Some Spoiler-free Reasons Why 'The Avengers' is Great (Hint: JOSS)

I didn't quite know what to expect from The Avengers. Yeah, I love Joss Whedon's work. All of it. But when you're tackling a huge summer blockbuster film like this one, it's tough to get your way and have your style really shine through with all those suits breathing down your neck. Disney suits, too, even. On top of that, I wasn't a huge fan of the second Iron Man, and Mark Ruffalo is a dweeb.

Let it suffice to say that I didn't go into this film with the highest of expectations.

However, get yourself ready to heighten your own expectations: The Avengers is a very good film. And the main reason is Joss Whedon.

More often than not, tentpole films like this one get destroyed when a half-baked story ends up drowned beneath a pile of special effects, pop stars, and an edgy soundtrack with electric guitar-ridden Bob Dylan covers. But Writer/Director Joss Whedon is a talented storyteller, and it really shows.

The subtleties of each character come across as they individually trudge through their own emotional journeys. The debonair Tony Stark is as deliciously snarky as ever (and man is he cool). Captain America's stoicism, Thor's family issues, Bruce Banner's anger management, and even Fury's political struggles (and shiny eyepatch) are all poignantly portrayed. There is intense inter-personal drama and complication. While nothing got as heated or in-depth as it could have, and the villain could have been more motivated for his villainy, it all served its purpose of getting the audience emotionally-vested in what's going on.

But the important thing is that this quality character development is balanced perfectly with what the audience is really there for: explosions and capes and laughs. There are countless fight scenes, each with their own unique twist for added suspense and visual stunnery. You are constantly thrown for a loop as each character is dealt the next impossible task they have to accomplish. The shots soaring through the sky with Iron Man or jumping between buildings with the Hulk leave you feeling like you just took the wildest ride of your life. Like a super awesome roller coaster. With punches and flying. And more awesome.

And not only are the fights and effects spectacular in every sense of the word, but the writing is genuinely witty and the character interactions hilarious. I don't remember the last time I laughed in a movie theater that much. The film plays with audience expectations, exploits superhero stereotypes, and is just plain smart about the way it approaches its combination of high and lowbrow humor.

Without giving any plot detail or specific situations away, I am going to tell you, dear reader, that you should go see The Avengers. Whether you are familiar with the caped heroes or not, you'll have a blast. The writing is clever, the story is fleshed out Joss-style, the jokes are beyond funny, and the action is so action-packed that it should be illegal. It won't win an Oscar, but it will win the hearts of countless Americans with its unique brand of charming action and rakish dialogue.

This movie will break box office records. Everyone can enjoy it, and word of mouth will ensure that everybody will. A sequel will definitely be on its way, if it isn't already. And I'll be the first in line to see it.

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Iger says Disney wants to acquire more characters, states the obvious

The Disney Blog and Blue Sky, among some other blogs, have been posting on a recent quote by Iger, in which he expresses that Disney wants to acquire more characters.

Pixar and Marvel was its first step. Disney's purchase of Pixar gives it access to dozens of popular characters that it can do whatever it wants with--make spin-off films, theme park rides, product lines . . . The possibilities of wealth to be had in such high profile characters are almost endless. Similarly, Marvel's 4,000+ character bank opens up Disney's empire into a whole new dimension.

But don't be disheartened that Disney isn't creating tons of their own characters. After all, as many seem to forget, Walt based his features on fairytales, classic literature, legends, and the like, and those stories turned out great.

So my question is, why wouldn't Disney want to acquire more characters? Sure, it'd probably be better if they created their own characters from the ground up, like Pixar does, but they don't necessarily have to. Bolt was an original story and that was wonderful, but so was Tangled, which, as you know, is based on the fairytale of Rapunzel. Disney's theme parks are filled with Indiana Jones and Star Wars, and people love it. You don't need original content for a good story. In fact, the majority of people are more likely to see and connect with a film based around a character they're already familiar with than a completely foreign one.

I think, as with everything it seems, a good balance is key. Some original content, some based on established franchises and existing characters. And that is what Disney seems to be doing now. Its Pixar branch is creating original content, its Marvel branch is breathing new life into characters we already know, and its animation division just released the well-known Winnie-the-Pooh and is developing Mort, a film based on a Terry Pratchett novel, while also working on King of the Elves and The Snow Queen, both of which are loosely based on existing stories, but will act as if they were original since those stories are rather obscure.

