Because of the glowing response I decided to go watch it after all. I have to say, though I didn't think the comic was bad this movie is much more superior. Then again it's not an adaptation at all really since they've changed it so much. I didn't like captain america in the original because I felt they didn't explain his motivations much other than his unwillingness to have to submit to bureaucratic nonsenses, but the movie did a really good job of showing how both Tony and Steve had equally valid standpoints along with why they decided to stand on it. And they took turns 'being right'. In the original I especially didn't like captain america because I felt that by the end he had lost sight of his original goal as a superhero (which I assume was to protect the people or something).
The ending fight between tony and steve was done really nicely in the movie, it was brutal, bloody, close, and personal. I especially like the way they handled the captain's final blow. It almost seemed like he was going to go for the face again only to go for the arc reactor instead. It was a great way of having a PG 'kill scene' while still retaining all the emotional torque of showing a friend killing another friend. I would even go as far as to say it was more powerful than if steve had just smashed his face in, because the intent was clear while tony was still able to see steve's anguish at his actions and overall circumstances.
I felt like there were a LOT more laugh points in this movie than the other recent marvel movies I've seen (thor 1,2, avengers 1). I've never felt that they detracted from the appeal of the movies but I'm worried that the number of them may stand out to those who can't stand it as well. There were a few really good ones (the scene of the two in the car nodding after the kiss) as well as a few not so necessary ones (the scene of the two on the floor with webs saying I hate you, bird costume, tony with his hand webbed to the door handle).
I remember watching Enders Game and not being able to help but noticing how many black people were in the movie. Either I've gotten used to the 'racial diversification' of casts, or they handled it very naturally and well, or perhaps the adaptation of Enders Game was really shocking to me because of how different it was from the book (why was Dap and Anderson black, and the latter a woman?). Or maybe it was because of how well they were able to show the multinational effects of the Avengers, that was pretty cool.
And speaking of the Avengers, I just so happened to read one of the fantastic four comics that was lying around on the couch and realized how weird of a name the avengers is for a super hero group (Mr. fantastic commented on how the original group name suggested by the human torch, 'the fearsome four' or something, was bad for PR). Who are they avenging? Anyone know where that came from?