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sylvies-chen · 5 years

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My farewell to the Avengers... (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

I needed to write this because I felt so emotional after watching Endgame and I felt like I could express my thoughts and feelings better in writing, so here I go. Wish me luck, you can damn well bet I’m going to cry while writing this. (Sidenote: I’m very dramatic in this lol)

In 2011, I downloaded and watched the first Thor movie on my iPod 4 (just to paint thay picture for you), and I instantly fell in love with superheroes. I had mainly watched it because I was bored, but by the time Mjölnir flew out of the ground into Thor’s hands and he regained his powers, I found myself cheering. Maybe the younger version of me somehow knew that Marvel would end up impacting my life forever, or maybe I just had a really big celebrity crush on Chris Hemsworth. Or both. Either way, I wanted more. I wanted to experience what I felt when I watched that movie again. So I asked my dad, and he set up Iron Man on my TV and played it. The next week, I requested Iron Man 2. He put it on an watched me watch it. I wanted the third one and was disappointed to find out that I would have to wait for another two years until the next Iron Man movie was released. In the meantime, I was introduced to all of the other movies as well as comic books by my father and my brother, and eventually became even bigger of a diehard fan than they were. I watched all of the movies that came out in theatres: The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Dark Worlds Avengers Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, all versions of Spiderman, etc.

On April 27th, 2018, I watched Avengers Infinity War. Did it break me? Yes. Did I walk out of the movie theatre staring into space not talking to anyone and being in denial while my parents looked at me very worriedly? Hell yes. But to me, it wasn’t so bad. It was painful, especially the part where Peter faded away (I cried obviously), but I knew they would fix it. They were making Avengers Endgame. It would be okay. Peter would come back and so would Gamora and Dr. Strange and T’Challa and Groot and Bucky and Loki, and everything would be okay.

I go into Endgame today expecting to cry the same amount that I did during Infinity War. Which was a fair amount. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, I was already emotional with Tony and Steve’s tension and Tony having to grieve Peter’s death, but I generally was able to keep it together. I even laughed and smiled when Tony checked out Steve’s ass made that joke about Steve’s ass.

We’re well into the movie. The battle against Thanos isn’t going so well, but then something happens. Steve is able to pick up Mjölnir. Thor says “I knew it”. It’s EPIC and amazing. The very same thing that had happened to Thor in 2011 had happened to Captain America now. Especially since they teased it in AOU with the game of “Who can pick up Thor’s hammer”, I was even more stoked. But what happened next was something I never could have prepared for. The moment where everyone comes through the portals and unites. We see Wanda, Peter, T’Challa, Okoye, Valkyrie, Dr. Strange, Quill, Drax, Mantis, thousands and thousands of others ready to fight. Captain America is at the front. Steve, is at the front. As humanity is ready to fight for their lives, he says the words: “Avengers... assemble.”

I lost it. I mean, right then and there in the theatre, I started bawling bittersweetly because holy shit. This is it. I had become so used to having another movie to look forward to, another show to watch or a book to read, So comfortable with the absurd notion that the Avengers arc would continue for years and years to come. It had gone on for years, but it only felt like seconds to me. And now the final fight had come. That was the moment I had realized it was the end, and I couldn’t help but cry and cry and cry. I was with my friends and we held eachother’s hands as we sobbed, and squealed, and smiled, and cried some more, all at once. Tony and Peter reunite. That sent me crying again. Wanda, Valkyrie, Captain Marvel, Okoye, and all the other badass women surrounding Peter and protecting the glove, beautiful, badass, empowering. Crying again. Peter and Pepper losing Tony and little Morgan Stark having no father to love x 3000. Sobbing. It was the end. It was moving, perfectly imperfect, joyful, heartbreaking, and it was beautiful.

