MovieChat Forums > The Avengers (2012) Discussion > Wow, this has aged TERRIBLY in a decade

Wow, this has aged TERRIBLY in a decade

posted 3 years ago by sONOMArEturns (1274)
15 replies | jump to latest

I never thought the movie was amazing, so maybe I'm biased a bit. But I decided to check it out for the first time in a decade to see "what started it all", and wow, it's bad. So cliched, so dated, so generic. The "jokes" almost all fall flat (quirky improv is barely humor), so many of the "dark" moments are just cringeworthy and wannabe-edgey (Loki attacking the museum with ironic classical music playing in the background) and worst of all, the CGI is fucking atrocious. The final attack scene is nearly unwatchable because of how terrible that CGI looks. Everything looks like either a video game cutscene or like people are standing in front of a green screen.

I think the hype was SOLELY based on the fact that nerds were excited to see multiple heroes in one movie fighting alongside together. Almost all of the archived posts from 2012-ish are all the same: "wow, it's just like the comics!!! 10/10!!!" Had this come out today, it would get brushed under the rug pretty quickly. Hell, hardly anyone talks about it anymore and it fell out of the Top 250 years ago, so maybe I'm not wrong.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

I think the choreography for the final attack scene still holds up. It's one of the best action sequences in a comic book movie for me, and I still rewatch it occasionally to this day. This is one of the key comparison points I use when a new one comes out.

The comedy/dialogue/jokes are all a very specific style (see: Whedon). It sounds like it didn't appeale to you then, and it certainly wouldn't appeal to you now.

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 3 years ago

I'd agree that the final battle ranks among the best action sequences in action movies, period, never mind comic book movies.

In fact, I think one of the MCU's strengths is its ability to insert is superheroes into other well-established genres, like heist movies (Ant-Man) or political thrillers (Winter Soldier).

And it's not nerds and their superheroes for whom this film is special. It's the first time we've seen such a carefully orchestrated "shared universe" on film. I really can't think of any analogues, before or after. Even as I write this, the DCEU and Univeral's stillborn Dark Universe are, at best, pale imitations.

Most of the time, when Freddy Krueger meets Jason Voorhies or Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein, it's an ex post facto attempt to revive a dying franchise.

That's what made this movie special. Certainly it wasn't Whedon's dialogue and direction, which I agree can be annoyingly cute at times.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

I'd agree that the final battle ranks among the best action sequences in action movies, period, never mind comic book movies.

I wrote that out first, and then decided to dial my claim back. Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with that. For me, Avenger's 1 climatic fight is along the lines of the Train sequence in Sucker Punch, the Halle Berry+Kianu fight scene in John Wick 3, and the restaurant scene in the Protector, to betray a few of my favorite action sequences.

I think one of the MCU's strengths is its ability to insert is superheroes into other well-established genres, like heist movies (Ant-Man)

I actually was arguing with someone recently about this. I personally think that the MCU can do much more, but I definitely agree that it's a good thing to see this genre-crossing. Ant-man is actually one of my top 5 MCU films, and that's partly the reason.

re: DCEU, I'm actually disappointed that James Wan's horror spinoff of Aquaman got cancelled, especially since the New Mutants wasn't great (and it was only turned into a horror movie in post production).

[–] MisterE (733) 3 years ago

Nope, it is still an awesome movie.

[–] jekporkins (1976) 3 years ago

Absolutely - it's such a blast from start to finish and the impact it had when it came out can't be understated.

[–] Kowalski (76825) 3 years ago

I FEEL BAD FOR YOU...YOU SOUND FAIRLY BITTER....THIS IS A WONDERFUL FLICK.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1274) 3 years ago

IF BITTER MEANS HAVING GOOD TASTE THEN YES YOU ARE RIGHT

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I disagree, I still enjoy the movie, but I enjoy it *because* of the cheesiness! And I know that not everyone goes for movies that use cheesy jokes and cliches so well, so I don't object if you dislike this movie for the same reasons I like it.

But I do like this movie. I like the fact that in this movie Loki is full-on eeeeevil instead of being typically amoral, he's great fun to watch. I like it because the guys are all so attractive! And the finale battle really is amazing, and it's amazing for the sharp evolution of the team's characters as well as looking spectacular and the fun of seeing alien ass kicked. The Avengers become The Avengers in one suspenseful moment, when the team looks at their enemies and spends one moment standing there thinking they're fucked... and then Steve speaks up with a strategy and the fight begins! And we realize that Rogers didn't become team captain because he's the alpha, or because he's the smartest or the coolest... it's because he's the one who's studied strategy, and listening to him is their best shot at winning a fight.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1274) 3 years ago

My issue with the film isn't that it's cheesy, it's that it TRIES to be "cheesy" but also wants to be taken seriously as a legit drama. Scenes like Loki attacking the museum, and that dramatic classical music plays over it in a way that's clearly supposed to be suspenseful and thrilling clash with scenes of the characters joking around and being goofy. I think Sam Raimi nailed how comic book movies are supposed to be, fun while also thrilling.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Eh, it worked for me!

I understand that it doesn't work for you, I can understand why you might feel that way. But that doesn't mean I want to listen to you rant about how awful it is, be a sweetie and don't harsh my superhero buzz.

[–] Kowalski (76825) 3 years ago

WE GET IT...TO HAVE A SPIDER-BONER...A LOT OF THE REST OF US ENJOY DIFFERENT THINGS.

[–] sONOMArEturns (1274) 3 years ago

I WAS JUST DISCUSSING MY OPINION, ALMOST AS IF THAT WAS WHAT THIS WEBSITE WAS INVENTED FOR. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LIKE WHATEVER YOU WANT. I MAY BECOME SUPREME OVERLORD ONE DAY, BUT THAT DAY HAS NOT COME YET.

[–] Kowalski (76825) 3 years ago

YEAH...THAT'S WHAT I SAID...SPIDER-BONER.🤔

[–] sONOMArEturns (1274) 3 years ago

WHAT'S WRONG WITH SPIDER BONERS? CANT THEY HAVE FUN TOO?

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Based OP.

This film was a great benefactor of the hype at the time of release. It was a big deal having a boatload of superheros together on the big screen.

Marvel have since repeated the gimmick adnauseam with bigger budgets and grander stakes. This film is quite obsolete and over shadowed by latter entries.

First impressions last. People still cling to their rosy memories of seeing this back in 2k12. It also benefits to an certain extent from the 'original is always the best' fallacy.