My wife and I saw Avengers: Endgame yesterday, and were blown away by it. Exciting, funny, poignant, a true spectacle, and a worthy finale had they chosen stop here. Like any movie, it’s not without its flaws and some bits don’t bear up to close examination, but what a ride!
And it occurs to me that this is true of the MCU as a whole. Some of the films are excellent (Captain America: the Winter Soldier), Some are clunkers (Thor: the Dark world), but most are really solid entertainment and hold up to repeated viewings.
But, what really impresses me about the MCU is the scale of the achievement. Over the course of twenty-two films and eleven years, Marvel Studios introduced dozens of engaging, likeable characters, and wove just as many disparate plotlines into a coherent narrative. It’s a Greek Epic with popcorn, Coke and Raisinets.
In the comics, Marvel established their mythology over a period of fifty years and thousands of books. Using that foundation, The MCU did it in two hour chunks in 20% of the time. No mean feat, that. And there’s no denying that the movies gave superheroes mainstream appeal. Nerdery is cool, now.
Unfortunately, there are signs that Marvel is going to kill their golden goose. Little bits of Identity Politics showing up in the movies. The haven’t had their Get Woke, Go Broke moment yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time. But, what the hey…like Star Wars, it was a fun ride while it lasted.
Whether it’s nerd stuff or sports, fans tend to be very protective of that which they love, because they can love it unreservedly. They don’t have to hold anything back. They can fully invest themselves. There’s no downside. That’s why fans get angry or just tune out when their fandom gets political, often even if they’re sympathetic to the cause.
Sports or nerdery are what people turn to for fun. They’re a haven from the stresses of life. For the couple of hours it takes to watch the game or movie, they can just relax and enjoy. When politics invades, there goes the neighborhood. It’s ruined. It’s not fun, anymore.
Flo Zigfeld said, “If you’ve got a message, use Western Union.” One thing that’s just for fun. Is that so much to ask?
7 replies on “Appreciating the MCU”
I saw it today. It was excellent, though there were a couple scenes where they try to beat you over the head with social justice, but they did not pervasively overtake the movie. Now I finally get a chance to use the spoiler function!
[spoiler title=”Avengers: Endgame Spoilers!”]When Captain America summoned Mjolnir, everyone in the theater (myself included) let out a cheer. That was the obvious highlight of the film. Thankfully, Brie Larson was completely inconsequential to the movie: a total minor character. I loved seeing the avengers get families; as I grow up I’m starting to love those kinds of storylines more and more. How to Train Your Dragon 3 had a great ending in that vein, if you are interested. Those are some of my favorite movies.[/spoiler]
I know what you’re referring to. What bugged me was the pandering was so heavy-handed, it was insulting. Didn’t really harm my enjoyment of the movie, it just made me roll my eyes.
Is this one supposed to directly follow “Infinity War”? I’ve only watched the MCU movies in semi-random order because I catch them years after they are in theaters, except for the obvious sequences like Iron Men 1 through 3.
Yes, it is. If you’re interested, I’d suggest just watching them in release order.
Wikipedia says 23 total movies, of which I’ve seen about 12. This is no simple project!
I suggested watching them all to my wife the other week, and all she did was roll her eyes and go into the other room (away from the TV). And I had beer and popcorn ready!
Fortunately for me, my wife is a nerd, too. We snuggle up on the couch to watch.
I have coworker who did just that with his wife. Fifty hours. They watch them in the order they make sense. Today is his birthday and they are both taking the day off to see endgame. I will go Saturday.