The Avengers Re-Watching the solo films after seeing The Avengers

[Rock Sexton]

Nothing against them .... but even with the ones you like, does it feel like there's something missing? Kind of does for me right now. Damn you Joss haha.

 

[Raiden]

I'm actually contemplating re-watching them, and I think individual movies actually add more to the Avengers' experience, not less, because you'll gain a greater appreciation for each character as a result. And when you care about those characters, The Avengers will become an even better movie.

 

[ViscaBarcaInter]

I recently re-watched Cap and Thor on Sky after having seen Avengers, and I liked them more, personally. But I can see the point, it might be weird going forward seeing Cap or Iron Man or whatever doing stuff and saying to yourself "Just phone Fury, and he'll get the team over, man".

 

[PunyGod]

...

 

[CConn]

Nah, I still like Cap, Thor and IM the same, if not more.

The only movie that is kinda ruined for me due to The Avengers is TIH. Ruffalo's Hulk was just so damn person, Norton's doesn't even seem like the same character.

 

[darthmagic]

I actually find the movies better personally

 

[Spider-Vader]

The only movie that is kinda ruined for me due to The Avengers is TIH. Ruffalo's Hulk was just so damn person, Norton's doesn't even seem like the same character.

This just about sums it up for me. I think both the Banner & Hulk in Avengers are superior to the one in TIH. TIH is still a good movie, but it gets blown away by the version of Hulk we got in Avengers.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Avengers being awesome doesn't make the solos less awesome just because they're not the Avengers.

 

[Drizzle]

I still love or like them all, but I look at it this way:
The previous MCU films = *********ing, while The Avengers = mind-blowing sex. The others just don't even hold a candle to it. Not saying they aren't good, but The Avengers just brought the epicness. But The Incredible Hulk does seem less relevant after Ruffalo's performance and the top quality CGI Hulk.

 

[warhorse78]

Well, I've liked Ironman and Thor when I first watched them, Ironman, not too much. But, when I finally saw Captain America, and had the ending credits, the way it played out, made me actually like Ironman 2. When watching The Avengers now, all of the movies, except for TIH, are truly excellent movies, there's even more little subtle nudges to the Avengers when I watch them then I realized before.

And I agree about The Hulk movies, I was not into them, didn't care for them, but perhaps if they gave the movies some heart, like we got in The Avengers, perhaps they would have been better for me.

 

[RealIrOnMaN]

Speaking of the solo Avengers flicks, recently I had some time to revisit each Marvel Studios film and my perception of some of them has really changed. The way I see it (briefly):

1) Iron Man - because that's where it all started. It was such a hit and miss for Marvel Studios, but in the end - it all worked out. And it's also a special kind of a movie, one that certainly ages really well. Great cast (wonderful chemistry between the characters) + a story of a flawed man rethinking the way of his life and becoming a hero. The way RDJ introduced his character to the audience is bold, charming, fresh and full of unpredictability. All in all, really wonderful piece of art, along with the colorful designs of many talents, particularly Adi Granov and a master - Stan Winston (R.I.P).

2) The Avengers - a truly sensational and amazing culmination of something, that's been 7 years in the development. A perfect storyline, that has all your favorite characters and deepest desires, along with some spectacular special effects. Truth be told, watching this glorious film is like reading an arc/issue/run of a certain comic book by your favorite writer(s) and artist(s). You can't say that about every CBM out there.

3) The First Avenger: Captain America - the story of Steve Rogers is always fascinating to observe, because what makes him special is that he's a good, brave, well-manered and honest guy from the very beginning. His heart is in the right place and that is why the transformation into Super-Soldier changes nothing in his character, it just adds more weight (responsibility and duty) on his shoulders. Chris Evans does justice to Cap. His unique interaction with Peggy Carter is one of the best and most tragic romantic relationships in MCU. The 1st act of the story is pretty solid and proudly stands on its own, whereas the 2nd and 3rd one do have some good moments here and there, but they're far from being perfect and suffering from a number of factors: everything seems too quick, unbalanced, even forced (the revival and meeting with Fury at the end) filled with random characters and villains, that are supposed to be important, but sadly they don't get enough screen time or development.