And it's good that Disney wants to stretch its horizons. After all, it is an entertainment company, so it wants to get its hand on anything entertaining. Even if they buy up something like Shrek (which would never happen), they could always just stick it on a shelf indefinitely so that no other studio could have access to something so great. Disney is, first and foremost, in the business of making money. I hate to admit it, since they should be in the business of telling good stories, but it's true.

However, good stories make money. At least that's how it should work. So is it bad that Disney wants to acquire more characters? No, since it will keep the slate of Disney films (as well as the theme parks) interesting and new--a good story can come from anywhere. (And, as you may know, Disney has a rather fat wallet, so it can afford a character from anywhere.) Is it bad that Disney plans to keep creating original content, too? Of course not; original content is where we get some of the most beloved characters we know and love.

Is it bloody obvious that Disney longs to get more characters under its banner?

Yes. Yes it is.

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Disney (kind of) announces new slate

Briefly: Disney has sort of announced a slew of upcoming pictures. I say "sort of" because the films themselves are mysteries, with just minor details and the release dates known.

• An untitled project from Henry Selick is slated for October 4, 2013
• The first untitled Marvel movie under the Disney banner is set for release on May 16, 2014, with the second just over a month later on June 27, 2014
• Pixar has a mystery project set to come out on May 30, 2014--perhaps Toy Story 4?

These projects, along with the previously rumored Pixar flick coming in 2013, should be officially announced, with proper titles, at D23 next week.

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Some 'Cars 2' news!

Here are some super-exciting updates related to Pixar's next feature, Cars 2!

First up is the poster heading this article--it was just released. I like the style. Nice n' simple. It ain't no Pooh one-sheet, but it does its job.

As soon as it seemed like we'd seen everything there was to see from Cars 2 until the film's actual release date, I stumble upon something as spectacular as the Japanese Trailer . . . Click here and watch "Japan Trailer 2" for tons of never-before-seen action and pure awesomeness!

A screenwriter is suing Disney, claiming that Cars was his idea. I'm sure that he is just a gold digger who had a similar idea . . . After all, could his tming be any more perfect with the release of Cars 2 just around the corner? Read all about it at The Pixar Blog here.


In June, the first part of a two part comic series, based on Cars 2, will be released by Marvel Comics. The cover is pictured above.

Cars 2, which I am becoming increasingly less skeptical about, will be released later this year on June 24.

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Marvel to Disney transfer complete (Or is it?)

It was just announced that Paramount has transferred the worldwide rights to two of its Marvel properties, The Avengers and the Iron Man franchise, to Walt Disney Studios for at least $115 million.

When the Mouse bought Marvel a while back, I was wondering how this was going to work out, and I'm still curious. Now it's obvious that Disney will get the lion's share of the box office, including their cherished merchandising and theme park rights. However, who is going to be paying the millions of dollars it takes to produce the films? Marvel Studios (a.k.a. Disney)? Jon Favreau's production studio? Did Disney pay $115 million to get the movies after they were in the can and have no say in what happens during production? It's all very confusing.

It's also worth mentioning that Paramount still owns the rights to Thor and Captain America, Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man, and other Marvel properties have been sprinkled throughout Hollywood over the years. This means that Disney won't get to distribute these films, but will still retain their merchandising, etc.

Don't feel too sorry for Paramount, though, because they still have tons of tentpole franchises they've yet to milk completely dry: Mission: Impossible, Jackass, Transformers, Star Trek, Paranormal Activity, and G.I. Joe.

It may all be very difficult to understand, but the bottom line is that Disney will be distributing The Avengers in 2012, and Iron Man 3 in 2013, which means they'll be basking in the glory of billions at the box office. I'm glad that they're making all of this Marvel-ownership business slightly less confusing, but it is also starting to look like Disney will soon have a monopoly on the entertainment industry...

Oh well. As long as they keep giving Pixar their creative autonomy and don't destroy Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, I'll stay a happy camper.

For a more detailed account of the deal and a little clearing up as far as studio logistics go, check out Variety.

