What Did You Think Of "The Avengers?"

[Treqqor]

I was expecting that to happen before the end of the movie personally, was a bit surprised when he didn't join Fury on the bridge at the end.

Me too! I thought I actually saw him walking towards Fury on the bridge in the last wide shot, but since he wasn't in the next shot to prove it was him, that's when I realized what really happened.

Or did it...?

[hugh45]

The entire audience seemed to be enthralled throughout the film. The audience laughed, clapped and even gave multiple standing ovations...............

That's the theme I've reading a lot. It must be amazing going to a movie to hear or feel the excitement of the audience. That type of atmosphere is very rare for almost any movie.

[Green Lantern wannabe]

While I think The Avengers is one of the best superhero films ever made, I still think the first Superman is the the best.

The Avengers is incredibly fun, it's just missing those iconic, powerful moments that Superman: The Movie had: the introduction of Krypton with John Williams score soaring, the trial and banishment of General Zod to the Phantom Zone, Marlon Brando's blessing to his son as Krypton is dying, Papa Kent's heart attack, Clark and Mama Kent at the grave holding each other staring off into the horizon, the helicopter rescue of Lois and the "You've got me, who's got you?" scene, the flight of Superman and Lois, and the death of Lois.

All fantastically powerful stuff balanced with the comedy of a bumbling Clark at the Daily Bugle and Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor antics.

Superman isn't just a great superhero movie, it's a great movie period. Roger Ebert even went so far as to add it to his Great Movies list along with such classics as Casablanca, The Godfather, and Star Wars.

Exactly! To give another contrast, Iron Man 1 was better, because it made you think about the morality of arms sales to foreign powers.

[hugh45]

A+ from me.
The quibbles were so minor and nitpicky they're not even worth mentioning.
Avengers was "my comics" since like 1968, so it was nice to see it on screen taking the best of the regular Marvel U, the Ultimates and the Film Universe and combine them all so well.

-- Fabian

Are y the famous Fabian from The New Warriors? If so,loved that book!! Too bad they cancelled it.

[Lord Bravery]

Exactly! To give another contrast, Iron Man 1 was better, because it made you think about the morality of arms sales to foreign powers.

And Avengers didn't? With the way SHIELD used the Tesseract to build nukes instead of using it as a "warm light for all of mankind"? And what about the scene in Germany where Loki says we "crave subjugation" and the old German guy who was obviously around during Hitler's reign?

See i think a lot of people are overlooking the layers of Avengers simply because of all the pizazz.

[Number_5]

I absolutely LOVED it, 10/10!

However, did anyone else expect a mention of Rhodey? They didn't seem to mention him, and I thought, if he still had his armor he'd probably come in handy. At least be mentioned.

[smhoulihan]

And Avengers didn't? With the way SHIELD used the Tesseract to build nukes instead of using it as a "warm light for all of mankind"? And what about the scene in Germany where Loki says we "crave subjugation" and the old German guy who was obviously around during Hitler's reign?

See i think a lot of people are overlooking the layers of Avengers simply because of all the pizazz.

Those are cool moments, but unfortunately, Whedon leaves them hanging in the air and doesn't really have them pay off in the movie.

Both of these moments are similar to motifs Whedon introduced in his Astonishing X-men run: In Avengers, Nick Fury and Shield are using the Tesseract to create WMD's to fight aliens like Thor. In X-men, Nick Fury and Shield are helping the big bad alien save his home world by fighting the X-men.

In Avengers, Loki raises some interesting points about humans being inherently docile, yet Whedon throws out those ideas and turns Loki into a comic foil at the end of the movie letting him get wailed on by the Hulk.

In Xmen, the big bad alien raises some interesting questions about whether one X-man should die to preserve an entire planet, but Whedon throws out the idea and turns the big bad alien into a comic foil by having Kitty Pryde's dragon Lockheed burp fire in the big bad alien's face.

They're interesting ideas, but Whedon never explores them.

He's much better at adding depth to a character through his dialogue. I particularly liked the bit Stark said about the Hulk actually saving Banner by helping him survive the gamma blast, and the bit about Banner despairing and trying to commit suicide and the Hulk spitting out the bullet.

[Lord Bravery]

Those are cool moments, but unfortunately, Whedon leaves them hanging in the air and doesn't really have them pay off in the movie.

Both of these moments are similar to motifs Whedon introduced in his Astonishing X-men run: In Avengers, Nick Fury and Shield are using the Tesseract to create WMD's to fight aliens like Thor. In X-men, Nick Fury and Shield are helping the big bad alien save his home world by fighting the X-men.

In Avengers, Loki raises some interesting points about humans being inherently docile, yet Whedon throws out those ideas and turns Loki into a comic foil at the end of the movie letting him get wailed on by the Hulk.

In Xmen, the big bad alien raises some interesting questions about whether one X-man should die to preserve an entire planet, but Whedon throws out the idea and turns the big bad alien into a comic foil by having Kitty Pryde's dragon Lockheed burp fire in the big bad alien's face.

They're interesting ideas, but Whedon never explores them.

This is true. But i kinda prefer that. It allows us to think about it for ourselves. There is no spoon feeding here, not battering us around the head with the themes. Just pose those questions, then let us decide for ourselves.

He's much better at adding depth to a character through his dialogue. I particularly liked the bit Stark said about the Hulk actually saving Banner by helping him survive the gamma blast, and the bit about Banner despairing and trying to commit suicide and the Hulk spitting out the bullet.