It was really bittersweet, because these characters meant so much to me. I grew up with them, they matured and developed along with me, and the more layers I saw in each superhero, the more beautiful I found them. I love finding the beauty in things, and there was never a shortage of things to see beauty in when it came to Marvel and the Avengers. Stan Lee’s geniality and creativity. Steve’s unwavering need to put others before himself. Carol Danvers ability to get back up every damn time after being put down. Peter’s young heart yearning so badly to help make a difference in the world. Thor’s strength to accept his losses and let his grief make him stronger. The entirety of Tony Stark’s character. Beauty. Not just because of their indestructable moments, the ones where they send the bad guys flying into the wall without breaking a sweat. They were beautiful because of their moments of vulnerability. Peter showing that he’s afraid. Natasha recognizing how much the family that she’s made with the Avengers means to her. Tony letting Steve know how hurt and angry he felt after the events of Civil War. They aren’t perfect, they’re vulnerable and human, and that was the most beautiful part about them. So naturally, when it all came to an end, I was inconsolable and filled with tears. I know now though that this is not the end. Because Marvel isn’t just a story, it isn’t just one person (although I’d like to think Tony Stark is the king of Marvel lmao). Marvel, the Avengers, whatever you want to call it, it is a concept. The same can apply to anything you really love. It lives in you forever. Marvel is me in my uncle’s basement browsing through the giant wooden chest filled with comics. It is whenever I go on Netflix and rewatch Thor: Ragnarok to cheer myself up after a shitty day. It’s hearing something on TV, or seeing something on the street that reminds me of the heroes that changed my life. It’s rewatching DVDs of the first Iron Man movie on a rainy day after soccer practice gets cancelled. Marvel was, and is, a way for me to escape reality sometimes and let myself believe there are grown ass people in costumes who will protect me from the evil forces out there. It is a safe place for those who are willing to give the characters a chance.

If there were any way for any cast members lf the movie to read this, I hope they do. I hope they find joy and satisfaction in the many ways Marvel’s Avengers has made my world better. These characters, these stories, they were my childhood. They will forever hold the most special place in my heart. I am so sad and happy at the same time, but most of all, I am extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to grow up in this era. To grow up in a generation as lucky as this one. Other generations will never know the feeling of anticipation for the Avengers: Endgame to come out, or the excitement of finding out that Loki is getting his own show. Thank you Marvel, thank you Avengers, thank you villains, even, for over ten years of love, patience, pain, and superhero action sequences. I am a better person for it. So farewell to you all, and as your beloved creator said...

Excelsior.

#the avengers #marvel #mcu #marvel mcu #avengers endgame #avengers endame spoilers #spoilers #avengers spoilers #endgame spoilers #my farewell to the avengers #the russo brothers #rdj #marvel studios

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wackygoofball · 7 years

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Afterthoughts after Ragnarok

So, I had the opportunity to watch both Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok as a double-feature at an IMAX cinema yesterday, which was… fangirl heaven, in a nutshell. I can only highly recommend watching the second installment before Ragnarok because it is a nice reminder of the details, basically. And of course, it sets the mood. 😊

I just wanted to quickly type up some initial thoughts on Thor: Ragnarok because I am fangirling hard right now.

THEREFORE – BEWARE OF SPOILER ALERT.

To send this ahead: I went into the movie not having any expectations. I really tried my best to stay clear of great spoilers (other than the clips and scenes that were released as part of the promo). I hoped for a retro-adventure arc from the old days, but I wasn’t holding my breath for it. Though gladly, my hope was not at all disappointed. The bright color schemes, the music, the slapstick moments which are MUCH more prominent in this movie than any of the Thor films… it was what I was hoping for – and more.

Being a proud member of Loki’s Army and a general Hiddlestoner, I obviously have my biases when it comes to what scenes I enjoyed a lot, but overall… the movie did what I wanted it to do (again, I just talk here personal wishes and interests): It made me laugh and took me on a fun ride. That is what I wanted, and this is what I got.

