The Avengers Pentagon refused to assist with Avengers film

[terry78]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/pentagon-poo-pooed-avengers-teamup-163438080.html


Apparently it was too "unrealistic" for them, but they've worked on Transformers, the first Iron Man, and Eagle Eye.

 

[The Question]

Translation: The film did not portray the military or government as being inherently and unwaveringly virtuous, so **** that ****.

 

[Chewy]

"We couldn't reconcile the unreality of this international organization and our place in it," Phil Strub, the Defense Department's Hollywood liaison, tells Danger Room. "To whom did S.H.I.E.L.D. answer? Did we work for S.H.I.E.L.D.? We hit that roadblock and decided we couldn't do anything" with the film.

 

[The Question]

That is such a political non-answer it's not even funny.

 

[terry78]

Well, being the nerd he obviously is, if he would pick up a comic book per his required homework as a Hollywood liaison, he could have gotten his answer.

 

[Marvel]

That certainly hurt the box office and quality of the film. Curses...

 

[BrollySupersj]

That's ok, the movie did just fine without their help.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I can see the problem. SHIELD isn't part of the American government or military. Whereas all the military elements in the other movies listed clearly were.

 

[The Question]

Why is that a problem, exactly?

 

[cherokeesam]

I think they're just sore that Gen. Thunderbolt Ross wasn't in this film.

 

[terry78]

Aren't they technically sanctioned by the United Nations or something? Basically top leaders from around the world who are part of the "council" anonymously or something.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Why is that a problem, exactly?

Because, presumably they can't be part of the film if that isn't the case. They have stipulations.

They're actually fairly lenient otherwise. in Transformers they even let the Decepticons use US military vehicles. Some of the European militaries (Germany's for example) apparently refused because of that (they didn't want the villains using their vehicles).

 

[Tony Stark]

I find it funny that they would not assist. I mean, unlike Iron Man and Hulk and Captain America, there was no particular branch of the U.S. Military that was portrayed.

 

[The Question]

Because, presumably they can't be part of the film if that isn't the case. They have stipulations.

They're actually fairly lenient otherwise. They even let the Decepticons us US military vehicles. Some of the European militaries (Germany's for example) apparently refused because of that (they didn't want the villains using their vehicles).

I mean, there are scenes in the movie that call for the military being there regardless of SHIELD.

It really just seems like a line to me.

Out of all the movies they listed where they did help, with the exception of Iron Man which was largely ambiguous, the films in question portrayed the military as a paragon of heroism and moral fortitude.

In this movie, you have a government agency of some kind (SHIELD) building WMDs in secret based on presumably illegal Nazi weapons designs, and government officials, one of whom (the one who does all the talking and represents the group) is American, ordering a city of seven million people to be nuked.

That seems to be the more likely reason why they pulled out, the fact that the film made fairly passive criticisms of the government and military. The US military has a pretty shady history of caring about their image as an inherently noble institution more than putting in the effort to actually be one, so this seems pretty par for the course.

 

[Punisher Rising]

I only recall

Spoiler

The National Guard briefly showing near the end during the final battle in New York.

 

[The Question]

I only recall

Spoiler

The National Guard briefly showing near the end during the final battle in New York.

Those were probably stunt men.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I mean, there are scenes in the movie that call for the military being there regardless of SHIELD.

It really just seems like a line to me.

Out of all the movies they listed where they did help, with the exception of Iron Man which was largely ambiguous, the films in question portrayed the military as a paragon of heroism and moral fortitude.

In this movie, you have a government agency of some kind (SHIELD) building WMDs in secret based on presumably illegal Nazi weapons designs, and government officials, one of whom (the one who does all the talking and represents the group) is American, ordering a city of seven million people to be nuked.

That seems to be the more likely reason why they pulled out, the fact that the film made fairly passive criticisms of the government and military. The US military has a pretty shady history of caring about their image as an inherently noble institution more than putting in the effort to actually be one, so this seems pretty par for the course.

I doubt it. Watch some of the movies they've sponsored. Eagle Eye is about a military-built surveillance computer system that goes out of control.

It really is probably something as simple as there not being a clear relation between SHIELD and the US military, and a strange (and not American) command structure.

 

[Punisher Rising]

Those were probably stunt men.

I know Wikipedia isn't always reliable but here's what was said on there:

Spoiler

Army Reserve soldiers assigned to the Columbus, Ohio-based 391st Military Police Battalion provided background action during the battle scenes in Cleveland. Staff Sgt. Michael T. Landis stated the use of real soldiers made the scenes more realistic and helped portray the Army in a more positive light, explaining that, "It's easy for us to make on-the-spot corrections to tactics and uniforms, the director actually took our recommendation on one scene and let us all engage the enemy as opposed to only the gunners in the trucks engaging".

Spoiler

Looks like real soldiers were used.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Incredible Hulk had a huge military influence, shame they couldn't get it for this one. I didn't miss them though, seeing the cops fighting on the streets was enough.

 

[thalidomide]

lol, who cares?!!

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

Funny, I thought I remember reading that the Pentagon was letting Marvel use their vehicles and soldiers for The Avengers. I could be thinking of Man of Steel, because I know they used actual U.S. soldiers in the filming of that movie.

But if the military brass pulled out, it makes sense when you consider the movie's critical attitude towards the U.S. government.

 

[Smashlilman]

"We couldn't reconcile the unreality of this international organization and our place in it," Phil Strub, the Defense Department's Hollywood liaison, tells Danger Room. "To whom did S.H.I.E.L.D. answer? Did we work for S.H.I.E.L.D.? We hit that roadblock and decided we couldn't do anything" with the film.

The World Council = American lead UN with power
SHIELD = International JSOC "Joint Special Operations Command"

 

[Thundercrack85]

I thought SHIELD stood for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Though that may just be a cover.

 

[cherokeesam]

I mean, there are scenes in the movie that call for the military being there regardless of SHIELD.

It really just seems like a line to me.

Out of all the movies they listed where they did help, with the exception of Iron Man which was largely ambiguous, the films in question portrayed the military as a paragon of heroism and moral fortitude.

In this movie, you have a government agency of some kind (SHIELD) building WMDs in secret based on presumably illegal Nazi weapons designs, and government officials, one of whom (the one who does all the talking and represents the group) is American, ordering a city of seven million people to be nuked.

That seems to be the more likely reason why they pulled out, the fact that the film made fairly passive criticisms of the government and military. The US military has a pretty shady history of caring about their image as an inherently noble institution more than putting in the effort to actually be one, so this seems pretty par for the course.

I think a more likely reason is that they didn't like the fact that SHIELD answers to what is essentially the UN. (World Security Council, whatever.)

 

[Raiden]

So of all the movies they worked with, including Battleship and Transformers, they chose not to work with a movie that features a superhero wearing the Star Spangled Banner?