Screen Rant’s Kofi Outlaw Reviews The Avengers
Marvel’s The Avengers is not just a film – it’s a cinematic event. The culmination of half a decade of movie-making, five different films introducing us to characters, stories and worlds of Marvel’s shared movie universe – not to mention, the life-long hopes of fanboys and fangirls all over the world, who have been dreaming to see their favorite superheroes onscreen together long before Marvel Studios began making it a reality.
Now that the Avengers is here, the question is: Does writer/director Joss Whedon (Serenity) deliver a film that lives up to fans’ massive expectations and functions as a great summer blockbuster for causal moviegoers?
Short answer: while not perfect, Avengers delivers the goods on all fronts, and then some.
We are thrust right into the story at the point where the respective lead-in films – Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America - left off, by learning just what has befallen Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) after his plunge into the abyss at the end of Thor. We find Loki holed up in a strange netherworld (or “realm”), hosted by a dark and mysterious “ally” who promises him re-entry to Earth and an alien army in exchange for securing the “Tesseract” (the cosmic cube seen in Captain America) from the humans who have claimed it (i.e., the covert peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.). Armed with a new weapon that can fire energy and brainwash unwilling subjects, Loki heads for Earth.
The only thing standing in the trickster god’s way? S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the various superheroes included in his “Avengers Initiative.” Fury manages to gather Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and super spies Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Through otherworldly machinations, even Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is able to return to Earth, charged with capturing his sibling and the Tesseract for return to Asgard.
But Loki isn’t called “the god of mischief” for nothing. Before Fury’s new super team can find its balance, Loki is in their heads sewing seeds of doubt, distrust, anger and conflict. Can earth’s mightiest heroes put their differences aside in time to protect the planet – or is their coming together an even bigger threat than Loki himself?
The Avengers is very much a Joss Whedon product – and is much better off for being so. If you’re not familiar with the geek-centric writer/filmmaker, he was the mind behind the ’90s Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, the short-lived (but much-loved) sci-fi show Firefly, its movie spinoff, Serenity, famous Internet musicals (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) and even some acclaimed comic book series (Astonishing X-Men).
Whedon was chosen to head this project primarily for his love of comic book culture and its characters. Speaking as a comic book fan, it’s clear from watching Avengers that Whedon is in tune with every single one of the superheroes (and villains) in Marvel’s stables, and knows how to arrange those personalities into a well-balanced ensemble – like a perfectly assembled puzzle (no pun). He also accomplishes the impressive feat of tying all of the plot-threads of the solo films together into a (semi-)coherent story, while briefly acknowledging various dangling threads (whereabouts of certain supporting characters, etc.) without allowing them to strangle this team-based story.
Through those various solo films we’ve gotten to know smarmy Tony Stark, old-fashioned idealist Captain America, arrogant Thor, sultry Black Widow and the uncontrollable Hulk. Avengers takes things a step further by showing us how these characters are growing and evolving – and better yet, growing and evolving because of their interactions with one another.
For all of the impressive action (more on that later), the best moments in Avengers are arguably the slower, character-driven scenes. Whedon’s penchant for snappy dialogue is on full display, and it’s a great experience to see, (for example) Tony Stark and Dr. Banner talking in high-science dialect no one else in the room understands – or debating the value of the traumas that made them both into tragic heroes. Small touches, but moments that feel true, interesting, and rewarding in a way that few people (fan or non-fan) will likely expect.
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Captain America (Chris Evans) in 'The Avengers'
Equally unexpected (but just as rewarding) is the humor in the film. We get the usual smattering of one-liners and overly-dramatic monologues and dialogue that can only come from a comic book – but there is also sharp wit and total self-awareness woven into Whedon’s script. Avengers strikes a tonal balance similar to that of Iron Man - i.e., light and fun for the most part, understatedly serious in the heavy moments (and Avengers does have some heavy moments, rest assured).
