The Avengers

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by pavulon

I'm not dead yet!

I see.

well, then are you fat?

[Rodsrsr]

Originally Posted by tabs

I have basically stopped going to the movies as they are all so tritely boring. Everyone of them has FX up the azz, car chases, cars blowing up, superheroes winning the day at the end of a journey fraught with peril and danger...One has come to the conclusion that people are easily distracted by gaudy things that makes noise.

Where is the PLOT, most movies have none except to collect the box office, where is the character development, TV yes television is far more interesting than any of the crap that passes for good today...and where is the dialogue of course the actors have to be able to speak in more than monosyllabic mumbling...One begins to wonder if there is any literacy left in the world or has it all come down to nice and shiny baubles..

The Avengers is different because it is predicated on the individual movies made prior. Iron Man, Cap America, Hulk and Thor. You need to see these first to really make sense of the Avengers. Avengers was epic.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pavulon

I'm not dead yet!

You will be soon. You're very ill.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by rusnak

I see.

well, then are you fat?

A little...and pretty bald and size 12 shoes. Anything else?

Why the stick in your arse over being called on complaining about such a trivial thing? I'd be disappointed in my 8 year old daughter for behaving as you are.

WHO CARES??? It's a MOVIE. BIG DEAL.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by masraum

You will be soon. You're very ill.

I'm feeling much better...I think I'll go for a walk.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by pavulon

A little...and pretty bald and size 12 shoes. Anything else?

Why the stick in your arse over being called on complaining about such a trivial thing? I'd be disappointed in my 8 year old daughter for behaving as you are.

WHO CARES??? It's a MOVIE. BIG DEAL.

I'm pretty sure you're Siskel and Ebert's illegitimate love-child.

[pavulon]

mmm...name calling. I'm pretty sure you're 17.

Whatever you do, don't read this...


Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., arrives at a remote S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility during an evacuation. Physicist Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) is leading a research team experimenting on the Tesseract,2 an energy source of unknown potential, and Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) explains that it is giving off a bizarre form of energy. As Fury and Hill enter the laboratory, the Tesseract activates, opening a portal from which the Norse God Loki (Tom Hiddleston) steps through. Loki steals the Tesseract and uses his abilities to control the minds of several S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, including Dr. Selvig and Agent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), to aid him in his getaway.

In response to the attack, Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative. Agent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson) is sent to India to find and recruit Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), while Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), approaches Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and requests that he review Dr. Selvig's research. Fury himself approaches Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) with an assignment to retrieve the Tesseract from Loki. During his exile, Loki met 'The Other' (Alexis Denisof), leader of a warmongering alien race known as the Chitauri, and in exchange for the Tesseract, The Other promises Loki an army of Chitauri with which he can subjugate Earth.

Rogers, Stark, and Romanoff travel to Stuttgart, Germany, to apprehend Loki, who is is causing a distraction while Barton steals iridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract's power. Loki demands that a crowd of civilians kneel before him. After a battle with Captain America and Iron Man, Loki surrenders and is escorted back to S.H.I.E.L.D. by plane when Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki's adoptive brother, arrives and frees Loki in an attempt to reason with him. After a confrontation, Stark, Rogers, and Thor take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, the Helicarrier, and imprison him.

The Avengers are divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. planned to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons as a deterrent against hostile extraterrestrials. As the group argues, Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier, disabling its engines in flight and causing Banner to transform into the Hulk. As Stark and Rogers try to restart the damaged engines, Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage, and Romanoff fights Barton. During this fight, a blow to the head knocks Barton unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Loki escapes, killing Agent Coulson as he does so, and Thor and the Hulk are each ejected from the ship. Fury uses Coulson's death to motivate the Avengers into working as a team. Stark and Rogers realize that simply defeating them will not be enough for Loki; he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Using a device that a mind-controlled Selvig built for him, Loki uses the Tesseract to open a portal above Stark Tower to the Chitauri fleet in space, enabling a Chitauri invasion.

