[Movie] The Avengers are rockin'

[Jolor]

Date night Saturday and my wife suggested we see this. I'm owing this purely to RDjr and having enjoyed the heck out or Iron Man.

[DD*]

OK, maybe one...

Spoiler:

Cap: Afraid of a little lightning?

Loki: I'm just not terribly fond of what follows.

[Kasey Chang]

As a guy who likes and reads most spoilers, your not spoilers are pretty spoilerific.

IMHO, they are not spoilers because they are easily inferred from the promo shots or the trailers. The devastation of New York was from the promo shots, and we all know Hulk's in the movie.

[Combustible Lemur]

As a guy who likes and reads most spoilers, your not spoilers are pretty spoilerific.

IMHO, they are not spoilers because they are easily inferred from the promo shots or the trailers. The devastation of New York was from the promo shots, and we all know Hulk's in the movie.

Just sayin'
I generally love me some spoilers, but for this movie those are exactly the little easter eggs people want to discover for themselves.
Seriously a mo ped? That's awesome, but now it's not a pleasant surprise. The beat down, of course we expect it, but now we know who gets the honor.

Sent from mah Incredible'

[Kasey Chang]

The beat down, of course we expect it, but now we know who gets the honor.

But who's the say that's the ONLY beatdown? (oh no, you're not getting a comparison out of me)

[Jiffy]

CL is right - part of the fun of those scenes is the unexpectedness of them. They aren't major spoilers, but they are spoilers all the same.

I don't know why people post spoilers without tags (even minor ones), then try and argue how it isn't a spoiler. It's just easier to apologize and put proper tags on, no?

The Avengers was all sorts of awesome. I didn't know there was a *second* scene after the credits. Crap. Now I guess I'll have to go see it again. Darn.

I wouldn't say it was the best superhero movie of all time (Dark Knight being hard to beat), but it was definitely the best of the group of movies that came before it to make the Avengers. Very much the sum of all parts and then-some.

My minor quibbles mostly had to deal with Hawkeye and Black Widow.

Spoiler:

They mention at one point that they are out of their league, and I felt it really showed in the final battle. The scenes they had mostly felt tacked on to make it look like they were doing *something*. Even poor Capt. didn't have a ton to do, though taking over as leader/coordinator made sense.

I also liked Loki in this one much more than in Thor.

Spoiler:

Having him interacting a lot with the Avengers made a big difference. It makes for a much more satisfying finale when you give the heroes someone that has past interaction and influences on them, rather than simply 'guy who wants to take over the world'.

[Kasey Chang]

CL is right - part of the fun of those scenes is the unexpectedness of them. They aren't major spoilers, but they are spoilers all the same.

I guess you and I have different definition on what constitutes a "spoiler" then. I use the IMDB version:

A spoiler is usually defined as a remark or piece of information which reveals important plot elements (for example the ending or a major plot twist), thus 'spoiling' a surprise and robbing the viewer of the suspense and enjoyment of the film.

If you have NOT seen the movie, you will be surprised when you actually hit the two scenes I hinted at, as I gave NO hint to the context of the scene, and no plot element other than what was already in the trailer.

[Austin]

Whatever, I wish I had not read your spoilers KC. It's more about courtesy than definitions. I mean, I'm not losing sleep over it, but the reason you enjoyed those bits so much was, in part, because you didn't see them coming.

[Jiffy]

If you have NOT seen the movie, you will be surprised when you actually hit the two scenes I hinted at, as I gave NO hint to the context of the scene, and no plot element other than what was already in the trailer.

Put it this way, as you mention they are funny scenes. You just gave the punchline away for those scenes, potentially decreasing the impact of a joke/scene for those that see it. Thus, spoiling it for others (as both Austin and CL have now attested).

[Kasey Chang]

You guys are harsh. Just go see the darn movie.

[GreenGoo]

The beat down, of course we expect it, but now we know who gets the honor.

But who's the say that's the ONLY beatdown? (oh no, you're not getting a comparison out of me)

Just delete it Kasey, or put it in spoilers. At least one of those you listed comes out of the blue and is AWESOME because you are not expecting it. I'm not sure how you can write it out and think it's not a spoiler. Not a spoiler for the movie, ok. Not a spoiler for the scene? Not so ok.

I agree with the other guys here Kasey. It won't matter in a couple of weeks, but right now, you just took a little bit of the joy of the movie away from people for no good reason.

[Zaxxon]

Yep, those are definitely spoilers. Boo.

