Really That Good: THE AVENGERS
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ย. 2024
- Written & Produced by Bob Chipman
Special Thanks this episode to Megan Kearns
REALLY THAT GOOD is a new kind of film-criticism series, built around the radical premise that just because "everyone knows" a movie is a classic doesn't mean it stops being worth a deeper look.
That THE AVENGERS changed the landscape of action cinema in general and superhero movies in particular isn't in dispute, and in the wake of huge returns for its sequel AGE OF ULTRON and the ongoing success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it's stature as a modern pop-culture classic is well-assured. But is that all there is to it?
With curmudgeonly critics already weighing in about "superhero fatigue" and the mixed success of other studios attempting the "cinematic universe" gambit, many are beginning to ask if the potency of Joss Whedon's blockbuster team-up has been overstated - or even overrated? Have fanboys, fangirls, comic-book devotees and continuity-mongers gone too far in proclaiming its greatness, or is THE AVENGERS... Really That Good?
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"...and two more that wandered out of a Jason Bourne movie." - And one that wandered back in.
I understood that reference
;)
Reading this after the Black Widow movie trailer hit . . . seems like she went wandering back.
For me, the point of the movie where I "got it", the point where that meta-narrative you were talking about hit home? The helicarrier taking flight. The team's starting to combine, and then the big reveal - this aircraft carrier CAN FLY. The movie is now firmly in the realm of the fantastical. Now, they could have just gone "okay, that's far enough - we've filled our suspension-of-disbelief quota". But then what do they do? They activate stealth mode. And it's visible stealth, not radar stealth. There is no practical, logical reason why you would put stealth panels on the underside of what's effectively an atmosphere-bound spaceship, not when it's probably generating heat and radar signatures larger than a city, and it can fly high enough that you wouldn't see it from the ground anyway. If the movie wanted to make any pretense of being realistic, of wanting to be taken seriously, of being mature... they wouldn't have put that detail in.
But they did. Because the only thing cooler than a flying aircraft carrier is a flying aircraft carrier with a cloaking device. For me, this was the point where the movie said "you are watching a comic book in movie form. It's ludicrous, it's fantastical and we're not even pretending to apologize for that. Sit back and enjoy the ride."
Wandering Bishop I grokked it right around there, too. Also, before that Cap says to Fury he's not sure if anything could surprise him anymore. Fury bets him 10 bucks (average price of a ticket to the movie) he's wrong. Helicarrier takes off. Cap hands Fury a 10. That moment was worth Cap's money, and mine.
I'm not certain of my memory anymore of the first time I saw the film of whether or not my reaction mirrors yours, but I just have to say - that moment IS as awesome as you describe. And I'm PRETTY sure it was about then that if I didn't believe before that this was going to work, I STARTED letting myself believe it.
And I *fully* bought in by the time of the AVENGERS ASSEMBLE moment at the beginning of the end battle. By that point, the "Assemble" scene for me was less of a "Oh my god this is actually working" moment and more of a fist-pumping *HELL YEAH!!!* And it STARTED with that carrier taking off and going stealth and the 10 buck bet. :D
And what a ride! :D
*Cap gives Nick Fury a $20*
Y'all are talking about Cap cashing in his bet, but my favorite character moment from that scene is where Banner snarks that it's a bad idea to put him in a submarine, and then when the helicarrier starts flying he's like "Ohhhh no. This is _much_ worse."
SPOILERS FOR AGE OF ULTRON!
What I really like about Age of Ultron was that it fixed some of the problems with Avengers 1 that you mentioned. Like answering the 'Why do we need Hawkeye?' question by making him the *emotional* centre of the film, that was genius! And giving Hulk a bit more emotional depth showing his guilt at Hulking out and smashing up a city. One issue I had with Avengers 1 was that it was very gung-ho American; in particular they just go to Germany and conduct superpowered military operations there without any line from Nick Fury or anybody saying they had the chancellor's permission. (I know SHIELD is meant to be international but that wasn't made clear enough to stop it being jarring, personally.) But in AoU, it shows at the start that other nations of the world and the Avengers themselves are worried about that too when the Sokovians protest their presence in their country.
Philosophy Tube Well shield didn't exist by the second one really. But your point on hawk eye. I think he was the "centre" because he had no lines outside of the actual avengers movie and needed some more building and they were building him up so when you think he's going to die it has some weight to it.
Philosophy Tube (SPOILERS)
I did have a bit of a problem with Hawkeye's wife and kids being this idealized nuclear family and her literally being barefoot and pregnant through most of the movie. We don't really get to see who she is and what she cares about other than being some idealized emotional counterpoint to Hawkeye to show why he's so emotionally well-balanced compared to the others. It felt really jarring.
That and all of the colonial stereotyping in Africa just made me sad :(
Have you seen Kyle Kallgren's "Between the Lines" episode on the Avengers? It's also quite good.
Mathias Kjeldsen Fair, fair points. Can you say a bit more about the colonial stereotyping, I missed that but it's something I want to be more sensitive to?
Philosophy Tube Well, there's the fact that the one shot of Africa we get apparently has lots of junkyards filled with arms dealers. And apparently the Seoul authorities just...didn't respond to a mass-scale hostage situation? It all presents places like Seoul and the Unnamed African Nation (TM) as placed where violence just...happens, and is a natural state of being, which isn't true, especially of South Korea.
