Have to say I was very skeptical about this movie. I was always going to see it because well...its the Avengers, this feels like a pretty big cultural event, but I didn't see how having so many heroes could possibly lead to a legitimately good movie.
Fuck me was I wrong. Absolutely loved it. Its quicker to just describe what I didn't like: the opening scenes were a little underwhelming, Loki while better than in Thor I still find lacks the screen presence I'd like for a main villain, and the guy playing Hawkeye is very forgettable. Thats it; everything else is perfect. There were just so many awesome moments its hard to single anything out really, usually in these Marvel films there are a couple of really great climatic action shots, but at 2 points in this movie it feels like there's one every 30 seconds.
The dialogue is very sharp, in fact it is a genuinely funny film, I was kind of annoyed at the people in the cinema for laughing too loud! I definitely felt they went too far in Iron man 2 with the cute, ad liby dialogue between Tony and Pepper, but here it felt just right. Lots of great lines and nothing that stood out as bad writing.
The pacing is also great, if not somewhat relentless. Again, there are 2 points in the movie where its moving at 100mph and they are juggling so many different threads, and yet they somehow manage to keep it together and I'm just sat there thinking "THIS IS SO AWESOME!" And finally(!), Marvel manages to get deliver a satisfying finale. I'd be interested to know the budget as it definitely feels like one of the most expensive films I've seen. Given the precedent for the quality of action set by their recent film I couldn't believe what I was seeing at times, and it just kept on coming!
By the way, I know I'm been hyperbolic here, but this is coming from someone who isn't even really a Marvel fanboy. I'd say I probably have more knowledge than most filmgoers but I've never read a comic in my life. I almost never go so see films twice, the only time in recent memory is Avatar, but walking out of the cinema I was already looking forward to going again next week!
How is the 3D in this? I saw the trailer in 3D and I thought it looked too dark.
As someone who really hates 3D but was forced to see it that way, it wasn't so bad. I was surprised to learn it was a converted to 3D film because it did seemed to be done quite well. It doesn't escape my many criticisms of 3D, but I didn't at any point think 'grr, this is too dark' and it didn't ruin the experience. I'd still recommend 2D but if you like 3D I'd say you'll probably like it in this movie.
