It’s been open overseas for a week, already raking in more than $200m, and now The Avengers is landing on U.S. soil with one of the biggest summer openings in history. But does that mean you should see it now? Or do you wait for home video? Sure, there’s plenty of arguments as to why you can wait, including obnoxious crowds, high ticket prices, and the general hassle of getting your butt off the couch and driving to your local multiplex. However, here are seven ultimate reasons should convince you to, paraphrasing Shakespeare, “Get thee to a theater!” and witness Marvel’s greatest achievement in superhero movies.
1. Avoid Spoilers
This is really the biggest reason to see any movie as soon as you can because, let’s face it, spoilers suck. Even if you’ve watched every trailer, TV spot, and video clip that has been released, there are plenty of other gems hidden throughout this film. Some are explosive action moments. Others are hilarious bits of comic relief. Some are both. Unfortunately, water cooler conversations, Twitter feeds and overly excited fanboy reactions threaten to spoil most or all of them. Many people will be respectful about keeping the spoilery conversations to a minimum this weekend, but you’ll be at a considerable disadvantage if you scream, “No spoilers!” at someone while waiting in line at a Redbox kiosk this fall.
2. Experience the 3D, IMAX, Dynamic Digital Sound, and Big Frakking Picture
Not everyone is sold on the added technological value of seeing films in a theater nowadays. People roll their eyes at 3D. Some shrug off the impressive size of the IMAX screen. Still, there’s no denying that The Avengers is a big screen movie, and it should be experienced on a big screen. Even if it’s being shown in a 2D house on a standard screen, it’s going to be an in-your-face experience. It doesn’t matter how big your penis-envy 3D television you bought with your tax return is, your puny home theater system simply cannot compete with the scope and power of watching a movie in its ideal presentation format.
3. It’s a Crowd Favorite
Remember Tom Cruise scaling Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol? Remember how the crowd jumped when his gloves started slipping? Or (using a more crass example), remember how the audience roared during the infamous wedding dress scene in Bridesmaids? There’s a lot to be said about seeing a film in the comfort of your own home, but there’s also something to be said for experiencing thrilling action and hilarious moments in a crowded theater with 400 of your closest friends. After all, won’t you feel silly clapping at the movie while watching it at home? There’s an energy that a live audience brings into the theater with them. After seeing The Avengers, you’ll find yourself saying, “Remember when that one guy did that one thing? Yeah, that was awesome!”
4. It’s a Hell of a Lot of Fun
The overwhelming consensus on The Avengers is it is just a damn fun movie to watch. Why wait three-to-six months for the video release? For two and a half hours of pure entertainment, pay your average ticket price of eight bucks or so, and escape from the stresses of your life. It’s a heck of a deal, and you’ll come out with a smile on your face.
5. Send a Message To Hollywood
Movie studios don’t make sequel decisions based on Blu-ray sales and Redbox rentals, at least not for big tent-pole releases. (They leave those decisions for Harold & Kumar movies and the like.) Studios often greenlight a sequel if the film crushes the box office opening weekend. In the case of Marvel Studios, they’re already talking about a possible Hulk sequel based on positive reactions to The Avengers in test audiences and overseas. Even though The Avengers is predicted to rake in more than $150m in its U.S. opening weekend, and a sequel is all but guaranteed at this point, use your hard-earned money to support that message. We need more movies like this, and nothing sends that message to Hollywood better than high box office numbers.
6. Be a Part of Cinema History
Amid all the summer movie hype and fanboy love, people tend to forget that The Avengers was a risky cinematic experiment that is actually paying off. This is the first time that a single film has even attempted to unite four separate franchises. This grand experiment is proving that with proper oversight, a mega-franchise is not only desired by audiences but entirely possible. (So there’s no excuse any more, DC and Warner Bros., for being unable to assemble your own Justice League film.)
Have you’ve ever been envious of people in their 30s and 40s who talk about seeing the original Star Wars films in theaters during their initial runs. Or do you wish to go back in time to the summer of 1982 and see all those films when they first hit screens? Now’s your chance to be a part of something like that by checking out The Avengers in theaters. In a couple decades, you just might find yourself bragging about how you were there at ground zero for this global phenomenon.
7. Eye Candy, or Scarlett Johansson’s Firm Buttocks and Chris Hemsworth’s Bulging Arms
Okay, this may not be the critical reason to make you spend your money, but the eye candy appeal of The Avengers is hard to deny. Whether you like her as an actor or just as a sex symbol, Scarlett Johansson spends most of the film in tight pants, and good ol’ Joss Whedon offers up plenty of lingering shots on her buxom backside on a screen 30-feet high. And Cobie Smulders looks pretty fine in tight pants, too.
Don’t worry, ladies. There’s lots of eye candy for you as well. Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger may have featured more shirtless heroes, but if you’re into bulging arm muscles, there’s plenty to drool over with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and even Jeremy Renner popping some veins.
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When, where, and how will you be seeing The Avengers?