Second, the way the Wakandans dealt with the arms dealer who smuggled vibranium out of their country is very much based in a colonial mindset of strange, violent punishments the 'natives' exacted on perceived others.
“Oh hey, we forgot to defeat the bad guy! *LET’S DEFEAT HIM AWESOME!!*”
There is a shortage of perfect lines in this world; it would be a pity to forget this one.
You know what's amazing about The Avengers? The fact that it EXISTS, that it SOLD, and, most importantly, that it was GOOD as a piece of cinema makes me realise that things previously seen as incompatible with live-action film may get a second chance after all.
My current dream is Dragon Ball.
Well they fucked Dragon Ball even worse before hand. Is that match of a surprise that they could fuck up something more complicated like Death Note?
Dragon ball is so poorly written that it would turn out badly in the big screen
LN2233 ...really? Because all that is needed is the concept. The movie doesn't have to be a page-for-page interpretation smh
They didn't just fuck it up either. I mean... it's bad. Bad. Super bad.
It's almost like Hollywood "logic" is largely a series of baseless but self-reinforcing decrees or something. Unfortunately, because of its self-fulfilling nature, it's hard to get something like this done until *after* it's already been done and every studio tries to copy it.
Which is a shame, because there are more than a few anime series I'd like to see adapted without half-assing it, but we need lightning to strike first.
11:20 "The Avengers isn't primarily an action movie. It's a character movie."
This line is what makes this video work for me. Well done on another brilliant in-depth analysis of an already classic movie of the modern era.
I know what you mean.
I'm no film student, but..that's actually very accurate. It's probably the biggest reason why the movie's so memorable.
wdcain1 "It's a character movie." That is actually one of the things in an otherwise enjoyable video that made me roll my eyes a bit. I am a media student (though not completely limited to films) and I think in order to call something a character movie, the characters need at least some sort of character development or a "bigger stake" which as discussed in the video as well this movie doesn't really have (and that goes for most marvel movies).
That as well as too much plot conveniences, lazy writing (Winter Soldier, GotG) and underwhelming villains (IM2/3, Cap, Thor 2 and GotG - again) for me is the main reason that I have never really been able to enjoy these movies as much as most people seem to have. I have watched all the movies in this universe, the TV-series and the short films and although it is a fun ride, I just feel like as a whole it is very shallow.
Now mind you I am not here to hate on the movies just for the sake of hating on them, I have invested in these movies as well and I follow every step of development, but I just feel that these movies could-- should be better than they are right now.
*****
You don't consider the fate of the world a big enough stake?
wdcain1 The world is hardly at risk. In the Avengers for example no humans (or anything that is not alien for that matter) get seriously hurt and there are no casualties.
The villain (Loki) also brings the key to stopping this attack with him (the staff). With the simplicity of the movie and how obvious it is that the heroes will win it is hard to even feel any suspense.
Also I know it was a bit of a wall of text, but why ignore all the other things I said? :/
You don't think the world is in danger even though its under attack by alien invaders and giant space dragons?
I would say that The Avengers was a firm statement, a planting of the flag for how the MCU would exist from that point forward. Before the Avengers, the MCU had been somewhat testing the waters with this, but this film really cemented that statement as its foundation. And that statement was: "Yeah, we're doing that."
"Soap Opera for boys", where the half-brother of a Norse God comes down to Earth to wreak havoc because daddy issues? Yeah, we're doing that.
A flying, cloaked aircraft carrier? Yeah, we're doing that.
That thing where Iron Man fires his repulsers into Cap's shield to take out a bunch of guys? Yeah, we're doing that.
That thing where the Hulk gets to break all the things? Yeah, we're doing that.
Oh and Thanos? Yeah, *we're doing that too.*
Marvel and the MCU completely embraced that attitude going forward. Wacky space adventures led by a man-child abducted from Earth? Straight-up magic and other dimensions? Hidden African nations brimming with super-technology?
Yeah, we're doing that.
Thor: And he's my brother
Black Widow: He killed 80 people in two days.
Thor: ...He's adopted.
Uhhhmmmm.....he’s adopted 😬😬
You know him?
He's my brother
Adopted
Thor is a viking god. We've seen him go to war against frost giants and rock giants and thanos and his troopers. There has to have been a time when killing 80 people in three days was "just another Tuesday" to Thor.
36:43 Gotta love how he stops smashing Loki a moment as if thinking "yeah, needs a couple more."
And "Puny God" was Hulk thinking "Well guess I'll go fight Thor again"
had to watch this again after Justice League happened
Nathan Zed - How bad was JL?
Hiroshima
And that ain't saying much, is it?
@@FiryaFYI more like the Holocaust of DC films
Brady Postma Mediocre sums it up best in my opinion. Team chemistry comes and goes seemingly at random, the reshoots are painfully obvious and Stepenwolfe is one of the worst villains this decade. But Gal Gadot is wonderful as she was in her solo movie, albeit underused, Afleck is solid as Batman though he looks like he'd run as far as possible from the DCEU at the drop of a hat, I really liked Jason Momoa and even slightly warmed up to Caville's Superman after two movies of hating his take on the character. I'd say it's worth a watch on Netflix over a lazy weekend if nothing else.