On the other hand, it is understandable, since they had to make that sacrifice in order to leave possible stories and plots for the Avengers and sequel/threequel, but was it worth it? Only time will tell. It's sad, because Steve is a very likeable and decent guy and you want to see how he adapts to the life in the 21st century, but even in the Avengers most of Steve's story didn't make it into the theatrical cut. Nonetheless, Joe Johnston did a tremendous job: bringing such an iconic character with rich history on the big screen, making the audience actually care about the guy inside the costume. This movie will always have a special place in my heart, since it was the first time in my life when I watched a comic book movie in San Diego during Comic-Con 2011, in a room full of excited fans and people. After the credits rolled, a guy who was siting next to me turned out to be a pleasant conversation partner and a fan (we started talking about Bucky, Cosmic Cube and the after-credits Avengers trailer). Unforgettable experience for someone who's not from US, but who is as equally excited about its pop-culture as its own people.

4) Thor - Kenneth Branagh's movie has a lot of problems (mostly because of the script). It's extremely rushed, the attempt to separate two worlds and somehow show S.H.I.E.L.D's connection to film's events is not successful. Still, one needs to acknowledge Kenneth's contribution to the introduction of the Realm Eternal, Asgard, and its godly beings to the general public. It was almost an impossible task: to make this new world somehow believable and make it relatable, but he managed to solve the problem (although, some might certainly not agree with this). Branagh also deserves a huge praise for his knowledge of Shakespearean literature, that allowed him to bring a sincere and deep family conflict between the characters of Thor, Odin, Loki and Laufey. In my opinion, that (and main actors performances) is the only thing that really drives the story of this film. It's more about what they represent, what makes them tick, why can't they find a common ground and what are the consequences of their actions.

Everything else in the film fails to work and even though it is explained and pretends to be something else (like S.H.I.E.L.D), it still has this feeling of being unnecessary to the story. The inclusion of certain characters is a disappointing one: Jane is not really a love interest she's expected to be, Destroyer should've been a bigger threat, Warriors Three and Frigga aren't convincing and Darcy is simply not needed for the film, that has enough going on. The small scope of the film (New Mexico) certainly doesn't help to make things better either. In conclusion, Thor is certainly a 'mixed bag' type of film, but it helps to introduce some of the important players and worlds in MCU and to connect some necessary bridges in order to prepare everyone for The Avengers and beyond.

5) Iron Man 2 - If you're still interested, click on the link. My least favorite MCU film so far.

6) The Incredible Hulk - To be honest, I never got invested into this film, back in 2008 and now. I tend to think it's because of its constant marketing and script problems. The film just couldn't find the right way to attract most of the public. Perhaps, it's because Banner and his alter-ego wasn't presented to the people in the right way (I was never a big fan of the character, but even I loved Ruffalo's take on both personalities in The Avengers, it's simply brilliant). I think it has the same problems as IM2 - the script was written by wrong guys. Some might find this questionable, but I thought that this film lacked some intensity - you don't feel sorry for the Hulk (part of the problem, I guess is that here, he's more of a CGI creature, than an actor in a mocap suit that can show us the nature of the beast). And if you don't show an interest in the protagonist, then you certainly starting to lose interest in the 'background', specifically: the Ross family, Samson, Blonsky, Super-Soldier and military stuff. Personally, it doesn't have an impact on the story, that it should. It all feels like a collection of scenes, blended together (look how much stuff ended up being on the DVD). Surely, it might be good for the hardcore fans, but it's not really what the audience wants. There isn't too much to say about this film, other than it's disappointing and would've worked under different circumstances.

 

[CConn]

I'm glad I was able to capture the sentiment of the masses.

 

[webs]

i still love or like them all, but i look at it this way:
The previous mcu films = *********ing, while the avengers = mind-blowing sex. The others just don't even hold a candle to it. Not saying they aren't good, but the avengers just brought the epicness. But the incredible hulk does seem less relevant after ruffalo's performance and the top quality cgi hulk.

roflmao...!!!

