The Avengers (2012): Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack -
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Published September 27, 2012
By Albert Gutierrez

A great alternative to listening to Joss Whedon talk is turning on
the subtitles and reading what he says while watching the film.
Bonus Features:
The slate of bonus features begins with a
commentary by director Joss Whedon. He keeps up a spirited
discussion throughout the film, rarely taking pauses, and going over
every facet of production. Whedon is very enthusiastic about
discussing the why-fors of his film, addressing issues such as
choosing 3-D conversion as opposed to shooting 3-D natively; reasons
why he ended up deleting particular scenes (most of which are on the
disc); and working in a world that was already "created" in previous
films, putting his own stamp on things. I found his discussion about
early versions of the script - and what changed - most interesting,
since he puts sincere efforts to make sure the audience feels
everything is still "real" within that world. It's probably the best
feature included on the disc, even for people who don't usually
listen to commentaries.
The Avengers Second Screen Experience is a
feature-length app that allows you to sync up the film with an iPad,
iPhone, or computer. I'm generally not a fan of this type of
interactivity, probably because when I watch a film, I want to watch
the film, not a "second screen" in the palm of my hand. After
several tries, I still could not get Second Screen to sync with my
laptop, which is a problem I've encountered in Second Screen apps
for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and
John Carter. This makes such features all the more frustrating for
general consumers. For those who do get this feature to work, the
enclosed ad in the case promises you "personnel files, comic book
origins, and exclusive interactive content" inside the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Data Base. Hopefully I'll get this to work in the future.

The all-purpose heading of "Featurettes" gathers
only two, which are quite disappointing. A Visual Journey
(6:28) gives a brief look at the overall look of the film,
showcasing such set pieces as the Tesseract Room (a real-life NASA
facility) and the helicarrier. Next is Assembling the Ultimate
Team (8:09), a one-by-one praise for each member of the cast.
This is the kind of extended trailers you'd see in a theatre, where
they entice you to see the film without revealing anything in-depth.
If you shop at Target, you can pick up any Blu-Ray
edition of The Avengers with a bonus documentary: Building
a Cinematic Universe: Assembling the Avengers (1:38:20). This
seven-part feature is a play-by-play of the films in "Phase One" of
the Marvel Cinematic Universe, showing how they all interconnect
with each other. Fans of the previous five films will likely
recognize the non-2012 interviews from the making-of features on
their respective Blu-Ray releases, but it still is an enjoyable
program to watch. Several international releases included this
documentary as a regular feature, rather than as a store exclusive.
Disney/Marvel should have done the same here.

Marvel One-Shot: "Item 47" (11:20) is a short
film similar to previous ones featured on Thor and Captain
America: The First Avenger. Its length allows for a more
fleshed-out story, this one involving Jesse Bradford and Lizzy
Caplan as bank robbers with a stolen Chitauri weapon from the
Manhattan battle. Agent Sitwell is sent to retrieve it and
"neutralize" them, culminating in a humorous and predictable ending.
Hopefully this means we'll see more of Bradford & Caplan in future
Marvel films.
A series of eight Deleted Scenes run nearly
fifteen minutes and give us some material that could have vastly
changed the entire film: "Alternate Opening - Maria Hill
Interrogation" (2:33), "Extended Scene - Loki & Barton Strategize"
(1:37), "Steve Rogers - Man Out of Time" (3:03), "Nick Fury & World
Security Council" (0:48), "Extended Viaduct Fight - Raw Footage"
(1:40), "Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council" (0:42),
"Extended Scene - Banner and Security Guard" (1:37), and "Alternate
Ending - Maria Hill Interrogation" (2:45). Of interest are the
alternate opening and ending, featuring Agent Maria Hill being
interrogated by the World Security Council. It begins on a sour
note, although the end somewhat justifies it all, but I'm glad it
wasn't used. Rather, the Fury & Hill scene should have been kept, as
it provided brief tension between the pair, which breaks the
fiercely-loyal Hill we see in the film. Another scene I would have
re-instated was "Steve Rogers - Man Out of Time," since it provides
a more direct connection to the Captain America film, as well as a
more pained portrayal of Rogers' struggle to adapt to the modern
world.

A slickly-edited Gag Reel (4:05) features the
usual gaffes, flubbed lines, and general goofiness. Keep an eye out
for the Avengers Mascot, a touching moment between Agent Coulson and
his man-crush, and Thor struggling to grab his hammer Mjölnir.
Finally, there is a music video for "Live to
Rise" by Soundgarden. It is what it is.
The enclosed DVD is the same as the standalone
release. It contains the film, Whedon's commentary and "A Visual
Journey." With the slight amount of material on the Blu-Ray, surely
all of it should have been included on this DVD.

Final Words:
I enjoyed The Avengers immensely, and wish I
could say the same for the Blu-Ray. Its paltry amount of supplements
leads me to believe that Disney/Marvel is planning a more in-depth
release for the future, especially when we realize what kind of
material was made but withheld. Interviews with Whedon have revealed
that thirty minutes was cut from the film. Since we only get fifteen
minutes here, the other fifteen might likely be seen in a future
release - either re-instated in the film or with the other deleted
scenes as supplements. Likewise, the 98-minute documentary feels
like a prime feature that should have been included on a "Special
Edition" release, making its Target-exclusive status puzzling. For
fans who simply want the film, this set is the one to pick up. But
for those itching for more extras, maybe it would be better to wait
and see what Disney/Marvel has up their sleeves. After all, the
"Phase One" box set that was planned for concurrent release (and now
delayed until Spring 2013) also includes an exclusive bonus disc,
with the kind of material that we likely should have expected here.
At the end of the day, purchase of this set really
relies on your own enjoyment of the film first. Of all the films
I've seen in 2012 so far, The Avengers will likely rank as my
favorite of the year. It was the cinematic pay-off after five films
in four years, and one that was certainly worth the wait. The
characters come together in ways familiar to us, yet still bring
something new - or something worth revisiting - to this film.
Superhero movies often get slammed for being action-heavy and
repetitive, which I admit The Avengers can sometimes be. But
that's no reason to condemn the film, it merely is fitting into the
genre in which it belongs. I see no reason to criticize The Avengers
for being two and a half hours of sheer fun at the cinema. Still,
deeper meaning can be found in the film, especially in regards to
(my personal favorites) Loki and Steve Rogers. I look forward to
Marvel's "Phase Two" series of films, which will lead into The
Avengers 2, due out in theatres May 1, 2015.
Film: 4.5 out of 5 Mickey Heads
Video: 4.75 out of 5 Mickey Heads
Audio: 5 out of 5 Mickey Heads
Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 Mickey Heads
Average: 4.3125 out of 5 Mickey Heads

Your Thoughts
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