Oh my god, I've seen this movie a dozen times and only just now caught when Tony asked Banner if his secret was smoking pot. That's hilarious.
Arkham Creed it's not just a kids movie!
Just caught that Thor's activation code for the Quinjet in Ragnarok was a call back here, a film from 5 years prior. God I love the MCU
Every kid who saw the weed episode on Family Guy.
Remember when everyone laughed at Marvel making movies out of B-list even C-list comic book characters?
Mitchell Nakagawa Marvel haters are still doing that, that’s why they’re becoming so vocal...
did people really laugh?
@@SuCKeRPunCH187 Yup
Yup. I remember. Hell, I was one of them after a fashion.
There's no way they could make Thor work.
There's no way they could do Captain America right.
A talking tree and trigger happy raccoon?
Freaking ANT-MAN? Are you serious?
Not that I was hater but every time a new announcement came I held my breath a little, worried that "this time" they would fall flat.
But they didn't. Every time, every single time, they found a way to make it work, to have some hook that drew you in or made you smile or got you to care about what was going on.
Not to say they've all been out of the park home runs. Being fair and taking into account personal tastes and preferences some MCU films ARE better than others. But even that was something of benchmark. Being "just good" was impressive when stacked up to what has come before and even some of which came along in competition. I mean, whoever dreamed we'd have an actually good Doctor Strange film? Or Black Panther film? Or Captain Marvel film? In another day or time those would ended up being critical or commercial sinkholes.
But Marvel made them work and is STILL doing it. You don't know or care or Shang Chi or the Eternals are? You will. You've been begging for a Black Widow film? She's on her way. Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man? They're getting follow ups too. Oh, and did we mention the X-Men and FF are waiting in the wings? Yeeeeeah.
The naysayers are and will always sneer and poo poo it, but after 11 years and 22+ films MCU's still going and showing us all how its done. That's why I and others are willing to cut them some slack and give them chance when it seems like they are going out on a limb.
It's nothing they haven't done already and pulled off. No reason to think they can't do it again.
@@steampunker7
Well said!
I would argue that the "Why should I listen to you?" scene DID have a purpose.
It re-established the fact that the Captain America is a military field commander (well? officer - Captain), who is comfortable on the battlefield, giving orders, and knows strategy & how to deploy resources to accomplish goals while minimizing casualties.
Anyone else come here after his Dawn of Justice review just to hear him say nice things about a superhero movie?
+MayFlower10196 After that movie, seeing and hearing how good this movie and the rest of MCU make me happy.
Godammit DC. I WANT to like you, but it's so damn difficult.
+MayFlower10196 Yup, exactly how I wound up here.
+MayFlower10196
I came here after WATCHING Dawn of Justice to remind myself, that superheroes movies still can be good.
+MayFlower10196 Dude I just came from there. I never thought of deeply analyzing a film like this, and never really put much thought into why this film had such a big impact on me and millions of others. Fantastic review, Bob!
Goblinoid well you gotta see Logan... no joke
As I said so many times before The Avengers came out: All I ever wanted was a comic book movie. There's a certain maturity in admitting one's own immaturity, I'm a 30 year old guy who still loves comics, cartoons, etc. And I think that there shouldn't be any shame in that because why not love fun stuff? I feel like Hollywood tried desperately to hide that immaturity when it came to comic book movies. And following the massive toy commercial that was Batman & Robin, I can see why. The beauty of the MCU, though, is that they found this perfect tone that is basically exactly what people like me crave: It's just mature enough to not be embarrassing, then it heaps on a huge helping of childish, unrestrained fun. And it does this so well that even people who have buried their inner child and convinced themselves that liking this sort of thing is wrong get to enjoy it without even realizing why.
Of course, the next question is: Is Age of Ultron good? After all, if the big payoff of this film was seeing the whole house of cards come together, how can they do it twice? Well, I'd argue that Age of Ultron gives us pretty much exactly what we wanted after Avengers: More Avengers. It's just a continuation, as second helping of the stuff we liked from the first one. It doesn't really raise the stakes, it's another big villain with another army of mooks out to destroy the world. Some may accuse it of being uncreative, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I feel like the obsession with making things bigger and better with every sequel is as ridiculous as it is unsustainable. Age of Ultron feels like the next episode of a series, another day another adventure, and that's cool with me.
+AkuTenshiiZero You capture my thought in there: "is mature enough to not be embarassing". I am not a fan of the MCU, but they have the job done. I watch Captain America and Thor, and i want to hate those guys so much. I want to listen some cheesy and cliche words just to be right. But no, i watched The Avengers, because of my friends who wanted to go. It was like the perfect movie of its genre, the best expression of what they where constructing. I would like the job done in the DCEU, because i like the promise: "a more realistic, mature, darker side of superhero movies". I guess i found it in TDK, Marvel netflix series and i will maybe find it in the next generation of MCU movies (starting from civil war). Still hoping for the future of DCEU though.
+AkuTenshiiZero About AoU, i recently saw it again and liked it more than in the theaters. To me is a very good movie, that it is somehow weird. But to me, the flaws are not the ones usually pointed (too much stuff for future movies).To me AoU is like a goodbye. It start the deconstruction of heroes, it begins to become a serious thing. It has great character development, some nice storytelling. And it shows that the MCU is changing and needs a change. I think Marvel/disney was realizing that, at the same time they where making the movie. To me it was more like a transition movie. But, to me, is a movie i can replay and enjoy; Avengers 1 was a one time thing; a really great thing, but a one time thing.
