After steamrolling the competition this summer, earning $617.8 million in the U.S. to take the title of the third highest grossing movie of all time, The Avengers are returning in full force to continue breaking records. Announced on the movie’s official Facebook page, the epic superhero movie will have a limited run over the Labor Day holiday, bumping up its current 123 theater count to a whopping 1,700. The movie will play in both 3D and 2D, an advantage that could potentially bump the movie up to the number two grossing movie of all time. Sorry, Titanic!
For the few people who missed The Avengers back in May, the re-release is a gift from the movie gods. But for those who already caught the action flick, the return of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, and the rest of the gang provides a rare opportunity to relive the thrills in a whole new way. Think outside the box. Change things up.
Here are a few suggestions for how to make your Labor Day reviewing that much more memorable:
Bite the Cosplay Bullet
So you spent a week building a Captain America costume out of cardboard and puffy paint but chickened out wearing it to a midnight screening at the last minute. Second chances don’t come very often — strap that thing on and head to the theater! Avengers won one for the geekery. It is now acceptable to show your pride. If anyone gives you crap, remind them that the movie brought in over $600 million, then growl at them like The Hulk.
Read Through Every Marvel Wikipedia Page on the Internet
Sifting through Wikipedia is the Internet equivalent of Alice falling down the rabbit hole. One step in and its all over. But thanks to the three day weekend, you have a solid chunk of time to lose to the wonders of pointless information — and what better dense nonsense than pages and pages of Marvel comic history? Start with the Cosmic Cube aka The Tesseract in The Avengers, then start jumping from link to link. By the time you’re done, you will have enhanced your rematch experience. Or at least, projected onto it.
Marathon Every Marvel Movie
If Wikipedia isn’t your style, track down Blu-rays for all the Marvel movies, grab a few two-liter Mountain Dew, and sit yourself down for a Labor Day marathon. And we’re not talking about just the Iron Man through Captain America films. Go for all of them: The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren, Howard the Duck, David Hasselhoff’s 1998 Nick Fury TV movie….
Watch It in 3D, but Without 3D Glasses
The 3D in Avengers pops, but imagine all that crazy action without 3D glasses on. Joss Whedon’s grand finale would be a chaotic swirl of color and sound, like a big screen exhibition of avant-garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage’s Dante’s Quartet. If you go with this option, make sure to have an optometrist on hold for a post-viewing check-up.
Shawarma Party
We don’t normally condone bringing your own food to the movies, but thanks to The Avengers‘ famous post-post-credits scene, sneaking in a few lamb or goat sandwiches would make the film an even bigger ride. If you head back to the theaters this weekend, make sure to grab shawarma first. It’s what real friends do.
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures]
More:
Joss Whedon to Write, Direct ‘The Avengers 2’
‘The Avengers’ Joins ‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ in $600 Million Club
Comic-Con 2012: ‘Iron Man 3’ Footage Keeps Up the ‘Avengers’ Thrills
