Tremendous hype surrounding a movie can be a very good thing. Usually it guarantees some big box office numbers for at least the opening weekend. But this is not always the case. The downside to so much hype around a movie is that many people tend to make up their minds before even setting foot in the theater. When this happens it takes a very well made movie to up peoples expectations.
Three weeks ago one of the most hyped movies, if not the most hyped movie, of the year opened with The Avengers. Opening weekend in the US (it opened throughout the world the week before) broke every opening weekend recored, taking in $207 million. It would go on to make another $100 million in it’s second weekend and cruise to $1 billion world wide in no time at all. This for all purposes, is a movie that lived up to the hype and more.
I chose to let the hype die down before viewing the movie for review purposes, so as not to get caught up in everything BUT the movie. Yesterday was the day to view The Avengers and try not to get caught up in the Avenger storm.
Based on the comic book which is a compilation of several different comic book characters, The Avengers is a secret team of superheroes put together should the world be on the brink of disaster. There wouldn’t be much of a movie if the world didn’t come to the brink of disaster when Thor’s brother Loki comes to earth to obtain the most precious source of energy in the world known as the tesseract. When Loki controls the mind of some of S.H.I.E.L.D.s personnel to help with his sinister plot, director Nick Fury initiates the avengers program. After some difficult persuading the avengers do in fact come together. The movie climaxes with an epic battle throughout New York City.
With the possibility of this movie being an epic failure, director Joss Whedon was very fortunate to have actors from each of their respective characters films, with the exception of The Hulk who had two different Bruce Banner’s but was superbly cast with Mark Ruffalo. The talent and good acting by each person in their roles helped tremendously with the success of this film. With Robert Downey Jr. all but leading the cast as Iron Man/Tony Stark in a role he has really come to own, each one was exactly who was needed for their roles. The introduction of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye was a great choice. He is on the rise in popularity and a fine actor in his own right.
The story is not one that is complex and difficult to follow. It is almost the quintessential superhero story line that has every twist and close call we have come to know and love with these types of movies. Don’t look for a surprise ending but also don’t expect to be bored with a plot line that is too simple. The purpose of this movie is the effects and action and just seeing a lot of favorite superheroes together at once and Joss Whedon executes that perfectly.
It is a fun exciting 2 1/2 hours and money well spent (for the 2D we did not see the 3D). It’s everything everyone wants in a summer blockbuster movie. It is not hard to see why it is pulling in the money it is. It is just another case of giving the movie going audience what they want and making it well.
There is still the possibility that all the records that The Avengers has set could be short lived come the end of July when Christopher Nolan unleashes his final installment in the Dark Knight series. That aside, The Avengers, up to this point, is not only the best summer blockbuster but the best movie SO FAR this year.
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I couldn’t agree more with you, but as much as I love Batman I don’t think it will be the money maker like the The Dark Knight. That had several big things going for it other than being a great movie. Heath’s passing put a lot of people in the seats. I think a lot of non fans saw it just for that reason. I don’t think those people will come back for this one. Plus it had The Joker in it which is arguably one of the greatest if not greatest comic book villains of all time. The Avengers are also something we haven’t seen before on the big screen. The talent and the combination of all these heroes in one picture is a rare event. I think that is another reason why it is so popular. Throw in a great script and directing – you have success written all over it.
Great review and I understand waiting for the hype to die. That’s a good idea.
Thanks so much!! Glad to have majority of my readers be so intelligent and understanding!! Glad to have you following!
I don’t know about that. Maybe other factors contributed to getting people to see The Dark Knight, but overall, people loved it. That’s often more than enough to get people to come back for the next few movies. And Nolan is one of the very few directors whose name the audience actually knows, which means the popularity of Inception might get people interested in his other movies as well.
That said, I think it’s hard to compare how it’ll do to how the Avengers did. They’re completely different animals, with one carrying a very heavy dark tone, and the other one going with a lighter tone. Not that Avengers didn’t have its sense of tragedy, and that was very well done, but it’s not cynical in the way that the Batman franchise is. The Dark Knight had a very small but effective amount of hope, whereas Avengers never makes you doubt the cause, not even at its darkest moment.
I don’t know, I think everyone will expect the two movies to be completely different. They’re fun to compare for their contrasts, and for their different views on superhero movies. Can’t really guess how they’ll compare in the box office, myself.
Also, great review. I saw the movie in 2D and loved it, though I expected it to be really good before hand. Joss Whedon is probably my favorite director.
Nice review. I cannot agree that this is the best film of the year, though we did love it. To date, I’ll take Monsieur Lazhar and Coriolanus over it.
U should have given a special mention to mark Ruffalo. anyways gr8 review. though it seems far fetched to call it best movie of 2012 till now
I did mention that mark ruffalo was superbly cast. Come late in the year and Oscar movies start making there push Im sure it will slide down on the best of the year list quite a bit but until this point I think its tough to beat. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for reading tho!!
