So...Avengers

Just saw it.

Wow.

If you haven't already, go see it. I'm going again tomorrow.

Joss Whedon and the crew did a really phenomenal job. If you liked Iron Man, this is really up your alley, because its got that same flavor only kicked up to eleven. Great characters, plot, sense of timing, cinematography, editing, soundtrack...You name it. It even sets up the sequel really well.

Oh, and Hulk?

Smash.

Not gonna lie: Best movie I have ever seen. Hands down. Just as long as Transformers 3, and makes better use of the time, and I LOVE Transformers 3, so that's saying something.

And yeah, Hulk was not at all appreciative of Tony Stark's new floor, and decided to make his displeasure known with the nearest thing available. That poor floor.

First movie I can remember ever seeing on opening weekend. I've been looking forward to it for a while.

Hulk certainly stole the show. That surprised me considering how his solo ventures are usually the least popular among that crew. Seems it just took Whedon's knack for humor and character to make him shine. The catharsis of watching the Hulk go to town on the things you hate most is also played really well here.

Minor spoilers follow

A few years ago when we first heard this was coming, I was worried they would introduce the team the same way they did in the godawful Ultimate Avengers animated movies, or in the first episodes of the Justice League cartoon, by centering the conflict on a random alien invasion to supply a ton of souless mooks for the heroes to beat up on without any dramatic substance. I was pretty crestfallen at the start of this movie as my worst fear was confirmed. Loki's army wasn't just stupid random alien invaders, it was the same stupid random alien invaders from the stupid Ultimate Avengers movies. It redeemed itself over the next 2.5 hours though. All it needed was an actual villain to drive the heroes and Loki filled the role nicely. Even though the bulk of the last half-hour was all fighting those dumb aliens, they came across as the result of Loki's evil, an extension of his threat. The post-credits revelation of the even bigger villain behind them didn't hurt either.

(Minor spoilers ensue)

I was actually surprised by how slow to start the movie was... I didn't find a footing in it until about 20 minutes in. Which is unusual for Joss projects as they usually grab me right away. It was also a bit strange just how late Thor makes his first appearance.

However, I did love it. And what I love even more is that Joss is finally getting some mainstream cred, which is gonna help to fund all the other amazing stuff he probably has planned. After billions of cancelled premises and movie scripts that were stolen from him and later butchered, this guy is finally getting some recognition from people other than his cult followers.

So yeah, definitely worth seeing.

Did anybody see the POST post-credits clip?

Loved the movie. All of Marvel's buildup finally paid off.

And yes I saw the clip. Thanos FTW!

Yeah.

No idea what shawarma is, but I could go for some.

Yeah.

No idea what shawarma is, but I could go for some.

I serve something similar to it at work, except the Greeks call it "gyros" (pronounced "euros", oddly enough.) Goes nicely with tzatziki sauce.

Yeah.

No idea what shawarma is, but I could go for some.

I serve something similar to it at work, except the Greeks call it "gyros" (pronounced "euros", oddly enough.) Goes nicely with tzatziki sauce.

So would that make Gyroman Euroman? Hero of Europeans everywhere?

Shawarma is a middle-eastern hybrid meat that blends lamb and beef (and maybe pork? I can't remember). Like Ben said, it's a lot like a greek gyro, with a garlicky sauce and generally turnips onions and tomatoes.

Apparently the post-post-credits scene was filmed quick and dirty just a month ago, after the complete film was already being shipped overseas. Hence why the clip appears less edited than the rest of the movie, and why the people in Europe that got to see the movie early were robbed of the awe-inspiring experience of watching a superhero team eat shawarma silently in a busted-up restaurant.

After THAT, even after the screen went black, I was somewhat tempted to stay even longer, expecting a third secret scene. They know how to keep ya guessing these days.

Quick and dirty though it may have been, it actually went a long way toward making the whole thing seem more real. I mean, hell, what do you DO right after a massive alien invasion has been defeated after causing untold billions in property damage and saving a whole hell of a lot of live? I mean, sure, eventually you're gonna have some sort of party to celebrate and maybe go your seperate ways, but RIGHT after? Hell, I'D be hungry. Combined with Tony's comment right after waking up again, it made the perfect moment in time to see them all being... well, as close to normal as it would get.