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Disney in 'Iron Man 2'

Hopefully, by now, you are aware that Disney owns the superhero giant Marvel. It was big news back in August, and, ever since, Disney has been raking in the dough from Iron Man 2's box office success and has been loading up its stores with Marvel merchandise.

What you may not know, however, is that the recent superhero flick starring Robert Downey, Jr. (my favorite actor in Hollywood right now) has more ties to Disney than just shoveling money into their bank account.

When you see the film, something should seem very familiar about Tony's father, Howard Stark. You only get to see archival footage of our protagonists' late father, but there is enough screen-time there to make it obvious that he is supposed to resemble Walt Disney. Not only does he have the iconic moustache, a similar hair cut, and a striking suit like Mr. Disney does, but he is shown with a diorama that looks a lot like EPCOT during its early stages. Click on the "Stark Expo 1974" button on the right side of the screen at the viral site StarkExpo2010.com to see a video featuring the EPCOT-esque diorama, and the Disney-look-a-like.

But that's not the only connection that Iron Man 2 has to Disney.

When you went to the Stark Expo 2010 website, you heard an instrumental version of a song written by renowned Disney song-man Richard Sherman. The entire song (lyrics and all) can be heard during the end credits of the film, and it is entitled "Make Way For Tomorrow Today." The song sounds an awful lot like the theme song for the Carousel of Progress, "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," and, like all other work by Sherman, is great.

All of these ties to Disney make you wonder whether or not Jon Favreau, the director, was trying to make deliberate nods to the recent Disney-buying-Marvel deal. And the answer is a resounding no. Production began months and months before anybody knew anything about the deal. The Disney references in Iron Man 2 have nothing to do with the studio's business deal, but instead have to do with Favreau wanting Tony's father to give off a showman-genius-from-the-50s vibe.

Iron Man 2 is a great film, and is made even better by these subtle references to Walt Disney that only a true Disney fan would notice.

Sources: D23, Jim Hill Media

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Tweets of the Day: Talking Chimps and Iron Men

I've never been a huge fan of Twitter, but as more and more Disney and Pixar folks get Twitter accounts, the more valuable a resource it becomes. That's why I'm starting a new feature of Disney, etc., where I'll share the best Disney-, Pixar-, and movie-related tweets with you.

My favorite so far is from yesterday and is by Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich:

Many people have been asking what my next project is after Toy Story 3. I can finally reveal: a 100% motion-capture Lancelot Link movie.

I'm sure that he's joking, but it's still really funny. If you don't know what Lancelot Link is, watch the embedded video below. In my opinion, Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp is possibly the best TV show to ever air. Ever. It's so great due to it's campiness, and the simple fact that it is full of talking, costumed chimps. And adding the motion-capture detail makes the tweet all the more funny. We can all hope that Mr. Unkrich isn't joking...



The next-best tweet is by Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau:

Iron Man 2 is signed, sealed, delivered!

While not as funny as Unkrich's tweet, this is exciting news. Iron Man 2, which will be released on May 7 of this year, is officially completed! I loved the first Iron Man, and can't wait to see the new one.


Those are all of the amusing and exciting tweets that I've seen recently. As I said before, no matter how against the idea of Twitter you are, it has a wealth of information that you can't find anywhere else. I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Tweets of the Day.

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Spider-Man has a new Webb

Marc Webb (directed (500) Days of Summer) is a great director, but I don't know if he's right for his next gig. Sony has just announced that Webb will be at the head of a completely new Spider-Man reboot. This new trilogy will have completely different storylines and actors and everything else compared to the popular trilogy featuring Tobey and Kirsten.

This is very exciting news. I love Spider-Man, but did not like where the last trilogy was taking it. Although I never pictured him as a superhero director, I'm very interested to see what Marc Webb, a lighthearted and character-driven director, will do with Peter Parker.

An unconfirmed rumor that's been going around recently is that Robert Pattinson of the Twilight series will star as our friend Peter Parker. Let us hope that this is not the case. (What I'd like to see is Joseph Gordon-Levitt taking over as the webmaster. That would be great.)

Marc Webb is all that's known for now about the new trilogy, but I'll keep you up-to-date as more news surfaces.

Source: /Film

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