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Post by Shiryu on May 9, 2012 18:06:42 GMT -5
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Post by humanbelly on May 9, 2012 19:47:43 GMT -5
Ooooooh YES! I'm the first one to charge into Shir's poll, here, with my big ol' over-drivin' motor-mouth! Woo-hoo! And you KNOW who my favorite character's gonna be, right?
Although I can't tell you how gratifying the results of that linked poll were for me. Wow-- redemption and respect after all these years---
This is going to reveal me to be the loony, sentimental sap that I truly I am, but near the end of the final battle, when the Hulk is unexpectedly saving the day (and other Avengers), and functioning as a team member right alongside the other heroes, I had to make a huge effort to not freak my kids out (and mortify them) by surrendering to tears.
Ohhhhh it was a great movie for a Hulkophile. . .
HB
(modified to remove possible spoiler)
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Post by canadianavenger on May 10, 2012 6:02:02 GMT -5
I went with Iron Man. RDJ was absolutely amazing in this film. His smarts, wit, and humour throughout the film was top notch Stark. I loved how Iron Man ...... Whoops! I should not say anything specific about the film in case someone has not seen it yet. Iron Man is a big reason Manhattan is till standing at the end.
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Post by humanbelly on May 10, 2012 9:06:27 GMT -5
Oh daggone it-- good catch, Canadian A. I've modified my above post which certainly had a MAJOR spoiler sitting there all exposed. . .
Sorry!
HB
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Post by tomspasic on May 10, 2012 9:10:24 GMT -5
I chose Thor.
It was a tough decision because everybody got some quality time and lines.
But I think that Thor had the most emotional weight as well as the best action bits.
Spoilery ahead!
Spoilers!
Really, spoilers!
His fight with the Hulk, that one shot in slo-mo he got in, his appeal to Loki to pack it all in and come home, his getting stabbed as payment for another attempt to talk Loki down, his reaction to Coulson's death, his escape from the SHIELD "hulk-death-trap", his gusto for the shawarma.
His cameraderie with Cap, his "he's adopted" line.
I would not say he was miles better than any other character, but if you are making me choose one, it's Thor.
Loki comes second, Cap third.
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Post by Shiryu on May 10, 2012 9:12:12 GMT -5
I voted Black Widow, because she is the one I was expecting the least from, and instead got a lot. I sort of knew Hulk and IM would have been great, but Natasha? didn't see that one coming.
PS: what do you guys think? Is it time to open a "post movie" topic and discuss it without worrying about spoilers? I think most of us have seen it by now...
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Post by starfoxxx on May 10, 2012 15:06:44 GMT -5
Black Widow was amazing. She got my vote.
I hope BW and Hawkeye get their own movie.
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Post by humanbelly on May 10, 2012 20:35:53 GMT -5
I chose Thor. It was a tough decision because everybody got some quality time and lines. But I think that Thor had the most emotional weight as well as the best action bits. Spoilery ahead! Spoilers! Really, spoilers! His fight with the Hulk, that one shot in slo-mo he got in, his appeal to Loki to pack it all in and come home, his getting stabbed as payment for another attempt to talk Loki down, his reaction to Coulson's death, his escape from the SHIELD "hulk-death-trap", his gusto for the shawarma. His cameraderie with Cap, his "he's adopted" line. I would not say he was miles better than any other character, but if you are making me choose one, it's Thor. Loki comes second, Cap third. Oh, okay-- you've convinced me. Remember a couple of days ago when I didn't list it as quite being Thor's film? I started re-thinking that almost immediately, and now you've won me over. Yep, it's Thor's film, too. The dynamic that's particularly touching and humanizing is the obvious fact that Thor loves his brother. The relationship may not have been ideal, but there's obviously a bond that was incredibly important to Thor, and he's emotionally unable to surrender it to the ugly reality at hand. He's still in the Denial stage of the grief process in many ways. The clarity of that dynamic, w/out a ton of dialog to support it, was wonderfully done-- and you're right, it does make Thor a much more sympathetic figure. HB |
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Post by betaraybill on May 11, 2012 12:06:23 GMT -5
Hello There,
Nice to see AA is still going strong.
