The Avengers (SPOILERS BEWARE0

[Umbran]

Can't be both powerful and a pantywaist. Which should an arch-villain be?

Pantywaist is a state of mind, not of body Do remember that it was THE HULK who slapped him around, not pre-SuperSolider Steve Rogers or something. And he still survived, apparently without major injury, as he was up and walking the same darned day. So, not exactly a weakling.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Well, that's the basic wrinkle with the character right there. That's the impression the movie bestows. He's very watered down, basically not much to write home about without his scepter thing. Can't be both powerful and a pantywaist. Which should an arch-villain be?

I'm tempted to wonder whether we saw the same film

Loki holds his own in fights against Thor, and pretty much any single superhero - even when Iron Man 'captures' him, it is later clearly because he wants to be captured.

The scene tells us nothing about Loki's power (which has been amply demonstrated many times) and everything about the Hulk.

all IMO.

 

[Umbran]

Watched the 3d version didn't see that either, was it left out for the US premiere?

It *hadn't been shot* at the time of the European premiere.

'The Avengers': The (spoilerish) backstory behind secret new scene | Inside Movies | EW.com

 

[Desdichado]

To make the audience think that he was dead and thus heighten the impact of the moment as we experience it via our sympathetic connection to the protagonists. Joss has always been pretty good at creating a connection to the characters. It's the biggest reason why Buffy, Angel and Firefly are so popular.

But they're not so popular. They've all been cult favorites and mainstream commercial failures.

 

[Azgulor]

Well, that's the basic wrinkle with the character right there. That's the impression the movie bestows. He's very watered down, basically not much to write home about without his scepter thing. Can't be both powerful and a pantywaist. Which should an arch-villain be?

I'd better not see that with Thanos, or there will be an emo hissy-fit of titanic proportions (pun intended!).

Then again, I guess if they're true to Thanos' character, the Avengers will basically be dead meat.

Watered down? The guy was used as a rag doll and the floor yielded to his body. Yeah, he felt the punch, maybe some bruising, but the guy was talking and walking later. The SHOCK of being attacked in that matter took the fight out of him as much as the pounding did.

If anything, I liked the fact that the movie showed how much damage an Asgardian could take.

I thought that they did a great job with Loki and that he was a threat throughout the movie.

3 days later, my kids are still talking about that scene and laughing. I thought it was perfect.

 

[Desdichado]

Despite all this, he still sets out to import an army onto Earth and take it over by force - so clearly their job wasn't to deal with the Avengers.

My impression is that Loki didn't want to conquer by subterfuge, to lead from the shadows, despite that being what he's good at. What he wanted was to subjugate a planet by force of arms and become its acknowledged ruler. And from his viewpoint, Earth was a perfectly good candidate for that plan.

Loki wasn't calling the shots. At least not completely. The Other, or whatever dumb name they gave that skrull leader with the Mouth of Sauron outfit threatened him more than once if he didn't do his part of the alliance.

That bonus scene was utterly silent. Everyone sitting slumped around the table, exhausted from a hard day of "work", eating takeout while an old guy sweeps up in back and Mark Ruffalo tries not to laugh. Completely brilliant.

My wife thought that was the funniest part of the whole movie. Granted, it was after 2 AM when we first saw it, so I think she was kinda slap-happy, but still. When we saw it the next day with the kids, I couldn't convince her to go grab some shawarmaa after the movie. I thought that would have been funny.

Then again, we did Mexican. It was Cinco de Mayo, after all.

 

[billd91]

But they're not so popular. They've all been cult favorites and mainstream commercial failures.

I wouldn't call either Buffy nor Angel commercial failures since they lasted 7 and 5 seasons, respectively. I would even say Buffy, at least, was sufficiently mainstream to be the #2 show on a fledgeling network and showed broad youth appeal.

 

[Felon]

Loki holds his own in fights against Thor, and pretty much any single superhero - even when Iron Man 'captures' him, it is later clearly because he wants to be captured.

I guess you hated all those scenes that showed Loki doing that stuff, because it was "the same trope you've seen in dozens of films", right?

No? Then why in the world are we off on this tangent that came about when you said you would have hated to see Loki display some power against Hulk? What, it's just in that one scene where I suggested he display some of that power instead of just whining indignantly that it's no sale? Well, that's fair.

I thought that they did a great job with Loki and that he was a threat throughout the movie.

Except the one scene where he goes out like a punk, because he just stood there yelling at the monster about to do him dirty.

And yeah, Loki's seriously watered down from his comic book incarnation.

I can't believe one little nitpick about a scene has elicited such rancor. I understand everyone liked the scene, but it's possible to enjoy something and still muse about how it could've been improved. Has George Lucas hurt you all so deeply?

 

[Felon]

I wouldn't call either Buffy nor Angel commercial failures since they lasted 7 and 5 seasons, respectively. I would even say Buffy, at least, was sufficiently mainstream to be the #2 show on a fledgeling network and showed broad youth appeal.

Yeah, I was a bit puzzled by Hobo's comments myself. Firefly, sure. Angel? Meh. But definitely not Buffy.

 

[MarkB]

I can't believe one little nitpick about a scene has elicited such opposition. I understand everyone liked the scene, but it's possible to enjoy something and still have criticisms (well, for some of us anyway). Has George Lucas hurt you all so deeply?

I don't think any other handling of it could have captured the the wonderful humour of that moment in the way it was encapsulated in the movie. Advocating its revision is advocating the loss of one of the most iconic stand-out moments of the entire movie. That's likely to elicit a response.

And I don't think it is out-of-character. This is a Loki who's gone from merely craving power to actually believing his own press - a character who really does consider himself a god, and humans his natural subjects. To acknowledge the physical threat the Hulk represents is to admit his own mortality, so when he's faced with that reality, he's totally in denial right up until the truth hits him in the face - or, at least, twirls him round its head and slams him into the floor several times.