Righteous Recommendations
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 1: Avengers Assembled Limited Edition Collector's Set is a piece of work. With a title that long how can it not be huge? Besides being a tremendous movie collection it looks like the TV vomited out a box full of Marvel treasures just for you. So rather than try to write all this out for each movie's buying guide I will give you all the lengthy details here.
Packaging:
Everything I'll list below comes in an attache case. It's plastic made up to look metal, includes the SHIELD logo which allows the LED lights inside to shine through (with a button on the case to make it light up at your whim), and fastens securely.
Other Editions:
I'm not aware of the set being released in any other form.
Final Thoughts:
If you're hoping for some amazing new DVD extras you might be disappointed by what you get. On the other hand, if you particularly like seeing the animatics and pre viz shots then this has a lot to offer. None of the deleted scenes are impressive, although I found some of the alternate scenes in the Pre Viz sections interesting (mostly the alternate Hulk-outs). The Agent Coulson intros are fun to have, and the Shawarma behind-the-scenes feature is amusing.
What makes this a set worth having is what you get in the way of physical items. I thought we were going to be getting a character dossier and a movie replica related to each character. Instead there are folders full of numerous items that are extremely interesting to hold and examine. I'm not nearly as impressed with the plastic circuitry of the case or the look of the Tesseract as a stand-alone item, but I'm not appalled by them either. The special disc case artwork for the set is very sharp, and I'm excited to have all of the Marvel movies in the highest home-viewing quality currently available.
If you're deciding on whether or not to drop the hefty price the set requires hopefully you have already decided that you like these movies enough to have them in your movie library. There are more photos of the contents in our Facebook photos section. Check out the quality and variety of items that you get and decide if you think it's worth being able to hold these things for yourself. While the gallery is large, there are still elements you can't appreciate by seeing a picture such as the size of the ARC blueprints or the authenticity of the Captain America trading cards.
Reviews and guides for all included movies are posted (or coming soon) to the main review page.
Want to get your hands on something you read about? Click the links below.
This is a 10 disc, 6 movie set including Iron Man 1+2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers. Each one is offered here on Blu with those last 3 also being offered on Blu 3D. Disc 10 contains extra features exclusive to this set.
I'll cover the details of each movie's disc contents in their own respective guides. While the packaging is different, the actual Blu-ray discs are exactly the same as what you would get if you bought the movies individually.
DVD Extras:
Here are all the extra features that are exclusive to the Phase 1 limited edition box set. The features that come with the individual movies will be included in their own guides, this list is limited to those that aren't available anywhere else.
The disc is divided up by movie in the order of their release. They are listed here according to the order of the DVD menu. Select the movie then the feature you want.
Each group offers a play all option. These features are full widescreen with really great quality. There are subtitle options available if you need them.
-Info: This isn't really an “extra.” It's all the disclaimer and warnings crap presented as it's own feature. I mention it because as ridiculous as it is to have this as a menu item (seriously, who is going to select this because they WANT to read all this junk?), it's still better than having all this stuff play through every time you insert the disc. Want to avoid sitting through it? Just avoid selecting the menu option. THAT is something I can support.
Iron Man 1
-Agent Coulson Intro (1:09) It's the special AMC marathon intro with Coulson talking a bit about who Tony Stark is. It's amusing.
-Deleted Scenes:
-Champions (3:06) Some banter over schools and gaming prowess; it's amusing but long and kind of dull.
-Animatics (black and white sketches with simple animation playing with the score and some basic sound effects):
-Convoy Attack (4:34) Tony being taken.
-Tony Escapes the Cave (7:18) Tony gearing up and breaking out.
-First Flight (5:05) Iron Man test flight, more of a storyboard slide show than the animation of the previous features.
-Dogfight (4:02) Iron Man vs. the military, some background dialogue in this one.
-Final Battle (3:49) Iron Man vs. Iron Monger, a little bit of color added here and there to this one.
