Six Marvelous Avengers and a Hero

7/20/2012

It took forever to actually get to finishing this review-y thingy and sort of rant, which certainly doesn't reflect my love for this terrific movie. So, let's get to it.

The Avengers left me in the same state as when I watched Iron Man for the first time and every time since: in awe of a wonderfully crafted and satisfying film that appeals to a wide audience, and with a terrific lead (leads in this case) who cares for the work he's doing regardless of genre. I have no doubt The Avengers will have the same effect on me every time it's played on TV or when slide the Blu-ray into the PS3. It's a feeling that doesn't happen often with blockbusters, most of which seem designed specifically to rake in the cash with light and sound, but which lack depth, performance, and intelligence. Here we have the rare film that is both large in scale and moving; think Dark Knight, District 9, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.

Anyone who has even a passing interest in superheroes, or entertainment in general, will fall in love with this movie. If you haven't yet, I would suggest first watching the previous Marvel entries or at least Iron Man, because certain moments will be more affecting with character background from those films. This is the first in the series, but it's still a sequel of sorts to four other movies, and sequels usually move ahead without wasting too much time on stories they've already told. As one example, you'll better understand the tension in the room when Steve accuses Tony of being someone who would never make a sacrifice. He sees only Tony's sarcastic and blasé attitude, not his heart... though the arc reactor in his chest is a constant glowing reminder.

If you haven't seen The Avengers already, what are you waiting for? Go. Now. Yes, it's still playing ten weeks in while so many are forgotten about after a few. But unless you have a second run theater nearby, the next few days are most certainly your last chance since Dark Knight Rises opened today. (Rest in peace, victims of the Colorado theater shooting.) The fact it was directed by Joss Whedon makes it worth recommending. If you don't know Whedon, you should. He's a master of storytelling. He knows how to make you genuinely care for characters, fleshing them out with big, funny moments and small, quiet ones, and personality to spare.

Then sometimes he'll pull the rug out from under you when you least expect. You will hate him for it, you will love him for it, and you'll come back for more. Every world Whedon touches gains dimensions of reality and humanity. There's a reason The Avengers made over $1.4 billion worldwide. Go see this for the pure fun and great sense of humor, the clashes between heroes, the epic battles, the seductively smooth villain, and for the cast of very fine actors, each of whom had a chance to shine. This is a story well-told, one that reminds why I ever seriously imagined myself in the entertainment business.

I didn't intend this as a mini review, so here's what I really wanted to say when I started writing. As anyone who has seen The Avengers knows...

You have one more chance to turn back.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Fine. Carry on.

...Coulson brought the team together by going out a hero, confronting a madman alone. I don't know how I didn't see it coming. We were given more insight than usual into this originally thinly-written character, so I should have realized it was setting up for something, making sure that the audience would miss "Agent" just as much as, say, Tony did and that his death would be a believable catalyst to bring everyone together. But I thought it couldn't be. Coulson's story is incomplete. We barely know him. Until the credits finished rolling, I hoped he would show up again. From his first scene in Iron Man, I looked forward to every moment Clark Gregg was on screen. He did a wonderful job of infusing Coulson with charm, dry wit, and a cool demeanor, which shattered in the most adorable way when he met Captain America.

I can understand the argument against bringing Coulson back in a sequel. It could very well seem like retroactively turning his death into a cheap stunt by capitulating to fans. Possibly, but we can't know that The Avengers wasn't written with such a scenario in mind, but it may just be wishful thinking on my part. No matter how it was intended, though, Coulson could return in any number of scenarios fans have already proposed as long as it's emotionally satisfying and doesn't negate the impact of that moment, a moment that sticks with you long after the movie is over, a moment that you wish never happened but you know was the right move, because it hurt, because it made this comic book world feel real.

Some also say there's no way Coulson survived, because he was stabbed through the heart. That would make recovery a very slim chance indeed, especially since Loki's staff was not small, but that's not what happened. (Update 10/3/13: Yes, it is, younger me! It was wishful thinking on my part, but now that Coulson is back everything is all right, except for still not knowing how he was revived.) He would never have lasted as long as he did, waiting to pull the trigger and make us laugh one more time and then hanging on until Fury got there.