The Avengers rally in defense of New York City but quickly realize they will be overwhelmed as wave after wave of Chitauri descend upon Earth. With help from Barton, Rogers and Stark evacuate civilians, while Banner transforms into the Hulk again and goes after Loki, eventually beating him into submission. Romanoff makes her way to the portal, where Selvig, freed of Loki's control, reveals that Loki's staff can be used to close the portal. Meanwhile, Fury's superiors attempt to end the invasion by launching a nuclear missile at Manhattan. Stark intercepts the missile and takes it through the portal toward the Chitauri fleet. The missile detonates, destroying the Chitauri lead ship. Stark's suit runs out of power and he falls back through the portal, but Hulk saves him from falling to Earth. Romanoff deactivates the portal, instantly disabling all of the remaining Chitauri forces and ending the battle. In the aftermath, Thor returns Loki and the Tesseract to Asgard. Fury notes that the Avengers will return when they are needed.

In a post-credits scene, the Other confers with his master3 about the attack on Earth. In a second post-credits scene, the Avengers—gathered at a shawarma restaurant—eat in silence.

[speeder]

Avengers has smashed all box office records with an opening weekend predicted @ $200M+.

Wow.

[Hugh R]

Nice, another penny in the paycheck.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by pavulon

mmm...name calling. I'm pretty sure you're 17.

Whatever you do, don't read this...


Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., arrives at a remote S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility during an evacuation. Physicist Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) is leading a research team experimenting on the Tesseract,2 an energy source of unknown potential, and Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) explains that it is giving off a bizarre form of energy. As Fury and Hill enter the laboratory, the Tesseract activates, opening a portal from which the Norse God Loki (Tom Hiddleston) steps through. Loki steals the Tesseract and uses his abilities to control the minds of several S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, including Dr. Selvig and Agent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), to aid him in his getaway.

In response to the attack, Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative. Agent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson) is sent to India to find and recruit Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), while Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), approaches Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and requests that he review Dr. Selvig's research. Fury himself approaches Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) with an assignment to retrieve the Tesseract from Loki. During his exile, Loki met 'The Other' (Alexis Denisof), leader of a warmongering alien race known as the Chitauri, and in exchange for the Tesseract, The Other promises Loki an army of Chitauri with which he can subjugate Earth.

Rogers, Stark, and Romanoff travel to Stuttgart, Germany, to apprehend Loki, who is is causing a distraction while Barton steals iridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract's power. Loki demands that a crowd of civilians kneel before him. After a battle with Captain America and Iron Man, Loki surrenders and is escorted back to S.H.I.E.L.D. by plane when Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki's adoptive brother, arrives and frees Loki in an attempt to reason with him. After a confrontation, Stark, Rogers, and Thor take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, the Helicarrier, and imprison him.

The Avengers are divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. planned to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons as a deterrent against hostile extraterrestrials. As the group argues, Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier, disabling its engines in flight and causing Banner to transform into the Hulk. As Stark and Rogers try to restart the damaged engines, Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage, and Romanoff fights Barton. During this fight, a blow to the head knocks Barton unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Loki escapes, killing Agent Coulson as he does so, and Thor and the Hulk are each ejected from the ship. Fury uses Coulson's death to motivate the Avengers into working as a team. Stark and Rogers realize that simply defeating them will not be enough for Loki; he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Using a device that a mind-controlled Selvig built for him, Loki uses the Tesseract to open a portal above Stark Tower to the Chitauri fleet in space, enabling a Chitauri invasion.

