Nerds, assemble! "Marvel's The Avengers" lands in theaters this weekend, and I don't think I need to put up a spoiler alert before telling you that it's absolutely awesome and is going to make a bazillion dollars upon release. The MTV Movies gang has seen the flick, and we're still Hulking out over it. (Incidentally, we've discovered that we really like it when Hulk gets angry.)
So for this week's edition of Watch It, we're suiting up and assembling our reactions to "The Avengers" for those of you readers who aren't already busy standing on line for the Marvel Studios blockbuster's big debut.
Christina Beale, MTV News producer:
As a long time Joss Whedon fan, "Avengers" was everything I was hoping for and more. Joss' obvious love for the Marvel world meshed so well with his trademark wit and warmth that the resulting film turned out greater than the sum of its parts. He took on the Herculean task of balancing the screen time for, give or take, eight lead characters, and managed to make them each feel fleshed out and interesting. I was left wanting more, but never feeling unsatisfied. Here's to hoping for a Whedon-helmed "Avengers 2."
Matt Harper, MTV News producer:
There are two things that this movie really did to convince me that Joss Whedon and company had delivered on literally years of anticipation and hype: 1) Without giving anything away, the film realizes that while Loki is the physical antagonist in the movie, the real conflict is within the Avengers team (and yes, we get to see multiple fights between various members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes). And 2) Holy s---, they finally got the Hulk right!
Brian Phares, MTV News producer:
To say I was not sold on the idea of an "Avengers" film would be an understatement. I thought there would be no way for all of these pieces to fit together, and I found myself asking, "Who the hell is Joss Whedon?" But now I know, and I can safely say I trust in Whedon. This movie. Kicks. Total. Ass.
Kevin P. Sullivan, MTV Movies editorial assistant:
With so many of Earth's Mightiest Heroes getting together for a superhero convention, it's easy for the villain to become background noise, but Tom Hiddleston injects so much evil delight into Loki that he does more than enough to stay relevant and entertaining. So when you're at the theater this weekend admiring all the heroes on the screen, take a moment to appreciate the baddie who made it all possible.
Kara Warner, MTV Movies staff writer:
I try to not get caught up in the tidal waves of fanboy expectations and audience enthusiasm so I don't end up disappointed but I'm tellin' ya, this movie deserves all the accolades, press and box office cash it can get. The biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Scarlett Johansson's performance as Black Widow. Joss Whedon has actually given Johansson something to do in this film and her scenes with Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye were some of my favorite. They have great chemistry and a very interesting relationship I'd like to see played out in more films. That's not even mentioning her wonderful 'emotional poker' with Loki, or any of her many awesome combat scenes.
Eric Ditzian, MTV Movies managing editor:
Listen, "Avengers" is dope. You don't need me to tell you that. Read my colleagues' excellent nerd-frothing. We've all been waiting years for our esteemed Marvel superstars to unite on screen, and we all breathed sighs of relief — and then began hooting and hollering — as it became clear Joss Whedon had defied the odds and delivered an "Avengers" movie commensurate to our capacity for wonder. The thing is, nothing in the nearly two-and-a-half-hour film slayed me like the two-minute-long "Dark Knight Rises" trailer that dropped this week and which will run in front of "Avengers" this weekend. The scope of Christopher Nolan's final Batman flick is insane and the stakes feel perilously real (as opposed to the popcorn pleasures of "Avengers"). I'm worried about broken billionaire Bruce Wayne. I can finally understand Bane, and he's freaking me out. So, sure, I've been watching "Avengers" and loving it, but July 20 can't come soon enough.
Josh Wigler, MTV Movies Blog editor:
To those who agree with Eric about "Dark Knight" over "Avengers," I direct you to this and this. Look, there's no doubt that Nolan's final Batman movie is going to be an event worth geeking out over, but for your present needs, "Avengers" is king. It truly is Earth's mightiest superhero movie. If you're a fan of the genre, this is an absolute must-see, no questions asked, no further info required. Just go.
Are you seeing "The Avengers" in theaters this weekend? Let us know in the comments section or hit us up on Twitter with what you're watching this week!
