Fans all over the world awaited this film for years some where ecstatic, some were skeptical, some were even hostile towards it but no comic book fan was indifferent towards it. The early reviews were filled with praise and already the ticket sales are huge. This is my review of this film that i also awaited patiently, even though i wasn't that patient in those last few days, and before i see it last night there was one constant thought in my mind. Will it live up to the hype? Well.... as one of my favorite TV characters says, I'm super seriously you guys its soooo awesome!!!!
The Avengers is the comic book movie I've been waiting for. Full of action faithful to the comics and the essence of the characters, with great plot, humor and heart. I will divide my review in sections of plot, characters and action. I hope you enjoy it.
PLOT: The film picks up right after the last 5 solo Marvel movies that each one led to this event. SHIELD has the Tesseract and Eric Selvig from Thor is assigned to study it but Loki has a different idea. With the threat of world domination by Loki Nick Fury Director of SHIELD has the difficult task to bring together the heroes to combat this threat. I won't dwell on the premise any longer because i assume most of you guys have at least heard of it, and instead i will talk about how much this simple plot works wonders.
Josh Whedon did it and he did it triumphantly. I knew the man was good I've seen his work but we are talking about elegance here. He keeps the story simple, straightforward and focuses on all the right things. No sub plots left unfinished, no filler scenes, Not a dull moment. Josh Whedon takes standard, cliched stuff and gives them a wonderful twist. He made the alien invasion and destructed cities cool again. What i loved most though is that in a film that had the potential to turn out ridiculous, everything fell together almost perfectly and not only you get an excellent Avengers movie but at the same time he expands the Marvel cinematic universe in a way only Thor did before. And the expansion is COSMIC and fans of the comics will surely have their jaws drop. Josh Whedon hits two birds with one stone and those few scenes feel organic and not forced to the slightest.
CHARACTERS: This was in my opinion the most difficult task of Whedon. It has been said time and time again how difficult would be for a director/writer to bring justice to every character, for every one of them to have enough screen time and most importantly how to make their interactions not seem ridiculous. And this difficult task is Josh Whedon's greatest achievement. With excellent actors at his disposal for every single role, Whedon brings clever, witty, deep and funny dialogue that flows naturally and brings each character's personality forward and at the same time develops them even further. For a fan like me watching these characters work together like the brilliant minds of Stark and Banner was exhilarating. Everyone shines. Thor's pride, Captain's sense of duty and honor everything is there and when these personalities clash its where the film is at its best.
Even the secondary characters have their moment. Scarlet is great as Black Widow far from her cameo role in Iron Man 2 and Hawkeye even though is the least developed Avenger is deadly and capable and you root for him. Sam Jackson is cool as ever having the appropriate screen time needed and the same goes for the supporting characters like Maria Hill and Eric Shelvig. SHIELD's role is to support the Avengers not overshadow them and the balance that Whedon brought between them is perfect.
The standout performance for me and for many others as it seems was Mark Ruffalo as Hulk for two reasons. First how he compared to Edward Norton. In my opinion he was far better. Norton's Banner was just Norton in a nerdy attitude, don't get me wrong i liked him and The Incredible Hulk but i was never truly convinced that he was a world class genius or a man that hides the hulk inside him. Ruffalo on the other hand was all that every moment he was on screen you know he is brilliant, and you know how hard and how painful is for him to keep the monster inside. Second reason the Hulk himself. Oh man the Hulk. Not just faithful to the comics, not just a lot better than the other incarnations of the character, the Hulk was just mind blowing. He smashed and smashed and he also made the whole theater laugh a couple of times and..... what can i say absolutely perfect.
Now to the villains. Hiddleston as Loki is what i expected him to be and that is great. Loki in Avengers is on a whole new level of evilness and arrogance and entitlement compared to Thor. He is menacing and sometimes bordering on crazy and as every other actor Hiddleston has so much fun with his role. Every comic book movie needs a good villain and Hiddleston delivers every time he is on screen.
Regarding Loki's army Whedon made once again an excellent choice. Instead of using an alien race like the Skrulls that have such a long backstory in the comics Whedon used an alien army that is just that and serves only the purpose to destroy everything in Loki's name. Famous alien races like the Skrulls or the Kree would be underused in a film that has so many great characters to explore and this being a motion picture there is not enough time to fully develop their backstory. That would be a wasted opportunity for future films. The army is there to destroy and for the Avengers to kick their butts.
ACTION: Without a doubt in my mind the Avengers have the greatest action scenes ever in a comic book movie and some scenes are of the best regardless of genre. Many people on this site and other sites too saw the leviathan destroy the buildings and immediately said that is like a Michael Bay movie. If Michael Bay could make a movie like this one then Transformers 3 wouldn't be a mess with characters as deep as a spoon and Shia LaBeouf and boobs. Michael Bay didn't invent explosions and destroyed buildings nor does he have exclusive rights to it. What he has is caricatures amidst explosions. And the so called non cinematic feel of the movie... no comment The Avengers speaks for itself.
From the fights between the Avengers to them fighting the army as a team the direction and choreography are superb and the cgi is so good that you will believe Hulk is there with the other guys fighting thanks to the motion capture technology. Every fight scene is memorable and i won't mention something specific to avoid spoilers. The only one i will mention though is an extended cut of the Avengers fighting across the city in different places and the camera follows them in one uninterrupted take. Prepare to have your mind blown people new standards have risen for comic book movie action. What is even more satisfying is the obvious passion Josh Whedon has for the comics. Most of the scenes where like panels coming to life. I don't have words.
Some extra things i want to mention are the many many little details and references to pop culture, and Marvel universe lore. This is definitely a film that deserves multiple viewings. Also the middle credits scene. Anyone who knows their comics prepare to pick your jaw off the floor.
In conclusion this is it. This is THE comic book movie. The best ever. I loved Iron Man, and the Dark Knight still remains one of the best films i have ever seen. But the Avengers surpasses them. This is one of those rare big blockbusters that has heart and uniqueness. A film that doesn't let you go for a second and completely immerses you to this world. Perfection it is not. Nothing is perfect but i think this is the closest we are going to have for a long time and i am fine with that. Go see the Avengers. Being Dc or Marvel or Nolan fan doesn't matter. This is cinema at its finest and like the Dark Knight before it gives us comic book fans something to be proud of.