The best humor comes out of well-timed tongue-in-cheek winks - i.e., how strong certain characters are, how these characters behave, the context in which we find them (ex: Cap and Thor being fish-out-of-water types in the modern world), acknowledgement of how the ‘real world’ is juxtaposed to the concept of superheroes – and other great insights that work as sly winks to comic book fans and generally fun moments for casual viewers to enjoy in between action sequences.
Speaking of action: Avengers has some pretty impressive sequences – especially the climatic final battle against Loki’s invading army, which is definitely the best “boss battle” that has been featured in any Marvel movie since Incredible Hulk. Those worried about Marvel’s track record for underwhelming climaxes need not: by the time the battle is won, you will have been exhausted by the combination of iconic comic book imagery (The Avengers Assembled or working together in battle) and impressive big-screen eye-candy. The film has about four big set pieces (it’s still somewhat rigid and obvious in its structuring), but all of them deliver the goods and keep the movie exciting from start to finish.
As far as characters go, Avengers is the best rendering of Marvel superheroes on the big screen since RDJ let his charisma carry Iron Man to success. What’s surprising about the film is who ends up standing out the most: Black Widow and Hulk are the characters best served by Avengers, and audiences will almost certainly walk away with greater appreciation for both. (Johansson even gets a few chances to mock her detractors.) Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark schtick is as entertaining as ever (if not overly familiar by now) and he handles the difficult task of keeping things fun whenever they threaten to get too serious or comic book silly; without that cog in the machine (no pun), Avengers wouldn’t function nearly as well. Captain America and Thor are given moments to shine, but their presence is much more reserved and understated in this film – though we do finally get to see the power that makes Thor worthy of being called a god.
Supporting players like Nick Fury and his assistants Agent Coulson (Gregg) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) are just that: support. Jackson and Gregg are well-experienced with making the most out of a little in these Marvel films, but Smulders is mostly just window dressing. Hawkeye (Renner) is the one member of the actual Avengers team who is somewhat underserved – though that is something of a necessary evil, given how he factors into the story. As a villain, Tom Hiddleston makes Loki even more compelling than he was in Thor, this time infusing him with psychotic rage hidden behind a veneer of charm, smooth words and dimpled smiles (think Hannibal Lector with super villain aspirations). Of course, as a physical threat Loki isn’t that intimidating – hence the endless leagues of indistinguishable aliens who are thrown into the third act for The Avengers to beat on.
The special effects in the movie are pretty great – especially the much-improved Hulk, who (through motion capture technology) finally looks like the actor playing him and the classic version of the character first created by artist Jack Kirby. The aliens, S.H.I.E.L.D’s flying “Helicarrier” base, Iron Man, Thor’s hammer and the rest all look great. Visually, the movie is the most impressive work that Marvel has done, but as for the 3D format: it’s totally unnecessary. It’s not a bad conversion and doesn’t detract from the viewing experience – but it rarely adds anything, either. If you’re debating which way to see the film: go 2D. [UPDATE: Ok, so 3D IMAX is a pretty awesome way to see it, as well.]
Now for the downsides (because there are a few): the story is very flimsy and predictable in terms of its overarching plot, and the big “reveals” in the film are likely to confuse those who haven’t read a ton of comic books (NOTE: there are two extra scenes during and after the credits – make sure to stay for both). For all the satisfying action, Avengers demonstrates that Whedon still has something to learn about space and angles when it comes to movie direction. A lot of the sequences still have a very “TV” feel to them – and on the whole, Avengers plays like several episodes of a very well-built TV series, rather than a feature film that has truly “cinematic” moments in it. There are a few, but only a few.
However, the few drawbacks and criticisms aren’t enough to stop The Avengers from delivering a fun and satisfying time at the movies. Whedon leaves the characters in some great places for their upcoming second (or third) round of solo adventures – with the door to the larger Marvel movie universe left wide open for some interesting (and risky) developments down the road. I’m sure fans will be debating those points all along the way.
In the end, was Marvel’s ambitious dream for a shared cinematic universe truly worth it? In my opinion: Most definitely.
The Avengers is now playing in theaters everywhere. It is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.