I voted for Banner/the Hulk amid an exceptionally strong cast. I've wanted the Hulk to be back on the team for ages, partly because it would take a skilled storyteller to pull it off... and we'd reap the benefits of said skilled storyteller.
Not only did Whedon incorporate him into the team as a fluid fighter (who's capable of following a plan, and thinking enough to have the team's interests in mind), but we also saw the monster that even allies are scared of when his rage goes beyond the controlled chaos of a tactical battle.
I left the theater with him as my favorite, the Black Widow a close second (Her moments were suprisingly great, too), and Iron Man/Stark a close third.
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Post by Shiryu on May 11, 2012 16:27:37 GMT -5
Hey BRB, great to see you back!
I agree those three were the most impressing. Not that the others weren't - and I agree with everything Tom said about Thor - but Hulk, Widow and IM did steal the show towards the end.
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 11, 2012 17:47:49 GMT -5
I chose The Hulk...for several reasons. First....he was never really a member. Ok...he was...officially for a few issues....but here he really IS a member of the team. Second...His bonding with Iron Man...both as Bruce/Tony...and as Hulk/IM....especially at the end when he swoops in to save IM as he falls from the vortex. Third...when he strikes Thor ...as an afterthought ... as they have just defeated one of their foes. Fourth....how he deals with Loki. It is clearly the greatest scene of the movie....one that had the whole audience laughing and cheering very loudly. Finally...The Hulk's (CGI) face has always been an amalgam of what we have seen in the comics. Here...we see that he is clearly Mark Ruffalo/Bruce Banner. It is the most powerful point ...for me...as it shows the man to truly be a part of the monster. And it does not hurt that Mark's face is rather friendly...and shows the pain and sadness..... at the same time. Be well  |
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Post by humanbelly on May 11, 2012 19:29:07 GMT -5
Pym--- , I'm totally on board with your comments about Mark Ruffalo (and the Hulk's contributions overall, natch). He actually has a "softer", more sensuous face than either Eric Bana or Ed Norton, and while that may not exactly match up with how we've seen Bruce in the comic book, it goes a long way towards making him more accessible and likable in our eyes. And it does indeed make a more "human" looking Hulk.
I'm pretty sure the first Hulk movie used Bana's face as the model for the CGI Hulk. There were moments where it was nicely apparent. Not so sure with the second film-- it never struck me, at least.
HB
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 11, 2012 19:45:24 GMT -5
Greetings HB It is good to see you. I am sure that you are correct about Bana...I guess that I did not relate to the actor enough to notice...my bad....sincerely. My kindest regards to you and yours! |
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Post by Shiryu on May 11, 2012 20:05:04 GMT -5
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 11, 2012 21:29:07 GMT -5
Greetings Shiryu Thank you for the link! Be well my friend! |
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 11, 2012 21:39:55 GMT -5
I just thought of something.
Just before the big fight scene extravaganza....Bruce Banner arrives on a motorcycle.
Bruce Banner on a motorcycle?
Somehow I am equating this with Rick Jones...not sure why.
Does this ring any bells?....or am I way offbase?
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Post by spiderwasp on May 11, 2012 23:37:13 GMT -5
It took me a while to decide. I finally went with the Widow because she surprised me the most. I've never liked her much but, in this movie, she was great.
