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Title: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 20, 2012, 10:01:45 pm
The Avengers
(http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i266/Chiprocks1/Star%20Ratings/HTL_05star.gif)

(http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i266/Chiprocks1/DVD%20Covers%2002/The%20Avengers/TA.jpg)

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrNdBpGMv8

I have manage to avoid spoilers for this since the day it went into pre-production. I had every intention of seeing it in the theater, but that didn't happen. So, in the time I first heard about this and the ensuing months that flew by, I built this movie up way too high. Probably the highest ever. I knew that wasn't going to bode well for The Avengers. How can the movie possible meet those expectations? I was expecting a 10 Star movie with the amount of my own self-hyping. It will have to settle for 5 Stars.

The movie is marketed as a 'stand-alone', meaning that the non-marvel fans do not have to see any of the previous movies such as Iron Man or Captain America (http://pennycan.createaforum.com/dvd's-blu-rays/captain-america-the-first-avenger-(2011)/msg7962/#msg7962) to enjoy The Avengers. However, I do think that seeing Thor (http://pennycan.createaforum.com/dvd's-blu-rays/thor-(2011)/msg7984/#msg7984) will give you a much deeper and richer movie going experience. I actually think it's vital that you do. The one film that you absolutely don't have to see to follow along with The Avengers is The Incredible Hulk (http://pennycan.createaforum.com/dvd's-blu-rays/the-incredible-hulk/msg7229/#msg7229). I think the studio would prefer that you don't since they are now on their 3rd actor playing the Green Monster on the Big Screen. Having said that, if you haven't already seen The Incredible Hulk, what are you waiting for? Go see it! It's awesome!!!!

I think The Avengers is a new benchmark in coordinating an entire film franchise/universe through a series of individual films, culminating with everyone playing in the same sandbox. I was curious how each character would get their screentime and if it would come at the expense of someone else. Not the case here. Everyone gets their moment. I was actually surprised that Captain America is more or less running point. This isn't a knock against the character, but with Robert Downey Jr. the one with Top Billing, I'd expect the same for Tony Stark.

With all the characters involved here, it is not at all surprising that the Hulk steals the movie from everyone and has the most awesome one-line retort after 'smashing' Loki and saying "Puny God". Come on, that was both awesome and hilarious. After this movie, I want more Hulk movies if they can deliver like this.

As with all Marvel Comics movies, be sure to stick around after the initial end credits to reveal....THANOS!! Now I am PUMPED to see what they bring in the next Avengers movie. But be sure to stay to the very end of the credits to see the gang eating at the diner as a great callback to Tony's victory "speech".

I highly recommend this as a Buy and I intend to get the 4 Disc Special Edition soon.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 20, 2012, 10:03:13 pm
The Avengers Blu-ray Screencaps

Coming soon...
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 20, 2012, 10:09:28 pm
 I posted a full color image of the DVD cover and it comes out looking like that? What the hell!
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Neumatic on October 21, 2012, 12:09:48 am
I think the Hulk is the only character you can get away with having a different actor each time because as long as he turns into the big green guy, we're good.

I saw this in the theater with my mom and sister (any excuse for a family get-together) and they hadn't seen Thor or Captain America and I don't think they had too much of a problem with the set-up.  They did all see (and love) Iron Man so I think that helps a great deal... and it also helped set up the realism of the universe, or rather the levels of realism we're prepared to accept, so that NOW we can accept the giant flying aircraft carrier with the spandexy outfits and so on.

And is it just me or does it seem like we don't see THAT much of the interior of the carrier, I guess we do but somehow that lab... the way that shot that lab and with that window, every time the camera was in there it felt like the only room on the ship.  Just that and the big bridge and a corridor.  It really made me think of the last Star Trek movie and how there was one hallway and a shiny bridge (which you could barely see) and the transporter room and that was it, when I remember the movies before giving us hallways, engine rooms, medical rooms, they made that lovely dining room and blew the everloving crud out of it, it feels like we're getting less spaceship per movie.  With the possible exception of Lockout.

And can I say something about ScoJo?  There's something about her as Black Widow I don't like.  I think it's the hair, I think that hair is terrible on her, but to me the Black Widow was a Bond girl who decided she didn't need Bond anymore and tossed him off the side of a building, just drippingly dangerous.  I was watching The Island not too long ago and the white body suit she wears in that immediately brought to mind the current white Fantastic Four outfits and it clicked, she could be a brill Sue Storm.  Of course, I don't have an alternate in my head to cast Black Widow, and it's not like I can do anything about it, I just feel like I'm alone in this.

Oh, and the scene where they go to Germany, did it actually feel to ANYONE that they were in Germany?  Didn't to me.

