the thing this movie series did the best was not getting considerably worse with more edginess
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Is the Avenger's theme iconic? Does it rank up there with William's Superman, Batman, and Star Wars.
- Thread starter Slayven
- Start date
the thing this movie series did the best was not getting considerably worse with more edginess
It's recognizable, not iconic. I'd like to believe there's a distinction that has something to do with blandness.
It's absurd to compare it to the likes of Star Wars.
It's absurd to compare it to the likes of Star Wars.
More recognizable?
Just for fun, I chatted up a few of my coworkers. 5 women, 3 in their 20's, one in her 30's, and one in her 50's. I know they've all seen several MCU movies; we've talked about them before. I didn't mention the Avengers, just asked them to hum iconic movie theme songs.
They covered most of the big ones. Star Wars right off the top, though they started with the Imperial March (we used to play it when our former boss came into meetings) before getting the main theme. Jaws next, then James Bond and Mission Impossible (which caught me off guard by sidetracking into playing Goldeneye in college from the young ones), Harry Potter, and Rocky. Then they stalled, so I started prompting. Jurassic Park? Yes. Indiana Jones, surprisingly, no, until I started to whistle it, then they joined in. Superman, nope. One of them said Batman, but no one could hum it. Then Spider-Man, but they meant "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can". Heh. Then they started naming TV theme songs, so I figured we were done. I asked "what about the Avengers?".
Nope. Complete blanks. The only response to that was "I didn't know it had one". I tried to play it on my phone - from this thread - but the video came up "unavailable", so I missed the chance to see if they recognized it at least.
They covered most of the big ones. Star Wars right off the top, though they started with the Imperial March (we used to play it when our former boss came into meetings) before getting the main theme. Jaws next, then James Bond and Mission Impossible (which caught me off guard by sidetracking into playing Goldeneye in college from the young ones), Harry Potter, and Rocky. Then they stalled, so I started prompting. Jurassic Park? Yes. Indiana Jones, surprisingly, no, until I started to whistle it, then they joined in. Superman, nope. One of them said Batman, but no one could hum it. Then Spider-Man, but they meant "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can". Heh. Then they started naming TV theme songs, so I figured we were done. I asked "what about the Avengers?".
Nope. Complete blanks. The only response to that was "I didn't know it had one". I tried to play it on my phone - from this thread - but the video came up "unavailable", so I missed the chance to see if they recognized it at least.
Couldn't remember it until I clicked the link. I can definitely remember both the Spider-Man and (obviously) a lot of Star Wars themes.
I think it's pretty good as far as modern movie themes goes (where most are impossible to remember), but I don't think it's as iconic as SW or Spider-Man. In my opinion, obviously.
I think it's pretty good as far as modern movie themes goes (where most are impossible to remember), but I don't think it's as iconic as SW or Spider-Man. In my opinion, obviously.
Is it unfair? The Pirates of the Caribbean theme was instantely iconic. We have had the Avengers theme for 7 years already. I mean, the theme is decent, but it's mostly recognizable because it's in the biggest movie franchise right now, not because it's so great it transcends the movie.
So I don't know if I would put it up against Superman or Star Wars. Maybe the next rung down... Similar to the Jurassic Park theme. Casual people won't know it immediately on sound alone but anyone who claims to be a pop culture nerd should know it pretty quickly at this point
I must have heard it dozens of times yet couldn't hum a note.
Because it's not memorable.
In my head it's more like a cinematic jingle than a full iconic theme. I can only recall the few notes that play everytime the logo pops up in a trailer.
I Don't understand people who say they don't recognise it... especially the main bit. Marvel use it all the time.
Thor's entrance
Avenger's circle
Infinity War trailer
Endgame trailer
Infinity War credits
https://youtu.be/ljYKrdUP9gY?t=140
The Avengers credits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxN2IsLbZqo
A lot of iconic motifs happen because they've been shoved down our throats for years. Marvel are doing a good job so far
Thor's entrance
Avenger's circle
Infinity War trailer
Endgame trailer
Infinity War credits
https://youtu.be/ljYKrdUP9gY?t=140
The Avengers credits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxN2IsLbZqo
A lot of iconic motifs happen because they've been shoved down our throats for years. Marvel are doing a good job so far
I can't remember what the theme sounds like, and even after having listened to it on the first page I can't hum the theme tune or actually remember what it's like, so I'd say it's forgettable long before I'd ever say it's iconic (let alone iconic to the level of the Star Wars tracks).
EDIT:
Because even though it's been used a lot and I can identify the track when it's playing, it isn't memorable enough to stay with me outside of the twenty seconds the few notes play for. I've not seen Forrest Gump in years (and I use it as an example specifically because I don't view that as a theme that's been 'shoved down my throat'), but I can still summon the Forrest Gump theme to mind and hum it because I find it a memorable piece of music.
EDIT:
Because even though it's been used a lot and I can identify the track when it's playing, it isn't memorable enough to stay with me outside of the twenty seconds the few notes play for. I've not seen Forrest Gump in years (and I use it as an example specifically because I don't view that as a theme that's been 'shoved down my throat'), but I can still summon the Forrest Gump theme to mind and hum it because I find it a memorable piece of music.
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It didn't immediately strike me like the Jurassic Park theme, but now i have the same reaction when it comes on. "Damn, the world is about to get saved!" And then a childlike smile creeps across my face.
Yeah seriously, it's so iconic, even my dad would know about it and he watched like half of the avenger movie
I think it is. Or at least will be. I'm sure Superman and Star Wars didn't instantly feel iconic at the time.
The MCU is absolutely this generations Star Wars, kids now will be posting angry opinions about it on VR message boards in 30 years.
