The Avengers: Mini Review

Who hasn't seen The Avengers yet?

It took us a while. The first show we attempted to see was sold out so we opted to go during the work week. All in all it was full of action, but a little shy of actual story. I loved how the main characters played against each other. And Hulk, oh, Hulk. He stole nearly every scene.

I kind of wish they'd get rid of Nick Fury's character. I just don't like him or the hierarchy he's supposed to answer to. I guess Joss Whedon had to create some generic Big Brother persona, but I found it distracting to the story at large.

Love Phil, though. Everyone loves Phil.

Captain America, the noblest and least self-serving of all the superheroes seems to take over the logistics on how everyone can best serve. The others, surprisingly, follow his lead without too much argument--which is good because otherwise they'd never quit fighting each other.

The movie probably would've made more sense to me if I understood the Marvel history behind all the characters. For example: Who is the Black Widow? And what's the story behind The Hawk? I liked them both, but I would've like to have known their back story first.

I liked the movie overall, though after reading other reviews I expected to love it, and that didn't happen. Great action. Great cinematography. But with such a huge ensemble, Whedon had to take script shortcuts to get the whole story in there.

The superheroes separately were okay, but together they were rocket fuel. See this movie--if only to see the Hulk smash indiscriminately and with a wicked sense of humor. :wink:

I can't say any more than that, but those of you who've seen the movie probably know exactly what I mean. 

Have you seen The Avengers? Can anyone explain the back story to the Black Widow and The Hawk?

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I know I said I'd only post twice a week on Back to Basics, but a reader emailed me with a question I couldn't answer adequately. If you have some expertise in freezing and preserving, maybe you can stop in and answer this week's question. The post is now live.

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Speaking of readers, I got a lovely fan letter the other day. It just warms my heart when fans write to tell me they enjoyed my books. It makes me feel like it's all worth it.

Note: If you leave a comment about the movie, please refrain from spoilers--or put up a spoiler alert for those few dozen souls who haven't seen the movie yet.