I saw “Marvel’s The Avengers” again last weekend, and I was inspired to compose a few thoughts.
NOTE THAT THIS POST COULD SPOIL ANY SURPRISE(S) IF YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN THE AVENGERS!
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FAVORITE AVENGERS QUOTES
“Until such time as the world ends, we will continue act as though it intends to spin on.” Nick Fury, with some sound advice for all of us when we’re tempted to let ourselves be overwhelmed by a potentially bad situation
“Those That can be harmful.” Nick Fury’s very serious response when someone explains dismissively that the Tesseract gives off a few gamma rays
“I’m having twelve percent of a moment.” Pepper, referring to Tony’s earlier comment about her getting twelve percent of the credit
“What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it?” Bruce Banner, after being shown the Tesseract
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REPEAT! DETAILS BELOW COULD SPOIL ANY SURPRISE(S) IF YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN THE MOVIE!
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FAVORITE AVENGERS SCENES
* The Russian general’s response when Natasha says that he’s giving her everything during her interrogation. The General pouts like a little kid, “I… not… give… everything.”
* Loved Tony and Pepper together, especially his jealousy when she refers to Agent Coulson as Phil. “His first name is Agent,” Tony corrects her. Then a bit later (revealing that he – the self-proclaimed “Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist.” – is still thinking about it), he demands quietly, “Why is he ‘Phil’?”
* Thor, about to say something very important, implores that Loki listen, but Thor is suddenly knocked away by someone else. Left standing in place, Loki quips, “I’m listening…?”
* Whenever Loki calls on their connection as brothers, it’s usually because he wants Thor to let his guard down. Some people might fault Thor for “falling for it” (every time), but it shows that he does possess the conviction that Agent Coulson observed Loki lacks. Despite Loki’s repeated betrayals, Thor truly sees him as a brother, and he keeps believing that the true-ness of that former relationship can reach through Loki’s current feelings and help save him.
* Loki, however, is choosing to believe that knowing his true paternity somehow negates the bond he shared with Thor and his family, so he, in essence, lost his identity. He’s trying to be who he thinks he should… but deep down, he just can’t shake the former connection — in the form of sibling rivalry. Still the jealous younger brother, he wants what Thor has, but he doesn’t want to make the sacrifices required to get it. I think this is what Agent Coulson means when he declares that Loki will lose: when working toward what we want, we have to accept the bad along with the good.
* “Put on the suit.” Captain America growls this several times while arguing with Tony Stark because he wants them to fight, but when their location is attacked, Cap says it in a decisive, call-to-arms sort of way, to which Stark responds, equally urgent, “Right Yeah.”
* The way Natasha’s reverse interrogation works on Loki just as it does on the Russian general. It’s quite believable that people will reveal a lot when they think they have the upper hand.
* I loved the relationship between Hawkeye and Natasha, and that they didn’t try to make it romantic. The two shared a history – and clearly some connection – but they weren’t all doe-eyed at each other. That wouldn’t have fit with their characters.
* However, I didn’t understand why Hawkeye basically asked Nat why she was there. Has she previously run from fights? Not likely, since they battled together in Budapest. Still, when Agent Coulson first interrupts Nat’s interrogation to say SHIELD needed help, she was reluctant to abandon her current project – until he said that Hawkeye had been compromised.
* Loved the scene with the caretaker/janitor man casually talking with the naked man (i.e. Bruce Banner) who just fell out of the sky as a large green monster. After they’d chatted a bit, the janitor asks, almost as an afterthought, “You an alien?” I think the man’s acceptance at this point was important, and certainly his seemingly simple observation (“You were awake when you fell”) was critical in confirming for Dr. Banner that he *can* control “the other guy.”
* Really, though, he should’ve known he could control him. When meeting him, the others were curious as to how he got rid of his anger. In the final battle, he revealed, “That’s my secret. I’m always angry.” So he didn’t get rid of it; he had it under control. (Perhaps he didn’t realize that himself until his talk with the janitor.)
* When Loki ominously tells Tony Stark that the others “will be busy fighting you,” Stark’s face shows his concern as Loki lowers the staff toward Stark’s chest, to turn him as he did others earlier in the film. But this time, there’s a harmless “plink” because Stark’s heart is not quite so accessible. (Loved Loki’s confused, almost apologetic, response, “This usually works…”) The fact that the arc reactor protected Stark here further proved his earlier claim to Bruce Banner, about his condition being a gift that saved him.
* The theatre erupted in cheers at both shows I attended when the Hulk smacks Loki down. When the Hulk starts to attack, Loki tries to stop him with words and attitude, “I am a GOD–” but he doesn’t even get to finish his arrogant little speech because the Hulk recognizes that his power doesn’t match his pomp. The Hulk slams him around like a rag doll, leaving him stunned and clearly in pain. It’s so fitting that the one Loki looked down on as a mindless monster, the one Loki apparently thought he could use against the others is the only one to have such an impact on him. And as if that’s not enough indignity for the mighty Loki, as the Hulk walks away, he taunts, “Puny god.”
* Am I crazy, or was that Agent Coulson walking through the last(?) shot of the SHIELD Flying Fortress Command Center?
* If I may be completely shallow, wowza, there is an abundance of yummy eye candy in this movie; my delighted inner fangirl could hardly decide what to feast upon. Captain America’s fabulous shoulders? Tony Stark’s gorgeous face? Thor’s general, overall fine-ness? Too many choices! Although I do confess that I repeatedly stared, transfixed, at that bad boy, Loki…
* Finally, although roles in action movies, especially superhero movies, are (grossly, shamefully) overlooked by The Academy because they’re not Important (or whatever!) enough, I think everyone in The Avengers did a stellar job, playing their roles just right. They not only brought the characters to life but made them real and relatable.
P.S. Are my quotes/scenes incorrect? Please let me know!
[Edited (strikethroughs) 6/7/12… after my 3rd viewing of the movie.]
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