Loading ...For an in-depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant team check out our Avengers episode of the SR Underground podcast.
The Avengers is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference
If you want to discuss the film in detail, please head over to our Avengers Spoilers Discussion to avoid ruining the movie for those who haven’t seen it.
Our Rating:
4.5 out of 5
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it’s gotten 8 rottens on RT now, and some of those reviews are pretty vicious. 1 guy is so pretentious, it makes you wonder if he talks that way in life, and if so, does he get smacked around much.
oh well.
great review kofi.
Absolutely adored the film, loved how well Whedon knew each character. My friends (DC fans) also loved it, so it gets a 5 from me!!
Why do you feel compelled to mention that your friends are DC fans? Or do you mean to say fanbois?
I favor DC and loved this movie. It gave me goosepimples at some points. And I can’t wait for another. For what little time on screen he had hulk stole the show for me. I’m going again next week.
If the amount of money that this film makes doesn’t get WB crap together, I feel we will never see a JLA film. What a waste.
Just saw this movie and to be honest I’m pretty bummed. I did like it but I wanted so much more. 3.75/5 for me. I’m not gonna give my reasons cause people will just yell and call me a troll ect. I wanted this movie to be great. But it ended up not being the movie for me.
Troll.
Don’t do that. If a person has valid reasons for not liking the movie (which I’m sure he has), then he can’t be called a “troll”. You can only call people trolls if they don’t have any REAL arguments or valid points.
Well, he didn’t present them, so …
There seems to be a mixup here, both from the original comment and from your interpretation of it.
Presenting valid reasons isn’t going to get someone labeled a troll. Bagging on a film without giving reasons or valid arguments is EXACTLY what makes a person a troll.
Then you said “don’t call him a troll if he presents valid points.” Yes, that is true, except he didn’t do that. Thus, “troll” is entirely valid.
Learning moment.
An hour ago ‘Trey’ posted his “gripes” with the movie, so yeah, he did provide a valid opinion/argument of why he didn’t like it (as I knew he would – the dude is one of the more reasonable ‘Nolanites’ on SR)
Thus, he ain’t no troll
meh. I responded to his original comment, not his follow-up 9 hours later.
The point still stands, people should outline what they mean, when they put forth an opinion. It’s great that he did so after the fact…it’s better than nothing.
@anonymous Now that was just un-called for wasn’t it?
I enjoyed the movie but didn’t enjoy it so much. 3.5 from me too. The last act just felt like transformers 3. The storyline was too cliché and straight foward. Remove the Hulk and Thor from it and it’ll just be average(IMO).
Well, actually, I’d prefer if you gave some reasons at you why you didn’t like it (I’m very curious what “quips” people have with it)
I mean, we all know you’re more excited for TDKR (which is fine), but that shouldn’t stop you from giving your opinion of the movie.
I did like the movue just not as much as I wanted to. Honestly whedons humor just doesn’t work for me. Like ignur I got annoyed by the comical moments in the final battle. Also a lot of the jokes didn’t hit with me. If anyone says that its the best superhero movie ill gladly say. Ican see why. Its a movie that a lot of people will love. And honestly I just didn’t. But I accept the fact that some people will love it cause its a movie that can be loved. Just not the movie for me.,
My main gripes was the humor throughout, the straight forward story and the drawn out last fight scene. I honestly enjoyed the first half of the movie more cause jokes can be flung there without taking away any drama. And my favortie aspect of the movie was the commuication between bruce and stark. But again like I said the humor just isn’t my kind of movie. But I won’t argue anyone saying its there favorite superhero movie
Well see, you just stated why you did’t like it and no one called you a troll (expect that one guy
).
While I disagree with you, I can respect why you didn’t like the humor (it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea).
It’s all cool. We should be able to say what we didn’t like without being in fear of people labeling us “trolls”.
And like I said anyone who loves this movie or states its better than ironman or the dark knight. I won’t complain or argue cause its a movie people will love just not for me.
