Avengers Assemble!

[BMichaelKrol]

I get that and the issues with AOU could've been easily fixed. But, they just coasted on the brand rather than telling a complete story.

I didn't think it was an incomplete story at all. What made it incomplete?

[BMichaelKrol]

I think my current problem is that I had so much fun with the weirdness and space stuff of Guardians, that it's hard to be excited about boring Earth stuff now.

I did the marathon thing, and I have to say, all the phase 2 stuff was head and shoulders above anything in phase 1. That and the best movies in phase 2 (AOU, Guardians, Iron Man 3) were all written and directed by filmmakers with distinctive voices. Guardians was cool and awesome, I think, because James Gunn made it. I don't think it would've been as cool if the Russo boys had done it. In fact, Cap 2 is just sort of generic, especially compared to the other, auteur (for lack of a better word) films in phase 2.

[Martin]

Caps 2 is a 70's Conspiracy-type espionage movie with superheroes in it. It's the best phase 2 movie. The fuck are you talking about?

[BMichaelKrol]

Caps 2 is a 70's Conspiracy-type espionage movie with superheroes in it. It's the best phase 2 movie. The fuck are you talking about?

Generic film making. It's a great idea, but there's nothing distinctive about it, compared to Iron Man 3, Guardians, or the Avengers.

[Anderson]

I didn't think it was an incomplete story at all. What made it incomplete?

I'll throw up spoilers, since I don't want to deal with Whiners.

  Spoiler: I don't hate AOU, but I'm not turning a blind eye to its problems. 

Opening this shit like Revenge of the Sith. Hey, you wanted to see them take out the Hydra Secret Bases? Tough shit, because there's only one left and the big supreme mastermind WANTS TO BE CAUGHT!

Hey, it's those kids from the end of Cap 2 and they're gone.

PARTY TIME! SEE HOW THE MARVELITES ARE RELATABLE?!?!?! I want to lift Thor's hammer!

Bits and pieces about Ultron weaved and then JARVIS IS GONE until they need him again.

BIG BAD MASTERMIND IS DEAD! OH WAIT, VIBRANIUM! OH WAIT, WE'RE SHIELD NOW! OH WAIT, WE NEED TO USE THE HULK CONTAINMENT! OH WAIT, KLAW!

OH WAIT, BAD DREAMS MAKE THOR SAD!

OH WAIT, HAWKEYE HAS A FAMILY!

OH WAIT, BLACK WIDOW HAS ISSUES LIKE HULK!

OH WAIT! OH WAIT! OH WAIT! OH WAIT! AND NO FUCKING RESOLUTION. Hell, they didn't even stop to discuss how the Maximoff Twins were orphaned because Stark sold shitty weapons. No accountability for Stark at any point.

FUCK, HE JUST DRIVES OFF AT THE END OF THE MOVIE JUST LIKE HE DID AT THE END OF THE FIRST!

BUT, HE CREATED A GODDAMN MURDERBOT THAT NEARLY KILLED THE WORLD! Who knows how many first responders and Sokovian people were killed?

He paid for a new Avengers Academy Facility thing and shit's back to normal!

At its best, it's a loving romp with characters that people have grown attached to since the movies' launch.

At its worst, it's a trailer for everything else Marvel will be doing.

[BMichaelKrol]

The only thing I'll grant you is that Stark gets away scot-free after creating Ultron. But how were they supposed to deal with that in a 2.25 movie.

The rest were storybeats that make complete sense to me.

[Abraham Smashington]

much obliged on the spoilers stuff

[Anderson]

The only thing I'll grant you is that Stark gets away scot-free after creating Ultron. But how were they supposed to deal with that in a 2.25 movie.

The rest were storybeats that make complete sense to me.

They were storybeats, but unfulfilled ones. The question was never IF THEY MAKE SENSE, but if they mattered.

We're never given any reason to declare that they mattered. It will be a film ripe for repeat viewings, as my second watch unearthed big new issues that I had with the movie.

[Anderson]

much obliged on the spoilers stuff

No problem. I blew my Fury Road screening this week and I had a dick spoil the balls out of it for me.

[BMichaelKrol]

They were storybeats, but unfulfilled ones. The question was never IF THEY MAKE SENSE, but if they mattered.

We're never given any reason to declare that they mattered. It will be a film ripe for repeat viewings, as my second watch unearthed big new issues that I had with the movie.

But all of those beats mattered in the movie. Almost everything you mentioned in your list were set-ups for things that mattered later in the movie.

[Martin]

Hey, if you think the Russo's did a generic job with Cap 2, that's you, but while Guardians and Iron Man 3 were superior, style-wise, as Black and Gunn are amazing filmmakers that I love, but Caps 2 has the better script and momentum.

And The Avengers is good, with amazing moments, but overall nowhere near these 3 movies.

[Anderson]

But all of those beats mattered in the movie. Almost everything you mentioned in your list were set-ups for things that mattered later in the movie.

They didn't matter. That was the fucking issue. Saying they mattered is like saying all of Act 3 mattered in Iron Man 2.

Crossing off items on a list isn't the same thing as emotional and narrative resonance.

[Martin]

By the way, Iron man 2 fucking sucked. Like balls. So when I see critics placing Avengers 2 behind it makes me weary of them, not the movie. I guess I'll judge Sunday.

[Matt]

wow...some critics are saying that this is worse than IM2? That's harsh.

[Anderson]

wow...some critics are saying that this is worse than IM2? That's harsh.

Similar issues, but AOU swerves most of the bigger issues. IM2 is far worse, but the flaws are similar.