The Avengers Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Violence and Action Throughout, and a Mild Drug Reference)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 22 Minutes

Cast-

Chris Evans-Steve Rogers/Captain America

Robert Downey Jr.-Tony Stark/Iron Man

Chris Hemsworth-Thor

Mark Ruffalo-Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk

Scarlett Johansson-Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Jeremy Renner-Clint Barton/Hawkeye

Tom Hiddleston-Loki

Samuel L. Jackson-Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD

Cobie Smulders-SHIELD Agent Maria Hill

Clark Gregg-SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson

Stellan Skarsgård-Dr. Erik Selvig

Gwyneth Paltrow-Pepper Potts

Paul Bettany (voice)-Jarvis

Alexis Denisof (voice)-The Other/Chitauri Leader

Directed by Joss Whedon

Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) assemble in Marvel's "The Avengers."

I didn’t think Marvel could pull it off but not only did the comic book giant succeed, they knocked it out of the park and into the cosmos! Four years ago in 2008, “Iron Man” ended with a post-credits scene where Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson in an uncredited cameo, attempted to recruit Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark for the ‘Avengers Initiative.’ This left comic fans salivating and a month later, “The Incredible Hulk” was released with Downey Jr. reprising his role as Stark in a mid-credits scene. Although the idea for an “Avengers” film stretched as far back as 2005, these attempts to create a shared universe like the comic books remained something of a pipe dream until 2010’s “Iron Man 2” began laying the necessary groundwork. This continued in 2011’s “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” but the project didn’t become a reality until filming finally commenced in April 2011 with fan favorite Joss Whedon confirmed as director at the 2010 Wizard World convention. Predictable story aside, “The Avengers” is nothing but a resounding success thanks to Whedon’s confident direction, witty dialogue, and the large amount of awesome spectacle on display that will leave geeks begging for more. This is not just any comic book film; this is an unprecedented cinematic achievement that has to be experienced even if you are not familiar with its rich source material. Summer 2012 has officially kicked off…with a bang! 

After being recovered by Howard Stark at the end of World War II, the Tesseract (Cosmic Cube in the comics) is now in the hands of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division or SHIELD, led by director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). At a remote facility where the Tesseract is being monitored by scientist Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), commanding officer Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) reveals to Fury that the cube is being activated by an unknown force. The Tesseract releases a large amount of energy and opens a portal that allows the exiled and disgraced Asgardian Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to invade the Earth. Loki has allied himself with an alien race called the Chitauri, who are led by a mysterious benefactor. Fury and Hill are unable to prevent the mad god from stealing the cube, who also uses his scepter to control the minds of Selvig and SHIELD agent Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Faced with an imminent threat that could destroy the world, Fury activates the ‘Avengers Initiative’ and recruits Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to not only find the Tesseract but also to defend the Earth from Loki and his army of Chitauri. 

During its 2 hours and 22 minute running time, “The Avengers” is nothing but pure fan service full of not only eye-popping action scenes but also individual character moments that elevate the film from its rather flimsy story. The overarching plot can be boiled down to Loki attempting to take over the Earth using the unlimited energy potential of the Cosmic Cube (or Tesseract in the film) and much of what happens won’t be a total surprise to those who are familiar with the comics, like his attempt to turn the Hulk against the others (a reference to The Avengers #1 from 1963). The personal drama of each of the characters such as Rogers trying to get used to living in the modern world or the burgeoning relationship between Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Tony Stark, are touched upon but are left to be explored in their individual films, which is a wise move by Whedon and co-writer Zak Penn. What Whedon instead does is treat the entire team as if it was one character, focusing on the interactions between all these disparate individuals and the scene with all our heroes finally assembled while the camera slowly pans around them is nothing short of…orgasmic for lack of a better term. The pacing and the build-up to this moment is handled exceptionally well with the audience breaking out into loud applause. Comic fans worried about the logistics of the film, wondering if a cast member would get shortchanged but Whedon makes sure that everyone has a chance to shine, be it a dialogue or an action scene. Being geniuses, Stark and Banner are immediately drawn to one another and it was great fun to see them discuss their work in a pseudo-scientific way while also drawing parallels between the traumatic events that turned them into who they are today. Whedon’s witty dialogue is in full effect as well and having Rogers butt heads with Stark, one an old-fashioned idealist and the other a philandering playboy, was highly enjoyable. Even though the end of the world is grim stuff, the film is full of hilarious moments that keep the tone light but never to the point of full-on campiness ala 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” 