-Pre Viz (similar to the animatics but with more of a simple video game animation look to it; it's like watching the movie as a cheap cartoon with sound effects and music):
-Tony Escapes The Cave (5:04) Mark I in action.
-First Flight (2:41) Iron Man takes flight, more precise action than the animatic with a different landing than the movie.
-Gulmira Attack (2:59) Iron Man takes out the bad guys.
-Dogfight (2:29) The same as the animatic though it looks more like the movie; it includes some written dialogue.
-Final Battle (8:42) It includes some written dialogue. Portions of it look more like an animatic. It includes the reveal of Iron Monger instead of just the Iron Man battle like the animatic.
The Incredible Hulk
-Agent Coulson Intro (0:40) The Hulk's power is the primary subject this time.
-Pre Viz (again, like watching the movie as a very cheap cartoon with some music and sound effects):
-Fight At The Bottling Plant (3:48) A few basic lines of dialogue are included in this one. It's a very different kind of hulk-out than the movie scene with some silent movie style insert cards and some simple black and white drawing animation thrown in.
-Fight At The Bottling Plant II (3:25) This version is closer to what's in the movie.
-Culver University Raid (6:23) General Ross brings out the Hulk and throws all kinds of stuff at him.
-Hulk & Betty at the Grotto (0:45) There's not much to this one, just Betty and Hulk interacting.
-Abomination Alley (2:19) Blonsky has a hulk-out moment in an alley with Betty. It's very different from what's in the movie.
-Brawl In Harlem (4:56) Hulk and Abomination go at it; it's mostly the end of the fight.
-Hulk Pre Viz Test (0:24) This is a more realistic but still unfinished animation of Hulk and Abomination appearing on screen to roar for a few seconds.
-Hulk & the Helicopter Test (0:28) This is better quality animation of Hulk jumping onto the chopper.
Iron Man 2
-Agent Coulson Intro (1:00) He speaks of where Tony is at this point in the story.
-Deleted Scenes:
-Ivan's Workshop Extended (0:57) This is more of Ivan preparing his Wiplash equipment - not much to it.
-Pepper & Tony Talk to the Press Extended (5:11) Lots of dialogue make this one long.
-Stark Expo WHIH News Report (0:18) A reporter gives a quick intro to Hammer's Expo announcement.
-Whiplash Attacks Pepper at the Expo (3:18) Alternate ending: Ivan takes Pepper hostage; definitely not as good as the movie's ending.
-Animatics (as before, simple black and white art with basic animation, score, sound effects, and occasional spoken lines):
-Ivan's Apartment (0:31) Ivan is testing his whips.
-Battle at Monaco (8:46) Whiplash appears and goes after Tony.
-House Fight (3:20) With some more realistic animation of the suit being put together, Tony shows off then faces off against Rhodey. It includes a dramatically comic scene not in the movie.
-Rhodey Delivers the Mark II (1:39) Rhodey brings the suit to the base.
-Pre Viz (again, it's a bit like watching the scenes in cartoon form with limited sound effects and score):
-Tony Lands at the Expo (0:34) Tony flies down to the stage.
-Final Battle (6:32) Iron Man and War Machine kick butt.
-Tony Rescues Pepper (0:28) Iron Man flies in and grabs Pepper.
Thor
-Agent Coulson Intro (0:56) He introduces the idea of worlds other than Earth.
-Deleted Scenes (includes some unfinished CG):
-Going to Jotunheim Alternate Cut (1:47) It mostly just has different dialogue.
-Asgardians in Puente Antiguo (1:35) It's mostly talk about Vikings and other dialogue.
-Smith Motors (1:39) Alternate ending: it includes a brief mention of SWORD in relation to SHIELD but no explanation of it.
-Animatics (as before, simple black and white drawings with basic animation, sound effects, and score):
-Mjolnir Ceremony (4:54) This one has some dialogue presented as subtitles. It's mostly character reactions and the ceremony interrupted by an attack.
-Battle on Jotunheim (10:27) It's the long battle sequence.
