Not Filler

As the title indicates, this blog will not be filler. On the contrary, it will take a very specific direction, but I hope it's one you will enjoy. If you're a fan of Joss Whedon, superheroes, secret agents, good movies, having fun, or anything that is good, this post should interest you. Hopefully you like at least one of those things. If not, you're still encouraged to read on.

You may or may not have been part of the Nerd Herd that was the opening night of Marvel's The Avengers on May 4th. The scene was electric as children much too young to be out past midnight wandered to and fro, fanboys and girls purchased overpriced collectible cups, and certain non-conformists stood smugly by in their Batman shirts. With all the chaos and commotion only one thing was entirely certain: The Avenger's was expected to be amazing. Two hours and twenty-two minutes after the theatre doors opened, a group of people emerged that had seen the film and were ready to grace the world with their new-found knowledge or, more accurately, go to bed. Reader, I was part of that group and I feel that it is my duty as a citizen of these United States to share with you what little I know.

Don't misunderstand; I have done a good bit of research on the film (I skimmed IMDB for over a minute) so I feel somewhat qualified to discuss it. I should stop here and say that, while I will try to avoid spoilers in every way possible, I'm no superhero so I may spoil something. Continuing, consider the following a comprehensive overview of what to expect from the film. I should start with my favorite part: Joss Whedon. For those of you who don't know, Joss Whedon is the writer/director/producer responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and, more recently, A Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers along with several others. Just be aware that The Avengers was spearheaded by a guy who has been around the block a time or two when it comes to T.V. and movies. For an example, pay attention to how the action scenes, while epic in their span, are completely controlled and not at all confusing. At a certain point, you may be surprised by how aware you are of where the heroes are when they fight. That's on purpose, folks. He's good at what he does. As all good movies do, The Avengers creates its own world and Joss Whedon was in charge the whole time.

So Whedon is great but he isn't the only good part of the film. Watch out for Mark Ruffalo. If you've kept up with the Avengers prequel movies, you'll remember that Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk. Due to a sort of falling out between Norton and producers, he was cut from the part and Ruffalo took on the role. Norton did an excellent job as Banner, but the skeptical part of me was really pleased by Ruffalo's performance. He adds a new level to the character by providing a mix between the awkward guy and the guy who you're kind of scared to look at which is perfect for the Hulk. True, he is downplayed a bit but he more than holds his own with Downey Jr., Evans, and the rest. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

This blog post could get ridiculous if I mention everything that I liked about the movie so I'll stop that now and move on to infamous Marvel movie post-credits easter egg. Again, if you haven't seen the film, be careful. Particularly here. In fact, just skip this entire paragraph. That would be safe. I'll get back to you in a second. Alright, so the credits begin by flying past the armor and weapons of the different heroes. Let's consider his bit the first credits. After the main cast is credited, a scene opens up showing the Other--Loki's buddy with six fingers--and someone else. The figure's foreboding smile and the Other's defeated monologue are very obvious hints that this guy is the real villain. The only question is "Who is he?" Thanks to IGN's Twitter feed I found out. It turns out that his name is Thanos also known as the Mad Titan. For the sake of keeping this post short, let's label him as the stock Marvel bad guy from space. Go here for a bit more reading on it: http://movies.ign.com/articles/122/1224220p1.html

Wait, skip this too if you don't like spoilers. After the first credits, the normal credits role. Most people leave the theatre at this point but most people are quitters. Wait the whole time and you'll be well-rewarded. Remember Tony Stark's throw-away line about the Shawarma joint? Look no further for the place. After waiting through the black and white credits for a real hint toward the next movie, you've been graced with a minute or two of superheroes eating pita sandwiches. Congrats.

All in all, The Avengers sets a high standard for a superhero movie and I would recommend to anyone in search of a good couple of hours. I've seen it twice and I probably wouldn't object to seeing it a third time. Before I go, let me ask you to leave comments below and apologize for posting this on a Wednesday. I'll do my best to be punctual in the future. Goodnight all and be on the look-out for a Shawarma place. I'd like to try it out.