What Did the Avengers do Right

You really want the new Avengers movie to be good right? Well it is. Primarily because writer /director Josh Whedon stuck to a simple formula. I mean who knew that telling a story as it was written in a successful series of books would work? Well those of us who enjoy comics did. I don't want to jock this movie too much but here is a break down of what went good and the scientific formula for why the Avengers went right: DISCLAIMER: THERE WAS NO SCIENCE INVOLVED IN THIS FORMULA....IN FACT I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S NOT A FORMULA....OH WELL, ENJOY


RULE ONE: NO CRAPPY ROMANCES 

Is it necessary that the hero has a girlfriend. There are plenty of successful comics that don't deal with a love story or a damsel in distress. In the Green Lantern Movie it took away from the overall story to me, for there to be the love interest. Green Lantern, for many of it's fans, is primarily about the Corps. and the first movie should have dealt with interstellar troubles as opposed to his relationship with an ex girlfriend on Earth. In the animated Green Lantern first flight, we saw Hal being trained in space (much like training day) by a corrupt Sinestro. Better GL movie if you ask me. And Let's not forget Superman Returns where Supes spent more time stalking Lois Lane (creepy) than beating the cat-pee out of something BIG. And don't get me started on the useless waste of space of Rachel Dawes in the Dark Night movies. The Avengers had no simple love story slowing it down, just a high octane roller coaster.

RULE TWO: EPIC ACTION

Go BIG or go home. If you got a seven to nine foot tall one ton green monster, use him. Have him do the awesome things he has done in the comics. Bring on the big explosions and have them use the full extent of their Super Powers. Don't just subtlety hint at their powers (X-men's very first movie) because the audience can handle the powers and the inconceivability, in fact, it's what we all got dressed up to go see. It stinks to go see a movie that's supposed to be fun and even a bit campy and get like a serious psycho-thriller instead (Ang Lee's Hulk). It is nothing short of annoying. The Avengers delivers in the action department. It gives the type of action that we see in the straight to DVD animated movies we all love so much.

RULE THREE: DON'T TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT THEY WILL LIKE

Many a writer or director will make a movie based on what they would like to see or upon their vision. But they have to remember why a certain property has fans. Seriously Michael Bay, did you think we would want the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to be from outer space? What about Deadpool in the Wolverine movie, or Sabertooth being his brother, or the 'old' Hudson couple, or Silverfox being related to Penance, or Wolverine losing his memory with a bullet, ughh.....so much wrong with that Wolverine movie. Point is Whedon is an obvious fan like the rest of us. He knows what the audience would like to see because he and Zak Penn (the co-writer) are read the comics. Also it seems Marvel being in control of its characters instead of some dead studio execs works better. The Avengers stuck to formula without worrying if they would "scare off" target audiences. 

RULE FOUR: YOU DON'T NEED REALISM OR OSCAR WINNERS

Many of you will disagree with this statement, but the first two original X-men movies really sucked to me. It had drama and angst and Bryan Singer did try to bring people who weren't comic book fans in softly to make it make sense, but having Saber-tooth walk around as some mute hired muscle and have a team of only 3 or four adults felt like an insult to me. Think about it, how did 3 Adults only teach a school of 250 students? and why send all of your staff on a mission that would cost you EVERYONE who works for the school. the Brotherhood came up pretty short too. Why did a terrorist group have only 4 members and no other cells ready to give their lives at a moments notice? But X-3 was a better X-men Movie (another point in which others disagree with me usually.) because there were bigger fights, bigger teams on both sides and bigger explosions. They didn't just hint at their powers the characters unleashed them. And the big fight scenes were appreciated. The story was still a bit flat but i came to see Wolverine get thrown through a ceiling by Juggernaut or Storm battle Calisto who was faster than lightning and ran like the wind. Epic battles pay off, and when I saw it in theaters the ooohs and ahhs were big. I mean Juggernaut and Shadow cat racing by running through walls was brilliant. And why do we assume that because an actor won an Oscar that will "save" the movie. The Avengers didn't dilly and dally over realism, they made the movie that you could put into comic. 

Well there you have it. The simple easy to follow rules that made Whedon's Avengers very Awesome. Although I am sure I ranted most of the way through it. Of course he just did what common sense should have told many directors, actors and studios to do a long time ago. That's just make a movie that was just like the comics. I mean when has it ever gone wrong when you stick "Exactly" to the comic book....*Coughs*Watchmen*Coughs*.....

Peace!!!