And with this change goes the scapegoat "JossWheddon". Replaced by the new messiah "RussoBrothers" who tells more minimalistic stories, centered in one or two characters and ideals. They will start this deconstruction of heroes, i think. Didn't watch Civil War, but i guess all of this is what is happening. A new way of telling MCU stories. Which is refreshing and keeps the hype.
Age of Ultron's taken a lot of flak for a lot of reasons, but it's pretty solid. I've seen worse movies in my time. Besides, it laid the groundwork for Civil War, which is one of the best MCU entries to date, if not THE best.
Age of Ultron is my favorite super hero movie
It is a comic book on screen, flaws and all
I recently realized that I wanted a shared universe way way before we ever got it. Remember how the Daredevil movie had Ben Urich, but in that movie he wrote for the New York Post? I was yelling at the movie, begging to just make Ben write for the Daily Bugle. You didn’t have to show J. Jonah Jameson. No Spidey cameo but just knowing the newspaper was the same, that little bit of connective tissue would show that he was out there. And sadly we didn’t get that.
Watching this again after Endgame, I can confirm: this breakdown aged like a fine wine.
someone actually did the math and loki is between 1048-1064 years old (in 2011 when thor came out) in a lifespan of about 5000 years, which literally makes him the asgardian equivalent of 17 years old (and also making thor between 18-21) which suddenly makes their immaturity make so much more sense.
Well damn
People asked if Guardians of the Galaxy was this generation's Star Wars. No no, The Avengers was this generation's Star Wars.
Obscene Vegetable Matter trueeeeeeee
I love GoTG, but i agree with you. This was the game changer.
Obscene Vegetable Matter more like the mcu is The generation’s Star Wars
Honestly LOTR was this generation's star wars. Avengers is this generation's Independence Day
James R nah
"Nobody honestly thinks the bad guy is gonna win in a superhero movie."
-2015, literally the last year when that sentiment can be expressed
Also "don't expect hydra or the red skull to show up"
22:30 "Thanos' big Endgame." Bob is a psychic!
"Hulk show not tell" xD
+Willie Gross Film Critic Hulk showed up for a sec.
22:30 "Thanos' big endgame"
Holy frick.
You forgot to mention the triumphant Avengers theme music.
The Avengers theme was used excellently in the Infinity War trailer... I had goosebumps.
Bob often says he's not musical or qualified to make musical analysis.
Oh yeah, it absolutely brings a lot to the movies
Yeah. Alan Silvestri is always a win.
Its a shame they never seem to read these comments ain't it.
I love a good shredding of a bad movie, but there is something simply refreshing about taking pure joy in a movie, warts and all.
The Avengers was the only modern super hero movie I've heard my dad admit to enjoying, and it's entirely down to the character dynamics. All that camaraderie and banter goes a long way even for people who typically don't like this type of big action extravaganza.
If I'm being honest, I mostly loved this movie because I love Joss Whedon. I think it's interesting how he's been this huge influence on genre television, especially aimed at teen audiences, since the late 90s. And now he's influential on higher level. It's also cool how he started out as being someone who loved comics in his youth and you can see the influences of that in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so it's almost like he was making comic book TV shows when he had a smaller staff and much smaller budget. That's the reason I think The Avengers almost doesn't feel like a blockbuster movie. It feels intimate and close to the ground where it really matters because Whedon grew up with this characters being very close to his heart and then in his adulthood very close to his work.
The movie isn't cold, detached, or the slightest bit interested in being "cool." It's a product a pure, unironic love more than anything else.
"Hulk show, not tell" is just a golden line. So true.
U left out one major reason this movie worked so well. Perfect casting
Sarah Hailey Finn can never ever get enough credit for how incredible her casting has been.
This is 100% true. Had RDJ not completely nailed Tony Stark as well as he did, it's very possible the entire franchise would never have even gotten off the ground.
The Avengers is a really long episode of Power Rangers? I'm okay with that.
It's amazing how a movie with a more or less set outcome (The good guys win with almost no losses.) literally had me on the edge of my seat watching it in theaters. It has problems but to a certain degree it's pretty much a perfect movie.
"The Avengers is Really That Good"
My 60+ year old sister who knows nothing about current comics, only having read Superman and Wonder Woman comics from the 50s, as a kid, knowing nothing about any of the Marvel characters, much less the Avengers saw the movie and loved it. So not a fanboy and hadn't even seen any of the other connected movies. So yeah it definitely stands on it's own.
When the first Iron Man movie came out, I wasn't that big of a comic book guy. US comics weren't a big thing in Europe, at least before Marvel Studios happened. My only encounters with superhero media was with movies like Raimy's Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, and Nolan's Batman. But after watching Iron Man and seeing the end-credits scene I immediately started researching "The Avengers" and learned that some of the movies I watched were technically happening in the same world.
I've always wondered why none of these superhero movies featured any other superheroes. And nowadays that kind of thinking is non-existent.
The Avengers set a new bar for cinematic universes which as of yet has not been rivaled by any other studio.
Great review! I've been trying to tell people for years- It's THE CHARACTERS!!! That each one of them gets their arc in this, and it's the exact opposite of the fantastic four movies (so far).