I’m pretty sure we all can agree even people who didn’t like the movie that the action was phenomenal
I don’t think you’re latching onto the larger lesson here. You keep saying ‘We should be able to say what we didn’t like without being in fear of people labeling us “trolls”’ but the problem people had was the NOT saying “why.”
It’s good that he did say “why” later on. There’s enough rampant ‘putting forth a thought without bothering to process why I think that way’ that we should take every opportunity to rectify it.
It’s a huge problem out there, people don’t even know they *should* understand why they think something,and you end up with people who form opinions without considering the underlying structure…”how did I come to this conclusion? I dunno, because I like bananas?” Trey obviously isn’t one of those “people.”
That’s so true. A guy I saw the movie with told me he didn’t like it at all. And I was like oh really why is that? His answer was I don’t know I just didn’t. I then had a lengthy conversation stating how you need reasons for not likeing it. And then I began saying some things I didn’t like and he was like oh.I loved that or oh that was good. And I’m like to me it seems like you really liked the movie. And he continued to disagree… people these days
Well I agree, Trey SHOULD have mentioned why he didn’t like the movie in his original comment (I shouldn’t have had to talk him into stating his opinion), but since I’ve been reading a lot of his comments on SR, I suspected he’d have a valid opinion (even if it is one I disagree with) – like I said, he IS one of the more reasonable “Nolanites” on SR.
I do find it kind of funny that while I was simply trying to be courteous, now I’M the one getting the lectures
I’d be more concerned with thinking about what to learn from it, instead of worrying about whether you’re being lectured or not. Pride is a stupid thing, it’s better to process and learn and grow every day of your life than to worry about whether you’re being lectured, or attacked, or whatever.
It’s a hard thing to follow through with, it’s our human instinct to put pride and image first, but it’s not actually important or worth worrying about. If someone puts forth a thought, and I don’t like it, I still try to gain from it and compare it to my own thoughts to see what I can learn.
And just to be clear, what exactly is it that I was supposed to “learn” from this?
)
To not assume/trust that someone has a valid opinion? If that’s so, I’m sorry for having old fashioned values (damn my parents for raising me the way they were raised!
In an in depth discussion, it’s fair to expect reinforcement and validation of an opinion, and it promotes better dialogue when we ask “why do you think that?”
It’s actually a very old-fashioned idea that’s gone out the window with online interactions. People want to spout whatever without being able to back up what they’re talking about. We should work to hold a higher standard.
See? We’re growing already.
take a note of it cause there ain’t many reasonable ones out there haha
Hmm you make a very valid point. I like that you admit that you can see why it was great, but it just didn’t hit home with you. You definitely don’t deserve to be called a troll =) lol. I, on the other hand, thought the jokes were hilarious. I seriously did not expect to laugh so much. I loved it, but I could understand why others wouldn’t.
Hey man everyone is entitled to their opinion, never let anyone else stop you from saying what you feel
Saw it last night and it’s good, not great. The banter between them has been done very well. RDJ is one hell of an actor. Can’t see how anyone would find it dissapointing to be honest.
Hey Kofi, where would this rank compared to other CMB? If you want to avoid the flaming, you can just list a few that are in the same class as this movie for comparisons sake.
My list of Post Millennium CBMs, at this point? (Top 5)
The Dark Knight
Batman Begins
Iron Man
Avengers
Spider-Man 2
Going for Top 10? (6 -10)
Captain America
Constantine (don’t ask – just love it)
X2 (hasn’t held up that well for me)
X-Men: First Class
Incredible Hulk
@Kofi
Just a little curious but how do you feel about Blade, History of Violence, & Road to Perdition?
They just happen to be in my top ten.
That’s a great top 10 Kofi (a little surprised that IM is above Avengers though… but each to his own.)
@Kofi Outlaw: May I add mine?
Spider-Man 2/Avengers (Can’t decide which is #1)
Spider-Man
Iron Man
Batman (Keaton)
The Dark Knight
Superman (Reeve)
Thor
@kofi
And here I thought I was the only one who put BATMAN BEGINS near the top of the CBM list. I know it was a successful movie but it just seemed like as if most did not see it as being as pivotal or great as I did. Then again maybe it was just so overshadowed by its sequel The Dark Knight?