AND the one thing I would have LOVED, LOVED, gone nuts for and screamed in the theater if it happened, was that in the scene where those people are holed up in the bank, one of the hostages should have been Andrew Garfield, and he slowly lifts up one of his sleeves and almost reveals his web-shooter, but is interrupted by Captain America breaking in.  Seriously, how epic would that have been?
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 21, 2012, 12:17:17 am
I don't have a problem with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. I actually liked her quite a bit in this one, which I wasn't expecting to at all. I thought for sure she would have been the "throw away" character. As for Andrew Garfield, that would have funny as hell and would been another way to expand the 'film universe' as one.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Neumatic on October 21, 2012, 12:27:00 am
I actually liked her more this time than in Iron Man 2.  But it still feels like ScoJo (I don't want to keep looking up how to spell the name, sue me) playing a character more than the Black Widow brought to life.  And it's more striking when you have a perfect Tony Stark and a perfect Thor and perfect Cap and so on.

And I kept thinking of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen the whole time, especially given how much time they spent on the ship conducting experiments, the ship gets horribly damaged and the Hulk comes out, I kept thinking "I saw this before!"
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 21, 2012, 12:40:14 am
I'm probably going to watch The Avengers again in the next couple of days and see how I respond to the movie the 2nd time around.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on October 21, 2012, 09:54:42 am
The Avengers Movie Review (Totally Rad Show)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXFqcJmQ24Y

Nice to finally be able to watch this. I had to skip this and put it off the side until I saw the movie. Finally watched the review just now. Like I said, I avoid spoilers with a passion. Anyway, everything Jeff said is spot on and pretty much sums up how I felt about the movie. Even Alex said some things that I agreed with.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on December 25, 2012, 08:08:57 pm
IGN's Best Movie of 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUBCu0P6Xr0

No shock that IGN named this 'Movie Of The Year'.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Mac on December 26, 2012, 06:08:45 am
Considering my perspective on this genre of movie, The Avengers was enjoyable. Still like Iron Man the best to watch... And I was surprised me liking Thor.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on December 26, 2012, 06:10:50 am
I liked everything about the movie, but for me what puts this over the top into something truly epic and fun to watch is The Hulk. Because of where he started with the TV series and then through the subsequent films, you get a sense of arrival in The Avengers. They finally got everything right.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Mac on December 26, 2012, 06:26:55 am
How were the other's wrong. Studios/directors perspective or reinterpretation?

Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on December 26, 2012, 06:58:04 am
The TV series, even though I watched it religiously as a kid was nothing more than Lou Ferrigno in body paint. Doesn't scream belivable at all. The first film directed by Ang Lee was a joke and is in my Top 3 most hated movies of all time. HORRIBLE. The story, acting, direction and CGI was blow-your-brains-out bad. I did enjoy and like the followup with Ed Norton. It was fun, but the CGI, although better this time around....was still not perfected and needed work. With The Avengers, all the parts finally came together as it should have been all along.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 30, 2014, 07:21:07 pm
I've been wanting to do a mini Thor Marathon for quite some time and having watched Thor yesterday, that brings me to The Avengers. Now when I originally watched Thor and then Avengers on DVD, the time in between was huge. Even though it was a "loose sequel" to Thor, it never played like one. But with Thor fresh in my memory and watching Avengers today, it definitely played much better. Kind of an odd thing to say about this movie given the fact that I already rated it 5 Stars. But I actually liked watching this one even more the second time around. Seriously man, Hulk makes this movie what it is. I DEMAND that he get another shot at a stand alone movie. They finally got it right and the demand is out there to make it happen.

A couple of things that I don't think I ever caught the first time around was the Point Break joke, which I thought was hilarious. One thing that I do remember was Nick Fury's Galaga joke. What I didn't catch was the button on the scene when the Agent goes back to playing said game on the monitor. I must have looked away for a split second because I don't remember that scene at all. Very funny. Still amazed that the studio was able to pull this movie off without a hitch given the amount of star wattage here. That's a lot of egos that want top billing. But they all played great together in the same sandbox. Hope Avengers II is more of the same times 100.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Neumatic on May 30, 2014, 07:26:15 pm
Whenever I go to Best Buy, The Avengers is always playing on the biggest TV there, so every time I go there I think "I need to watch this movie again."
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 30, 2014, 08:01:32 pm
I just watched The Avengers Movie Review (Totally Rad Show), This is the first time I have watched any episode of TRS since they went off the air. What is that now? 2 years? Yikes!!!! Listening to Jeff talk about the movie was and is awesome.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 30, 2014, 09:50:07 pm
‘The Avengers’ Was Originally Rated R; Find Out What Scene Had to Be Cut (http://screencrush.com/avengers-rated-r/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_152097)

I never knew about the movie being submitted twice and recieving an R-Rating...both times. I will never understand or get the MPAA. I've already voiced my opinions about them numerous times on here....most recently tonight regarding Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (http://pennycan.createaforum.com/movies/sin-city-a-dame-to-kill-for/msg28592/#msg28592). Personally I would love to see more adult content within these superhero flicks to drive home the fact that there are serious dangers in their world. Everything can't always be kid-friendly, yo!
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 31, 2014, 05:09:33 am
I don't know how this thread got locked. It's unlocked now.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Neumatic on May 31, 2014, 10:36:04 am
I know everything can't be kid-friendly, but at the same time, I'm annoyed that all comics, particularly the big ones, slant towards mature (or the trappings of being mature without actually being mature).  Part of me would love to see an Arkham-style Batman movie but I know realistically that while that works for video games, it might not work for features.  But Marvel, particularly the Avengers, I'm fine with them being wide-audience releases, I love that kids and parents are seeing them, I love that this cool thing we dig is accessible to a wider audience.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 31, 2014, 11:06:32 am
Well, the best compromise of course would be to actually film and shoot what's on the page, but also have alternate shots and dialogue to be released as an Unrated Version in the same manner they did with Wolverine. Now personally, I have not see the Unrated Version (I don't think I have) and can't really comment on how much different that is from the Original Release.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Mac on May 31, 2014, 01:35:57 pm
Oh he'll ya... Let's make these sonzabitcez R rated. Hard R.