The MCU is absolutely this generations Star Wars, kids now will be posting angry opinions about it on VR message boards in 30 years.
It's recognizable, but as a piece of music it's simply not up there with the best themes that stand alone. As for pop culture influence, I guess we'll see.
Frankly I think Silvestri is a B-tier composer most of the time. He's the guy you get when you just want competence. In terms of stuff he's written that has staying power, I feel like the only major contender is BTTF.
Frankly I think Silvestri is a B-tier composer most of the time. He's the guy you get when you just want competence. In terms of stuff he's written that has staying power, I feel like the only major contender is BTTF.
That's a you problem, and it's hardly indicative of the masses.
Though I suspect a ton of you couldn't reliably hum any tune, which makes your inability to do so here irrelevant. That's not an insult, either. A ton of people recognize classic scores when you play it, but I doubt most could replicate it themselves on command lol
I mean, I feel it's "iconic" because Marvel kept pushing it as the "theme of the Avengers"
IMO as an individual piece of music, it's pretty bland
IMO as an individual piece of music, it's pretty bland
Half of those iconic Avengers / Infinity War moments wouldn't have been as iconic if it weren't for the theme. Infinity War / Endgame trailers go in so hard thanks to the theme (which Ultron incidentally never opted to use and had an even more unmemorable score overall), Thor landing on Wakanda, or even the extremely somber piano rendition in IW's credits wouldn't be such effective moments if the theme didn't mean something to the current generation of moviegoers.
The melody gets people pumped, it's got that tinge of silver age flavor to it that perfectly conveys what the Avengers is all about. Walking out of the theaters the theme kept sticking with me because it perfectly encapsulated how monumental of a movie it felt at the time. Hell I saw random YouTube videos referencing the theme only months after the movie's cinematic run had ended just cause at the time it was the go-to "heroic" theme everyone seemed to think of.
You might not care for it, but it's iconic. It might not be to the extent of "will occasionally pop up in some kind of blockbuster satire" or whatever like Superman's theme given how it's comparatively still fresh, but it'll probably get there eventually as well.
The melody gets people pumped, it's got that tinge of silver age flavor to it that perfectly conveys what the Avengers is all about. Walking out of the theaters the theme kept sticking with me because it perfectly encapsulated how monumental of a movie it felt at the time. Hell I saw random YouTube videos referencing the theme only months after the movie's cinematic run had ended just cause at the time it was the go-to "heroic" theme everyone seemed to think of.
You might not care for it, but it's iconic. It might not be to the extent of "will occasionally pop up in some kind of blockbuster satire" or whatever like Superman's theme given how it's comparatively still fresh, but it'll probably get there eventually as well.
Theres no inbetween option, so i vote no but it will, but i dont think its exactly what i think.
Is somewhat iconic, but it doesnt touch, even from afar, truly iconic themes of john williams. I think the sam raimi's spiderman is the most near weve got to super iconic again.
Marvel and DC (dc being worse) has been doing mediocre non iconic osts for their majorities of their movies. And im not a fan of wonder womans theme as much as some peope on era love it. And this is where we get, i found the avengers theme the most memorable of modern movies, but its not a home run.
Is somewhat iconic, but it doesnt touch, even from afar, truly iconic themes of john williams. I think the sam raimi's spiderman is the most near weve got to super iconic again.
Marvel and DC (dc being worse) has been doing mediocre non iconic osts for their majorities of their movies. And im not a fan of wonder womans theme as much as some peope on era love it. And this is where we get, i found the avengers theme the most memorable of modern movies, but its not a home run.
It's not bad but it's no Star Wars, that's for sure.
Hell, it's not even as good as the 90's X-Men and Spiderman cartoons.
Hell, it's not even as good as the 90's X-Men and Spiderman cartoons.
In the films? Maybe. As a general pop culture icon? Absolutely not. What makes iconic themes like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, PotC etc. is not their appearances in the films, but outside them, in reviews, news coverage, and other random appearances that are so common that they can be recognized by someone who hasn't even seen the movies they're from. And as someone who's never seen any of the modern Marvel movies, I think the first Ant-Man was the most recent one I've seen, I had never heard the theme before coming into this thread.
As I've watched all the Avengers films yet couldn't remember the theme at all, I'm gonna go with no.
My man. Guardians of the Galaxy's score was fantastic. James Gunn framed so many scenes so perfectly for the music to stick out. If Endgame's final confrontation is anywhere near as perfectly staged as Guardians, it'll be the GOAT.
Really hope they bring back Tyler Bates for Guardians 3.
Of course the theme is not as recognizable as a movie someone watched on VHS 100 times as a kid because there was nothing else to do. But the theme is still iconic and in 20 years will be as well known.
Marvel brings out the "no, it's the children who are wrong" like nothing else. This thread reminds me of the throngs of people saying it was literally impossible for Infinity War to have a bigger opening weekend than Force Awakens. People are either in denial or are oblivious about how massively huge these movies are. Marvel IS pop culture.
Marvel brings out the "no, it's the children who are wrong" like nothing else. This thread reminds me of the throngs of people saying it was literally impossible for Infinity War to have a bigger opening weekend than Force Awakens. People are either in denial or are oblivious about how massively huge these movies are. Marvel IS pop culture.
I've seen all the movies but I couldn't even tell you what the theme was off the top of my head. So no.
I guess it's not for me. I've seen a couple of Avengers movies and I've been exposed to copious amounts of Avengers trailers, but if you'd have told me the theme in the OP was a new piece of music that I've never heard before, I'd have believed it. It's the type of theme I'd expect in some licensed James Bond video game that lost their license late in development.