MCU Commentary Rewatch: Marvel’s The Avengers

(Cover art by Matt Ferguson, for the Blu Ray release. https://www.cakesandcomics.com/)

It’s all been building to this. Phase 1 comes to a triumphant close in the first BILLION DOLLAR film of the franchise.

A warning up front. This is not the thread to air your grievances against Joss Whedon. I neither excuse nor condone his behavior, viewpoints, or actions. I’m just here to watch a movie, and listen to one of the best writers in Hollywood talk about his process.

We can discuss how to separate art from the artist another time, in another thread.

TL:DR;

Running Ranking: #3 of 6

Commentary Takeaways:

I took my first micro-nap at the 1:13 mark, the “petty bickering” scene. I almost nodded off during act 3 of the Chitauri invasion, but I gutted it out.

Nothing new, I’ve heard this one before. Whedon knows scripts, characters, and small-unit direction, and his running explanations on all of the above were definitely on point.

His knowledge of comic books, though, is what sets him apart from the other directors in Phase I. He story boarded for his DPs, who delivered a living graphic novel for the Marvel Universe.

The major theme of the piece is the challenges of shooting for 3D. Knowing what shots to linger on, where to use handhelds or dollys, and when to trust the effects to match up to your vision.

THE AVENGERS was a 90 day shoot, and the post production was nearly a year. Matching up the calendars, there was no break at all for Chris Evans after his solo movie, and it’s no surprise that its Cap parts are the best of the ensemble. Mark Ruffalo as “the new guy” got a tad more direction from Whedon, as the two talked a lot about Banner’s rage and how to use it. The two even did some mo-cap wrestling to nail down some of the performance.

In closing, a solid track for a superb movie. Following my own rules, there are a lot of other things I won’t go into about his commentary. He does praise all the principal actors, including Coby Smoulders, and that ain’t nothing.

PHASE 1 Commentary Ranking:

1. CAPTAIN AMERICA: TFA

2. IRON MAN 2

3. INCREDIBLE HULK

4. MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS

5. IRON MAN

6. THOR