Agreed here too. Really loved Stark and Banner's chat. And the part where Banner reveals that is really good. Well delivered by Ruffalo.

[smhoulihan]

Avengers had plenty of iconic moments. It's just that the Avengers aren't as ingrained into culture like Superman. And the Superman films are incredibly dated. I don't mean the SFX. But this film will be a timeless classic. I'll put money on it.

And who gives a shit what Roger Ebert thinks? He isn't the be all end all of critics. Some of his reviews in the past have been laughably bad.

Would you list those "plenty of iconic moments" for me? I think it has some really fun bits and interesting character moments, but I don't remember anything as memorable as anything I listed in my post.

And by your logic just because Superman "is dated" it's bad? Does that mean every film that came out before 1980 is bad? Star Wars? Apocalypse Now? Taxi Driver? King Kong? 2001? A Clockwork Orange? All bad?

And maybe someone like Roger Ebert is the be all end all of critics. I don't know too many critics who are walking around with a Pulitzer Prize in their pocket.

I guess you have a couple of Pulitzers hanging around the house somewhere.

[Lord Bravery]

Would you list those "plenty of iconic moments" for me? I think it has some really fun bits and interesting character moments, but I don't remember anything as memorable as anything I listed in my post.

Iron Man vs Thor, with the "big three" then standing together at the end of the fight. The Helicarrier taking off. The "Hulk outs". Thor on the Chryslar Building summoning a storm. The minute long tracking shot of all the heroes fighting. Stark pulling the nuke up into the portal. Captain America given orders to the other Avengers. Captain America showing the NYPD why he was an American icon.

And by your logic just because Superman "is dated" it's bad? Does that mean every film that came out before 1980 is bad? Star Wars? Apocalypse Now? Taxi Driver? King Kong? 2001? A Clockwork Orange? All bad?

No of course not. But Superman 1 and 2 are not anywhere near the same level as the likes of Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, 2001 or Clockwork Orange.

They are not only dated, but they are just not really that good as films i don't think. People view them with rose tinted glasses because they made people believe a man could fly in the 1970s imo. There is no doubt Reeve was fantastic. And his chemistry with Kidder was great. But Hackman's Luthor wasn't a villain, he was a comedy act. And it was full of "pre crisis superman" plot devices like when he flew back in time.

And maybe someone like Roger Ebert is the be all end all of critics. I don't know too many critics who are walking around with a Pulitzer Prize in their pocket.

I guess you have a couple of Pulitzers hanging around the house somewhere.

He deserves a lot of respect for what he has done. But i just laugh when people say "Well Roger Ebert said this, Roger Ebert said that". Yea, he also said John Carpenter's Thing was crap and just a gore fest. He also said The Hitcher with Rutgar Hauer was garbage. He's actually reviewed a film that he never actually saw before, and when he was found out he deleted it from his site.

He's not infallible. In fact he has show a distinct level of pettiness, bias and just all round bad professionalism on quite a few occasions. His review for Avengers is actually a prime example. He gives it 3/4 stars, but the review itself is just a plot summary. Then the last paragraph he praises Whedon and says "This is the film the fans wanted, but don't deserve" or something or other. Yea, that's really professional.

[Ronin1108]

I absolutely LOVED it, 10/10!

However, did anyone else expect a mention of Rhodey? They didn't seem to mention him, and I thought, if he still had his armor he'd probably come in handy. At least be mentioned.

I coulda sworn the scene where Pepper's watching Tony lead the missile to the portal, Rhodey's tryna call and his pic is in the photo id of the cellphone (if wrong, woulda been an easy fix to me lol)

[paperback hero]

Great movie.

I thought Maria Hill was awful...and Samuel Jackson was weak.

[RockinRobin182]

Would you list those "plenty of iconic moments" for me? I think it has some really fun bits and interesting character moments, but I don't remember anything as memorable as anything I listed in my post.

And by your logic just because Superman "is dated" it's bad? Does that mean every film that came out before 1980 is bad? Star Wars? Apocalypse Now? Taxi Driver? King Kong? 2001? A Clockwork Orange? All bad?

And maybe someone like Roger Ebert is the be all end all of critics. I don't know too many critics who are walking around with a Pulitzer Prize in their pocket.

I guess you have a couple of Pulitzers hanging around the house somewhere.

The shot of them all together for the first time will most assuredly be looked upon as iconic. In that shot, it's the culmination of four years of work on the part of Marvel Studios and many years on the part of superhero films in general. Everything seems to have been another step towards that one circle shot. And Banner's line right before hand is one of the best lines in a superhero movie ever.

The time it's made has no pull on whether somethings dated or not. All those movies listed, regardless of the fact that half of them take place in the future/distant past, aren't dated because they don't have pimps in purple suits saying "That is a baaad out FIT!" when the protagonist appears.

Ebert's just a person like you or me. If he says a movie is bad, it doesn't mean I have to think so. And vice versa. You can't award opinion.

[areacode212]

Awesome all-around. Loved how every main character got a lot of characterization and spotlight. Chris Evans was way, way better than this than he was in his own movie--he felt like more of the leader and field commander that Steve Rogers is supposed to be, and his fight scenes were closer to what I expect Cap fight scenes to look like.

I need to see it again to judge it more thoroughly.

My only fanboy nitpick (for now): we didn't get the Bill Bixby "green eyes" shot when the Hulk transformed.

[Saturius]

Only problems I had were I couldn't understand what the hell Thanos was saying in the beginning of the film. I also had a hell of a hard time understanding The Other as well.