Without a doubt, as far as superhero movies go, The
Avengers is a
monumental achievement. It’s a huge epic, with very high stakes, a grand scale,
and a truly dangerous villain at the center. Exactly what you would expect and
want in a film that brings together “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”—not to mention
four separate movie franchises.
The Avengers is so huge, in fact, that I found it to be a little
overwhelming, maybe a little TOO big at times, and, as a result, not always
easy to follow. I know that I’ll have to see it again to be able to take it all
in.
What I can report upon my initial viewing is that there’s
a LOT to like about The Avengers. The special effects are amazing. I can even recommend
seeing the 3D version—and I’ve never been able to say that before. (Though
you’ll certainly enjoy the film just as much—and save yourself a few bucks—if
you see the standard edition.) The characterizations are terrific. It ties all
of the previous Marvel films together nicely, and shows that not even the sky
is the limit in terms of what can be done in a superhero movie.
I actually have mixed feelings about that last part. I
really liked how Jon Favreau strived to set the first two Iron Man movies in
our world, with everything more or less grounded in reality. The Hulk movie
starring Edward Norton took the same approach, for the most part. Things
started to get a little more “out there” with Thor and Captain America: The First
Avenger, what
with those two films establishing other dimensions, super-science that, for all
intents and purposes, is full-on magic, a race of godlike beings, and an
ultimate world-breaking weapon connecting back to those godlike beings. But I
found it all easy to accept within the framework of this expanding cinematic
universe, as these extra-normal elements were introduced with great care and
skill, and in a believable manner.
With The Avengers, though, writer/director Joss Whedon pulls out all
the stops. Those extraordinary elements introduced in Thor and Captain America are right at the forefront, with
additional over-the-top stuff thrown in. Which means the sense of
verisimilitude that Favreau had achieved in the Iron Man films is not as much
of a factor anymore. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I’m just not sure how I
feel about it. Then again, if you’re going to make a movie that shows off the
inner workings of S.H.I.E.L.D., the international peacekeeping organization run
by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), how do you not introduce the Helicarrier, its
enormous floating base of operations? And if you’ve already established the
existence of Thor, Loki, Asgard, and the vastly powerful cube-shaped energy
source called the Tessaract, is it that much of a leap to throw in additional
otherworldy beings and objects?
Like I said, I’ll have to see the movie again.
The plot is very loosely based on the comic book where it
all began: The Avengers #1, by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, published by Marvel
Comics in 1963. In both the comic book and the movie, the villain whose actions
cause the formation of the team is none other than Loki, the infamous god of
mischief and embittered brother of Thor, the Asgardian god of thunder.
Tom Hiddleston, wh0 did a fantastic job portraying Loki in
last year’s Thor,
is back and brings some new dimensions to the character. Without giving
anything away, I can say that Loki is more vile and more vicious here than he
was in Thor.
His villainy is far less subtle this time. And yet Hiddleston is so good in the
role that he always manages to keep you guessing about what Loki will do next,
and what’s going on behind those ever-scheming eyes of his. You’re forced to
wonder if he’s really as evil as he seems to be, and if there’s any trace of
compassion or mercy left in him. As far as I’m concerned, Loki, as portrayed by
Hiddleston, is the best, most complex villain of all of the Marvel
movies—possibly of all superhero movies, period.
As for the heroes, by this point, most of the characters
that make up the Avengers are very familiar to moviegoers, but this film shows
them in a new light. For one thing, nearly all of them end up battling each
other at one time or another. (Why would the good guys be fighting each other?
Ahhh, that would be telling. I will say, though, that the scene in which Iron
Man battles Thor absolutely kicks ass, far surpassing any of the fight scenes
in the Iron Man movies. And to watch the Hulk and Thor go at each other with no
holds barred is a comic-book fan’s dream come true.)
Robert Downey Jr. is of course back as Tony Stark/Iron
Man, with his trademark manic wit and charm fully intact. What’s new here is
that when Stark displays his notorious arrogance, narcissism, and downright
thoughtlessness, he’s surrounded by a bunch of folks who aren’t intimidated by him,
who don’t have to put up with his crap, and who have the power and abilities to
stand up to him—whether he’s in or out of his armor. And I loved the few scenes
that touched upon Stark’s private life, which, I’m pleased to report, feature
Gwyneth Paltrow reprising her role as Pepper Potts. The interactions between
Downey Jr. and Paltrow remain a joy to watch.
Scarlett Johansson fully embodies the role of Natasha
Romanoff/the Black Widow, which she originated in Iron Man 2. She’s just damn wonderful throughout,
absolutely improving upon her previous appearance and delivering some of the
film’s best moments. Comic-book purists should be happy to know that Natasha’s
Russian background is established, and while she speaks in an American accent
through most of the film, she does get to speak in Russian at one point, and
even utters a trademark phrase in her native language.
Chris Evans, back as Steve Rogers/Captain America, is very
effective as the man out of time who has to catch up quickly in the face of a
global crisis. I wish there had been more time devoted to his personal life, to
Cap’s observations on how America changed during his time in suspended
animation, and to showing him getting acclimated to the twenty-first century.
Presumably, and hopefully, these things will be explored in the already
announced Captain America 2. Still, Cap does get some really nice and cute moments,
and it’s great to see him showing his natural leadership abilities.
Chris Hemsworth, once again playing Thor, is in fine form
throughout the film, but he’s at his very best when he’s playing off of Hiddleston’s
Loki. Their scenes together crackle with energy and emotion.
Jeremy Renner, introduced as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clint
Barton/Hawkeye in a cameo in Thor, doesn’t get to develop his character as fully as the
rest of the cast does, but that’s because of the nature of the plot. Still,
Renner is effective and likable and the hints dropped about Barton’s
adventurous and tumultuous past with the Black Widow are intriguing.
