It's interesting to me that so many people were so bothered by Natasha saying she's also a monster, because I didn't get any sense that it was directly tied to her sterilization. It was her acknowledging that she was shaped as a person by a horribly fucked-up program.

I mean, if you've seen Agent Carter, I think about Dottie snapping the neck of her friend, and being taught to do that without question.

Dana, I am positive that this was the intended read of that scene, but I absolutely understand why people are reading it the other way. It was exactly how I took it initially until my brain said THAT CANNOT BE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING and rejiggered.

Except that if you look at the context of what they're talking about, the point in the conversation and explanation when she says it, the motivation given by the Red Room for the forced sterilization (again, not done that way in the comics), and her vision being of trying to intentionally fail the tests to avoid the graduation ceremony, it's a hard reading to avoid. Like I said on Tumblr, there were ways to write it that wouldn't have that effect, but those were not the ways in which it was written.

It was a very poorly written scene.

"Sorry To Disappoint, But I Actually Really Loved Avengers: Age of Ultron" is a perfect headline for a review.

but I absolutely understand why people are reading it the other way.

Yeah, I meant to say that, but apparently I forgot.

Well, and that's just it; even if we find something problematic, it doesn't have to overwhelm the rest of how we feel about the entire work.

I gave the movie pretty high reviews, because it kept me engaged and didn't make me feel like it was a 2-1/2 hour movie. I didn't cotton to Wanda and Pietro at first, but once it was put in the context of people will do anything to save their country/family in a time of war, as Steve so correctly pointed out, it made sense for their choice and I started liking them better. By the end of the movie the scene of Pietro dying to save Hawekeye and the little boy left me completely in tears. I think that is some pretty stellar writing, problematic writing in places or not.

To be clear, I didn't hate it. I found it to be uneven, and only connected with it emotionally for a couple of things OMG SHEILD TECH I LOVE YOU!!!! HEARTEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which means I watched the whole thing through my analytical lens instead of my squee and whee lens.

Did I mention my Shallow Feelings here? I had a few. you know, that was a dimly lit and disappointing bit of Wet Thor there, and Hemsworth's not even my flavor of beefcake. Also, HOLY CRAP, FARMHOUSE NICK FURY HOW ARE YOU SO HOT IN THAT GREY THING AND WOW, YES PLEASE. There was a sad lack of totally gratuitous and lovingly-framed shots of Chris Evans' ass. After Avengers and CA:TWS, this makes me very sad. I mean, that scene in CA:TWS where Steve's confronting Nick, and you can't really focus on Nick's face while he's talking, because the stealth suit clad buttcheeks of freedom are right there in the frame? Come on, that little thing is a national treasure, so show it some love. Also, Scarlett really looked radiant. She's a very glowy pregnant person.

Oh, I found Pietro annoying, and yet his death totally got me, because sibling stuff is my damn kryptonite. (To the point where it even gave me a moment where I unreservedly liked Pierce in Community.)

Well, and that's just it; even if we find something problematic, it doesn't have to overwhelm the rest of how we feel about the entire work.

See also, "Blurred Lines" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside," both of which I love even though they're creepy and rapey.

Plei, on Tony Stark's line, I mostly thought, "Oh, gross and uncool, man."

I startle-laughed, because it was so out of place! But very not cool.

I liked the movie. But it did feel like it ignored every Marvel movie that had been released in the wake of Avengers.

In line with Plei's Shallow Feelings: DUDE, the scene of shirtless Thor in the pool of visions was poorly lit and made me miffed. You've got Hemsworth! Shirtless! Wet! C'mon, give us some fanservice.