The Avengers - Josh's Review
Joss Whedon becomes more and more of a geek god with every new release, and The Avengers is no exception. The summer tentpole draws much of the plot from Thor, so if you haven’t seen that film go watch it immediately. From the Hulk to Captain America to Thor to Iron Man, it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite. Just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get any more awesome, here’s The Avengers ready to obliterate your expectations.
Like I said before, the setup is familiar as long as you’ve seen Thor. Loki comes back to life through the power of the tesseract, which he wants to harness in order to make the world bow before him. Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together some of the world’s best heroes to combat Loki and retrieve the tesseract before it’s too late and the portal to another world is opened.
Thor is by far my favorite film out of all the movies in this canon (with Iron Man 2 being dead last), so I was kind of concerned that his character would probably fall to the wayside and instead give overt screentime to some of the better-known members of the group. Thankfully, this is totally not the case and The Avengers is far from being “The Tony Stark Show” which was my absolute greatest fear. Each and every member of the team is given ample time to shine and a perfectly relevant role in the big framework of this movie. That has really always been Joss’s biggest success anyway since his job on Buffy the Vampire Slayer working with an ensemble.
I honestly couldn’t envision a movie written and directed by anyone other than Joss Whedon. At this point, he’s a god himself. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, and now The Avengers? He gets each and every character down perfect, complete with petty quarrels and personal issues (Captain America trying to adjust to life in modern day… how cute!) He took all the best elements of each of the origin movies for these characters and made them into something that’s much more impressive than you would think. The plot doesn't feel throwaway at all, but rather very organic especially when you watch all the movies in this canon back-to-back.
Then there’s the cast. One of the biggest and most brilliant things about this flick is how perfect each of the actors are. I was kind of pissed that Marvel decided to recast Edward Norton’s Hulk, especially with a choice as random and off as Mark Ruffalo. And then I saw the movie. So that’s how much potential the Hulk really has. My mind was blown with how spot-on everything was, from his attitude and quirky humor to the green man himself. If they make another movie with a full two hours of JUST the Hulk smashing things into pieces for several hours, I’m SO there. Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow are utilized the least out of the cast, but they still have a very interesting onscreen chemistry. I wanted more! Robert Downey Jr. is given most of the saucy lines, but he has had plenty of time to perfect the role over the course of several films. the snarky humor never wears thin, and neither does his ego. Chris Evans displays a lot of emotion, and I think Captain America really goes through the most character growth throughout the course of the film. I love him! Chris Hemsworth as Thor is in a league all his own and yet again my favorite character. His constant feuding with the other members plus the weight of his relationship with his brother anchors a big chunk of the heart of this feature. Tom Hiddleston is also quite the villain yet again as Loki, being a much different and more revolting meanie than in Thor.
The movie really kicks into high gear around the halfway point, and the second it takes to the sky, there is almost an unrelenting assault on the senses. Character and emotional build-up are perfectly structured, but once it hits the special effects sweet-spots, The Avengers really grabs you by the throat and it never lets go. The last act gave me goosebumps. To say it was simply brilliant almost feels like an understatement, as any new Marvel movies after this one will have a whole hell of a lot to live up to.
As far as summer entertainment goes, it just doesn’t get any better than The Avengers, which is sure to make millions and break all kinds of records. When they make a sequel (and believe me, they really will) I just hope they are able to keep Joss Whedon on board creatively throughout. He is a vital piece of this movie’s success. The Avengers was absolutely amazing! Also, be sure to stay around for TWO post-credit sequences, as one of them doesn’t come until all the credits have rolled; it’s quite a funny scene you won’t want to miss. / Rating: A+
Read Rickey's Review: The Avengers Assemble – My Review