Wait, that's not what you guys are meaning.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 31, 2014, 02:15:03 pm
Wait, that's not what you guys are meaning.

Says you! I want to see Pepper Potts completely naked. Same goes for The Black Widow. Sue me.  ;D
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Neumatic on May 31, 2014, 06:49:46 pm
I don't.  I really don't.  The Marvel movies have managed to hit that sweet spot where anyone can see them and enjoy them without anyone feeling alienated.  It's sort of like a specialized, slightly more edged Pixar in that way.  They're cool and awesome enough to appeal to the young (and the young at heart), but inoffensive enough to keep parents happy but never bored.  That's HUGE, I wouldn't want them to mess with that.  And I imagine Disney does too, that's why even if the MPAA didn't enforce those standards, the Marvel board would.  So nekkid Widow isn't happening.

The big problem is I remember what sh*t the comics turned into when they dropped the Comics Code Authority, they just amped up the cheap sex, violence, and cursing, it was more "kids pretending to be adult" than actually being adult, or mature, and that sucked, and I wouldn't want the movies to turn into that.

Now, we did see Wolverine's butt in Days Of Future Past, which was fine, but I always felt Jessica Alba's brief moments of fake nudity in Fantastic Four were cheap and insulting, both to her, her character, and her audience.  And I think when you have the freedom to just drop some nudity in there without a possible repercussion, that could open the floodgates to some garbage we don't want.

Having said that, I don't think movies should have to p*ssyfoot around the obvious to secure the mystical PG-13 rating.  I remember working in a video store and when we would debate about what movie to put in (a privilege that got revoked once some *ssholes in another store put on "Not Another Teen Movie"), that rating did NOTHING to help us decide if it was okay, we had to think back and remember "okay, was there a lot of cursing? Was there nudity? Was there a sex scene?")  Everyone shoots for that rating, and all these exceptions are granted, so it becomes meaningless and arbitrary.

Think about Mr and Mrs Smith, the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie vehicle.  Now, they had a makeout scene but it feels like EVERYONE wanted/expected that to be a full-on sex scene (if there was EVER a time for that).  I could imagine that being in there, but it still wouldn't be enough in my mind to warrant an R-rating.

I could totally see some nudity being okay for The Dark Knight Rises as well, I mean, Batman never gets laid, and it's a movie (allegedly) for a more mature audience, why not?  and if anyone had the right to yell out a curse word, it's Bruce Wayne.  Come on, let's just hear him yell "f*ck!" one time after losing everything.  You could even hang a lantern on it, have Alfred tell him "I didn't bring you up to use such colourful language, Master Bruce."

There's a little glimpse of bareback nudity in Guardians Of The Galaxy, but I bet the exception is made because it's an alien.

And don't give me this unrated movie crap, all that says to me is that the big screen one that they expect me to pay 10-15 bucks to see (inconveniently) is compromised and castrated.  I hear anything like that is going on, forget it, I'm not going to see your movie on the big screen, you lost my ticket.  And it's already so much work to get me out there, the movies can't afford to do that.  And they don't rent the unrated/extended versions, either, so the only way to see what might be the "good" version is to watch sanitized version first, no thank you.

And these little rules, by the way, they have consequences: you keep seeing bloodless stabbings and all this violence without repercussions (broken bones, blood, suffering... that gets you an R while the actions that cause that get a PG-13), you can imagine people starting to disassociate shooting someone with someone suffering and dying horribly.  You can't show women having sexual pleasure?  Well, you perpetuate the idea that sex is all about a man's pleasure, it's one-sided, and it helps in some small part to perpetuate that whole culture of objectification.

What we really need to change that PG-13 dominance (outside of a better organization than the MPAA) is more movies like Bully and Blue Is The Warmest Colour, movies that actually challenge the easy classification of art by arbitrary guidelines and actually engage a discussion.  We need stuff that challenges the status quo, gives us more options so that our art can grow laterally and horizontally, instead of what we're seeing now where we just compile more and more specific exceptions so we wind up with giant robot testicles in a summer blockbuster.
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on June 10, 2014, 01:34:51 pm
I'm Robert Downey Jr

(http://i.imgur.com/abwP0OY.jpg)

Hahahahahahahaha.
 ;D
Title: Re: The Avengers (2012)
Post by: Chiprocks1 on August 31, 2014, 09:07:36 am
Top 10 Movie Crossovers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA4i7HjKFMo

Was there any doubt as to which movie would sit at the top? I like most of the list.