort of plot. I don’t currently read superhero books (except Astro City, when a new mini series comes out), but even at the height of my superhero reading, I was interested in reading a story amid all the action and excitement. I can’t imagine comics with all action and no plot will help bring in and keep new readers.
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Again, the movie had a storyline, along with the thrills and excitement.
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There’s a second scene in the closing credits? One after the cameo appearance by the ______, talking about humans? We left after that scene. I thought that was the end.
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I also liked the “puny God” scene with the Hulk and Loki; and I especially liked the look on Loki’s face. I suspect that whatever defeats he might have suffered on Asgard and environs, I doubt they were anything like that.
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I also enjoyed the scene where Captain America was giving orders to everyone, and he said, “Hulk…. smash.”
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Much to the Hulk’s delight.
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Regarding the bet between Nick Fury and Steve Rogers, for some reason I expected Steve to be blase about the existence of alien life (sort of a “once you’ve been frozen for 70 years you take things in their stride” attitude); so it was amusing when he just handed Fury a $10 bill and said “you win.”
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How long after the final scene of Captain America does The Avengers take place? The woman at the end who talked about Captain America saving her life brought to mind a question: does the general public in the universe of these movies know that this man is the same Captain America who fought in World War II?
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As to the 3D, I had no problem with it. And if my nephew did, he didn’t say anything.
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Like I said, a fun comics-related weekend.
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Rick