Marvel Universe Assemble! -“The Avengers” Double Feature

April 30^th, 2015-New York, NY-Fans lined up for over two hours outside the AMC Loews 34^th Street  14 theater for "the Avengers" Double Feature. I was lucky to be one of the many in line for the sold-out dual presentations of “The Avengers” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.

The event was run orderly. By 3:30pm, there were two lines: one for the Real3D showing in Theater 4 and the other for the IMAX 3D presentation set for Theater 13. Staff did a silent count as they allowed fans inside to present their tickets. With eager anticipation, the crowd found the line that snaked outside the theater. The reward to this wait was a lanyard featuring the cast and event details, a limited edition film poster, and an opportunity to enjoy the latest chapter in the Marvel film saga. Fans entered the theater with their promotional gifts and IMAX 3D glasses and settled into their seats; my seats were 3^rd row center.

There was a quick trivia question about the Hulk before “the Avengers” began at 4:00pm. The crowd was wrapped up in the action of this film and reacted as they were seeing it for the first time. From the viewpoint of a cinema fan, I saw that the audience’s connection to the story grew as the movie drew them into the plot emotionally. As a member of the Marvel Universe, I loved revisiting the first film that united Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Ironman, and Hawkeye under Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative.

After a 30 minute break that included trivia, the premiere of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” began at 7:00pm. The film drew the audience right into the story and never let up on the thrills. Anyone who knew Marvel cheered and gasped as the characters were tested with challenge after challenge. I can even recall there being times when the theater fell into a reverent hush. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was masterful at engaging the fans. So much happened that any additional information would seem like a spoiler.  That said, I can say I look forward to the time when “The Avengers will return” to the big screen.