[DD*]

KC, you could've edited the post 20 times already

[Odin]

KC, you could've edited the post 20 times already

I'm just relieved that I hadn't checked the thread in a while, so I saw the whole kerfluffle in time to avoid reading his thread. Still, that's a crummy, roundabout way to handle spoilers.

KC, let me add my voice to the throng that's telling you that if it looks like a spoiler and acts like a spoiler, it's a spoiler (whether you think you can somehow justify it or not). Some threads have rules for when certain spoilers are allowed. This isn't one of them. You ought to fix it.

[DD*]

Let me go on record to say that:

Spoiler:

Coulson is not dead

And

Spoiler:

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!??!!!!!!! Jeebus tap-dancing Christos on a cracker!!!!! (in reference to the foreshadowing bonus scene)

[Arcanis]

Let me go on record to say that:

Spoiler:

Coulson is not dead

Spoiler:

That scene along with having just read Serenity in 2000 words or less had me saying "Damn you Joss Whedon"

[D.A.Lewis]

I'm wondering if everyone in your theater applauded when the hulk went crazy on the bad guy????
(you know the part I'm talking 'bout)

[DD*]

I'm wondering if everyone in your theater applauded when the hulk went crazy on the bad guy????
(you know the part I'm talking 'bout)

Oh hell yeah!

[pr0ner]

CL is right - part of the fun of those scenes is the unexpectedness of them. They aren't major spoilers, but they are spoilers all the same.

I guess you and I have different definition on what constitutes a "spoiler" then. I use the IMDB version:

A spoiler is usually defined as a remark or piece of information which reveals important plot elements (for example the ending or a major plot twist), thus 'spoiling' a surprise and robbing the viewer of the suspense and enjoyment of the film.

If you have NOT seen the movie, you will be surprised when you actually hit the two scenes I hinted at, as I gave NO hint to the context of the scene, and no plot element other than what was already in the trailer.

You were "spoiling a surprise", though. So, by your own definition, you were spoiling.

Fail.

[Kasey Chang]

And when everybody else does it, it ain't a surprise or a spoiler. *sigh*

[GreenGoo]

And when everybody else does it, it ain't a surprise or a spoiler. *sigh*

Just to be clear, you're being a dick. I'd have been pissed off if I hadn't seen it before you posted. How hard is it to put it in a spoiler tag, or show 2 days worth of self restraint?

[Kasey Chang]

And when everybody else does it, it ain't a surprise or a spoiler. *sigh*

Just to be clear, you're being a dick. I'd have been pissed off if I hadn't seen it before you posted. How hard is it to put it in a spoiler tag, or show 2 days worth of self restraint?

One day, and the spoiler tags are in already. You guys are just arguing over semantics.

[Zaxxon]

[silverjon]

Now should CL go back and add spoiler tags to his quote of the spoiler?

[Odin]

Now should CL go back and add spoiler tags to his quote of the spoiler?

Ideally, yes, or there isn't much point.

[Jag]

Just got back. As good as I expected. Made by someone who loved the Avengers as much as I did growing up.

I stayed out of this thread because I wanted to avoid ANY spoilers. So after the movie I get up to leave and my older son forces me to say because he said every movie has had a scene during the credits. So we wait, see the scene and leave. Only now I come to this thread and find out there were TWO!

If anyone has a link, it would be appreciated.

[Zurai]

The final scene

Spoiler:

is just the Avengers all sitting at a table eating at the place Tony Stark was talking about. It's a fast food joint and they're all just munching on food or slouched over the table looking utterly exhausted. It's funny, but you're not really missing anything plotwise like the first bonus scene.

[Kasey Chang]

There were two scenes!

Spoiler:

You're not missing that much. it's funny in the way that none of them said a single word or made a single sound except the munching sounds during the whole scene. There's a moment or two were Stark looked as if he's gonna say something, but went back to munching. And ties in with the scene when Stark came back and had an epiphany about going to get some food, and he didn't even know what schwarma is.

[sgoldj]

Just got back, the only issues I have are nitpicking.

Spoiler:

Not really a movie spoiler, but... I was having a time explaining Thanos. The early part of the film made me think "no wonder I get Thanos and Darkseid confused. They both do that mind control, freedom is slavery thing. " I finally explained Thanos to my wife by telling her he is more or less the Marvel version of Darkseid. Being fans for Justice League Unlimited, etc, that makes sense to her.

