Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Samuel L. Jackson 
Directed by Joss Whedon
Year: 2012
IMDB / Wikipedia
I rarely see movies in the theater. When I do, it’s usually for a landmark cinematic event or the wife wants to see something especially cute. This post is a document of the former.
This has been a long time coming. Even when Iron Man was just coming out there was talk about how it would be the first movie in a line of movies that would culminate with an Avengers movie. The studios wanted it, the fans wanted it, and it happened. Just under four years since Tony Stark burst into theaters worldwide, the Avengers have assembled ready to defend the Earth from a force that is more than once superhero alone could handle.
This movie was everything I expected it to be. The team assembles, they don’t really like each other, there’s tension, there’s lack of understanding, there’s the threat of dissolving, there’s tragedy, there’s the immense swallowing of pride, there’s the CG extravaganza, there’s the resolution, and the set up to the eventual sequel movies. I knew this formula before I even stepped foot into the theater on Sunday evening. I knew this formula from the trailers and the spoiler-free articles I have read online. I knew it all and it played out just as I had foreseen.
Despite it all, I really enjoyed this movie. You will find, as I have, that some of my favorite movies don’t have to be unpreditable, just well-executed. The Avengers was more than well-executed, it was almost poetic. Well, maybe not poetic, but it was well-written and well-visioned by director/screenwriter Joss Whedon. The events played out and they were so breathtaking that I didn’t care that I had predicted most of the peril and conflict in the movie.
I’m not saying I’m a know-it-all when it comes to movies. Honestly, there’s a lot of movies I have not seen that some would call commonplace for any film aficionado. But this film I was easily able to decipher and unlock before I sat down and I would see it all again in the theater. That is a testament to the way this movie developed characters that had entire films dedicated to them. Even Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark was able to grow further still even after two excellent movies. It is something to behold, for sure.
My wife went with my two friends and I to see this movie. She hasn’t seen any of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so she had really no understanding of any of these characters’ back-stories or motivations. But she loved it anyway because, in her own words, “It’s a comic book movie.” Sure, it may seem simplistic to people like her and I, but we still liked it. She came out wanting to watch all of the movies starting with Iron Man. I’m more than willing to oblige her in this respect. So, in the coming weeks, you may see the other movies in this series posted out of order. Those entries will be about what my wife thinks of them and the connections she will make to this movie. It’s going to be a fun ride. Now, if I can only get her to sit down and watch the Star Wars films with me.
Most Valuable Actor: Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk. I enjoy Edward Norton as an actor, but he was a terrible pick to portray Bruce Banner in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. I think it may have to do with Norton’s inability to make me believe he could be a strong, silent scientist who is trying to keep a raging beast in check. Ruffalo, on the other hand, was able to do this in spades. He was calm, calculated, and actually played the role of a scientist very convincingly. Plus, for the first time in movie history, someone other than Lou Ferigno provided a speaking line for The Hulk, giving credence to Ruffalo’s ability to play this part.
These Things I Have Seen 