"The Avengers" Review

"The Avengers"

Directed by Joss Whedon

Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson

 

RATING

8/10

 

Marvel's mightiest team assembles for the first time on the silver screen! Even though the absence of Spider-Man and Wolverine is something to be desired. When Joss Whedon was announced as the writer and director of this project, all the comic book geeks of the world collectively orgasmed, including myself. If there was anyone who could juggle multiple complex characters and give them distinctive qualities and personality traits, it was this man. So it seemed we were in for a very fun ride, and indeed this movie did deliver the cinematic equivalent of a rollercoaster.

 

The story picks up from where the other preceeding films left off for the Marvel characters. S.H.I.E.L.D. had begun to assemble Earth's greatest superheroes after Thor's brother, Loki, somehow mysteriously and inexplicably revives himself to conquer the galaxy. It's up to Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye to rise up against Loki's plan to unleash a violent alien race against the planet.

 

Just to brush upon the great things about the film: Joss Whedon did a stunning job with directing and writing such a complex and virtually impossible story. Each character is given adequate time in the spotlight and not over-exaggerated or given the authoritative "leader" figure. This was good to see as it brought a lot of comical conflict and banter between the heroes, making them almost human in a way. That's another vital and brilliant part that makes this movie a success: the humor. Whedon does a very smart job of mixing in clever jokes with the action. It brings a nice balance without the tone becoming overly serious or dramatic. The visual effects were top-notch. I watched the film in 3D, and it really stood out. It was very well-done 3D, and added a ton of scope and depth to the visceral impact of all of the action sequences. And now we get to the action, which is "whoa". The film starts off ambitiously, and gradually deflates and inflates with action here and there until the last half hour of the film hits, and it becomes a geeks wet dream of pure awesomeness. The Avengers team up to take down the legions of aliens Loki unleashes upon the world, and the battle is just superb. Seeing all these fantastic heroes work together in a glorious formation will make the die-hard fanboys squeal with excitement. In particular, an incredible tracking shot that follows The Avengers around the city taking down the aliens. That was the point in which my inner child burst out in joyful tears. It was something to be remembered. Stellar acting from the charismatic and charming cast all round, each bringing their character to life in ways never before seen in their own movies, especially for Ruffalo as the Hulk who delivers quite possibly the best performance out of everyone. However, not to say the film was without faults.

 

Before the action kicks in, the first hour or so of the film is quite boring. The dialogue drives the plot in these moments, thankfully, but for a summer blockbuster, it was surprisingly talky. Also, as great as the action scenes prior to the climax were, they were also a bit lagging. Yes, the fight between Thor and Hulk is utterly badass and you have some really funny moments when the heroes exchange their sly comments, but there's a little less meat than what you'd expect going into such a big movie. At the time it happens, it doesn't feel much like a gripe, but when you look back and critically think about it, there's not much forward motion going on at all in terms of the plot. And the internal attack trope with all super-villains these days? Kinda used when you compare Loki's plan to that of The Joker's in "The Dark Knight".

 

When it's all said and watched, you'll find "The Avengers" to be a very enriching experience. There's plenty of visual eye-candy and character development, and a great script that highlights the strong points of every single Marvel film and applies them to this bundle of awesomeness. However, if you're not just looking for an extremely fun time and would like a strong and realistic insight into character and plot, I recommend something a bit more ominous, like "The Dark Knight Rises" or "The Amazing Spider-Man". But if you're an eager Marvel fanboy, this will delight you until your brain can't buffer anymore.