Non-Expert Thoughts on The Avengers
Posted on May 30th, 2012
This is not an actual review, since I only (finally) saw The Avengers the other night, when all the true fans are on their second viewing (at least). Everybody who cares about superheroes and comic book lore already knows it’s the best movie in its genre and that Joss Whedon is a freakin’ genius. So I’ll just contribute my half-baked, semi-educated thoughts, since it’s not a movie that can go uncommented (right, honey?).
- It was exciting to have a date night with my Hubbibi! Pad Thai + mango salad + adult conversation + movie popcorn + legendary superhero action =
- Trailers for the new Spider-Man and the final Batman are pretty wicked. I didn’t think I was ready for a new Spider-Man already, but I have to admit I like the look of Andrew Garfield. Also, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman should be awesome.
- Yay for Robin Tcherbat– uh, I mean Cobie Smulders! I was happy to see her as a SHIELD agent, although it was very weird to see her play someone other than her usual How I Met Your Mother character.
- Agent Phil Coulson, I’m told, was in Thor and The Hulk and even a bit of Captain America… but this is the first time he was truly memorable to me. I credit good writing.
- I was glad I had watched Captain America with Sean recently, in anticipation of The Avengers. Otherwise I would have been quite confused by his flashback montage when he arrives on the scene.
- I was also glad I’ve seen Thor and The Hulk and most of Iron Man, so as to have some insight into those characters. Sean has trained me well. Who knows how ignorant I’d be without him?
- I have to admit I prefer Mark Ruffalo to Ed Norton as The Hulk. Although I consider Norton to be the king of split-personality acting, I have a serious soft spot for Mark Ruffalo.
- I was told Scarlett Johansson kicked ass as Black Widow – and boy, does she ever. CRAZY MOVES (both physical and psychological).
- Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man takes the cake for best, most irreverent (Whedonian) lines – although there are lots for every character.
- Thor takes the cake for best costume, with his armoured vest and luxurious cape. (I had a great chuckle at Tony’s line “Dost mother know thou wearest her drapes?”) Maybe I dig the cape so much because I learned the word “avenger” from Garfield, wayyy back when he used to tie his blanket around his neck and call himself “The Caped Avenger”. (In my mind, I pronounced it like “scavenger”, though.)
- Loki, the villain, has a vest-and-cape combo too, but he can’t take the cake with those helmet-horns. I guess it’s not his fault he resembles a Matt Groening character.
- Tom Hiddleston, who plays him, actually has a great smile. I’ll have to see Midnight in Paris again to watch him as a good guy (F. Scott Fitzgerald).
- I know part of the point of the story is that the “Avengers Initiative” is risky, because the heroes are so disparate and volatile – will they be able to put aside their differences and work together?? But there were a few moments where I was just like, SIGH. Stop squabbling already, boys. Wake up and smell the deadly robots.
- Those Leviathan creatures were a stroke of brilliance from someone’s herpetophobic brain. (How do you like my new word? I had to Google it. It means afraid of reptiles.)
- Do you ever watch a movie with battles in it, set in a real-life city, and think, Holy crap, how will they ever even begin to repair all this damage? And then does it occur to you that huge sections of Europe and Japan suffered even worse destruction during WWII, all at the same time?? It’s incredible to me that the human race finds the resilience to rebuild in the face of ruin, over and over again.
- Although my mind wasn’t blown by this movie, as Sean’s was, I did find it very satisfying. Relishable dialogue, more epic moments than you can shake a giant hammer at, laugh-out-loud moments, and… the good guys win! Oops, I probably wasn’t supposed to tell you that.
- And now, the most important point: WHO’S HOTTER?
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow…
… or Agent Hill?
(I tried to find a good shot of Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts in her jean shorts, but wasn’t successful. Otherwise she’d definitely have a good shot.)
What about Thor…
… versus Steve Rogers/Captain America?
And is it Dr. Bruce Banner…
… or Tony Stark?
Time to weigh in, Di-hards! Thank you for playing.
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I prefer Thor to Capitan America who is just too too clean cut all american boy from the 50′s. He was the guy that the hippies were rebelling against. No one will ever win our over Lowe/Stark. OMG. And I Love Gwenyth and would like to be her Pepper to his Tony. Fantasy is good.
You know what, I feel the same about Captain America. Even though I wasn’t alive to be part of the movement, I seem to have internalized the ideals through my parents. Plus, Chris Hemsworth just has a fantastic smile. I’m with you on Tony Stark, too, despite my affection for Ruffalo.
I pick Black Widow, and Thor and then I’m completely torn between Tony and Bruce… except the Hulk had my favourite line of the whole movie (“Puny god!” as he smashed Loki into the ground repeatedly – great fun!) so I think I’ll pick him.
Yeah, I laughed pretty hard at that same spot in spite of myself!
I think Captain America is by far the cutest, although he is kind of goody-two shoes. I also think the ‘puny god’ line is one of the best. I also like the part where they reference the flying monkeys and Captain America is so proud that he understood the reference.
I agree, he’s pretty undeniably gorgeous – and the flying monkeys made me laugh too. Poor displaced fella.
Thor has some nice muscles, but he’s not as hot.