Avengers Nitpick!

The Avengers…sigh. I would be tempted to review this movie…no one else has done that online yet, right?

Rather I will try to focus on a few points, and try to move on with my life somehow. Oh, yeah…SPOILERS!!! I talk about what happens in the movie. Shocking.

First, The Whedon. Sometime I will have to elucidate on my opinions and thinking on him. But simply, I like his work…and find it annoying at times. Sorry, I don’t find it perfect, and, yes, I was thinking this before it was cool. He can create amazing and fun stories, and this is a good example of it. It is big and fun. Yeah! But also it has Whedon’s habit of at times putting words in character’s mouths that aren’t theirs. Whedon often thinks of a real funny quip in writing a script and then picks someone to give the line, regardless of if it’s really that logical for the character to say. Like, in Avengers, when Thor talks of Loki, after being told of his mass murder, replies, “He’s adopted.” That is funny! But it also isn’t something that sounds entirely wrong coming from Thor. It in fact feels contradictory. But Whedon and others thought it was funny, so it stayed. Whedon does this all the time. But still fun story. Great effects. Good character moments. So I do credit Whedon a lot. I just have issues in general.

Second, what was Loki’s plan? Not overall. That was to conquer the world, duh. What was the point of getting captured by SHIELD? To distract from the heist or the objective of his scientists? Why? He could have grabbed that guy in a less obvious way. Or he could have vanished with his team and left everyone to try suss out what he’s up to. Would they really have caught up quicker? It wasn’t to knock out the carrier, as Hawkeye got aboard and almost brought it down on his own. To set off the Hulk? Was that important? And couldn’t he have come aboard with Hawkeye, and used his illusions directly to set Banner off to become the Hulk? …The point is, after watching the movie, the gambit by Loki seemed pointless. Maybe it was hubris. Maybe it was just needed for the story, so as to allow as series of confrontations with our main villain and different heroes. Whatever the reason it feels incongruent.

Finally (THIRDLY), the Black Widow…uh. I like the character of the Black Widow. Fun character, grand history. A long time classic character of the Marvel Universe, she can be a great fit for an Avengers team. But Scarlett Johansson… It may be me (and probably is), but I have never been impressed with her film work. I feel bad saying it, but I just have never been whelmed by her work. Maybe I haven’t seen enough yet. Still putting her in the role of a cunning Russian spy is asking a lot. I found Smulder playing Maria Hill, Fury’s second, a more impressive and energized role (And as a comic fan I don’t like Hill’s character in the books.) (I have to agree with The Cinema Snob, would have been interesting to see Smulder play Black Widow). Now, when SJ was speaking in Russian she actually seemed more alive. But overall...she was just underwhelming. The little we got w/ Renner as Hawkeye was stronger. Plus, all of the Widow’s characterization in the movie felt either forced rushed, or crammed in. 

Also, seeing her in the last battle with the little pistol actually makes Hawkeye and his bow seem more dangerous. Why not just make her wrist weapons one of those new SHIELD cosmic cube/tesseract produced weapons, and have them be blasters? I mean, it's like seeing:

"Avengers, ready to charge that alien army! Hulk! Thor! Iron Man! Captain America! James Bond! ...uh, James? Yeah... We really appreciate all your spy work that helped us get here...but what why don't you just take a break...'kay?"

Comic Black Widow is always great in a brawl. But she doesn't take a the equivalent of a Walther PPK with her. Right? Next movie, she needs better treatment in the script.

...And I hear they are pushing for a Black Widow movie...Maybe SJ can prove me wrong...But a Widow movie, but no Hulk movie to take advantage to the amazing actor you have locked in? …Why? (By which I mean why no Hulk movie, not that there can’t be both movies. How are they jumping on one idea, but not the other?)

Again. The movie is great fun. It is a comic book movie. People take hits and get right back up (except for one case), massive property damage with little to no life loss, and suspect super science, are all abound. But, so what, it's a comic movie, a really good one. But it is flawed. Nolan's Batman is dark, noirish, and largely down to earth (eyeing you flying batmobile in trailer), and Avengers is big bright and larger than life. Both are different and both are good.

Be sure to go an enjoy Avengers, if it's your cup of tea. For me, having this, The Hobbit and a Batman movie this year is just grand.

Now I'll just wait for people to line up to kick me in the balls.