I can't believe I watched this for 40 minutes, but I really like it when someone is proving me right! :-D
The major reason the Avengers works is because, metaphorically speaking, the oven is preheated and the pizza is cooked; all that's left is to eat it. The characters are already established and we know everything about the universe they're in. They got through the origin fat, and can get straight to the juicy plot that made nerds cream themselves.
Great video. One thing that I've slowly become more and more annoyed by over time is the insistence by certain fanboys that Hawkeye and Black Widow don't belong on the team because they're mere mortals or some such nonsense.
By that flawed "logic" Batman and Green Arrow have no place on the Justice League.
Seriously, those two "humans" can do stuff the god, ogre, billionaire and even the soldier simply can't. The powerhouse characters can't sneak into a hostage situation quietly and disable a few dozen armed guards without making a sound. The Hulk, Captain and Thor can't deliver a frag grenade with pinpoint accuracy from a mile away. And none of them can interrogate useful information out of a bad guy to save their lives.
Also Hawkeye and Widow are the only ones who know how to fly a Quinjet. Being able to throw the hardest punch doesn't automatically equal victory.
Thank you! I wish I had this argument years ago.
This series kind of makes me want to see "Really that bad: Man of Steel".
darkdowngrade this series is all about optimism. a "really that bad" would be contradictory to what he is trying to do
darkdowngrade One of his Big Pictures actually covered how he became more disappointed with the movie the more he thought about it.
darkdowngrade Dan Olson/Folding Ideas basically has covered that already.
***** Pretty much the opposite of how I felt about both Avengers movies.
chaosof99
So I just looked him up on youtube but couldn't find anything MoS related.
Had to come back after Avengers: Endgame.
It still holds up.
You might even consider doing a quick follow up now that phase 3 has come to an end.
Bob that was amazing, loving this series, but I really miss The Big Picture.
Pls do a weird current and non current geek culture event show, your movie critiques are really that good, but I always found your offbeat random geek culture stuff to be far more intresting.
Jacques Uren th-cam.com/video/GkzszBi8W2M/w-d-xo.html
+Jacques Uren +moviebob I really hope we get Schlocktober this year.
+Randy Williams to be perfectly frank; only if he wants sued. jim sterling had to fight to keep his show's name and he had a lot more power to do so than bob ever did. the escapist holds all the rights to escape to the movies and everything that went with it
Now he relaunched in Bob We Trust which has Comics Are Weird and Schloctober
Jacques Uren dHcesw
Every time he mentions the Avengers assembling, I remember the blue balls I got at the end of Avengers 2 with Cap calling out, "Avengers, -" credits.
"Loki is of Asgard and he is by brother"
"He killed 80 people in 3 days"
"...Can't pick your family."
This is the perfect rebuttal to Martin Scorsese's remarks before even uttered them.
That last five minutes of the video makes me remember how amazing it was to see this opening night with a theater full of people all having a fantastic time. "Oh hey, we forgot to defeat the bad guy. Let's defeat him AWESOME!!!" made me grin and nearly fall out of my seat laughing. You get to the heart of why this movie is SO MUCH FUCKING FUN!!!
I put The Avengers on the same level as films like A Clockwork Orange, Evil Dead 2, Disney's Aladdin and The Nightmare before Christmas on a list of film that upon seeing from the first time changed my life. A Clockwork Orange made me want to be a film maker, Evil Dead 2 made me see that horror and comedy go together like peanut butter and chocolate, and The Avnegers showed me when done right how great and enriching a shared connected universe can be. All of which affected my personal creativity and writing style. I love this movie, even if it's not my all time favorite superhero or Marvel movie and I think the moment that cemented it was that rotating shot of the Avengers together, because to me the roar of the Chatari sounds like a cacophony of applause and cheering, and I'm not the only one who see it that way.
Oh man, I forgot how stupid Cap's costume looked in this one.
Rawbeard at least it's comic-accurate
actually @19:28 aka the "why the hell should I take orders from you" part is to show that not only is Captain America still a leader at heart and a quick on his feet thinker giving out orders to help best manage the mayhem, but he's also still a new yorker, who knows the streets and layout of his home city even if the buildings, people and times have changed.
This whole video is a big exploration of all the reasons why the DC movies don't stand a chance.
I just hope in endgame cap finally gets to say "avengers assemble" it is about time we get to hear that out of him
Happy? :)
I sure was when it happened.
What annoys me most about the discourse around this movie is how little attention people give to black widow. She is the person who does most of the assembly of the team. She TRICKS the god of mischief. She puts the team back into motion moving them in the right direction. She figures out how to close the portal and has a great line and insane plan to get there...Then rather then just shut it down, ASKS the team first if it's the right call.
She's the Core of this film and deeply underrated. I'm super happy we got to see her in these movies, but she was deeply unappreciated.
"None of these components should work together, but some how do." is exactly why Final Fantasy is so popular. Magic, Technology, Magic Technology, Gods, Kings, Mortal, Elves, Bipedial Cat People, and more all mashed together in a way that people can't help but always come back for more. (Well until lately.)
Watching this after seeing endgame
Bless this movie
Am AMAZING review. So well done. A triumph itself in the vein of the Avengers movie. I consider this to be one of the greatest films ever made. In the same category as Star Wars and Back To The Future. I'm not sure where I would rank it. But it would definitely be in the top- elite category. I dont think ANY other director ( few exceptions) could have even accomplished a fraction of what Joss did with this.