[Odin]

My kids and I have finished our Marvel Movie Marathon and are all ready for The Avengers tomorrow. Unless I hear something to contradict all the opinions I've heard about the 3D (which haven't been too good), we're going to go see one of the 2D showings tomorrow afternoon. So stoked!!

[GreenGoo]

And when everybody else does it, it ain't a surprise or a spoiler. *sigh*

Just to be clear, you're being a dick. I'd have been pissed off if I hadn't seen it before you posted. How hard is it to put it in a spoiler tag, or show 2 days worth of self restraint?

One day

Yeah, that's my point. You could either spoiler your stuff or wait a couple of days before posting spoilerish comments. You couldn't do either as a service to those who have not seen it yet. You didn't ruin anything for me, but a little common courtesy for others would have been nice.

Both scenes with the hulk would have been a lot less cool if you had known they were coming.

[stimpy]

Loved it. One nitpicky thing:

Spoiler:

Why did Hulk go after Black Widow and trash the ship? He can obviously control himself when needed, as seen in the end battle.

[Arcanis]

Loved it. One nitpicky thing:

Spoiler:

Why did Hulk go after Black Widow and trash the ship? He can obviously control himself when needed, as seen in the end battle.

I believe you will find your answer here.

[Odin]

Consider my entertainment needs utterly and completely satisfied. HOLY SHIT was than an amazing movie!! WOW! I can't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a movie. Absolutely outstanding!!

Regarding the post directly preceding this one:

Spoiler:

Did anybody else suspect that Black Widow would flash her boobs in an effort to de-anger the Hulk? Personally, I still think it would have been a great idea, even if we only got a shot from the back.

[Combustible Lemur]

Consider my entertainment needs utterly and completely satisfied. HOLY SHIT was than an amazing movie!! WOW! I can't remember the last time I so thoroughly enjoyed a movie. Absolutely outstanding!!

Regarding the post directly preceding this one:

Spoiler:

Did anybody else suspect that Black Widow would flash her boobs in an effort to de-anger the Hulk? Personally, I still think it would have been a great idea, even if we only got a shot from the back.

Spoiler:

I kept expecting hulk to pick her up and pet her.

Sent from mah Incredible'

[gameoverman]

Loved it. One nitpicky thing:

Spoiler:

Why did Hulk go after Black Widow and trash the ship? He can obviously control himself when needed, as seen in the end battle.

I thought it's because

Spoiler:

he didn't want to control himself. That helicarrier sequence was, in my mind, pre-Avengers united together. After that, it was them working together. So I figure when Banner recovers, he is now onboard. He takes Stark's advice to heart and accepts who he is, and therefore controls it.

I liked the movie but thought it ran a bit long. Much like with Bridesmaids, I can't fault any scenes in it other than to say it added up to a longer movie than it needed to be. If it were up to me I'd have started it with a "You're all probably wondering why we've called you here today" scene and hit the ground running. That scene with

Spoiler:

Scarlett and her first interrogation, not only did we already see that done before(Charlie's Angels) but really what did it add? We get ANOTHER interrogation scene later that shows her technique, so it's redundant and those first characters play no part in the story. So yeah it's an entertaining scene but only serves to make the movie longer.

[Zaxxon]

I saw it last night and also enjoyed it. Lots of cool characters making shiny things go boom. Something about the experience isn't sitting right with me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's that it didn't have as much of a 'Joss' feel as I'd hoped, or that the plot was light on details and heavy on holes/WTFishness even considering that it's a comic book movie. Probably it's that I had built it up to be something it just couldn't live up to. Not sure. I did leave the theater happy, though.

Spoiler:

Highs:

The post-credits scene cracked my whole group up.

Hulk smashing Loki was fantastic.

Stark's dialogue took the awesomeness he had in the 2 Iron Men movies and Jossed it up to new levels of super-cool.

Ruffalo nailed Banner, I thought.

All of the fight scenes.

Lows:

I AM LOKI AND YOU ARE TONY STARK WITH NO SUIT. I WILL DIALOGUE WITH YOU RATHER THAN PRESSING MY ADVANTAGE.

Thor and Iron Man are fighting each other. Captain America comes in and gives a totally un-rousing speech. Thor and Iron Man inexplicably are OK with each other immediately.

