As a big mama geek, I was pretty excited about taking the kids to Marvel Universe Live over the weekend. They had a very full roster of characters, all of the Avengers (including Falcon), Spider-man, a few X-men: Wolverine, Storm and Cyclops, SHIELD's Nick Fury and Maria Hill, and what I'm sure was a new intro to most of the audience: Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to share pictures as the computer keeps crashing every time I try. (We got an accidental upgrade to Windows 10 over the weekend and I am thus far unimpressed.)
The show was exactly what I expected, mostly aimed at the 6 to 12 crowd. No in-depth character exploration or morally ambiguous situations. There were the bad guys (Loki, HYDRA, AIM and every Spider-man villain ever written) and the good guys stopped them with elaborately choreographed fights and impressive motorcycle stunts.
The performer playing Spider-man stole the show. Not only was he an impressive gymnast but he spent a great deal of the show hanging upside down from various things which is not easy. I almost hope there was more than one of him because it must be very physically demanding.
I was pleased that the female characters did not spend their time being damsels in distress. Captain Marvel and Black Widow kicked butt on par with the big boys. I know there's been a lot of controversy over Marvel not supporting the female superheroes and not including Gamora or Black Widow in the merchandise for Guardians of the Galaxy or Avengers. They are promising it will change though.
But enough about gender politics in comics, back to the show.
It was a lot of fun, full of fireworks and stunts. There were a few points where the exposition got a little long-winded for their target audience but I understand the need to actually explain what was going on. They can't assume everyone follows the comics or has even seen all the movies.
Alex found it a little loud and we forgot his headphones so he spent most of the event on his aunt's lap with her hands over his ears. Nathan was absolutely fascinated. I don't think he even moved while the performers were on. Alex was (as expected) more interested in riding the elevator at the CTC. He got to ride it before the show started, during intermission and after, provided he sat quietly through the show. He only needed a few reminders.
I find with Alex and events, it's best to remind him what he needs to do to earn his reward in simple language (sit quietly for the show, then ride the elevator). We've learned not to say "show first, then elevator" because he then doesn't understand he needs to stay for the whole thing. He'll want to cut it short to get to the reward. He also won't listen if there isn't a reward so explaining that he needs to hold still and watch is a waste of breath.
I'm glad we went and I'm glad I paid the extra to get us seats near the action. I've found that makes a big difference when taking the boys to live events. They need to be able to see what's going on clearly without distractions in front.
And I'll admit that I enjoyed it thoroughly, too. Here's hoping that Marvelworld will be coming soon to a Disneyworld near us. (Hint, hint)
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