When I realized how long this video was, and how fast you talk, I had doubts I would make it to the end, lol..... but then.....
...damn I’m glad I did. When it all came full circle with that group-shot of them in the city (as you built up, of course), I realized just how right you are. Our anticipation to see these heroes come together successfully was in perfect synch with the way the story was pulling them together. And I also realized that the MCU is still pulling off similar stunts to this day.
For instance, kids have probably been fantasizing about fighting alongside the avengers, and seeing a kid character go through the same thing in Spiderman: Homecoming.... was probably pretty fun for them. A lot of MCU Peter’s motivation is wanting to see himself with the Avengers, despite being a kid. Once again, the movie and the audience are in synch. I’d even argue that Scarlet Witch in Age of Ultron worked similarly. I had many female friends who were frustrated growing up, being fans of action-oriented media but having limited female characters in such media to choose from. Sometimes you even run into that situation where there’s a single token female who might be sexualized. Now, I’m not saying black widow wasn’t a fleshed our character (and honestly I love her) but something about Wanda’s scene with Hawkeye, and the line “once you step out that door, you’re an avenger”... followed by her awesome strut onto the battlefield.... yeah, I know some women who dug that. It’s probably a similar setup to SpiderMan, but in this case it’s about female people feeling even more included and less tokenized. Also, opening the door for so many different kinds of characters. (I honestly can’t wait to see Captain Marvel, and more of Black Panther.)
Cool! Found Movie Bob again!
He was the ONLY reason I ever paid any attention to the escapist website, and when he went, I stopped going there altogether. They really don't know what they lost.
Glad to see he's on youtube and offering great insight and criticism again. Subscribed in a heartbeat. Thoroughly enjoyed his analysis here and am looking forward to his other offerings.
*TIME STAMPS* for "Really That Good: THE AVENGERS":
@06:14 - The Basics;
@11:28 - Let's Dig Deeper...;
@21:56 - On The Other Hand...;
@24:57 - Let's Talk Impact...;
@37:06 - The Verdict.
...um, this video was great and all, but I still want Bob to make a review for _Age of Ultron_.
Just saying.
Paradox Acres I'm pretty sure he will
DabIMON I hope so.
Paradox Acres
The movie just came out in the States, and since he tends to put a lot of effort into his reviews, it'll probably take a while before it comes out
DabIMON Yeah, I guess that's true.
+Paradox Acres What about Guardians of the Galaxy?
The movie was written and directed by Joss Whedon, who not only understands superheroes, who not only can write a scene for multiple characters, but who can also write melodramatic dialogue which really works!
"I could just show you that Clip"
*show clip*
*Gets shiver*
Yup. Point made, Bob.
And now we’re at Endgame. I think a lot of the things said in this video are applicable.
19:18 featuring FilmCrit Hulk
I wish he would quit playing that darn clip, I know why it works on me, but that doesn't stop me from getting choked up every five minutes
Bob predicted the Avengers 4 title at 22:30
This was an excellent essay and I'm going to watch The Avengers again, like, right now.
I'm enjoying this series so far Bob, but I really don't want it to replace your regular output. I used to enjoy the big picture and escape to the movies every Tuesday and Friday. I'd prefer that format to this every month or so.
Yeah, I was hoping Bob would make a regular video review of _Age of Ultron_. Even a short, 3 minute video would've been fine.
This RTG episode was still very good, though.
Paradox Acres His first video for ScrewAttack comes out tomorrow. Or today, because it is now nearly 5:00 am.
BrotherAlpha Yeah, I know!
I saw his announcement on Twitter the other day and I think it'll be interesting. Especially since I haven't watched ScrewAttack in a long time :)
BrotherAlpha All I've heard is that he's going to be making more Game Overthinker for them, and that's not what I watch him for. I know he's split it up so it won't have the goofy plot crap now, but I would still prefer a review show and his general topics stuff. He seems to be making enough from Patreon now to where he could do that on his youtube channel without needing a website to back him.
***** There are benefits to working for a website besides income. Go back and read the credits of an episode of Big Picture or Escape to the Movies and you'll see he had people producing the videos or providing art work. If farming out some technical work allows him to produce multiple videos a week again then more power to him.
I'd welcome it, at least. I was surprised to not see an Age of Ultron review from him yesterday.
I really love this film for multiple reasons. On one hand, it is a great story about a group of individuals that have come together. But one one hand, it validated the MCU as being similar to the comics. What do I mean by this? For me to elaborate, I need to discuss Joss Whedon and comics. One of my favorite comics Whedon wrote was Astonishing X-men. I'll spare the details, but needless to say, it was a back to basics story. Especially, after some more drastic elements to the superhero team.
Why I particularly like about Astonishing X-men was that it was a great jumping off point. You didn't need to read/research any prior runs on the character and anyone could jump into it without feeling lost. That said, if someone did jump on having read the prior runs, you are rewarded, as MovieBob indicated, by knowing the subtle hints. The Avengers is brilliant in that much like Astonishing, you didn't need to watch the other phase one movies.