There was a lot of this sort of thing (though I can't recall other examples now, so maybe I'm overblowing it in retrospect). Certain situations need to occur or people need to do a certain thing, therefore they do. The plot doesn't set them up to happen. They just happen. Because it's the Avengers movie, dammit, and they have to happen. That's probably the crux of my 'liked it but didn't love it as much as most seem to'. Joss Whedon didn't like the original script so he tossed it and re-wrote it. But instead of a tight Whedon story, we get a loose, somewhat rambling, somewhat coherent movie with some Jossisms tossed in. It was a good movie. I was hoping for more.

Now to go hide on a helicarrier before I get flamed off the Internet.

[YellowKing]

Went to see it today in 3D.

While I won't say I absolutely loved it on every level, it was definitely enjoyable and I'm glad I saw it on the big screen. The 3D I could take it or leave it. Ironically it was more impressive in the non-action scenes (computer screens, looking through windows, etc.) then it was in the heavy action sequences (where it just had that annoying green screen effect. If you're on the fence about the 3D, I'd say you're not missing anything by going 2D, but you're not going to gouge your eyes out because you saw it in 3D.

Getting all these heroes together in one movie was no easy task, but Joss did about as good a job as he could do. This is definitely a comic book movie made by a geek. What I found more impressive than the humor and action sequences is how he managed to stay true to the characters despite having limited screen time to share between them all. It was a deft balancing act and for the most part he pulled it off.

I think the one negative I took away from it was the fact that if you've seen Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk, then the movie feels very, very familiar. You expect Tony Stark's wisecracks, Captain America's do-goodness, Black Widow kicking ass, etc. It's not that those aren't fun to watch again, but they lack the surprise they had when you first saw the individual characters' films. For this reason, the movie dragged a bit for me until everybody got together and really started interacting.

Despite these nitpicks, if you're a comic book geek or remember watching superhero cartoons when you were a kid, you need to see this movie. It will take you back to being 10 years old again.

P.S. I thought Mark Ruffalo did an amazing job as Banner - he should have been The Hulk from the start.

[Odin]

Wow - those are the closest I've heard to negative feedback about this movie from anybody. I absolutely loved it and really hate that I'm not watching it again right this minute. I don't expect to see a better movie this year. Everything I hoped it would be and more - and that's taking all of the hype into account.

I can't speak to the idea of whether it was "Joss Whedon-ish" enough. The only thing of his I've ever seen was Toy Story, which was good but (except for an arguably ensemble cast) completely different.

As to the relatively minor criticisms above:

Spoiler:

If Avengers was "more of the same" as the Iron Man, Thor, Capt. America and Hulk movies, I'm totally fine with that. I liked all of those movies quite a bit, so continuing what we got there and then kicking it up a notch, well, I'd have been kind of upset if that HADN'T been what Whedon did.

Regarding Captain America breaking up the Thor/Iron Man fight - I don't have a problem with that, either. They didn't really have much of a motivation to fight in the first place. Stark was being kind of a macho dick and Thor was just trying to get Loki to fess up on the tesseract. They just needed to be reminded they're all on the same side. Would it have been better if Cap delivered a more inspiring speech? I suppose. But it wasn't even a blip on the radar for me the way it was.

Loki listening to Tony talk instead of beating him up also seemed to be pretty characteristic for Loki. He chit-chatted with everybody. In fact, chit-chat was probably 90% of what he did in the entire movie. He wanted to chit-chat with Hulk, but you just can't chit-chat with a hulk. I thought it was totally in-character.

Oh, and to tackle Arcanis's nit while I'm at it - Hulk's control is pretty tenuous. He seemed to pretty much only be able to control it when he had something to vent his anger on. Yeah, there were exceptions - like when they're gathered around Stark's "body" at the end, or even the fact that the Hulk caught/rescued Stark in the first place. But generally-speaking, when he's Hulk he's going berserk most of the time. With nothing else to focus on on the helicarrier, yeah, he was going to bust the place up.

That was my take on it, anyway.

[theohall]

The Thor/Iron Man/Capt America thing

Spoiler:

Regarding Captain America breaking up the Thor/Iron Man fight - I don't have a problem with that, either. They didn't really have much of a motivation to fight in the first place. Stark was being kind of a macho dick and Thor was just trying to get Loki to fess up on the tesseract. They just needed to be reminded they're all on the same side. Would it have been better if Cap delivered a more inspiring speech? I suppose. But it wasn't even a blip on the radar for me the way it was.

Spoiler:

Don't any of you remember the Avengers cartoons and the in-fighting which seemed to happen all the time in between them saving the world? That moment seemed like something taken straight from the TV series.