The Avengers rally in defense of New York City but quickly realize they will be overwhelmed as wave after wave of Chitauri descend upon Earth. With help from Barton, Rogers and Stark evacuate civilians, while Banner transforms into the Hulk again and goes after Loki, eventually beating him into submission. Romanoff makes her way to the portal, where Selvig, freed of Loki's control, reveals that Loki's staff can be used to close the portal. Meanwhile, Fury's superiors attempt to end the invasion by launching a nuclear missile at Manhattan. Stark intercepts the missile and takes it through the portal toward the Chitauri fleet. The missile detonates, destroying the Chitauri lead ship. Stark's suit runs out of power and he falls back through the portal, but Hulk saves him from falling to Earth. Romanoff deactivates the portal, instantly disabling all of the remaining Chitauri forces and ending the battle. In the aftermath, Thor returns Loki and the Tesseract to Asgard. Fury notes that the Avengers will return when they are needed.

In a post-credits scene, the Other confers with his master3 about the attack on Earth. In a second post-credits scene, the Avengers—gathered at a shawarma restaurant—eat in silence.

[Hugh R]

Finally saw it. While I worked on it, so much is green screen, and CGI, its hard to tell how it will turn out. I thought it was pretty good. The audience laughed a lot when the Hulk slapped Loki around like a rag doll near the end.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Laneco

There were a couple of very conspicuously placed Acuras in the movie. The one you're talking about, at the end - not sure what it (obviously an Acura) but it was quite striking.

OK, did anyone else bust up laughing when the Hulk POUNDED Loki? Or was that just me with my sometimes inappropriate sense of humor?

angela

"Puny god." This was one of the gems in the movie, burst out laughing myself, it was extremely well done. The Hulk added a lot to the movie. Scarlett Johansson: Perfect.

Best unexpected gem: all of them at the shawarma place after the very last credits have rolled.

Only disappointment: not much of an invading alien army. Even without The Avengers, I'm sure any one one of the U.S. Armed Forces could have taken the aliens. And they killed Phil, that kinda sucked.

Overall, tons of fun.

[pegasus9]

Smashed another record for second weekend box office at 103 mill.

[Hugh R]

Charlize Theron, No

Scarlett Johansson, yes.

Not that there is anything wrong with either one. I've seen them both on Stage.

[chocolatelab]

Cobie Smulders couldn't be any hotter....

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Laneco

There were a couple of very conspicuously placed Acuras in the movie. The one you're talking about, at the end - not sure what it (obviously an Acura) but it was quite striking.

OK, did anyone else bust up laughing when the Hulk POUNDED Loki? Or was that just me with my sometimes inappropriate sense of humor?

angela

That is my favorite scene.

We saw the movie yesterday in 3D. We liked it. On an adult level is is a silly movie with the same old theme. The 12 year old boy in me loved the movie. The old geezer the 12 year is trapped inside like it as well.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by tabs

I have basically stopped going to the movies as they are all so tritely boring. Everyone of them has FX up the azz, car chases, cars blowing up, superheroes winning the day at the end of a journey fraught with peril and danger...One has come to the conclusion that people are easily distracted by gaudy things that makes noise.

Where is the PLOT, most movies have none except to collect the box office, where is the character development, TV yes television is far more interesting than any of the crap that passes for good today...and where is the dialogue of course the actors have to be able to speak in more than monosyllabic mumbling...One begins to wonder if there is any literacy left in the world or has it all come down to nice and shiny baubles..

So stay home and out of the theaters and complain more. The movies will be out of business in no time without your input.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

The whole family enjoyed this one. My son is already asking if I have it in iTunes yet.

[dw1]

Good comments on The Avengers.

I'm looking forward to Iron Man 3, and especially to the just-announced Black Widow "origin story" movie.

Imho, the Black Widow story could be very, very good. Female KGB version of James Bond (?) but with more physical action, in more ways then one... ;-) Of course Helen Mirren just HAS to be cast as one of her instructors.

[rusnak]

I remember the 1982 "Marvel Fanfare" story of the Black Widow. Very cool. I liked the fact that "The Avengers" was pretty loyal to the comic book, and captured the attitudes and mannerism of the comic book characters.