# Did we all see the same movie? Avengers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100 "2012-08-30T02:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/61 "2012-08-31T15:01:02Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I’ll be sure to tell my kids that’s the underlying message if I wind up taking them to see it. > > Or maybe I’ll just leave it at “Hulk smash!!!” A meditation on our foreign policy then? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/62 "2012-08-31T16:21:43Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I was looking forward to seeing this movie based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I ended up not really enjoying it as much as most of the Marvel movies. > > I first of all did not look forward to another movie with Loki as villain, also there was just too much focus on Hawkeye and the other non-super member. > > The new guy they got to play Bruce just wasn’t doing it for me, also the first Hulk out was kinda lame. The most interesting characters were not given much to do, like Cap. > > The movie seemed overly long and then comes a required boss battle near the end, I lost interest. What does _boss battle_ mean? > [@grude](#): > > One thing I did like was apparently Tony Stark and Pepper are letting their facade slip as shown in Avengers, it never did make sense that they love each other intimately yet have no relationship. Wait, what? Do you mean that Stark & Potts are no longer pretending not to be in a relationship, or that they did not seem to be in a relationship in this movie? Because your complaint doesn’t make sense to me either way. While it’s clear that they were in love as early as the first Iron Man, they didn’t begin a romantic relationship until the end of IM 2. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/63 "2012-08-31T17:10:36Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > What does _boss battle_ mean? I love how old you are sometimes Skaldy. It’s a video game term. It means a fight against something much bigger than normal, i.e. the Leviathan that Iron Man/The Hulk takes down. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/64 "2012-08-31T18:10:33Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > It’s a video game term. It means a fight against something much bigger than normal, i.e. the Leviathan that Iron Man/The Hulk takes down. More than that, it’s a significant milestone - end of a level, major plot confrontation, end of the game. It’s hard to find a proper boss battle in the movie - but the Chitauri invaders as a whole could be considered a single gimmick boss. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/65 "2012-08-31T18:51:16Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > slight hijack - They’ve re-released the Avengers in theaters for Labor Day weekend. Is it an extended edition like they were discussing a few months ago? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/66 "2012-09-01T04:22:41Z")
I don’t think so, but it sounds like there will be a different or additional post-credits scene. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/67 "2012-09-01T14:57:27Z")
> [@](#): > > I love how old you are sometimes Skaldy. Skald is only sometimes old? Actually, that makes a lot of sense… ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/68 "2012-09-01T15:55:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Skald is only sometimes old? Yeah. Just every once in a while Skald makes you remember that he’s actually pushing 50. Like his baffling lack of knowledge about anything related to video games (I think he once said that he had never even heard of _Nintendo_ after it was mentioned in a thread). And his insistence that people who find Michelle Trachtenberg sexy are robbing the cradle even though she’s just a single day younger than the woman I’ve been married to for six years. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/69 "2012-09-01T21:01:22Z")
> [@](#): > > And his insistence that people who find Michelle Trachtenberg sexy are robbing the cradle even though she’s just a single day younger than the woman I’ve been married to for six years. I think that’s just a Rhymer quirk, not something specifically age-related, given that some of the women Skald likes are about the same age. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/70 "2012-09-02T03:26:46Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > She doesn’t really do it either. Doesn’t the old scientist guy tell her that the staff closes the portal? > > And actually, isn’t the staff just lying on the ground at that point? Seems like the old scientist guy could’ve just done it himself, off camera, and saved the day why the rest of the heroes were being worthless running around Manhatten individually picking off aliens with medieval technology (arrows and bludgeoning them with a shield). Yes, the aged, portly scientist could have dropped down two stories, grabbed the scepter, then gotten himself back up in plenty of time. I just watched the movie again today. It is unfortunate that Natasha’s true skillset, information acquisition/spying, didn’t actually make a difference in the unfolding of the plot (she sussed out Loki’s intention to enrage Banner and use the Hulk to destroy the helicarrier, but Banner Hulked out anyway). It’s also true that what she did accomplish, anyone on the team could have done, which isn’t surprising given that Cap, Iron Man, and Thor are all effectively metahumans. But the fact is that she _did_ do those things, they didn’t, and what’s more, her presence, even just as a fifth/sixth member, _was_ needed. Consider the following: she was the one to ask Banner to assist SHIELD. I’ll admit, she probably wasn’t the only SHIELD agent who could have, but she was the one who did it, and she did succeed at it. Restricting the pool of available people to the Avengers themselves, I actually doubt any of the others could have persuaded Banner. The Hulk caused some issues on the helicarrier, but he was devastating in the final battle. During the attack on the helicarrier, Stark and Rogers were occupied getting one of the engines back online, and Thor was occupied containing the Hulk. Who would have stopped Barton? If you consider that Romanov and Barton are the top SHIELD field agents, it’s likely