Absolutley agree! Loved it and thought that the HULK really stole the show in a few choice moments (punching thor and then swinging his brother around brought down the house in my area) Looking forward to Batman, but this will remain a favorite!
Thanks so much!! Glad u enjoyed as much as me.
Love what you said, you gave a very thorough synopsis of this movie. I just saw it on Wednesday and I thought it was great too! It was fun and I think that I have officially fallen in love with Robert Downey Jr., I thought it was official after the 2nd Shelock Holmes but I know it for sure now he was awesome! Samuel L was great everyone was like you said a superb actor in each of their roles.
I agree! The Avengers was like watching spectacular fireworks. Maybe not the best movie of the year, considering it’s still May, but it was definitely superb! Good review! Btw, if you were to create the plot for the sequel, what would the story be like? (aside from what happens in the real comic book)
I think it’s very interesting that you wait a while before watching such a big movie so you can review it properly. I’ve been doing it the wrong way round, insisting I see it in the first weekend so that I get my review out quickly. I also went to my first opening-night when I saw Hunger Games, and it was truly an incredible experience. I think what I’ll do in future, if I can afford it, is go to an earlier showing with the really jazzed audience and then see it a bit later. Then I can be more critical of the film itself. Thank you for that very good idea!
I wrote about the Avengers, too on my blog. I thought it was soooooo funny! I chuckle now just thinking of some of the jokes! My favorite was the reference to the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz and Captain America’s like, “I got that one!” Cracked me up! I also wrote a post about how women are portrayed in the movie – it’s not as bad as some super-hero movies, but I’m hoping that the success of Hunger Games, which portrays a truly strong (not hyer-sexualized) female protagonist, will pave the way for more positive female role model super-heroines.
http://margaretperrymovies.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Avengers
Loved it when Iron Man called Hawkeye Legolas.
Just saw this tonight. Splurged for 3D and was not disappointed. Loved Robert Downey, Jr., as I have in every Iron Man movie. His lines are hilarious. Mark Ruffalo was great! Thought the best part of the movie (besides awesome effects) was the dynamic of the group and the banter between/among them. Great post!
Hmm, I sort of thought the hype sort of raised my expectations way too high for this movie and ended up getting a little disappointed. Still loved it though, but maybe I should’ve waited for the hype to die down like you did 🙂
I thought this was an extremely fun movie, Joss Whedon has a way of mixing action and humor and not make it seem cheep or “B” movie-ish (a $200 million budget does not hurt either). I also saw in 2-D. I get so excited to see a movie in 3D and am most of the time left disappointed. I have heard the 3D was done well for this film.
3D, in my opinion was done well first with, My Bloody Valentine. It was kind of cheesy but the effects were done well. Of course Avatar had spectacular 3D effects and immersed you into the film (even though the story was just) and another 3D movie done well, but may be not the best story or cast was, Pirannah 3D. I have heard that MIB3 is good in 3D, but still have a trepidation about paying extra and possibly not liking the experience. I was burned with Clash of the Titans, Thor (had some good but mostly so so 3D) and Green Lantern.
3D should be used the same way lighting, sound, and other effects are used to either create a certain vision of the creator that they are trying to share with the viewer, or as a way to make the viewer feel as though they are a part of the film. It should not just be thrown together just to raise ticket prices.
I did see Green Lantern again on Netflix and found that the movie was not horrible, I just had a horrible experience with the 3D that effected what I thought about the movie at that time. At a time when Studios are not producing as many movies as they used to, I feel that it is important that the experience be done right on the first viewing. If the 3D does not work, it should not be used.
With The Avengers it is now proven that if you put out a good product you will get a good response. People have seen this movie two, three or more times because it is good, with good writing, acting, and production. The Avengers will be a good case study for future summer “tent pole” and franchise movies.
Oh, and good post.
Sean
Thanks so much for your views and for reading!!! Glad to have you!!
Gotta see it!!! Love the review and the comments on this .
Great review. And I agree, Mark Rufflo was awesome as the Hulk. I really enjoyed the movie.
Am I the only person who thinks it was was piece of insipid trite trash? And will everyone stop saying things like “The purpose of this movie is the effects and action and just seeing a lot of favorite superheroes together at once and Joss Whedon executes that perfectly.” – since when did that become an acceptable purpose for a movie. I don’t care how well it was executed. That’s like saying “The purpose of ‘Twilight’ is to cynically cater to the general perception of teenage melodrama whilst advocating Mormon abstinence and encouraging angst, necrophilia and beastiality, and this is executed perfectly”. I’m not going to go on. I posted my own review on my blog.
Hey, I just nominated your blog for the sunshine award! I really love your blog. Like REALLY love. Hope my blog will become as great as yours in the not too distant future/before I end up as a granny in a rocking chair without most of her teeth.