AVENGERS: Grade, Reviews, Discuss, DVD & Sequel **SPOILERS**

[Admiral Buzzkill]

All this fooforaw about whether Coulson really died is puzzling.

Not in the slightest.

I like him. That's the beginning and the end. Check, please.

 

[Kemaiku]

I didn't realise there was any argument over it until today.

 

[Avalon]

Um...what? There was not a single thing ambiguous about his death. He got stabbed through the chest. We saw him die mid-sentence.

- We saw him pass out mid-sentence, not die.
- The cards and the blood was a ruse by Nick Fury to motivate the Avengers.
- The medics never announced his death; Nick Fury was the one who said that the medics said he was dead. The same Nick Fury who faked the cards.

I'd say there's a pretty good chance he's still alive.

Exactly so. The "wishful thinking" is on the side of insisting that the death is unambiguous.

One can call bringing the character back a "cop-out" - that's an opinion. Suggesting that that the studio didn't build an escape right into the screen narrative is simply an error.

If they'd been any more explicit about their misdirection, the scene wouldn't have worked at all

Yep. The other things I found interesting were Tony's mention of LMDs earlier in the movie, so that puts the idea out there for people unfamiliar with the comic books; and Tony's angry speech about how stupid it was for Coulson to go up against Loki on his own. On the one hand, it's Tony just trying to deal with the loss and it's part of the whole self-sacrifice theme the movie attached to Tony. But on the other hand...while Coulson wouldn't hesitate for a second to do what needs to be done no matter the cost, he's also very much not stupid. So, if he had a better choice -- like, say, sending his LMD out with a BFG to slow down Loki -- wouldn't he take it?

 

[nx1701g]

I think he's dead, but I could see him coming back. If they want to bring him back, the next Avengers movie makes the most sense. And, it'll depend on if they want to go that route. The "death" was left ambiguous, which allows for bringing him back (especially given the deceptive nature of Fury), but I don't think the intent when they wrote the scene was to have him alive.

I'd have no problem if he comes back. It would make for a kickass moment.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him return. I remember the entire theatre gasped at his death, so bringing him back in the next film would probably have the same effect.

Plus, I remember reading somewhere, that Whedon theorized that Coulson may have superpowers of his own.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I'd prefer it if he stayed dead. Not every character has to come back to life.

 

[stj]

In soap operas, melodrama and scifi, nobody is dead til you see the body. Whether they stay dead depends on how TPTB respond to popular demand. And that's the end of that story.

The real fooforaw is about whether Couldson truly dying is more dramatically significant than Coulson living. The answer of course is that neither really matters very much. Which is precisely why the fooforaw is puzzling.

No service rendered, no check.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Not every character has to come back to life.

Not every character...but Coulson should.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Life Model Decoy

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Nah, I think the medics just patched him up.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

Not every character has to come back to life.

Not every character...but Coulson should.

I don't really get all the fuss over him. He was pretty cool, had a few good moments in the Iron Man films and Thor and a lot of good stuff in Avengers but it's not a massive deal if he doesn't come back.

If it serves a purpose in the story then fair enough, and the Vision theory would be a good way to do it. But if he comes back and just has the same role again it'd be a bit pointless really.

 

[Captain Craig]

I'm in the camp that the mention of an LMD, while being an easter egg to comic fans, isn't purely out there as a coincidence. It's one of those threads that if they chose to pull on it could bring Coulson back.

Not to unlike Spock..."Remember", look what they did with just that!

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Then they put Spock in a sunglass case. RIP

The character was goody lovable but the Avengers already has a lot of ground to cover in terms of characters.

I would not be ticked if he came back, but....I don't share the love either.

I need to watch all the other films. That may change my tude, but the dude died doing his job. Bravo!

 

[Trekker4747]

In Smallville Lex pretty unambiguously had an entire Fortress come crashing down on top of him, we all know how that turned out.

Yeeeeeeahhhh.... But Lex Luthor is someone that pretty much had to come back to establish the "status quo" of Smallville's Superman universe, is an iconic character, and he didn't really come back the character was revived with a clone.

