Avengers: The Most Awesome Movie Ever
This kind of happens every time I see a really cool new superhero movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed Avengers. I was a little worried because my expectations were pretty high, but the movie exceeded them. This is also why I am not a movie critic, despite really liking to deconstruct movies; most critics enjoyed the movie but strove to find quibbles like "slow pacing in the first half" (their name for character development) and "too much Iron Man/ Pepper Potts banter" (uuuuum, what planet are you from? Iron Man banter is the coolest part of any movie he is in).
I loved how the movie highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of all the characters and played them with and against each other, but in subtle ways. Okay, maybe hammer smashes aren't subtle, but there wasn't really a main character. They were a team in every way, with everybody playing a vital role and having really cool moments to shine. They included some of the Shakespearean brother drama from Thor, and it is lampshaded by Stark. Speaking of, Stark kind of stole all of his scenes, but what did you expect? ROBERT DOWNEY JR. He has this ridiculous charisma that defies belief and for which I'm beginning to think he made a deal with the Devil in his free-wheeling druggie days, but however he came by it, there can never be too much.
And the movie was hilarious. I want to hug it and squeeze it and call it my Squishy. There are always one-liners in superhero movies, but this one was chock-full of them, and they were all ridiculously surprising and witty. I spent a good portion of the movie literally laughing out loud. I mean, of course Stark has read Lord of the Rings. Of course the out-of-his-time Cap would be adorably excited about getting a pop culture reference that someone else didn't. And the timing for the physical gags was impeccable, and there were so many of them, but they somehow managed to not be cheesy.
Plus, can I just say how much Mark Ruffalo exceeded my expectations for the Hulk? I've seen both of the previous Hulk movies and thought they did a passable job, despite their perceived box office failures; I'm not really sure why it's hard to make a good Hulk movie. But the way Ruffalo played Banner was excellent- as sort of run-down and tired, always fearful of hurting someone, but smart as hell and a little absent-minded. I didn't give much mind to the Hulk while watching the trailers, but he's a great character, and utilized really well here.
I would like to say HELL YEAH Black Widow doesn't need a huge gun! She's a powerhouse on her own. Also her scene with Loki was tremendous. It's funny, Tom Hiddleston plays Loki really unevenly even for a villain, being dignified in one scene, then hammy and arrogant in another, but then I realized- hello, trickster god? Of course he doesn't have a "real" persona.
And then the final easter egg, the Secret Lives of Superheroes? Just a bunch of people, in battle gear, after saving the world, too tired to talk, just needing FOOD, hanging out at a shawarma joint that's falling apart after an alien invasion. The scene reminded me of post-weights breakfasts with the rowing team in college, when how sore we were was directly proportional to how loud we were- sore arms means more time for the food between plate and mouth. It's absolutely priceless to see the Cap falling asleep off to the side, Banner smirking with satisfaction, Natasha being too cool for this joint, Thor taking a huge bite. It's just so human and normal and adorable, and at the same time hilariously not normal at all.
Everyone needs to see this movie. Hell, I want to see it again and I saw it twice in a row yesterday (multiple friend groups, 3D aversion, long story). And I'm totally owning it when it comes out on DVD, because apparently there's about a half-hour of footage that got cut. Bring it on, Whedon. And the sequel- how in the world am I going to wait 3-4 years??
I loved how the movie highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of all the characters and played them with and against each other, but in subtle ways. Okay, maybe hammer smashes aren't subtle, but there wasn't really a main character. They were a team in every way, with everybody playing a vital role and having really cool moments to shine. They included some of the Shakespearean brother drama from Thor, and it is lampshaded by Stark. Speaking of, Stark kind of stole all of his scenes, but what did you expect? ROBERT DOWNEY JR. He has this ridiculous charisma that defies belief and for which I'm beginning to think he made a deal with the Devil in his free-wheeling druggie days, but however he came by it, there can never be too much.
And the movie was hilarious. I want to hug it and squeeze it and call it my Squishy. There are always one-liners in superhero movies, but this one was chock-full of them, and they were all ridiculously surprising and witty. I spent a good portion of the movie literally laughing out loud. I mean, of course Stark has read Lord of the Rings. Of course the out-of-his-time Cap would be adorably excited about getting a pop culture reference that someone else didn't. And the timing for the physical gags was impeccable, and there were so many of them, but they somehow managed to not be cheesy.
Plus, can I just say how much Mark Ruffalo exceeded my expectations for the Hulk? I've seen both of the previous Hulk movies and thought they did a passable job, despite their perceived box office failures; I'm not really sure why it's hard to make a good Hulk movie. But the way Ruffalo played Banner was excellent- as sort of run-down and tired, always fearful of hurting someone, but smart as hell and a little absent-minded. I didn't give much mind to the Hulk while watching the trailers, but he's a great character, and utilized really well here.
I would like to say HELL YEAH Black Widow doesn't need a huge gun! She's a powerhouse on her own. Also her scene with Loki was tremendous. It's funny, Tom Hiddleston plays Loki really unevenly even for a villain, being dignified in one scene, then hammy and arrogant in another, but then I realized- hello, trickster god? Of course he doesn't have a "real" persona.
And then the final easter egg, the Secret Lives of Superheroes? Just a bunch of people, in battle gear, after saving the world, too tired to talk, just needing FOOD, hanging out at a shawarma joint that's falling apart after an alien invasion. The scene reminded me of post-weights breakfasts with the rowing team in college, when how sore we were was directly proportional to how loud we were- sore arms means more time for the food between plate and mouth. It's absolutely priceless to see the Cap falling asleep off to the side, Banner smirking with satisfaction, Natasha being too cool for this joint, Thor taking a huge bite. It's just so human and normal and adorable, and at the same time hilariously not normal at all.
Everyone needs to see this movie. Hell, I want to see it again and I saw it twice in a row yesterday (multiple friend groups, 3D aversion, long story). And I'm totally owning it when it comes out on DVD, because apparently there's about a half-hour of footage that got cut. Bring it on, Whedon. And the sequel- how in the world am I going to wait 3-4 years??