Avengers the movie... For Everyone?!

Hey, we all knew CBXF would see the Avengers. But what's amazing is that so many around us have also seen it. I have been asked numerous times at work... who's this guy? What does that mean? For what ever reason, Avengers has really hit a cord with people. I sent out a call out to some friends of CBXF as well as some members of CBXF to weigh in. All I asked was give your thoughts in as many words as you'd like. See what we got back.


Jack Irons: After the set up of the previous Marvel movies (IM 1 & 2, Hulk 2, Cap. America & Thor) the payoff has finally come.  Excellent movie. It hit all the right notes. Each character had something to add to the story and got their chance to shine. Black Widow and HawkEye could have easily seemed to be forced into the story and the group but they were as important as the other four big heroes. Ruffo proved that the role of the Hulk is not cursed, just that you have to make Banner as interesting as the brute.

I started to look forward to the next one as soon as the last scene played. My guesses for the next one--we will meet the person who engineered the Heli-Carrier and it will be Pym. He and Tony Stark will create an android based on Agent Colson who will eventually become the Vision. Stark's new tower will be the new headquarters for the group. Thanos will rock as the villain in the third movie, yes I think they will build up to him like they didd this first movie.


Wendy Debor: The thing I liked best about the Avengers is that the writers understood their audiences well enough to give them jokes they would laugh at but were also tailored enough that not everyone everywhere would "get it". The result, I think, was a kind of intimacy with the characters that is sometimes lost in a big action flick. You could pat yourself on the back because you got the jokes.

Jon Frank: The Avengers was a fun movie. Very Whedon-esque, and that worked in its favor. This was a movie with characters that can stand on their own, and he managed to bring them together and give it that playful back and forth banter that makes buddy movies so entertaining. Even small things like including Pepper and Jane (a mention anyway) from Iron Man and Thor were nice touches because it showed us they weren't just being ignored in the meshed universe. Overall, they managed to pull disparate characters into an entertaining movie that left me with a big smile on my face. I couldn't have been happier with what appeared on screen. I still prefer the WW2 Cap costume from the previous movie, but hey, nothing's perfect.  :)

Tracie Mauk: As a huge fan/worshipper of the very ground on which steps writer/director Joss Whedon, I come into everything he does with certain expectations and a certain level of anticipation. Putting him on a film starring Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye (not to mention Agent Couslon, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury) in battle with Loki and an alien army, that kind of puts my usual anticipation level in a whole new strata.

Really, the only thing that could top that would be if he were to have been making one of the two X-Men films he was slated to make. (X-Men is my real sweet-spot when it comes to comics, you see... and I did at least get a 12/13 issue comic series out of him)

So, all of that taken into account, every expectation I had for The Avengers was matched or exceeded. And, better than that, it was able to genuinely surprise me. And not with plot points/story twists (which I had spoiled for me either by the accidental blurt of an excited friend or by the snotty forward-lashing of folks who wished to hate on a film purely based on their distaste for the filmmaker involved), but I what I was genuinely surprised with the most was little character beats, unexpected moments of insight into characters that I don't feel many filmmakers would've bothered with in a big-budget summer blockbuster where dudes punch other dudes a lot and explosions happen. There's tons of that and it's awesome but there's also genuine character development and insight and exploration and it's pretty evenly handed out throughout the film. Though I think the biggest benefactor of this was Black Widow. Sure, she had some cool stuff to do in Iron Man 2 but I didn't really feel like I KNEW her until The Avengers. Now I desperately want Joss to make a Black Widow origin movie. Desperately.

But this is a good thing. The best thing you can do in entertainment is leave them wanting more and Avengers does exactly that. It gives you so much and it delivers it with such finesse that even at 2 hours and 23 minutes, when it all wraps up at the end you can't believe it's over already.  MOAR PLZ.

Shawn Drapal: I think I'd like to see it!

Sean Creswell: Hulk sucker-punch Thor!

Monty Eich:Sean Connery seemed bored with the script but Uma Thurman was still hot.

So with all that said... here is my 2 cents:
Robb: Everyone is completely right. This movie hit character beats and was true to the strengths of each character. Nothing felt forced and never once did I feel like someone was neglected. Tracie and I discussed some tiny things we have issue with (I'll post the audio podcast once some space frees up), but are really just small nit picks on what is the most perfect super-heros made to date. Fun action with strong character moments that (Like Wendy said) are payoffs to comic nerds but essential to anyone to find what makes the Avengers special. I can't wait to see the new age this movie will usher in. Joss this was an incredible achievement.