Why Doesn’t James Like the Avengers Movies? (No Endgame Spoilers) - Rental Reviews

Overview

This “Rental Reviews” video features the hosts debating why James doesn’t like the Avengers movies—with no Endgame spoilers. They largely praise Marvel’s overall success and its interconnected “phases” strategy, but James repeatedly singles out the ensemble Avengers films (especially the first one) as the movies that bore him.

Main Plot / Setup

• The discussion opens by highlighting Marvel’s consistency over the last decade: many high-quality films released in a planned, interconnected way.
• The group compares this “build” system to how YouTube grows content—a steady stream that compounds into a bigger experience.
• The central disagreement becomes clear:
  • James enjoys many standalone MCU films and characters
  • but he doesn’t enjoy the Avengers crossovers as much

What James Dislikes About the Avengers

James argues the Avengers movies struggle to deliver the emotional payoff he expects from the connected MCU setup:

• Too much packed in / crowded feeling
  • He feels the Avengers films don’t land as a satisfying culmination of the individual character stories.
  • Instead, they feel hard to stay fully engaged with due to how much is crammed in.
• Runs longer than it “should”
  • He often finds himself checking the time.
  • He believes the pacing doesn’t let moments “breathe.”
• CG criticism (especially Avengers 1)
  • He points to earlier effects that feel less impressive—using examples like “spin around shots.”
• Not enough time with each character
  • His main theory: because there are so many characters, he doesn’t get enough time with any one person to stay emotionally invested.
  • That leads to him forgetting where/when he last saw certain characters.
• Middle-of-the-movie “brain check out” problem
  • In later discussion, he says his attention drops around the middle and he stops following the plot.

Where Others Push Back (and What They Still Love)

Other participants defend the Avengers concept and argue that it’s exciting when established heroes collide—especially in later entries.

They also highlight specific standalone MCU favorites:

• Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Described as “pound-for-pound” best by one host
  • Framed as a breakout that many people “finally got” once it released
• Iron Man
  • Cited as a standout favorite
• Captain America: Civil War
  • Called the best “Avengers-type” movie
  • Praised for how it feels like solo character worlds colliding in a more satisfying, character-driven way
  • A contrast is drawn:
    • Avengers = “stuff falling from the sky”
    • Avengers 2 = “robot man”
    • Civil War = conflict centered on characters and relationships
• Additional well-regarded films mentioned:
  • Doctor Strange
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming
  • Thor: Ragnarok (praised particularly for humor)
  • Black Panther (also praised; compared in the moment to Creed 2)

Key Reactions / Notable Moments

• Audience reaction in Infinity War One host compares the Infinity War ending moment—where kids cried and were confused—to classic Star Wars scenes where younger viewers experience heroes losing for the first time.

• Viewing conditions / “event” impact

  • Many people don’t experience these in theaters (especially with kids, scheduling, or waiting for VOD).
  • Watching at home can reduce the “event” feel compared to big-screen experiences.
• Superhero fatigue + “movie-as-TV” pacing
  • The Avengers require you to keep up with a large amount of prior MCU content.
  • The group jokes about the stamina needed to follow everything.

Jokes / Humor

• A Dollar Shave Club sponsor segment uses a humorous premise about facial hair and bad razors.
• Recurring gag themes include:
  • being “a nerd” distracted by monitors
  • jokes about needing to “catch up” on Marvel TV shows
  • a bit about Inhumans got cancer (clearly framed as humor)
• A running bit: one host claims they’ll go watch Inhumans by themselves.

“Brain Exercise” Challenge (Fan Game)

After discussing Endgame (without spoilers), the hosts propose a creative challenge:

• Swap the Avengers concept so that the opposite 50% of the ensemble are replaced with Studio Ghibli–style characters
• They mention “Spirited Away” as an influence
• The premise asks: could those characters “fix” everything?
  • Presented as a goofy viewer-facing challenge/game idea.

Final Take

James is portrayed as a genuine Marvel / Spider-Man / comics fan and someone who enjoys much of the MCU overall. However, he maintains that the Avengers ensemble format is where he loses engagement—because it feels like too many characters, too little time with each, and pacing that never really slows down.

Personalities Mentioned

• James (the one who dislikes Avengers movies)
• Justin
• Tony
• Ryan
• Kieran