If the gasping reactions in theaters, and all the theories and fan art, are any indication, the majority would love for Coulson to return and I think it could be done right. The simplest and most plausible way to accomplish it would be that Coulson was revived by the medics (we never saw them work on him), and that he wasn't complicit in the deception since he was either still in surgery or intensive care. (For a great example of a character effectively coming back into the world see Fringe. The emotional impact was off the charts.) Also, if turns out that Coulson is alive (Yay for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D coming soon!) I would feel better about Fury. Even though it was ultimately effective, smearing Coulson's prized cards in his own blood was a very manipulative thing to do. Is Fury that callous? It would create a lot more mistrust and tension between him and the Avengers, which would make for some great scenes.

Alright, it's time to stop obsessing over something that didn't really happen... and go obsess over a different thing that didn't really happen. ;) Time to finish my letter to the Fringe cast now.

---

For more Coulson and fantastic fun (no, not Fantastic Four...never Fantastic Four...though, Mr. Captain America, Chris Evans, is in it) you should own these movies:

Updated the movies on 8/30/2013, because I can use Amazon again. Clark Gregg is not in all of these, but watch them anyway. ;) Do not EVER confuse The Incredible Hulk with Ed Norton for Ang Lee's Hulk with Eric Bana. Of course, Mark Ruffalo is the best Banner with his hand-wringing nervousness and sad eyes.

Sadly, no Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, or Robert Downey Jr. :( But you can talk with other Downey fans at Downey Unlimited.

Related articles //

Ain't It Cool News - Quint and Clark Gregg talk in-depth about Agent Coulson's big scene and fan theories surrounding his turn in The Avengers

Ain't It Cool News - Quint has a theory about a certain spoilery plot point in the Avengers he wants to share... This is everything I thought of immediately and have been mulling over since.

Huffington Post - Marvel's The Avengers: Clark Gregg on the Scene Where Agent Coulson Brings the Avengers Together

Atomic Anxiety - The Avengers: The Agent Coulson Reaction

Atomic Anxiety - The Avengers: I Put a Bullet in My Mouth and the Other Guy Spit it Out

Assignment X - Clark Gregg chats about The Avengers and his future with the franchise

The Phoenix - Letters to the Boston editors

SlashFilm - Will Death Be Overturned in the Marvel Movie Universe?

XIN.MSN - Clark Gregg: The Avengers feels like a dysfunctional family

And before our hearts were ripped out...

Collider - Joss Whedon and The Avengers Cast Interview

Crave Online - Clark Gregg on The Avengers, Marvel One-Shots, Iron Man 3 and More... This makes me sad.

Comics Alliance - Clark Gregg's Five Favorite Agent Coulson Scenes [Video]

5Min - Avengers Star Clark Gregg Acts with Superheroes

Wall Street Journey: Speakeasy - The Avengers Star Clark Gregg Previews the Blockbuster Movie

My Contributions //

Our Hope - Coulson Lives

Heart of the Team

IMDB Boards: Clark Gregg - My response to "Hair, and non-leads"

IMDB Boards: Clark Gregg - My second response to "Hair, and non-leads"

@clarkgregg Still recovering from #TheAvengers. Trying to console myself with Old Christine.

— Erin Bates (@Reinbeast) May 18, 2012

Before I go, why is this so late? I originally wrote it on the day I saw the movie, about two weeks after it opened. I didn't go to it right away because I honestly wasn't excited. I try not to be excited for any movie, because then I won't be disappointed when it doesn't live up to expectations, but The Avengers blew me away. I put off editing because I got busy with work, other posts, and then the Coulson Lives Project, which I still have two other ideas for, but don't have the talent or time.

Then I decided to finish it once I saw it for a second time, but it took a month to get another chance. I so wanted to see The Avengers as many times as The Dark Knight in the theater (4, which is a lot for me), but that didn't happen. In my family we wait for everyone to be able to go together. This means we mostly go on weekends, which are often filled with family obligations. I don't understand people who can make it to the theater to see a movie 10 times. First of all, where the hell do you find the time? Second, no matter how great the movie, I can wait a few months and buy the Blu-ray. In the meantime there are a shit ton of things to keep me occupied, such as blogging, Twitter, TV, video games, drawing, et cetera.

Okay, I'll shut up now. This was way longer than intended. Iron Man 3 can't come soon enough. Oh, no, I'm getting excited.

Bonus Videos //

These are from April, but they're still fun to watch.