-Battle on Jutunheim Chase Sequence (1:57) This one shows the beast chasing the heroes with missing footage inserts to tell what happens in the cuts.
-Thor Breaks Into the SHIELD Camp (6:41) Here's another one with some dialogue presented as subtitles. It starts with the car ride conversation then shows the break-in.
-Thor & Loki's Final Battle (6:20) Thor & Loki face off.
Captain America
-Agent Coulson Intro (0:56) Coulson shows his Cap fandom.
-Animatics (mostly basic black and white art with simple animation like the others but with more variance in the type and quality of art it uses, includes basic sound effects and score):
-Kruger Chase (3:14) This one look almost like a comic book slideshow - it has higher quality drawings than most and includes some color. In it Steve chases after the spy.
-Orbital Bomber Chase (5:41) Cap runs after the bomber taking off; there's better quality art than most in parts of it.
-Captain America Vs the Red Skull (1:24) This is the final battle; it's one of the few with movie dialogue in the audio.
The Avengers
-Agent Coulson Intro (0:50) Coulson gives an Avengers roll call.
-And Then Shawarma After (1:56) This is a behind the scenes look at the idea of the shawarma scene with some news and interview clips edited in.
-Deleted Scenes:
-Barton & Loki Escape (0:24) It's an extra bit of truck chase footage.
-Loki & the Other Extended Scene (1:21) It's a conversation about what Loki has planned for Earth.
-Natasha Hides from Hulk (0:27) This is just some focus on Black Widow hiding.
-Cap Saves Family (0:57) Cap fights something attacking a family in a car, the unfinished effects and stuntwork make it look like it's a guy in a goofy suit who got caught up in some wires.
-The Other Tells Loki to Lead (1:10) This is a conversation between Loki and his ally with some unfinished blue screen and CG.
-Thor Attacks the Tesseract (0:12) Thor strikes the Tesseract with poor results.
-Cop & the Waitress Story Arc (4:15) This is a string of multiple short scenes following a cop as he gets his hands on an alien weapon, tries to become a hero, and saves a waitress who then becomes the focal point during one of the battle sequences.
-Animatics (like the others, simple animation with score and sound effects though this one uses more CG models than the previous ones):
-Helicarrier Lift Off (2:10) Here's some of the CG models mixed with storyboard type art - some of the heroes on the carrier as it lifts off. This is one of the few that includes dialogue from the movie.
-Mountaintop (4:15) One more with movie dialogue, this it the big hero face-off.
-Mark VII suit Up (0:44) Tony suiting up as he falls.
-Pre Viz (as before, it's like watching the scenes as a cheap cartoon with sound effects and score):
-Car Wash (1:36) The Iron Man suit comes off as Tony walks.
-Helicarrier Lift Off (1:31) The carrier takes off.
-Mountaintop (3:25) This time the dialogue is presented as subtitles; it's the big hero fight.
-Mark VII Suit Up (0:26) Tony suits up as he falls; it's the same as the animatic just with a different style.
-Final Battle (4:23) Another with dialogue presented as subtitles, the heroes spring into action here.
-Hulk Smashes Loki (0:52) Hulk and Loki face off... briefly.
Open the case to find the disc folders and all other goodies lit by 2 different sets of blue LED's that stay on as long as the case is open. The bottom has a circuit board look to it. It's nothing more than a plastic facade and is actually a bit flimsy. Don't put any pressure on this or you might crack it!
In the middle of this is the Tesseract. It looks like a white plastic cube though LED's under it cause it to glow. You can remove it and tap it to cause the cube itself to light up. It has 2 brightness settings and shuts off automatically after a bit. The batteries on mine were dead when it arrived despite the tab that is supposed to preserve the battery life.
The disc folders slide into slots on either side of the cube. You will need to be sure that you have them settled in properly or you may end up closing the case lid on them.
The lid of the case has a slot that holds all of the rest of the materials. Along the top is another set of LED's that light up the SHIELD emblem.
Each movie has its own disc case. They are cardboard with pockets for the discs (2 for the ones that also offer the 3D copies). The art for these cases is unique having an art deco style that is quite a bit different from the look most of these films have had.