If you did, you more than definitely understood most of the characters and where they came from, their motivations, personalities etc. Ironically, it is the opposite of Captain America Civil War to which it expects individuals to have at least seen Age of Ultron and Winter Soldier. Not that's bad. But rather, it just showcases how the MCU is very similar to the actual comics.
With that said, is the Avengers perfect? No. Loke while having great characterization doesn't really have that much motivation. And I'd be lying if I didn't say that the Battle for New York was a bit too long at times. On top of that, the world council suddenly deciding to nuke New York? I get that Winter Soldier very much explained this was due to Hydra, but even then so an act like that would definitely bring the old group some attention. But regardless, I still love this film. It is just a great popcorn flick. Whether you like it or not, the film changed Hollywood. It made studios realize how truly groundbreaking a shared cinematic universe is. That isn't to say it is perfect, as arguably a good chunk of the movies are filler and in turn questions that have plagued comic books arise within a movie(like how one hero is in a movie, but another isn't?).
But for what it is worth, I do enjoy this film.
You just perfectly articulated everything I've felt and know about this film. And this is from a comic fan boy who goes way back. Great work. You gave me chills breaking down a film that gives me chills.
I live in a tourist town (New Orleans), so when Stark called Thor a tourist it got many laughs, the loudest from me.
Lord of the Rings Really that Good?
Yes
That feels like a lot to ask. Remember, he doesn't just have to talk for an hour or three. He has to dig through the movie's runtime, multiple times, to draw out the clips he wants to use and the supporting evidence he needs for his argument. It's one thing to do that for a two-hour film like Avengers or The Matrix. It's far and away another thing entirely to ask him to do that for what is effectively _twelve_ fucking hours of film.
as a non-comic fan who only recently binged the entire mcu, one of my biggest gripes with this franchise a franchise is like it is the continuity lockout--like bob said, not that you have to see every movie but that the marketing and production make you feel like you have to see every movie to be fully immersed in the experience. it can be incredibly anxiety-inducing for someone prone to fomo, like myself, especially since so much of the discourse around the mcu is focused on how much of a ~cultural moment~ it is. but i what does analysis establishes really well, especially within the first 10 minutes, is how the Avengers in particular utilizes every moment to establish character and stakes without the audience fully realizing it at first watch. the dialogue is informative well not making you feel like you're watching an exposition dump, and it does help you better connect with the characters especially given how deceptively character-driven a lot of these movies are. and yes, while i'm still not a fan of the genre as a whole, that trailer shot with the underscoring seem still manages to give me goosebumps every time i see it. the marketing and motivations behind it may be cynical af (and increasingly so, especially given the dangerous near-monopoly disney has on mainstream blockbusters now), but there is still a lot of heart in the storytelling of these things, which is more than you can say for a lot of other franchises.
This movie has the best script of any Marvel film. The dialogue and the way scenes flow together are a mastercraft.
*(claps hands)*
Waiting for an _Age of Ultron_ review but getting an episode of RTG is great; it's like waiting for a burger but getting a fancy buffet, instead. This is awesome! :)
"Thanos' big endgame in all of this". Hmmm
I literally agree with everything but one minor detail which is actually beneficial to the movie.
You said it was convenient that Tony Starks building was the best power source for loki, but that was established wayyy back in Iron Man 1 as it's the same technology that is used to power his suit.
I love this series, came back to this page to like and comment. Thanks for reaffirming that nostalgia isn't necessarily a set of blinders aimed directly at the past, but can be the legitimate love of well crafted media that just so happened to get released when I was a kid.
"Really nobody honestly thinks the bad guy is going to win in a superhero movie, and you can't even wonder if any of the good guys will live or die when everyone and their uncle knows Captain America 2, Thor 2 and Iron Man 3 were already in production..."
And yet, and yet, six years later...
the most important superhero/action film ever
perfect.
That Avengers Assemble scene gets me every fucking time. Just trembling and crying like a child. I can still hear the whole theater roaring. Just roaring.
I'm not even a Marvel fanboy. I like Batman more. Regardless, I thought the movie was awesome. If a movie like this can grab my attention, shows how good it is. By the way, great video moviebob.
"This is the guy who is so good at magnetic characterizations and ingratiating group dynamics, that for a hot second there walking sack of sentient garbage Adam Baldwin actually seemed likable."
HA! That was beautiful :)
This man is a fortune teller 34:08
34:37
Talking about how The Avengers film builds up to the team up shot is awesome.
And then the film goes on to show a fireworks display as the climax. Showing all these awesome team up shots poses and using their powers!
This description of Avengers 1 it just gives me chills thinking of the awesome climax that must be at the end of
Avengers Endgame.
Avengers endgame being the climax of the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to that point but concluding the last 10 years of Storytelling of 22 films!
LOL the circle shot in Avengers gave me chills. The portal scene in Endgame made me openly cry from pure joy.
This is a really good video and review (and I just discovered it in 2017). So far I'm only 18 minutes in and it's good enough that I felt compelled to comment saying so! I wonder why this hasn't been higher in my search list considering my history or in the amount of views! This is good stuff. Thanks :)
This was a really good look into the why the avengers movie work. One more reason I also think that this movie worked was because these versions of the characters were (with exception of "maybe" Hulk) considered the definitive versions of these characters. In the viewers head, even as a comic book fan, there wasn't anyone else you would want playing Captain America or Iron Man.
