What Did You Think Of "The Avengers?"

[Zagreus]

"You can't award opinion." Actually, you can. There's a big difference between just an opinion and an informed opinion.

Ebert is the first critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. Ebert wrote the screenplay to the cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Ebert's wrote over 15 novels about film. Ebert reviewed films for 30 years on television. And Ebert has taught classes and analyzed films with large audiences and students at events, like his annual Ebertfest, for years.

I'd take his opinion over some random fanboy commenting on a message board.

I used to think Ebert was a great reviewer, but with regard to comic book movies, he's off his game. He's out of his wheelhouse so to speak. He can't write intelligently about the genre, or can't be bothered to. He seems to think the whole thing is beneath him. I read his Avengers review, and was very disappointed, he phoned it in. I read his review of Super, which was an interesting move. Ebert phoned in that review too. Ebert has his own particular viewpoint, and while he's very educated about movies, certainly, others certainly can disagree. I sure do. And over the years I've been losing respect for Ebert

[tabo61]

It was fanatastic. I would rank it right now as the best superhero movie. It's worth the hype. I got early to make the first showing at 9:40 a.m. and it was already sold out. I had to go for the next showing a hour later.

[Alex]

I used to think Ebert was a great reviewer, but with regard to comic book movies, he's off his game. He's out of his wheelhouse so to speak. He can't write intelligently about the genre, or can't be bothered to. He seems to think the whole thing is beneath him. I read his Avengers review, and was very disappointed, he phoned it in. I read his review of Super, which was an interesting move. Ebert phoned in that review too. Ebert has his own particular viewpoint, and while he's very educated about movies, certainly, others certainly can disagree. I sure do. And over the years I've been losing respect for Ebert

He thought Babe 2 was a good movie.

[Lancerman]

I used to think Ebert was a great reviewer, but with regard to comic book movies, he's off his game. He's out of his wheelhouse so to speak. He can't write intelligently about the genre, or can't be bothered to. He seems to think the whole thing is beneath him. I read his Avengers review, and was very disappointed, he phoned it in. I read his review of Super, which was an interesting move. Ebert phoned in that review too. Ebert has his own particular viewpoint, and while he's very educated about movies, certainly, others certainly can disagree. I sure do. And over the years I've been losing respect for Ebert

Ebert praised both Iron Man and The Dark Knight when they came out as having been extremely well made and showing that this genre can be more than spectacle. Too often people make saddle this genre with mindless popcorn flicks with uninspired plots, cliche acting, very minimal and simplified pacing. The Avengers was well made in the sense that it accomplished its goal but it's not like that was some daunting task.

Take Iron Man for example. It had a plot with depth and a message , very good pacing, great technical shots, good strong character arcs, and then still found time to to have action that showed off the character. Ebert loved that. As a film Iron Man was better made than the Avengers, the Avengers just had a hell of alot more spectacle going for it. It's far from perfect. Don't be surprised if the sequal is better.

You don't have to take Ebert's opinion as gospel but the guy still has a far greater knowledge of cinema than the average guy on the streets. He's seen and analyzed it all. He can't tell you whether you'll personaly find a movie enjoyable, but he can tell you whether the film was made well or not.

Imo opinion I agree with him. Iron Man and The Dark Knight were good films in general. They were well made and could stand up to the same scrutiny you'd give to any film that opened that year. People seem to want him to lower his expectations for what the genre can be (as clearly illustrated by other films) and judge them on another scale. The Avengers wanted to be a spectacle of an action flick that had some decent dialogue and a script that kept it together. It did that. Doesn't mean it was a highly well made film with perfect technical craftsmanship. And you can do that.

[smhoulihan]

Ebert praised both Iron Man and The Dark Knight when they came out as having been extremely well made and showing that this genre can be more than spectacle.

He also liked Spider-man 2, The Rocketeer, The Phantom, Batman Begins, Captain America, Sin City, and gave the adaptation of Watchmen (which I hated) a glowing review. Comic book movies are definitely in Roger Ebert's wheelhouse.

And it's not like he gave The Avengers a bad review. He gave it 3 out of 4 stars!

I loved it, but I'd only give it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.

The Avengers is great, but it's not without its problems.

[Serik]

Right, Ebert gave Captain America 3/4 stars, ending the review with the following: "If Marvel is wise, it will take this and "Iron Man" as its templates."

I think IM1 is the best Marvel film to date, but The Avengers is still a helluva lot of fun, and works way better than I expected.

(I'd only give Cap 2/4 stars, since the post-Serum part of the movie is underwhelming, i.e., not enough genuine Super Soldier moves or battlefield leadership. Cap is much better in The Avengers.)

[Zagreus]

Fair enough, I actually didn't look at the star rating, but the content of the his text, and actually reading what Ebert read I was like.... did this guy see the movie? He gave it 3 stars, perhaps, but it was full of digs and just lacking in respect of the genre as a whole. He respects films but disrespects the fictional genre of superheroes, and doesn't get where these movies draw its metaphors, so I don't think he's the best person as a go to reviewer for superhero movies. The whole review was just snarky and rubbed me the wrong way.

[Alex]

Fair enough, I actually didn't look at the star rating, but the content of the his text, and actually reading what Ebert read I was like.... did this guy see the movie? He gave it 3 stars, perhaps, but it was full of digs and just lacking in respect of the genre as a whole. He respects films but disrespects the fictional genre of superheroes, and doesn't get where these movies draw its metaphors, so I don't think he's the best person as a go to reviewer for superhero movies. The whole review was just snarky and rubbed me the wrong way.

This is the man who had to apologize to video game fans after saying videogames can't be art, and after the internet nerd raged, he had to admit he's never actually played a videogame and made the statement blind.

...
In his defense, most of them said they cried when an undeveloped character got stabbed to death.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

I just read his review, and what? Is his issue with the way the plot progresses and that the aliens origins weren't expounded upon? Because that's all I'm getting. He doesn't really get into technical flaws, so all of this talk about his knowledge of films is pretty irrelevant to the actual review.

Or does he have another review somewhere?

[Buried Alien]

So...who wants some schwarma?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

In his defense, most of them said they cried when an undeveloped character got stabbed to death.

I didn't. I actually don't even think that particular death was necessary given the number of other agents that died on the ship.

[Alex]

I didn't. I actually don't even think that particular death was necessary given the number of other agents that died on the ship.

That was in reference to the videogame comment, not avengers.

[rasx]

I loved it Marvels best movie so far. But I still don't know who the hell those aliens are?

[Alex]

I loved it Marvels best movie so far. But I still don't know who the hell those aliens are?

Aliens, didn't matter who they were to the story.

[Gabe De Los Muertos]

Greatest straight up comic book movie ever. You couldn't have made a better Avengers film than this. Everyone shined, the dialogue was fun, everything was as good as you could have hoped.