Physical Materials:
There's 2 likely reasons you're considering dropping the money the high price of this set demands. You want all the movies in the highest quality currently available and because you want the stuff I'm about to talk about. You can still get the Blu and 3D copies of all these movies, but nowhere else can you get this box full of geek-pleasing movie replica items.
There's a lot more here than I expected, and my hands trembled with excitement as I thumbed through them for the first time wondering what the next item would be. Most of these items look like they existed in an alternate reality where the Avengers are real, got sucked into a vortex, and materialized in this box.
Holding all the items are a bunch of file folders and a Top Secret envelope that fit neatly inside the lid of the case. I will list all the goodness in them folder by folder. You can see more and higher quality images of all these materials in our Facebook gallery.
Loose Materials:
Actually there are 2 cards not not in any of the folders. They're nothing impressive, but I'll list them anyway.
-Certificate of Authenticity: While not numbered, this marks your set at the genuine article (because whoever would be replicating the materials within couldn't possibly also Xerox a piece of paper saying it's authentic).
-Instructions on working the Tesseract and changing the batteries.
Top Secret Envelope:
This is where you will unlock your access to the peeks at Marvel Phase 2. The envelope itself really is an actual sealed envelope. The seal can be broken without damaging the envelope if you are careful. When you register you will be sent an official-looking SHIELD communication marking you as an agent. I got such a kick out of it that I printed mine out to put in my case for future delight. What you unlock is a brief but exciting on-line look at Iron Man 3 along with comments and a few glimpses of Ant Man and the other Phase 2 projects in the works.
-Decoder: It's kind of a game. What do you do with this item? You'll have to find the item it pairs with and figure out how to access the data you need. Play secret agent for a moment and have fun.
-id: You get your own SHIELD ID tag with a unique access number.
SHIELD Folder:
These are SHIELD-related items rather than anything pertaining to a specific hero.
-Tesseract Photos: A couple of images of the mysterious object.
-Evidence files: Tesseract and alien weapon information sheets (one of each).
-Dossiers: Info on Black Widow and Hawkeye (again, one of each).
-Agent Coulson's Card: A business card.
-Newspaper Photo: Steve's personal memento cut out of the newspaper.
-Photo of Steve: A surveillance photo of Steve before his experiement
-Steve's Drawing: This is the same one he works on during the movie.
Captain America:
-Trading Cards: 3 Captain America cards that look like they could have come from Agent Coulson's own personal collection.
-Documents: 4 official documents related to Steve including his physical exam results, notice of fraudulent application, his certificate of acceptability, and his particulars.
-Newspaper Clipping: An article about the incident at Culver University.
-Surveillance Order: A page of SHIELD orders related to Banner.
-Weapon Diagram: Views of the sonic weapon to be used against Hulk. It includes 4 different views.
-Database Entry: A printout with info about Betty and her Gamma research.
-Cryosync Tag: A metal tag right out of Stark Industries.
Incredible Hulk:
-Drink Label: A label from the plant where Bruce worked. It even has the nutritional info.
-Newspaper Article: Who Is The Iron Man headline.
-Sketch: The dimensional analogue sketch.
Iron Man:
-Business Card: Aldrich Killian's card.
-Arc Reactor Blueprints: The plans drawn up by Vanko and Stark. It's quite large.
-Stark Wold Expo Brochure: The full brochure with a map of the facility.
-Napkin: Tony's weapons announcement as written on a napkin.
-Stark Expo Ticket: This will get you into the Expo.
-Suit Diagrams: Tony's 4 Iron Man suit diagrams on transparent paper for overlaying.
-Book Page: A page from a book on Asgard legend.
Thor:
-Storm Photo: The photo of Thor's landing on Earth.
-Jane's id: The Culver University student ID.
-Thor's License: The Don Blake license made up for Thor.
-Universe Diagram: 2 pages of the diagram of the universe.
-Wristband: Thor's hospital wristband.