Dawn of Justice and subsequent attempts at building a DC Cinematic Universe is not going to get this luxury, Batman isn't being played by Micheal Keaton or voiced by Kevin Conroy, Superman isn't Christopher Reeve and Wonder Woman isn't Lynda Carter so even if the actors in these roles are acting their hearts out trying to give the most faithful performance they can, there are going to be viewers who believe that there could have been someone better to play the role.
I don't think this is the only hurdle DC needs to overcome or a death sentence to the idea but it is a factor that I don't think should be over looked.
This crazy well thought out passionate show of appreciation really is that good!
Thank you Bob.
I doubt you will read this sadly, but if I recall fair use can also require you to use THE LEAST amount off assets to get your point across. The Argument that only screenshots and small clip-its of music could be the max required for fair use. AS MUCH AS I Support your criticism however sadly in terms of fair use DISNEY may have an argument for censoring this IF they where to take it that far.
He made a tweet asking us to signal boost the fact that this is fair use, but fair use only applies when you use the LEAST possible assets possible, sadly he kinda does not do that meaning the company can make the argument that this is not TRUE fair use.
That Creepy Reading That actually isn't true.
Thats what my network manager at Maker Gen told me XD SOOOO yeah he kinda deals with these copy right issues allot. HOWEVER I MAY be wrong
TrilbeeReviews Whether it's the case or not, I'm pretty sure Disney is not about to censor somebody who is making a 40 jizz-fest about one of their films. Not criticising Bob or saying he's being overly positive, I've enjoyed these videos, I'm just saying it ould be an odd move for them to shut him up when he's being so flattering!
I love bob's review don't get me wrong. I LOVE his stuff and his opinions to death. I may not agree with all of them but I felt I should point out the copyright law pointed out to me the way my legal adviser pointed it out to me
I've watched 3 of your reviews and I simply am in awe of the masterful use of language, honesty, humor and spot on capture you have of what's obvious and not so obvious about these movies. Your reviews help me to understand why I like them as much as I do and even urge me to like them more, because they really are that good! Thanks!
It wasn't confusing and the characters were likable and interesting.
And joy. You could tell everyone involved loved the material.
Loved it ^u^
Wow! Excellent video, Bob. Watching this feels more akin to taking in a great stand-up set than simply watching analysis. Not that I'm saying it shouldn't be considered significant. I keep finding myself impressed and enlightened at the language used. I really want to clap at the way you deliver your perspective.
Some of your statements put a fine edge to concepts that I've never had the words to express. Other statements make concepts that I had never considered tangible for my consideration. Like a great stand-up you can get to the heart of what we feel so that you can directly administer that which we don't know.
Loving this series, such a welcome breath of fresh positive air for me. If I could suggest a favourite of mine, since you already did Ghostbusters, Army of Darkness would be amazing.
Thanks Bob. Love the new show. You've always been my favorite critic. When you put yourself behind an opinion you always bring excellent arguments and make me believe it too. Keep up the good work. I'm rooting for you.
I only discovered MovieBob because of the recent review of Pixels and am glad to see that his schtick isn't "angry reviews," but rather passionate reviews from someone who clearly knows the biz, gets it and loves it. This is the kind of passion and insight that made Roger Ebert such a joy to watch.
Watched about four of your vids straight. New Sub Here. Great Work
I still think to this day, The Avengers has had more of a cultural impact than any other film in the 2010s
Better this movie than Avatar.
pff... everyone forgot about avatar
“It’s a superhero movie, so we know the good guys are gonna win…”
Avengers: Infinity War would like a word.
Hey bob, I know that since you aren't getting payed to watched moives anymore you won't be able to make reviews as regularly and as promptly as before, I understand that.
I am just asking this time because it seams like the kind of review you just can't wait to make, when do you think you will be putting out an age of Ultron review, if at all?
Jon snow You know nothin' Jon Snow.
Jon snow Just like you and your misguided opinions need to be blocked and reported?
Jon snow you dishonour the name of Jon Snow
Marquis Forneus I'd kinda like to know that too. this kinda seems like a "i can't do it yet, but im getting to it. let me gush in the mean time", and i love it. :)
i haven't seen age of ultron yet, but this made me want to watch the avengers again before hand because it's really that good. :D
Wry Guy Your just a stupid Religious white knight. People like you shouldn't be allowed to express your opinions. People like you will take us back to the dark ages.
36:28 I was hoping you'd show this. Easily my FAVORITE scene in the whole film. The first time I saw it, I rewound like 8 times and laughed hysterically every time.
AMAZING DECONSTRUCTION PIECE! And it says SO MUCH about the current generation and general western mindset.
Moviebob you are a brilliant detective and an even sharper critic and observer! Thank you so much sir for carrying on!
One thing that bothers me about when people talk about how great that circle shot moment is, is that they ignore that the next moment is the chitari hanging from the buildings taking off their masks and doing their battle cry right back at the Avengers. That was pretty cool. People give Chitari crap for being a generic CGI hoarde of aliens but that moment made them so much more badass and gave them personality and a hint of culture and it really contributed to how much I love that circle shot scene.
Oh man so excited for a new Really That Good. It's become my favorite movie based series on TH-cam. Glad you're keeping up the great work Bob! Longtime fan
"And Hulk? Smash." The day I stop loving that line is the day I die, and no sooner.