The Avengers - Review

Get ready Marvel fanboys to send your hate mail, because I think that the novelty of having all Marvel superheroes in one movie has worn off. Don't get me wrong, it was really great to see all these characters come together for the first time, but this film is not a masterpiece. Don't shoot, it's just an opinion. I think that this movie is a really fun, popcorn movie... and that's it. Now I know what you may be thinking. "This guy is just a snob who can't appreciate movies that everyone loves." Just hear me out. It's cool seeing all these characters on screen and it really was a treat for the first couple of viewings, however, no newcomer can come into this movie (plus many other MCU movies) without either seeing all stand-alone solo films or doing some research beforehand. Also, ever notice how the story really isn't that interesting or compelling? Yeah, Loki's plan is very barebones and, while threatening on paper, never really had me on the edge of my seat worried about how our heroes were going to stop him. At no point did I think that Loki ever had a chance. Speaking of Loki, I really don't understand why people love him so much. Is it cause he's attractive? Well, I don't know. It seems like half the women I talk to love him and the other half think he's repulsive. Is it because he is super evil? If so, then I apparently didn't get the memo. Apart from one scene where he threatens Black Widow (Silence of the Lambs anyone?) I never got the evil diabolical villain I was expecting. Plus, he has an army of faceless aliens with no emotional attachment to them. However, one might say that this movie is not supposed to be complex, it's supposed to be a fun, light-hearted superhero movie. Now, I can agree with that statement. This film really doubles-down on the "fun" and feels like some kid's imagination of playing with superhero action figures is put on screen. Aliens from outer-space come to earth to take over the world and it's up to the Avengers to stop them. Doesn't that just sound like natural coming out of an 8-year old's mouth? While I have no problem with that, I did start to feel the action drag after a while. It's not like a movie like Captain America: The Winter Soldier where the action felt gritty and intense, this feels more like a button-mashing video game. All of this was fine for the first couple viewings because the world had never seen anything like this. A film with superheroes from different movies all coming together in one action-packed blockbuster was so unique at the time and so much fun to watch that it was easy to overlook the simplicity and some of the flaws. Unfortunately for me, the novelty has worn off. Don't get mad Marvel fans, I still love the MCU and all the entertaining fun films they have given us, it's just that the first Avengers film no longer has the impact for me as it once did.