Check it Out! - "The Avengers"

I told you all I’d have a post up about “The Avengers” in less than a week.  ;)  I enjoyed this movie even more than I enjoyed “Thor”.  Having watched "Thor" first did help make things clearer about several of the characters, and what I read on Wikipedia about the other main characters (like Ironman and Captain America) gave me enough background to basically understand what was going on.  The only problem I can find with “The Avengers” is deciding which character I like the most.  Well, actually, I've had two problems in regards to the movie.  The other was finding the DVD in the library.  They had it under “M” for “MARVEL’S The Avengers” instead of under "A" or "T".  Really?  

Anyway, back to the one problem that actually has to do with the film, picking one character to be a favorite (and I'm meaning opposite-gender favorite).  Guys have it a bit easier, since they only have the Black Widow and Agent Hill to choose from, but us girls…I’m personally trying to decide between Thor, Cap, and Hawkeye.  While I thought Tony Stark was funny, if I was around him for much longer than the amount of time he was on screen (aka watching a movie where he was the only main character), he’d probably start to get on my nerves.  And while I thought Dr. Banner was a really nice guy when he was himself, he also seemed like one of those guys that you’d just “friend-zone”.  

If I was objectively choosing which of those first three guys I’d want my future husband to be like character-wise, I’d go with Cap, since he has such a strong moral compass, high sense of honor and loyalty, and is a bit old fashioned, which can be an advantage in some ways.  But then, on the other hand, Thor is so…so…dreamy.  He’s romantic, has that almost-extinct air of chivalry and heraldic charm about him, and has an even more lofty code of honor than Cap does.  And he’s a prince of a pretty cool-looking world, too, just sayin’.  And then Hawkeye is just so darn smooth with ice in his veins.  He might not have what could be called a "moral compass", but he does have a sense of right and wrong and, while he can be a loyal, dependable agent, he will also go against an order if he thinks that it is wrong (according to Black Widow's testimony).  He can be a good follower and a good leader, whichever the situation calls for.  And he’s mixed modern technology with a tried and true weapon of old, which is the epitome of coolness in a warrior.  A top-notch archer who uses rappelling lines and mini bombs and knows self-defense and how to fly a jet?  How much cooler can you get than THAT???  Well, there is an impenetrable shield that doubles as a giant Frisbee and a magic hammer that came from the heart of a dying star...

Sorry, where was I?  Oh, yeah, all the different characters of “The Avengers”.  I think the fact that the movie pulled all of them together and made it all work is a big reason why the movie was so successful, and why I enjoyed it so much.  So, like with my "Thor" review, here are my *mostly* objective impressions of the main characters, in the order that they appear in the movie.

Director Nick Fury:  He’s a guy you’d want to have take you under his wing.  He knows his stuff, and he knows what he needs and how to get it.  He also won’t let the “powers that be” get in his way.  The fact that the Avengers Initiative was his "baby" makes you like him more, too. 

Agent Phil Coulson:  In “Thor” he seemed like a jerk at certain points, but in this movie he’s all cool.  The way he was being a fan all over Cap and asking him to autograph his trading cards was so fun!  He’d be another one that you’d want to learn a lot from.

Clint Barton/Hawkeye:  As I said earlier, he is smooth.  And when he is sane he’s definitely a guy you’d want guarding your back.  I really hope they flesh out his character in the next “Avengers” movie.  (I also think it’s cool that he has a tiny uncredited part in “Thor”.  See below).

Loki:  Well, at least he’s figured out which of his two personalities he’s going to go with.  Unfortunately, he picked the nasty one.  He’s got some problems!  (I do have to admit, I had wondered why he didn’t slink off while Thor and Ironman were fighting in the woods, but after you find out what his plan was it made sense, it was because he WANTED to get inside the command ship.  That should have given them a big clue right there).

Natasha Romanov/Black Widow:  That is one chick you don’t want to mess with!  Her beating up those three guys at the beginning of the movie while she’s tied to a chair and has Coulson on hold is about the best action sequence in the whole movie (and Coulson's just waiting on the other end of the line without any concern at all).  But you also get to see deeper inside of her, that she has darkness in her past that she is trying to overcome, and that makes her a bit vulnerable.  She might be a seasoned spy, but she is still has a heart, too.

Dr. Banner/Hulk:  He really IS a guy with a split personality.  When he’s his normal self, he’s a really nice guy who you’d trust with baby-sitting your kids (and your kids would probably adore him).  But that temper…sheesh.  I do have to say though that I really like it that he was the one that finally got Loki to "sit down and shut up".  :)

Steve Rogers/Captain America:  The fact that he is a guy out of time makes him a very intriguing character.  He knows his stuff and is a great leader, but because he's been out of touch with the world for 70-some years, his knowledge and leadership tactics are seen as outdated, which isn't necessarily true.  I also think he has some of the funniest parts in the whole movie.  Probably my favorite was when he told Fury that he doubted that anything could surprise him anymore, and Fury said, "Bet ya ten bucks."  Then right after they enter the main control room of the command ship for the first time and it's just taken off from the water, Cap walks up next to Fury, pulls out his wallet, and hands him $10 without saying a word, all while still looking around the room with a bit of an awe-struck expression.  (LOVE it!  And don't worry, Cap, I didn't get all of Tony Stark's references, either).

Tony Stark/Ironman:  Like I said earlier, he’s funny, but too much of him could be annoying.  He is definitely a quip master and a smart-alec.  (I wonder if the term “snarky” should have really been “starky”?  It’d have fit).  After the Avengers all decide to work together he becomes a lot easier to get along with, and if you pay careful attention you can catch a couple of quick references which show how he has changed from being self-centered to wanting the best for the team.  I also like the fact that Pepper (his girlfriend/secretary) totally owns him.  :)

Thor:  Thor is still his wonderful self.  He struggles some with his temper still, but then since his enemy is his little brother that is a bit understandable.  When his fighting with Loki during the final battle you can tell a difference in Thor's attitude towards him before and after Loki stabs him.  Before, he was keeping his cool and treating him as a regular adversary.  After, he was like, "Don't you DARE do that to me again, you little punk!  I'm bigger, tougher, stronger, and meaner than you will EVER be."  Thor is also the only Avenger who doesn't really let his pride get hurt and in the way during the time that the team was about to implode.  He just mocked the others for being so "petty" ("and tiny"), and then rescued Black Widow from the Hulk.  And Thor has unarguably the coolest first entrance in the whole movie.    

Hmm, I guess Thor is still my #1 favorite, but Cap and Hawkeye are pretty close seconds.  ;)  Anyway, watching them all work out their various differences and basically being forced to band together through a lack of any other options was really fun.  I hope the second movie, which is slated to come out next year, is just as well done.  I know it can't have the same flavor, because all the guys are friends and allies now, but that fact can open up a bunch more opportunities for fun.