Barton would have cut his way through any available resistance. He’d have left with Loki, and the final battle in NYC would have been that much harder for the Avengers. Barton could probably kill Rogers and at the very least disable Stark’s armor with his trick arrows, if not kill him as well. Lastly, at the final battle, she made a difference by being able to get the scepter and close the gate. Sure, it was _possible_ for the other Avengers to do so, but they were somewhat busy battling _an entire army_. Romanov isn’t a front-line fighter; she’s better for infiltration and sabotage. Her presence provided enough manpower to get the job done. Maybe Cap could have done it himself, but he was needed to fight and keep an eye on the entire battle. In D&D terms, she’s the Int-based Rogue of the group. The others are heavy fighters, and while Stark and Cap are certainly intelligent during combat (Banner isn’t available while the Hulk is playing), their talents are best used for heavy lifting. She may not be able to physically do things the others can’t, but she’s far from useless. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/71 "2012-09-04T17:05:55Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Yeah. Just every once in a while Skald makes you remember that he’s actually pushing 50. > > Like his baffling lack of knowledge about anything related to video games (I think he once said that he had never even heard of _Nintendo_ after it was mentioned in a thread). And his insistence that people who find Michelle Trachtenberg sexy are robbing the cradle even though she’s just a single day younger than the woman I’ve been married to for six years. You’re confused. I’ve never said that I hadn’t heard of Nintendo; I said that I hadn’t played once since the late 80s or early 90s, as I don’t get the appeal. As for Trachentenberg – I don’t know how old she is, but I assume mid-twenties or so, assuming she was playing her actual age on Buffy. She’s just not pretty in my eyes; I don’t care for her face, and for me it’s all about the face. As for “pushing 50”, try “early 40s.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/72 "2012-09-04T17:55:10Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t think so, but it sounds like there will be a different or additional post-credits scene. Nope…saw it on Friday night. There were no additions nor changes from the original release (though the shawarma scene was, indeed, still at the end). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/73 "2012-09-04T18:10:38Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You’re confused. I’ve never said that I hadn’t heard of Nintendo; I said that I hadn’t played once since the late 80s or early 90s, as I don’t get the appeal. I forget the exact mention, but still, I find it baffling for someone so tuned into geek culture such as yourself to have almost no working knowledge of anything related to video games. > [@](#): > > As for “pushing 50”, try “early 40s.” I don’t mean this as any kind of a slam, but it feels like you’ve listed your age as early 40s for almost a decade now. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/74 "2012-09-04T22:29:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I forget the exact mention, but still, I find it baffling for someone so tuned into geek culture such as yourself to have almost no working knowledge of anything related to video games. > > I don’t mean this as any kind of a slam, but it feels like you’ve listed your age as early 40s for almost a decade now. I haven’t. It feels to me like I’m being baited, though, so I’m done here. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/75 "2012-09-05T00:15:53Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Consider the following: she was the one to ask Banner to assist SHIELD. I’ll admit, she probably wasn’t the only SHIELD agent who could have, but she was the one who did it, and she did succeed at it. Restricting the pool of available people to the Avengers themselves, I actually doubt any of the others could have persuaded Banner. You gotta admit, though, that leading off with a genuine handshake was a perfect example of Captain America winning someone over with plainspokenness. “Word is, you can find the cube.” “That the only word on me?” “Only word I care about.” ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/76 "2012-09-05T00:16:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I haven’t. It feels to me like I’m being baited, though, so I’m done here. Relax man. You’ve got a lot of quirks in your writing style, I was just having a little fun. It happens to the best of us. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/77 "2012-09-05T00:25:49Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > You gotta admit, though, that leading off with a genuine handshake was a perfect example of Captain America winning someone over with plainspokenness. > > “Word is, you can find the cube.” > “That the only word on me?” > “Only word I care about.” True enough, that’s one of the best interactions in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/78 "2012-09-05T02:52:32Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > …Snip…Avatar… was a totally crappy movie except for a few pretty visuals. Snip… Or, the most visually rich and inspired film ever made, by a country mile, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/79 "2012-09-05T11:56:58Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > Or, the most visually rich and inspired film ever made, by a country mile, perhaps? This won’t go well. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100/80 "2012-09-05T18:43:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > This won’t go well. Nah. I never argue with people who like movies (or anything) better than I did. If they were satisfied by the experience, great for them. They get far more out of their satisfaction than I do with my feeling that I lost two hours of my life. All I want to do is gently remind people that popularity and goodness are independent variables. And since even silenus has retreated from the very silly position that I was reacting to there’s nothing here to get excited about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-we-all-see-the-same-movie-avengers/633100.md?page=5)