Just got home. Saw it in 3-D, I did. Absolutely spectacular! I wondered how they'd handle 4 major superheroes along with some of the other characters and they did a splendid job of it. Just when I thought, "Gee, Hulk isn't getting much screen time," they fixed that with some kick ass action. It's well paced, visually spectacular, loads of action, and lots of LOLZ. The 3-D works very well. I kept the 3-D glasses.
I took my wife and daughter to see it. All of us loved it and as has been true for most of the Marvel superhero movies lately, the casting in basically perfect and the writing. I love the part where Tony Stark is puzzling over how Banner is able to stay calm and not provoke the "other guy" (Hulk). At the end of the sequence, Stark lists a bunch of relaxation techniques finally suggesting a "big bag of weed".
no, I meant when he slugged him. Or did i miss some exchange that provoked that? (the alternative methods have pretty poor audio)
Saw it tonight in a packed house and it was spectacular, as promised. The one I didn't get was why the carrier had to fly. It just seemed to make it even more vulnerable. Loved the very last scene in the diner after the credits. Classic. Oh, and who was the villain in the mid-credit teaser?
Hot DAMN! This movie was fantastic. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about it. If this sort of flick doesn't prove to people that Joss Whedon is legit, I don't know what would.
I didn't think so - the Hulk tends to have the same motivations as Banner, just at a much baser level. So trap Banner? The Hulk breaks free. Kick Banner's ass? The Hulk rips off your limbs. He tends to take out his aggressions on people Banner doesn't like and helps the ones he does - like Betty, for example, where Banner's love is so overwhelming it can actually cause him to transform back just by her being there. Most of the Hulk's mindless belligerence is because someone else is fucking with him - the army, Ross, the Abomination. Basically he's driven by Banner's motivations. And by that point in the movie, Banner considered the Avengers friends.
Agreed. He needs to be the leader of the team to be Captain America. We saw a bit of that, but not to the level I was expecting. That might have to do with catering to the international audience.
I didn't see Captain America, but what I did see of him in this movie, the actor and the character are so far outshined by Robert Downey Jr and Iron Man. Writers and casting people should have worked a bit harder.
Studio estimates $200M opening weekend (US), obliterating old record (HP 7.2 - $169M). Should top $400M US easily, maybe even $500M.
I never really though the casting of Cap worked for me, even in the first movie...not sure exactly how it seemed off. To me the "Cap is the leader" thing kind of naturally had to evolve over the course of the movie...the whole business of a "collection of dangerous misfits" automatically would undermine the notion they would immediately call in and soldier under Cap without hesitation. Now, when there's a sequel THEN Cap should be the uber-leader from day one.
Part of the problem I thought was that "The Avengers" was filmed as though it occurred immediately after the end of "Captain America" which meant that Cap was very much a "fish out of water" having been frozen in ice for 70 years and being woefully out of touch regarding society, global events, and especially technology. Also Cap was written as an overly earnest red blooded American patriot from the 1940s. That can easily get overshadowed by Stark's contemporary "deeply cynical, too wealthy, playboy genius" because we are more familar with that archetype in this day and age (without the genius part).
Not surprising, when I went to the theater last night they were putting people in lines and releasing them into the theater in batches so people wouldn't fight over seats, and this was for the regular version, not the IMAX 3D. I'd never seen anything like that except on opening night for Batman, in IMAX.
I too was confused at how Banner was able to change into Hulk on whim at the end, and also cause the Hulk to act rationally.
Giving Tony Stark the center role was a good decision from a marketing perspective. Weren't the Iron Man films the most popular? I'm not sure how Captain America is supposed to lead the team when his combat ability is way behind Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. Being a goody-two-shoes won't save the world. Frankly, it seemed a huge leap when, during the final battle, the others took his orders with question. Also, does someone care to tell me what happened in the final scene after the credits?
A minor "Avengers" nitpick... Is it just me or did Scarlet Johanssen look a little chubby? I mean jeez, if you're going to be in a movie in a skin-tight outfit, you could skip a desert or two. I wonder if she's pregnant.
Re: A minor "Avengers" nitpick... Do you have a penchant for stick-thin women? I thought she was perfect.
Last time I saw anything like this was the opening of Independence Day. They allowed people into the theatres in groups of 10 about 30 seconds apart. It is implied that he had some control over it as he walked away and said "That's my secret. I'm always angry". Strongly implied that he has some degree of control over his transformations (the first transformations being only triggered by the pain of his injuries from the explosion. Raw combat ability is not necessarily what determines leadership.
Possibly. But, I think the right actor and the right writers, Captain America, even straight from the 40s, could have outshined Stark. He did in the most recent animated version.