To dig a bit further into the matter, there are some things that I wanna mention that I particularly enjoyed or that interested me:

Obviously, the destruction of Mjölnir alongside Thor unleashing his *true* potential as the God of Thunder is a big theme of this story arc (one that may not be that absolutely original, but that still resonated with the overall theme of what the movie was getting at; to me, it fed in nicely into the narrative and resonated with the Thor movies as a whole). I am actually rather fond of the idea that we see more of the God of Thunder than the God of Hammers (thanks, Odin, for that comment 😉). With this story arc, we reach a new level and a new skillset for Thor to fetch from *and to master,* so I am pretty excited to see what they are going to do with that in Infinity War, and as to where Thor is going to take his newly unleashed powers or where there may be hardships for him.

I do wonder whether Thor will seek *some* sort of replacement. Obviosuly, Mjölnir isn’t going to return in that fashion. It was a unicum and it has been rendered superfluous when it comes to Thor’s thunder powers. However, it *is* the weapon he has been using for… hundreds of years, so it may be that Thor will use *a* hammer alongside his now unleashed true thunder powers. Perhaps a bit of nostalgia or otherwise simply something to use in close combat, which is obviously also part of his fighting style. So, I am pretty hyped to see what may be done with that in the upcoming movies of the franchise.

In that same breath, I suppose it may be worth mentioning that we also saw something with God of Mischief Loki when it comes to new or otherwise not yet made explicit skillsets. Loki touching Valkyrie to dig up the memories she repressed for so long (and drowned it in lots of booze in the most wonderful of fashions ♥), to me, actually fed into the idea of not just introducing new characters and their skillsets or in case of Thor, showing their true potential, but also showing us what already known characters still have in store. While we already knew about Loki’s ability of manipulating and accessing people’s minds, I believe this is the first time we saw him *activate repressed memories* and *witness* them. Yet again, it had me wondering whether that skillset will prove useful in one of the following movies. A random thought I had last night (and please excuse, it was VERY late when I had that thought, hehe) was about whether Loki using that method may prove to be interesting in Bucky’s case and the memories that were deleted/locked away or what not, which may or may not be something of interest in the Infinity War story arc (WHERE ARE YOU, TRAILER???). if said memories were somehow vital to the plot.

Speaking of our favorite trickster, I found his arc a joy. Not only the jokes and the return of the horns, but particularly his trickster-self being back in full swing made me really happy. The previous Thor movie built heavily on Loki’s revenge for Frigga, in general the family problems… which there were… a lot of…, and of course his ongoing wish to lay claims to the throne, out of which he felt cheated once his origin was revealed to him in the first Thor film. The vibe I always had of particularly comic!Loki (though I am not too deeply invested in the comics, I will admit, but from what I have read, that was my general impression) was really this idea of causing, as his name has it, mischief, being the trickster, collaborating with whoever in order to somehow maneuver out of situations, only to be bound to clean up the mess he made (with the Revengers 😉 ). And I found that sort of spirit resonating with Loki in this story arc much more than in previous installments. While I very much enjoyed the idea of revenge and his ongoing battling with his family due to the differences that lie between them, I feared that they would just go on with that instead of giving it a new twist, but I felt like this actually was the twist that suited not just the overall mood of the film but also Loki.

So yeah, I am pretty happy to see Loki back in the role as God of Mischief as much as I enjoy Thor now being in full God of Thunder mode. The story arc had a nice conclusive theme of the two arriving at *who they actually are,* and thereby returning to their roots, which I thought had a nice touch to it.

Other things that have me wondering after having watched the movie: Is Sif to return? She wasn’t one of those who fell *on screen.* Because she may potentially be a bit of a wildcard in the upcoming movies, especially after… Jane and Thor are no more, it seems. But yeah, I don’t know if that was just a filming issue or whatever else. I do hope to see Lady Sif back in all of her glory. Especially since I want to see her interact with Valkyrie! They could bond so wonderfully over being awesome warrior ladies. :3

Speaking of Valkyrie, I really love her. ♥ I love her drinking speed (lol), and for that she is *as for this movie* a secondary character, she had a developed story arc (which of course… is now not the super deep-reaching stuff that you would get at if it were a movie just about her and her origin story in a much more serious setting than the Marvel franchise lays out), Loki’s backflash was gorgeously shot and it really took you into this *epic* moment of defeat when the Valkyries fell against Hela. Another thing I quite enjoyed about how her character was written is the easiness with which she interacts with other characters, she is witty, she is cute, and while hostile towards e.g. Thor and Loki (lol) in the beginning, I found it a joy to see her interact with the Hulk. Since she is so strong, she is unafraid of interacting with him in a friendly manner outside the battlefield, which I found had a nice touch. I hope to see more of her. A lot more.

