Joss is Boss: Reviewing the Avengers

Long have I been a fan of Joss Whedon, from the stuff he’s known for such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel”, and the cancelled too soon “Firefly”, and “Dollhouse”, to the works that few know he had a hand in, such as “Toy Story”, “Roseanne”, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”, and “Aliens”. When the announcement came that Joss was at the helm of the Avengers movie, a giddy squee erupted out of me that surprised even me. I KNEW that this movie would be a success, and it would be LEGEND (wait for it)-DARY. I had no doubt that Joss would make this the epic experience that I knew it could be, the way only Joss could have done it. And as usual, he didn’t disappoint.

Now in general, I have little knowledge of comic book lore outside of the early 90s cartoons that reigned supreme during my childhood. I will not claim expert status, I can only claim basic understanding, and I still consult my comic book expert (it’s my brother) when needed. Having watched all of the other movies in the franchise, I went into this movie with certain expectations, from the characters and from Joss. I’m not going to spoil the movie, but those familiar with Joss favorite tropes and sequences will be almost unfazed when a crater gets formed in the first ten minutes of the movie. My friends and I ventured out to Providence Place for their impressive IMAX 3D theater dimensions during opening weekend. Sleep deprivation aside, the experience was worth every penny. The movie is long, I will grant you (FYI: the original cut was 5 hours, and if you think I’m joking, then you don’t know Joss), but it never felt like it was dragging anywhere, and for an ensemble cast, everyone got screen time that seemed rather fair to me.

I also took my 12 year old nephew to see this movie. He only asked me what time it was ONCE. If I could afford it, I would happily kidnap friends and family to see this movie over again. This is a showcase for the world what those of us who have long supported Joss have already figured out: there is genius, and there is GENIUS, and there is Joss, and half the time you want to strangle him for killing a character you love and ripping your heart out and dancing on it, but you still watch anyway. And watch again, and again, and… I think you get it. So that maybe the next time Joss has an idea for a TV show, the executives (who aren’t from FOX, because if they give him a show, then yank it from him in the first two season, there’s a good possibility there might be a lynch mob forming outside their offices) will listen, pick up the show, and leave him ALONE. I fully run with the theory that Joss might be a reincarnated Shakespeare. It explains everything.

The Whedonverse has just grown exponentially, and I can’t wait to see what shiny new toy he shows us next.