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I still love or like them all, but I look at it this way:
The previous MCU films = *********ing, while The Avengers = mind-blowing sex. The others just don't even hold a candle to it. Not saying they aren't good, but The Avengers just brought the epicness. But The Incredible Hulk does seem less relevant after Ruffalo's performance and the top quality CGI Hulk.

And for some people, Iron Man 2 was like having your penis caught in the zipper of your pants.

 

[RealIrOnMaN]

And for some people, Iron Man 2 was like having your penis caught in the zipper of your pants.

 

[Chewy]

In a way it's like a TV show: the season finale will be biggest and draw the largest audience, but it doesn't change how I feel about the earlier "episodes"

 

[Drizzle]

I don't understand the Iron Man 2 hate. It's not a bad movie at all. While it's not better than the first film by any means, I find it more enjoyable to watch than, say, The Incredible Hulk. It's flawed, sure, but you can find something to nitpick about any of these movies. I personally find the fact that practically the whole second half of Captain America is rushed more annoying than anything in IM2, even though CA is the superior film. Seriously, it takes 20 minutes from the time Steve gets the new suit and shield until the confrontation with Red Skull.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I find a lot to enjoy about it, but it is a pretty light-weight sequel. Doesn't even come close to the epicness that some of the best #2's have produced.

 

[PunyGod]

...

 

[Herolee10]

@RIM: As usual, I agree with a lot with what you mentioned.


I hope that with the gamble having paid off with the success of The Avengers, that Marvel Studios will not feel like that they have to rush the solo adventures in terms of its storytelling and quality and that they take as much time as needed into providing the best possible solo sequels that they can.

There's so much potential in exploring a world post-Avengers events in the MCU; I mean other than the fact that the events on Earth most likely garnered a lot of attention throughout the galaxy and realms, but to see on how the public and future villains that are earthbound, along with any future heroes, will respond after the crisis in NYC and the emergence and acceptance of TA by a majority of the MCU public, well there's a lot to work with.

Then you have the fact that Joss was able formulate Banner's and the Hulk's character in such a good way that any competent writer should be able to take that blessings and form it into something special for any solo Hulk sequel.

And of course; learning that Thor 2 will deal with the exploration of multiple realms and exploring more of Captain America's situation of being a man out of time, well, the writers and those in charge better not screw it up since that's pure writing gold to work off from.

 

[The Guard]

No, The Avengers didn't ruin cinema for me.

The other movies still have their strengths and flaws.

What's missing is "Not having any good character development". Which I don't mind.

 

[PokeJ]

None of the solo films after watching The Avengers really regressed except for The Incredible Hulk. Mark Ruffalo was so good as the hulk. They finally nailed his character. Thank Gawd.

 

[Rock Sexton]

6) The Incredible Hulk - To be honest, I never got invested into this film, back in 2008 and now. I tend to think it's because of its constant marketing and script problems. The film just couldn't find the right way to attract most of the public. Perhaps, it's because Banner and his alter-ego wasn't presented to the people in the right way (I was never a big fan of the character, but even I loved Ruffalo's take on both personalities in The Avengers, it's simply brilliant). I think it has the same problems as IM2 - the script was written by wrong guys. Some might find this questionable, but I thought that this film lacked some intensity - you don't feel sorry for the Hulk (part of the problem, I guess is that here, he's more of a CGI creature, than an actor in a mocap suit that can show us the nature of the beast). And if you don't show an interest in the protagonist, then you certainly starting to lose interest in the 'background', specifically: the Ross family, Samson, Blonsky, Super-Soldier and military stuff. Personally, it doesn't have an impact on the story, that it should. It all feels like a collection of scenes, blended together (look how much stuff ended up being on the DVD). Surely, it might be good for the hardcore fans, but it's not really what the audience wants. There isn't too much to say about this film, other than it's disappointing and would've worked under different circumstances.

I completely and utterly disagree with just about everything you said. We must've watched two different movies.

 

[Rock Sexton]

No, The Avengers didn't ruin cinema for me.

I didn't ask if it ruined the movies for you guys ..... and not even insinuating that be the case.

 

[RealIrOnMaN]

We must've watched two different movies.

It's simple: different people, different opinions.