Samuel L. Jackson’s Fury looms large over the proceedings,
which is only fitting, since this whole “Avengers initiative” started with him
four years ago in that memorable 30-second scene tacked on to the end of Iron
Man. Fury is
given a lot more screen time this time around and has a lot more to do—he’s not
just a bringer of information anymore. We get to see how S.H.I.E.L.D. operates
and how extensive its reach really is. With this expanded role, we get to see
some different sides to Fury, and not all of them are likable. Jackson has
great presence as Fury and projects coolness and strength, but he’s perhaps a
little too remote. He’s not a character the audience can really relate to, but
that may be intentional.
While we’re on the topic of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, Clark
Gregg returns as Agent Coulson, who was introduced as a minor character in Iron
Man and
reappeared in Iron Man 2 and Thor.
Like Fury, Coulson has an integral role in The Avengers, and it’s a pleasure to see him
get to do more and to be further developed as a character. Coulson’s
relationship with Captain America is actually kind of touching, and the bond he
seems to have formed with Pepper leads to some amusing moments.
Cobie Smulders, best known for her role as Robin on the
long-running TV series How I Met Your Mother, makes a strong impression as
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, Nick Fury’s right hand. Hill was introduced in
the comics a few years ago and has since become a prominent figure. Hopefully
we’ll see more of her in future Marvel films—Smulders is very effective in the
role.
Finally, there’s Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner. In my
opinion, Ruffalo has the biggest challenge of all the members of the cast,
because he’s stepping in to a key role that was originated by another actor. I
so very much wanted to see Edward Norton in this movie, continuing his role
from The Incredible Hulk and interacting with Downey Jr., Evans, Hemsworth, Johansson,
Jackson, etc. It’s not just for the sake of continuity—I thought Norton was
perfectly cast as Banner and captured the character fully. I have to admit that
in the early scenes featuring Ruffalo, I was mentally inserting Norton and
imagining him playing the role. But eventually that fell by the wayside and I
started to accept Ruffalo. He doesn’t look anything like his predecessor, and
in my opinion, he’s a little too beefy and rugged for Bruce Banner, but he
conveys the character’s intelligence and internal struggle very well, along
with the tragedy, the sheer loneliness, and the innate goodness of the troubled
scientist. What’s more, he works well with the rest of the cast—reportedly, one
of the reasons that Norton was dropped from the film was Marvel’s concern that
he would not be a team player.
As for “the other guy,” which is how Banner refers to his
green-skinned alter ego throughout the film—director Whedon and company come
very close to hitting a home run. For starters, the Hulk looks FANTASTIC here—a
marked improvement over his appearance in The Incredible Hulk. (Don’t even get me started on what
he looked like in Ang Lee’s 2003 crapfest.) The CGI used to create him is the
most effective and realistic that we’ve seen yet. In The Avengers, the Hulk looks more like a
brute, with a pronounced brow and real menace in his eyes.
In many ways, this version
of the Hulk is like a smaller King Kong, specifically the 1933 edition—wild,
bestial, uncontrollable, unpredictable, and absolutely dangerous, and yet you
can’t help but root for him. If I have one criticism about the Hulk in this
film, it’s that he’s probably a little too dangerous and menacing, particularly when he first
appears and finds himself in the presence of the Black Widow. I just don’t see
him being so harsh, especially with a pretty lady who’s done him no harm.
Still, when the situation calls for it, the Hulk proves to be as heroic as the
rest. He has but one line of dialogue in the film, and it’s a doozie.
Without getting into the specifics of the plot, I’ll say
that The Avengers,
at its core, is really about the necessity for teamwork, for putting aside
differences to work for the greater good. (Maybe Congress should be forced to
see it?) I don’t think you can ever have too many stories about that.
My initial feeling is that the film drags a bit in the
middle. You’re waiting for the main stuff to happen and to get a real sense of
what Loki’s up to and where it’s all headed, but instead there’s a lot of
discussion between the Avengers about Loki, the threat he poses to Earth and
humanity, and how to foil whatever it is he’s planning. Once things do get
rolling though, there’s no letting up. And in the midst of it all, there are
some downright hilarious bits, many of them involving the Hulk.
There are flaws, to be sure. For example, there’s a plot
resolution involving Hawkeye that I found unsatisfying. As is the explanation
for Thor’s sudden ability to return to Earth, given the destruction of the
Bifrost at the end of Thor. And I’m not entirely sure why (this is a very mild
spoiler) Loki
allows himself to be captured at one point—how does that help him advance his
plans?
The Avengers isn’t perfect—no film is. Nor can I really declare it my
favorite superhero movie. But I can say without hesitation that it’s certainly
the ultimate superhero team movie, and it will remain so unless Warner Bros. finally
gets its act together and pulls off a truly fantastic Justice League film. (I’m
not holding my breath for that though.) There’s an undeniable thrill just
seeing these classic Marvel characters together in a big-budget movie. Watching
Captain America fight against—and alongside—Iron Man and Thor sent chills down
my spine. I never thought I’d see the Hulk rampaging through the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Helicarrier on the big screen. The cherry on top of all of this is that the
movie is as good as it is. And I have a feeling I’ll like it even more upon
second viewing.
By the way, don’t leave when the end credits begin to
roll. As with all of the other Marvel movies, there’s a bonus scene at the end.
This one adds some context and sets up a possible future adventure. (My guess? Thor
2.) People
unacquainted with Marvel comic-book lore probably won’t grasp the significance
of the scene. But comic-book fans will undoubtedly go nuts with delight.
© All text copyright Glenn Greenberg, 2012.