@BCC
I just view BB, TDKR & hopefully TDKR as one awesome story. I dont put BB or TDK above the other.
Nice movie
personally i like how he fused the different character’s stories into 1 in the scene were they are all quibling and ranting coz loki is doing that to them, i love the hulk, he saved the iron man, he bashed his way in and around things and fury even said they have the hulk on their side so they know they are sorted, best part to me, really livened it up, even as the geek doctor the part bruce played is remarkable and second to none movie was fantastic, i give it a 5, but they could have gone a little deeper, i mean in abosolutely no time we are already at the end of the movie, we needed a bit more depth to solidify the already on going stories and the version i got does little in telling us there are going to be follow ups
You’re DANGEROUSLY close to spoilers there mate
If you want to discuss certain scenes, then you can join in on the conversation at the Spoiler Discussion page, but here, try to not bring up more specific stuff (there are still quite a few people who haven’t seen it yet).
What the shlts mate?
No spoilers in the comments. Spoilers belong in the spoilers discussion.
THAT WAS A LOT OF SPOILERS!!!
The reason for your sense of “no time” to the end is the perfect match of a great screenwriter going to the prom with a crafted editor, and seasoned score editor, and and army of post people.
The pace is fantastic; nothing is too much, but isn´t under the needs either.
It has all of the goods that it takes to make a radical journey of epic proportions!
Well done Josh. One of a kind!
Saw it last saturday, was amazing!
I was surprised that Smulders did good as Hill. I didn´t think she could pull of such a character.
And why the heck is everybody comparing this movie to Transformers?!
“And why the heck is everybody comparing this movie to Transformers?!”
I’m wondering that myself good sir…
Because of the similarities in the final act.
Besides the “Aliens invade and city wide battle takes place” thing, I can’t see any other similarities though.
The action and CGI itself wasn’t reminiscent of Bay’s style. The characters weren’t anything like those in TF (and their fighting techniques are nothing like the Autobots or Decepticons). The dialogue was nothing alike, the sets were nothing alike, etc etc.
Sure, people can argue the last battle sequence was a little like TF (in some ways), but overall, for the biggest part of the movie – it was nothing like the explosion fest that Bay came up with.
In my opinion.
At the end of the day, both films had an alien invading army causing mass destruction with heroes trying to destroy a teleportation device in the final act. Its the stand out act in both films. Similarities are inevitable.
So why don´t people compare it to Independence Day then? There´s an alien invasion as well.
I think we all know the answer to that.
The TF movies have a… reputation for being mindless and all about the CGI and action – so IMO, these people who are saying TA is like TF are just subtly trying to get that point across (that THEY think TA is a mindless explosion fest)
I mean there are strong simlarities in the final act. They are still completely different movies. TF3 is still fresh on ppl minds, comparisons are inevitable.
Its simliar to how ppl are already comparing ASM & Ang Lee’s Hulk because of the origin.
the cheesy humor is similar to the transformers movies
Felt like tv? Kofi you must be on something.
Whedon has nothing to learn about space, it’s deliberate. He has that style, tighter shots, mote close ups during action sequences, it gives the viewer a more intimate angle and makes them feel closer to the action than wide shots.
It feels like reaching for a critisism, any critisism. The only way it feels like a tv show is the dialogue and by that I mean that it’s a thousand times better than most blockbusters.
God forbid anyone have the slightest critique of the all mighty Whedon.
(you see how that sounds?)
Lay off the Nolan fans if you can’t take a little criticism of your favored director.
God forbid someone should have a reasoned argument against a film reviewer’s critique. Thought-based debate? A response to a critical statement that makes sense? What is he, some kind of dirty European?
The only thing I’m “on” is a good critical mentality separated from my fanboyism.
As much crap as I’ll get for saying this (I don’t care at this point): Watch the composition of a Michael Bay action scene, then Whedon’s action scenes, and you’ll get the difference.