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Post by humanbelly on May 12, 2012 9:13:02 GMT -5
Greetings HB It is good to see you. I am sure that you are correct about Bana...I guess that I did not relate to the actor enough to notice...my bad....sincerely. My kindest regards to you and yours! Well, no disrespect at all meant to Mr. Bana-- but he has just kind of a generically handsome, unremarkable (and not particularly expressive) face. Joe Averagewhitemale, as it were. Mr. Ruffalo has been blessed w/ a face that is not only warm & expressive & distinctive, but he also has the tremendous advantage (for an actor) of being able to read as almost any non-African or non-Asian ethnicity. Tan/Olive complexion, dark wavy/curly hair, big brown eyes and soft, well-rounded facial structures-- he can be cast across an incredibly broad spectrum of cultures. In my mind, this makes his Bruce Banner fit all the more into the "everyman" role. Heck, he looks like all the rest of us! (Well, except handsomer, I'll admit.) Physically? Boy, he's pretty short, like Bruce-- but man, he's got a much more muscular frame. He's carrying a good 20 or 30 pounds more than Dr. Banner's listed weight (140 lbs, I believe). But you put the shlubby outfits on him, and he totally becomes a geeky, less-than-socially-adept scientist. Did anyone catch that he's wearing, like, sneakers or hush-puppies or something with the sport-jacket outfit? Sheesh-- Hey, yeah-- I kind of wondered about the motorcycle myself, wondering what inspired the choice. It was an OLD bike, did you notice? Like, '40's or 50's vintage. I imagine the assumption is that he borrowed it from Harry Dean Stanton's character-- perhaps there was even a bit of a chopped-out scene? It was so old and filthy that it clearly had a story all its own. HB |
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Post by humanbelly on May 12, 2012 9:18:02 GMT -5
I want to live next door to this actor and, like, have our families grill burgers and hot dogs together in the summer. . . maybe toss the football around and play frisbee. "Good Father" was one of the strongest impressions I took from the interview. . . HB |
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 12, 2012 18:42:16 GMT -5
Very well said HB! You ..and several other posters...are why this site is like home for me. Clear...concise...and pure of heart and mind. Brilliant Be well  |
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Post by Ignore Me! on May 12, 2012 21:10:42 GMT -5
To be honest, I can't pick one character that stood out from the rest. Whedon did a masterful job of giving every Avenger a number of shining moments. If anything, I'd choose Hawkeye as the most dissapointing member of t he team. The character itself was on par with the rest but I was hoping for more of the hot headed wisecracking archer from the comics. A small complaint for a well done movie.
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pym
Reservist Avenger
"About 20 yards to my right…"
Posts: 200
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Post by pym on May 12, 2012 21:45:19 GMT -5
To be honest, I can't pick one character that stood out from the rest. Whedon did a masterful job of giving every Avenger a number of shining moments. If anything, I'd choose Hawkeye as the most dissapointing member of t he team. The character itself was on par with the rest but I was hoping for more of the hot headed wisecracking archer from the comics. A small complaint for a well done movie. I agree about a certain point. I was rather unhappy that Clint was compromised so early on....and at all. The confrontation between IM and Cap should have been between Cap and Hawkeye...as that is how I remember the early days of the comic. And while we are on the 'disappointment' subject..... Clint and Natasha should have not even been here.....it should have been Hank and Janet. |
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Post by Ignore Me! on May 12, 2012 22:44:52 GMT -5
And while we are on the 'disappointment' subject..... Clint and Natasha should have not even been here.....it should have been Hank and Janet. Agreed. I read somewhere Whedon wanted to cast Nathen Fillion as Hank Pym but he was busy on his show Castle. I thought they might have included him to introduce Ultron. Maybe next movie. |
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Post by Crimson Cowl on May 13, 2012 4:37:02 GMT -5
The Black Widow
I felt that Thor, Loki and Cap were presented in rather cardboard cut-out fashion,- lacking the complexity from their respective movies.
Ruffalo was great as Banner (Norton would've been great too though and I am rather suspicious of Hollywood's desire to portray him as a troublemaking diva), and Downey was suberb again.
Of course the characters that really needed development were Hawkeye and the Widow. Hawk didn't really get it but the old switcheroo in the first half was at least an effective way of making him a credible force to be reckoned with -which isn't necessarily easy to do with a guy using a bow and arrow.
Johanssen was really great as the Widow though and they really brought out more of the character, which contrary to many I'd thought was well presented in IM 2. I thought that she evoked an inviting vulnerability that set you up for the bacon slicer very well indeed! Anyway, I felt that she did the soft/hard soft/hard thing exceptionally and went far beyond what was in the script. I find it hard to imagine another actress playing her now.
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