Now, Hela. Cate Blanchet has the swagger of a Goddess of Death. Holy Shit. I loved the costume, I loved the attitude, and I have no clue how she gets the daggers out of everywhere but she does it majestically, and that is all that matters, lol. While more of a cartoon villain (but that is what fitted the mood best, let’s be real) in many regards, I found some touches of how they framed her return really interesting. While Norse mythology would have something to say about her being made firstborn daughter to Odin when she is actually one of Loki’s children… it was a rather intriguing commentary on how history is made, at least in my reading. Hela has been erased by her own father once she grew too power hungry for him. She was erased from public memory as she was cast into the realm of the dead.

Not only did that shed a rather interesting light on the idea of succession – because now we don't just have one son who was chosen by the father to have the throne as opposed to the son who wanted the throne, but didn’t get entitled to it, but also a female heir who had rights to the throne until she was considered unfit in Odin’s eyes. Actually, the repetition is what intrigued me, because it fed nicely into the idea of Ragnarok on what it is at its core, the Dawn of the Gods and the moment of a self-repeating world. Because Ragnarok is happening over and over, in different forms, and to me, that was the vibe I got from that succession question, too. Loki turned out rather similar to Hela in that way (though with a difference, to which I will return later, so hold on). Hela felt/was entitled to the throne until Odin deemed her unfit due to her violence that did not match his political agenda following the conquest era. Loki felt entitled to the same honor, but was seen as unfit for his ambitions/birth by Odin.

On that same note, I really liked this idea of history being rewritten by the winners (in this case Odin). Odin glossed over Hela’s involvement along with the conquest period (if Hela can be believed) to prevent her danger from reaching further after her banishment. At the same time, he portrayed and literally painted himself in a certain way (not just on the ceiling) that may not have been as reflective of the reality of the origin story of his rule as it could have been.

Similarly, I did find it an interesting way of handling Odin’s legacy after he’s passed away in the early stages of the movie. Odin dies after the conversation with Thor and Loki in which he seemingly tried to make peace with himself and them (and likely with the idea in mind that they arrive at a truce as well, so to have a chance against Hela together). So, the first impression we got was “oh, he leaves this world at peace with himself and everyone else, he is redeemed.” And at first I was a bit like… hm, I don’t expect great narrative arcs in this movie, not the gut-wrenching, complex moral dilemma that… other movies are made for, but that seems rather cheap. However, looking at Odin’s arc in this last movie as a whole, I did find it rather interesting (because yeah, I think he made a good couple of mistakes particularly with Loki that made him prime for some sort of redemption needing to be done). Because after the redeem-momentum, we get this reversal of history narrative via Hela, which gives way and depth to questioning his rule as a whole. And it is concluded when he tells Thor in a vision that he is stronger/better than him, not the other way around. Now of course, protagonist is getting the hype it takes to win over the enemy and unleash new potential and all, but I found *that* as a nice redemptive mode that yet again tied back to the very idea of Ragnarok. Thor, symbolized by having his eye removed like his Father (*cries*), is repeating Odin’s history – but with a difference. He steps up to that legacy, but does so differently from what Odin did. And Odin recognizing that and pinpointing it as the stronger/better way is something that I found hit the point home with the redemptive mode surrounding his death.

Now, this is getting far too long already (I am rambling and I am sorry), but one last thing I wanted to speak of – as a member of Loki’s Army: Loki’s (short but entertaining) reign.

