Simply 'Marvel'ous

Captain's Log 05/03/12

6:05 AM: I wake up, and know today is the day. I hurriedly pack my armour and masks and leave for work.

1:15 PM: Today is Thor's day. I don his regal head gear and acquire the mighty hammer of Asgard. A photo op takes place.

2:07 PM: My boss throws the hammer at another employee. A game of frisbee erupts with Captain America's shield. Another photo op occurs. I start to feel the age old anxiety. So I wait.

4:15 PM: Having shed my mortal clothing, I am wearing my Avengers apparell and the nervous tick in my eye starts twitching. 'Are there already lines? Will I be too late?' I must leave this fortress and go to headquarters.

4:34 PM: I have arrived and still maintain my status as 'That weird girl who gets to midnight showings way too early'. My reputation has proceeded me. At last, I am calm. That is a comfort as I have a long wait a head of me.

8: 27 PM: My first friend arrives and I know it won't be long until the hoardes of unfaithful followers follow her in. I enjoy the silence while preparing for the storm.

9:36 PM: The din is deafening. Ameteurs attempt to walk right into the theater. Oh ye mortals, do you really think it would be so easy? I am in my element, standing tall and on guard.

10:27 PM: After an easy battle for the seats, the rest of our crew has assembled. A game of "Favorites" ensues... to disasterous results. Tears are shed. Friendships are called into question. Lines are drawn. Will we ever be the same again?

11:57 PM: My excitement consumes me. I am restless and jittery. The lights dim. Previews are shown. And then... the Marvel logo appears. It's time.



So clearly I was kind of excited to see The Avengers. And was it all worth it?

Absolutely. Without question. One of the best movies I have ever seen, it had everything: drama, intrigue, humor, a romantic spark or two, rousing speeches, ironic dialogue, and a poignancy that can only be accomplished by the movies writer and director, Joss Whedon.

I aspire to be Joss Whedon. He is my numero uno person I look up to in the business. And I wanted this movie to prove to the entire world, not just the critics and cult followers, why I love him so much. And boy oh boy, did he deliver.

The snappy dialogue from the previous Marvel installments (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America) was there and in spades. The pacing and the cinematography were on par with the previous movies and managed to step it up to a whole new level of intensity. The movie blended the previous storylines and made everything fit together like little puzzle pieces.

The biggest surprise to me was my overwhelming newfound love for Bruce Banner/The Hulk. I attribute this to the witty, insightful dialogue and portrayal of Whedon and Mark Ruffalo respectively. If Whedon were to write a script for The Hulk as his own movie, I would be there in a heartbeat. The two together had a finger on the pulse of what The Hulk is really like and it made the movie. Another movie I would fully endorse if Whedon wrote the script would be a combo flick with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who are the B- characters in regards to the Avengers as a whole. I previously had no desire to know or care about the Black Widow in Iron Man 2, but after last night and her chemistry (romantic or not is still left in the air) with Hawkeye I would pay to see that movie.

Let's not forget the men who jumped started this whole franchise. Iron Man, Thor, and Captain American shone. And fought. And made the team what it was. Honestly, I think I fell more in love with Tony Stark/Robert Downey Jr. than I thought possible but Thor/Chris Hemsworth and Steve Rogers/Chris Evans weren't out of the race by any means. Whedon found a way to have them all step up to the leader circle and still maintain their individual identies and become a cohesive unit.

The other two characters, Nick Fury and Loki, also did their jobs and they did their jobs well. Tom Hiddleston went bat crazy and it was a glorious thing to watch. He was mercilous and slimy and it was just a joy to see fall farther and farther from his brother's help and his salvation. Samuel Jackson was able to do more than make pithy comments and he didn't waste his screen time. The remaining players, Agent Hill (played by How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders) and Agent Coulsen ( a personal favorite played by Clark Gregg) did more than walk around. They were legitimate assets to the SHIELD Initiative. I am going to go out on a limb and say that we might be seeing Agent Hill in Captain America 2... but that's just a personal theory.

I couldn't have asked for a better viewing audience who clapped and cheered at their favorite hero's arrival or triumph in battle. I can guarantee you will be cheering to when you head in to see The Avengers.

Avenger Assemble.