 

[Captain Craig]

Then they put Spock in a sunglass case. RIP

Wow, you either blew over the point or haven't been paying attention.
After the "sunglass case" he was all alive and better in the next film.

The character was goody lovable but the Avengers already has a lot of ground to cover in terms of characters.

I would not be ticked if he came back, but....I don't share the love either.

I need to watch all the other films. That may change my tude, but the dude died doing his job. Bravo!

Maybe it will, explains perhaps why you don't get the love for Coulson.

 

[Admiral2]

Saw it a third time. Still love it, but three's my limit before the DVD.

Speaking of, I got to thinking that the MCU is just like those special comic events where you gotta buy all the issues from the mini-series and all the related issues from regular series. I feel like Avengers is the mini and I gotta make sure I bought all the others (I only own the 2 Iron Mans). That's my only gripe concerning the film.

Those of you who don't get the Coulson love, that's fine. He'll get enough from those of us who do get it to compensate, whether he comes back or not.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I wouldn't be surprised to see him return. I remember the entire theatre gasped at his death, so bringing him back in the next film would probably have the same effect.

Yeah, that's what I picture. It'll be a good shock to the audience.

If he stays dead, it won't matter much either. I just think they should decide if it'll work well for a story (the most important thing, don't just do something because the character was popular).

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Not every character has to come back to life.

Not every character...but Coulson should.

I don't really get all the fuss over him. He was pretty cool, had a few good moments in the Iron Man films and Thor and a lot of good stuff in Avengers but it's not a massive deal if he doesn't come back.

I think Coulson's popularity stems at least partially from the fact that in these films with larger-than-life heroes and villains, he manages to stay grounded and be relatable to the audience. He's an every-man who holds his own amongst giants by being competent, likeable, and earnest. The audience sees themselves in him, and thus feels the impact of his "death" more intensely.

 

[Kelthaz]

Poor, poor Wash ...

 

[Disruptor]

Saw this today. Worst movie I've seen at the theater this year. And the best I've seen this year. Also, the only movie I've seen at the theater this year.

As I didn't seen Iron Man 2, Thor or Captain America, some plot points were lost on me. So I was constantly asking the person next to me "who the hell is that guy?" They got tired of this and changed seats. What a snob.

Nick Fury looks different than he did in XXX and XXX2.

So how come Scarlett is in this movie but not Snake-Eyes? Is her appearing in this the reason she isn't in GI JOE Retaliation.

Tony Stark dating Gwyneth Paltrow? He could do better!

I understand how Banner turns into the Hulk but how did Banner turn from Edward Norton in Brad Renfro?


Why is Green Arrow not wearing green? I hate it when they cannot get the simple things right.

Did Stark think Loki would fall for the drugged drink offer?

Alien Chiriqua or something...were they alive or robots or both? And their army seemed quite small, sure they had space dragons...but what's the point of space dragon...do they have to eat?

Harry Dean Stanton's character was God, right? COME ON! It was obvious.

Darkseid is gonna be in the next movie. Sweeet...maybe they can get Superman onboard the team.

Stark is a jet setting playboy and has never eaten shawarma? Really? I found that harder to accept than anything, even metal space dragons.

(Any serious replies to this post will be considered a victory by Loki.)

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I loved the Tony/Pepper scenes. Love Gwyneth. Their chemistry is great.

What makes the movie worthwhile is that the characters are charming as people and the dialogue is smart and fast. Downey doesn't dominate either as Stark or in terms of his (considerable) talent - Rogers and Banner are great and very specific. Romanov is surprisingly vulnerable, but you could say that about most of the characters including Loki. The two who get short shrift, really are Clint - we don't learn anything worthwhile about him - and Thor, who remains a dullard despite Hemsworth's evident talent (or maybe Hemsworth sees him as a stolid bore and that's what he's going for).

Samuel L. Jackson is just Samuel L. Fucking! Jackson, which is cool.