Especially since I started out watching the previous Thor movie before Ragnarok, the question that remained as a sort of cliffhanger was just what kind of rule Loki would pursue. I mean, he was one of the big gun villains in the first Avengers movie, he was the big gun enemy in the first Thor movie, and obviously caused mischief wherever possible. While we knew of Hela taking over, thereby pointing to Loki’s rule not being very long, I personally did wonder what they would have Loki’s rule look like.

He may well have turned out to be the Hela type, kill all the infidels, and be a gigantic asshole with a lot of sass. However, his reign, however short-lived… it was basically one big party. And now of course, it was for comedy for many parts, but I did find it rather interesting and actually resonating with how they set up Loki all the while.

For all his talk and attitude of being the lone wolf and only ever being interested in himself, the God of Mischief has always been seeking the approval of his family, or at the very least, their attention (positive or negative, didn’t matter, so long it was some kind of attention). Ever since learning about his origins, I think the factor that was added to the whole idea of him wanting that throne no matter the costs was that he was seeing the approval of the Asgardians.

And in a way, I find that rather organic storytelling: Loki knew he wouldn’t get the approval of his family after what happened, after what was revealed about him. I mean, he gave that speech (which Hiddleston enacted beautifully, btw) to Odin about how he is now a monster that the children are told about to make them afraid of said monsters. And I think it is rather logical that he sought the approval of the people who are now supposedly afraid o him for his Jotünn roots. Being admired, being accepted by them as king would make him less of a monster, it would get him the approval he could no longer find with his family past a certain point, it would give him the approval he thought he couldn’t get by virtue of his birth. And across the movie narrative, at least that is my impression, that wish did not die down, but actually increased over time.

And now, having seen Ragnarok, I somehow tend to stick to that reading, because Loki relished the approval of himself. But it wasn’t *just* the statue (though it was a matter of heart to him, I am sure), it was that he (as Odin) was partying – with the people. He wasn't just sitting in the throne room feeling powerful. As Thor points out, he didn’t do much of anything with the power he had as King of Asgard for as long as it lasted, but instead… seems to have been partying the whole time. And again, obviously, the comedic moment is quite at the front, but the idea that Loki would spend his reign trying to be friendly with the people, having fun, was not just so very Loki-like (see that theater… damn, I laughed so hard at the play) but also resonated with this overall arc of seeking approval. While all the while claiming not to care what others think of him, Loki seeks it again and again, whether he likes it or not. And in the end, it is and will always be his one family whose approval he is seeking most (as he himself asserted at some point) – he wants Thor’s approval, he wants that guy’s attention, even if it’s just in a negative sense.

While I am most certain that he will turn on Thor again (he did have some fun time before gathering the Eternal Flame with the Tesseract and all), I remain positive that this will simply be status quo now. Thor’s not trusting him is actually, in a way, his trust in him. Thor knows Loki will pull shit, Loki knows that Thor knows… it’s going to be fun to see how they may continue to try to outsmart the other but rather in a friendly manner.

So, to now conclude this way too long rambling: If you want to have a fun Marvel ride, Thor: Ragnarok is your friend. The music, the mood, the story, it flows well and easily. You won’t grow tired or bored, neither are you overloaded with input. The slapstick, to me, was hilarious. And while Norse mythology was very much twisted around to fit into the narrative, I personally found some traces of the idea of Ragnarok not just in the metaphor of it being the people, but also in the way the characters were portrayed and moved through their story arc. It delivers funny, and to me, interesting secondary characters. It may be read as containing some interesting commentary on history making and the question of redemption and legacy alongside the self-repeating world in succession, where legacy ends and characters arriving at where they are meant to be begins.

And finally, I think the movie does something great for both Thor and Loki (and also for Valkyrie and Hulk if in different senses) in that it returns them to their roots. They are now the true God of Thunder and the true God of Mischief again.

And that, to me, is a great way of heading into Infinity War.

It is definitely worth the watch. 😊

#thor ragnarok #thor #marvel #spoilers #thor spoilers

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