Bay can’t tell a story for crap, sure, but in terms of action sequence construction and composition, he’s excellent. Whedon’s style uses a lot of the same framing and sequencing you’d see on a TV show (or older film from like the ’90s).
Watch the scene in the forest – from the moment Thor lands on that Quinjet through the fight sequence. It’s very “TV” to me. The more “Cinematic” moments were a lot of the CGI sequences in the end battle (Hulk and Iron Man were the most CGI – and cinematic – sequences in the film).
Kofi, When you say Bay is “Excellent” Do you mean non-stop-non-sense-particle-metal-crap-debris-fireballs-motion-blurs-flares-cgi-layers-thrown-all-around-the-frame-just-to-mislead-the-audience-from-his-absolut-incompetence-in-terms-of-story-telling kind of director?
´cause if that´s the case, then you´ve got a point.
My kind of director is that who understands that vfx phyrotechnia is irrelevant when you can´t tell a story; and that´s the kind of director Whedon shows he is.
Maybe what you and your copycats perceived as tvish is what we in the industry call “coherence”.
My comment about Bay is about his ability to film an action scene in a very cinematic way. That’s it.
You could sure use some of your “good critical mentality separated from my fanboyism” when you´re writing stuff about Nolan or his Batman movies. Just saying.
Agree that it looks like TV in some parts. But that’s Whedon for you: I wasn’t a Buffy fan, loved Firefly though. I know some fans think he s***s bricks of gold, and I was totally prepared to see what all the fans who approved the directorship were hanging their high hopes on, but I did struggle in the theater with thinking the film just didn’t have enough of a cinematic feel from time to time. Glad I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
Care to mention (without going into too much detail – no spoilers on this article) as to which scenes put you off?
(.e. which scenes had the “TV feel” that you’re referring to?
Good review although I think some points are over critical in the ‘downsides’ paragraph; i just dont get the ‘TV’ comment. Also I saw it in IMAX 3D and it was the best quality I have seen. Ruffalo portrayed Banner perfectly and you really have to hand it to all those involved, particularly Whedon, for pulling this off.
Not as epic as I would expect but it will smash the box office no doubt, lots of underused characters. Hawkeye is furniture only, not enough screen time or character development. The bashing between THor, Cap and Shellhead at the beginning is ridiculous, flattening an entire forest. If Fury had join the fight at the end with his helicarrier and jet fighters it would have been truly epic like in the Ultimates Comic book. Loki is too soft for a villain, Natasha, not even once I believe she is a Russian spy, too short not graceful enough like in the comic. Can do better Joss.
I’m still trying to understand the whole “felt like TV” comments too. Honestly I think some are simply parroting that statement without really having an understanding what it means. I didn’t see anything that looked like “TV”, that wasn’t “cinematic”, so please, do explain…
you know something these are great times for super hero films, we waited and where longing to see these heroes come together in the one film and wow there it is, it has arrived. Who would have seriously thught we would be seeing this in the big screen, I think its an awesome feat, it gives me hope of Batman and Superman and the JLA coming about its a possibility now.
The skill,the art work, the technitions, the many workers behind the scenes, working to make this happen, the dream and creative spirit of many people like the Joss. Its truly an awesome feat of work to make these films work on the big screen.
I enjoyed this film, may they continue to make films such as this and that they get better and better in script and story and vision as they develop. I hope they inspire a new line of film makers off the future who will be an inspiration to future fans of adventure films. God i cant wait for the new Batman film and the Man Of steel its going to be awesome all the best to all God Bless..
I think i’m going to stop reading reviews before I go see the movies. Now I’m going to be watching for the made for TV. Kofi, from your review it does sound like it will be as good as expected. I was somewhat concerned about how it would work out with all the stars on one screen. Great Review.
This movie is a total BLAST! It´s the first time I see the Hulk in such a great role. And Natascha… c´mon! She´s a badass killer queen in all of her glory! Beautiful, controlled, sexy, misterious… mamacita!!!
