Review 47: The Avengers
Based on the Marvel Comics superher team The Avengers by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. To do that he recruits Superheros, Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) to form a team. The group must stop Thor's brother Loki from destroying Earth.
The plot is just great, it was really cool to see all these superheros working as a team and using all their superpowers to defend the earth.
It ties together all superheros from all of the MCU Movies: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.
Despite all of the hero's fantastical powers, the dazzling effects on display, the astounding fantasy and cool hi tech sic fi, this film manages to remain very grounded and realistic and you get the sense this could actually happen in our world.
What I mean is the characters don't feel like cartoon characters, they truly are human, they feel like real people. You care about them, they all have a motivation for what they're for why they are combating this threat and that for me makes Marvel's The Avengers an extravagant, fun, action packed, at times funny but ultimately practical and pragmatic excerpts entertainment.
In terms of storytelling this film goes back to the very first incarnation of The Avengers, it goes to The Ultimates, it goes to everything about the characters.
Ultimately The Avengers don't belong together and this movie is about finding yourself within a community. And finding that you not only belong together but you need each other, very much.
An individual needs to to feel he has individual rights and say over his life, but he/she also needs friends and family around him for support and friendship and so he doesn't feel lonely.
The Avengers come from such different worlds and such different backgrounds, they have such different ideologies, personas and codes of honour and
They ultimatly are united because they’re all dealing with exactly the same problem.
Writer/Director Joss Whedon's direction is precise, the special effect are tremendous and some of best special effects ever in a superhero movie, the cinematography is beautiful, the production design is epic, the costume design is amazing, the action is exhilarating, the score by Alan Silvestri is tremendous, the intesity never dies, the sound effects are brilliant, there are great moments of humor, and the ending is superb.
The acting is absolutely spectacular all round, this time there's no central focus on a specific superhero because it focuses on one huge ensemble of them and all the actors gets a chance to shine.
I mean, wow does this film have an awesome cast, Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, it's one of the most prestigious cast assembled for a superhero film.
We also get some welcome appearances from Paul Bettany & Gwyneth Paltrow reprising their roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Pepper Potts respectively - which was nice.
All these actors and character just do great at working off of one another, trying to show off, trying to save the world their own way and ultimately pulling there resources to work to save the world together.
I especially have to give praise to Mark Ruffalo for showing us that he is a superb replacement for Edward Norton and capturing the nerdy, introverted, socially awkward scientist and outcast that Bruce Banner is from the comics perfectly on screen.
Chris Hemsworth sines once again as Thor. His conflict with Loki is very personal given that they're brothers and Loki's stirring things up. He's also constantly having to battle the greater good and what he should do vs. Along the way, his newfound nobility and his good intentions are tested and deciding wether his family values or the protection of Earth is more important. Those elements clash when he becomes a member of the team.
Tom Hiddleston is villain playing Loki and he should be considering he was the first villain The Avengers fought in the comics all the way back in 1963. Whereas in Thor, Loki was the Lost Prince of Asgard; the damaged second son, younger brother and he went on a journey of self possesion and self discovery about being who he was. By the time we meet him in this film, he knows who he is, he knows what he wants, he doesn't need his adoptive family anymore and is very much the God of Mischief and Menace as well as an Asgaurdian pirate. He's primarily motivated by delusions of grandeur but you'd only know that if you standing outside of his circle; he doesn't think he's deluded. He comes to Earth to subjugate it and his idea is to rule the human race as
their king. And like all the delusional autocrats of human history, he
thinks this is a great idea because if everyone is busy worshipping him,
there will be no wars so he will create some kind of world peace by
ruling them as a tyrant. But he is also kind of deluded in the fact that
he thinks unlimited power will give him self-respect, so he is still motivated by this terrible jealousy and
kind of spiritual desolation.
After being a slippery fish in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson get a proper chance to shine playing Natahsa Romanoff/Black Widow, being a spy in a world of superpowered people, she provides much needed stealth and subtly.
I also have to give praise to Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who is just given so much more to do in this film than he usual cameo at the end of each film and recruit them for the initiative.
He's just one of those actors who just commands that type of authority to lead a peacekeeping espionage organisation. Never in a million years do you doubt his word, you follow him until the end. He's just one of those characters you just can't help but trust because of his strong commanding presence and good intentions.
However, and I apologise in advanced for a lack of originality, Robert Downey, Jr. just steals the show as Tony Star/Iron Man with another overwhelmingly charming, witty and charismatic performance only this time he's working in collaboration with a lot more moving parts like the many tentacles of an octopus which gives him plenty of others to work off of.
The Avengers is the best movie from Marvel, one of the best superhero movies ever made and for comic book fans and general public see it-NOW, 5/5.
The Anonymous Critic
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