Since we've been isolating ourselves I've found time to catch up on some of the blockbuster movies that have come out over the last 5-10 years. Today I watched the first Avengers movie. I have some questions:
1. Why did they need a flying aircraft carrier? What can a flying aircraft carrier do that a regular aircraft carrier and maybe some reconnaissance planes or a few satellites can't do, aside from burning copious amounts of fuel holding a a billion ton object aloft and being incredibly dangerous?
A mobile base solves the fuel problem of projecting power ashore. In 2001, a Super Hornet launching to go do on-call CAS in Afghan would fly four hours just to get to the stack and tank aloft a half dozen times. This OPTEMPO is hell on aircraft and hell on aircrews flying 8-9 hour missions. Go to an air museum and sit in one of those cockpits. Not awesome. Not ideal. Also, force protection is a non issue. No worrying about getting an airfield overrun, no constant IDF, no bunker runs. The idea was used in Area-88, except the carrier tunneled underground and popped out to do surprise attacks.
2. When they first raise the flying aircraft carrier out of the water why don't the people standing right next to the turbines get sucked in? Surely the amount of vacuum required to lift a billion ton object would suck in any objects in the near vicinity.
Yeah the whole fan thing is a nonstarter.
3. Why does the guy who plays Capt. America walk around like he has a stick up his butt? Is it a side-effect of the chemical enhancement?
This is why I’m not crazy about comic book movies. They’re actually not good movies. I suppose it makes cap seem even more anachronistic.
4. Is Jeremy Renner the worst actor in the world or does that distinction still go to Norman Fell and/or Pauly Shore?
No wheezing the ju-uuuuuice! At least Pauly did something interesting. Amy Adams totally carried Renner in Arrival.
5. Why do the laws of physics not apply inside Iron Man's suit? Just because he's wearing a suit doesn't mean that hitting the ground at 200 mph shouldn't cause massive internal injuries and brain trauma due to the g-forces.
Again, these movies aren’t actually good.