One tends to underestimate the flaws of comic book based movies, because of the love for the original material; but this time Whedon takes a Home Run of outer space proportions on this cinematographic extravaganza.
I wanna see it again in Imax; totally agree about stereoscopic; it doesn´t add anything at all to the experience.
I saw it here in Colombia last weekend, and can´t wait to see it one more time. Even want to order in advance the BD. Such a pleasure for the soul!
Haven’t seen the movie yet but really looking forward to it. Just wondering why it seems like no one is allowed to just make the comment that they didn’t like a particular film(any film not just this one). These days it seems like you have to provide a 5 page SA on the reason why you didn’t like it and then be ready to defend your reasons. If someone’s opinon differs from mine on a film I don’t put them through the Spanish Inquisition to show me why. That’s why it’s called an opinion. Just wondering.
It’s become such a standard practice for people to decide one way or another without thinking about how they came to that conclusion. It’s good to put more thought into it, to explain where you’re coming from so other people know what you mean. What’s the point of saying “blegh I didn’t like it!” if you don’t care about anyone understanding why?
No one wants a 5 page essay (SA? lol). A short paragraph describing what you didn’t like about the plot or characterizations is a lot better than “it sucked.” No one cares about “it sucked,” people care about what you did or didn’t like.
@Ken,
Sooo, shouldn’t the same thing be said for why they liked it or were “blown away??”
I was blown away. I was going in looking for great, maybe amazing. I walked out with phenomenal. There is nothing I can say, I am the closest to “literally speechless” I have ever been.
Michael – exactly sums up my view. I was worried about being let down from the hype, but I was also speechless at the end, the same comment I made to my friend I went with. I can’t see how anybody can be so critical. If they don’t enjoy this then I can’t see they will enjoy anything. My advice is to sit back and enjoy the ride and take it for what it is.
Saw the midnight showing, now I can’t sleep. I will cherish this film, it was lovely.
Yeah saw the midnight with my son. Best COMIC book movie ever. I dont consider Bats a comic book movie anymore.
It was everything I have ever wanted in a comic book movie in my 40 plus years of age. It even had a very teeny tiny bit of romance….
Its a noir/mob crime thriller series set in the real world.
Saw the trailer for Spiderman also. Quite frankly I think that will beat the Bat also or come VERY close.
Court death……. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! (That was the line right?)
Where is the spoiler section!!!!!
Join the party:
http://screenrant.com/avengers-movie-spoilers-vic-166267/comment-page-3/#comments
@TheAvenger
Is this you dude??? If not, then somehow, there is someone who had a better time with this movie than you :O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGWkqXoA_M0&feature=g-all-lik
Haha, no, that ain’t me. I’m a nerd, but not THAT big a nerd (and I’m not an American).
Believe it or not, but I’m actually quite a reserved person in the “real world” (when I saw the movie I didn’t go as crazy as that guy did). That guy looked like he was having a “crisis” (as the British would say) when he was talking about the movie
I do admire his enthusiasm though… and I agree with a lot of the points me made.
I didn’t really go crazy either..I only screamed for TDKR trailer and i sarcastically screamed for the Frankenweenie trailer that played for no reason at all. Haha oh trust me, it’s not just a British thing. He’s displaying universal signs of some sort of crisis. Still, gotta hand it to a guy who gets a girl’s number dressed as Deadpool.
But I’d NEVER blow off a hot girl.
Shame on him for not calling her
All this bellyach’n aside.. The important questions are:
Should this be seen in IMAX/3D or viewed on a regular screen? Is it worth the extra dinero?
How is the 3D?
HD?
I want to check it out tonight (Friday) but I’m debating between the cost and benefit.
If the 3D is crap then I can watch it at the 21 over theater sans teens and their frigg’n cell phones lighting up every 2 seconds.