As expected, “The Avengers” has quite a lot of action and the final 45 minutes has the team engaging in a gargantuan battle with the full might of the Chitauri fleet that leaves most of lower Manhattan under a pile of burning rubble (I cannot imagine the costs to repair everything). The finale recalls last year’s “Transformers Dark of the Moon” but what separates the two films is the fact that we actually care about the characters and the desperate situation they are in. Michael Bay, this is how you make an epic action sequence! The heroes fight amongst themselves almost as much as they fight Loki with Thor trading blows with not only Iron Man but the Hulk as well. The special effects range from competent to excellent with the only sore spots being the obvious CG when the SHIELD Helicarrier rises out of the water. Alan Silvestri handles the score but while it’s appropriately loud and bombastic, it’s not particularly memorable and you soon forget that it’s even there once the punches start being thrown. “The Avengers” is another film that is post-converted to 3D and although I stuck with good-ol’ fashioned 2D, most critics noted that the added extra dimension was fine even though it was not on the level of James Cameron’s “Avatar.” Those who opt for the 3D version won’t feel like they are being ripped off. 

The fact that Whedon is such a comic book fan and knows these characters like the back of his hand allows the ensemble cast to shine through. Robert Downey Jr. is afforded the most screen-time, letting his smug charisma carry the film while Chris Evans excels with his ‘aw shucks’ attitude and idealism from a bygone era. The scene when he fully steps into his role as the leader of the Avengers sent chills down my spine. Chris Hemsworth is in fine form as Thor but perhaps the biggest surprise is Mark Ruffalo, who replaces Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. Knowing the eventual backlash if he screwed up, Ruffalo fully commits to the role with a number of standout scenes that speak to how mentally unstable Banner is, that he can lose control without warning but he’s more or less resigned to his fate as a raging green monster. Having him perform his own motion capture was also a smart move because it allows the actor to further get into the mindset of the Hulk. By the way, the overeager smile the Hulk gave when Captain America tells him to start smashing was absolutely priceless despite the level of destruction around them. Scarlett Johansson adds a bit more depth to Black Widow but she’s still too bland when compared to her lively co-stars. The only actor that is underserved is Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, who spends much of the film under Loki’s mind control. Finally, Tom Hiddleston continues to be brilliant and compelling as the mad Asgardian god Loki, whose intense psychotic rage is hidden beneath a charming smile and sympathetic eyes. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders help provide support while Gwyneth Paltrow, Stellan Skarsgård, and Clark Gregg reprise their roles from previous films. 

“The Avengers” was released on May 4, 2012 to critical acclaim with a whopping 94% on Rotten Tomatoes! Critics hailed the script for ‘never [forgetting] its heroes' humanity and [with] no shortage of super-powered set-pieces, [the film] lives up to its hype—and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies.’ With anticipation building since 2008, it came as no surprise that the film would have a massive opening weekend but no one foresaw its record-breaking $200.3 million debut, making it the fastest film to reach such an amount while leaving “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2” flapping in the wind. So far, it has earned $642 million worldwide and I don’t see anything stopping it from making $1 billion or more. Nolan certainly has his work cut out for him with July’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” I saw “The Avengers” at a morning matinee and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the film, although an obnoxious kid was sitting next to me and could not shut up with the random noises. Alas, always a con of seeing movies in the theater. Joss Whedon delivered with “The Avengers” and while it lacks the depth of something like 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” this is by one of the finest and most enjoyable comic books films I’ve ever experienced. Marvel, I eagerly wait for the future but for now…AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

“There is no throne! There is no version of this where you come out on top! Maybe your army will come, maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you! Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it!”