My2cents – if it is any help I watched it last Friday in England on a Dolby Digital 3D Giant Screen (DD version of IMAX I guess) and it was stunning quality. I am going again Sunday evening.Can’t vouch for your cinema of course that is your call
@My2Cents: see it in 3D. It’s worth it IMO…
@Andy & The Avenger,
Tango guys! I went ahead paid my $34.50! Gonna brave the crowds at the Dolphin mall here in Miami tonight. *weak yaayy*
@My2Cents – good for you, hope you like it as much as I did (a second viewing says it all!). Look forward to your thoughts
Okay so i saw the avengers at midnight last night and I know im gonna get destroyed for this but i thought it was very average. 3 out of 5 stars. The action was amazing. I mean the final fight scene had a lot of jaw dropping moments. Joss did a great job of balancing the characters…that was the part that i enjoyed the most, going from one character to another until they came together. The movie moved along great. The graphics and 3d were great, and it was very funny throughout. However, there are def things about it that i dont like. I wont spoil but they went too far with the humor…the final fight scene was way too funny not serious enough. Way too many superhero catch pharse moments throughout. Loki was a terrible villian. Very very underwhelming…sure hes CRAZY and hes sadistic but he is not a good rival for the avengers physically or mentally. He just has resources and cheap magic (his two main abilities are a big time cop out in my eyes). Also this movie happened to get real convenient at the end as far as solving their problems. I know that this was just the first one, that the real baddies are coming in future movies but this is really basically an origin story again and if you go in thinking it isnt you may be dissapointed…all of this is imo but i was a victim to the hype. Everyone is saying its the greatest thing since sliced bread but its not. Its not better than TDK. it is the best marvel movie since iron man 1 but id say i enjoyed that movie slightly more. In the end if you are looking for a fun, summer popcorn flick with huge action, it may be your favorite comic book movie…but i would say dont listen to the hype this is not a 5 star movie in my eyes. Its not deep and its not gritty (i didnt expect it to be TDK but it could have been rated g if you took out some language and one scene with loki). It is the ultimate summer popcorn flick. Im on team batman, but i am now 99% sure that TDKR will be a superior movie (at least in my eyes) and going into the avengers i thought perhaps it would be the other way around. If anyone wants me to be more specific on any of the vague stuff let me know id be happy to chat in the spoilers section.
Actually it is a very different movie than Nolans take on Batman.
This is why I put The Avengers over Nolans Batman.
Nolans Batman is not a comic book movie. It is a movie based on a comic book character.
The Avengers (and the ones b4) are all comic book movies. So if you went in to see a comic book movie you got the best comic book movie to date.
If you went in wanting to see a noir/mob crime thriller you will have to wait to the conclusion of the Batman Character trilogy. Hopefully the next Batman will be a comic book movie.
so the punisher is not a comic book movie? Like it or not they are both comic book movies…one is just a superhero movie…thats the difference. That and one leans towards adults, while one leans towards families….either one is fine just preferance…however no matter how logical that is its inevitable they will be compared…and i think TDKR will end up casting a shadow over everything else now that ive seen the avengers.
Nolan’s Batman movie is a comicbook movie. Not every comic book is over the top and colorful. The most popular Batman comics are grounded.
You can’t really compare this to Nolan’s Batman movies though.
Two totally different genres.
before intermission its quit slow but after im its aowsommmmmmmm
http://comicbookrants.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/movie-review-marvels-the-avengers/ MY Review have a look
I saw the movie this morning and found it to be the best movie they could have created without turning it into a marathon movie of at least six hours. As usual, the comic book loyalists can fill in the blanks while watching the movie and have a better understanding of the characters. I also liked the bit pieces of humor that helps us laugh and break the tension of watching the movie. I saw one clip during the credits, but did not know there was second. The one I did see is making me hungry for the second Avengers.
This was probably the closest thing to perfect we’ll ever get for a Superhero team up film. It had everything a comic book fan loves along with everything your casual moviegoer loves as well. Until now I didn’t think any comic book movie would push Batman Begins out of my top slot but Avengers might have. Spoiler ahead….
You get to see Hulk vs Thor for a little bit, on the big screen. How f’n awesome.
I AGREE 100%!! DONT SEE HOW IT CAN GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT!!!