[Review] The Avengers

The Avengers represents one of the most anticipated movies in the history of film.  That’s some big talk, sure, but considering the lead-up to this event, I’d say it’s hardly a hollow statement. And, considering that The Avengers brought in over $200 million on its opening weekend, a new record, I’d say the numbers are also there to support the hypothesis that people really, really wanted to see the Avengers on the big screen.  With all of this hype and anticipation, however, comes the big question; “Does Avengers live up to these lofty expectations?”  My answer to that question is a resounding, “YES!”

I’ll preface this review by saying that I’m a bit biased.  Did I have any part in The Avengers or will I end up profiting from its success in any way?  Nope.  However, I’m thirty years old and have been a die-hard fan of comic books since I was old enough to read.  I’ve been rooting for these characters all my life and have spent more money on keeping up with the Avengers and their adventures than I care to keep count of.  While I really enjoyed Iron Man 1 and 2, Thor, and Captain America, The Avengers is the movie that I’ve been waiting my entire life to see.  For anyone who hasn’t been obsessing over comic books for the better part of their existence, that last sentence may seem a bit over the top.  However, for all you life-long comic geeks out there, you know what I mean.  So with all of that said and out of the way, here’s my review of The Avengers.

The Good

Casting for The Avengers was spot on across the board.  Everyone already knew that Robert Downey Jr. was perfect as Tony Stark/Iron Man, as was Samuel L. Jackson as General Nick Fury. Additionally, after seeing them take on their respective roles in Thor and Captain America, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans were also flawless choices and once again delivered performances that would make Captain America and Thor swell with pride.  Scarlett Johansson did an amazing job as Black Widow, coming across as both very deadly and exceedingly cunning.  Jeremy Renner in the role of Hawkeye was a bit underwhelming, but in his defense his character didn’t have very many moments to really shine on his own in this movie.  Cobie Smulders, who played Agent Maria Hill, was a welcome addition to the cast, delivering a very impressive performance that should guarantee her appearances in future Avengers-related films.

Leading up to The Avengers, I heard a lot of people complaining about Mark Ruffalo playing the role of Bruce Banner.  ”Oh god, another actor playing that role?  What the hell?  I liked Ed Norton!”  However, after him seeing interact with the rest of the cast, and the understated menace that he brought to the role, Mark Ruffalo has been the best Bruce Banner that we’ve seen so far.  I didn’t like him in the role, I loved him in the role.  Also delivering an incredible performance was Tom Hiddleston in the role of Loki.  Wow.  If this guy wasn’t born to play the god of mischief, no one was.  Loki seems to be one of those villains that would be very easy to mess up, the urge to make him into a version of The Joker might be very tempting for anyone not expertly familiar with the character.  To his credit, Tom Hiddleston absolutely nailed the role and the character.

Additionally, the character interactions in The Avengers are terrific.  Bruce Banner talking high-science with  Tony Stark.  Hulk vs Thor.  Iron Man vs Thor.  Captain America vs Loki.  Everyone yelling at everyone.  Director Joss Whedon does a great job of creating situations that give the characters great opportunities to develop an exciting dynamic throughout the movie.  Additionally, the times that feature The Avengers working as a team are incredible.  Anyone who’s a fan of the Avengers comic books will be a fan of this movie, and that’s a credit to the amount of care that was taken to get the team dynamic right.

Finally, if you are a fan of action, The Avengers delivers in buckets.  From start to finish, you are treated to some of the most exciting, most intense, and most impressive action sequences featured in any superhero movie ever made.  The final battle, a scene that lasts almost an hour, is the working definition of what a Summer blockbuster is supposed to look like.  A fan of the Avengers or not, this film will not bore you.

The Bad

Is it okay if I just say I loved everything about The Avengers?  As this is a movie review, probably not.  While I really did love this movie as much as it is possible for a person to actually have loving feelings about a piece of cinema, there were a few areas that deserve at least passing criticism.  For starters, for anyone who hasn’t seen all of the previous Marvel Movies (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger), it may prove hard to follow the relatively fast pace of the Avengers plot.  Could someone who’s never seen any of those other movies still enjoy Avengers?  Absolutely, but not as much as someone who has.

Also, at times, this film came across as The Avengers vs The Avengers.  Many of the biggest scenes in the movie features the heroes fighting each other.  And while this is exactly the kind of thing that comic books fanatics (not to mention lovers of amazing throw downs in general) love, it may be played a bit too heavy handed a bit too often.  I would also add to this point that while most of the characters in the film get equal opportunity to carry the weight, The Hulk does play an over sized role.  At points, it seems like the film could be titled The Incredible Hulk and nobody would notice.

Finally, the movie probably could have done with a bit less of the witty banter.  Don’t get me wrong, watching Tony Stark and company trade verbal barbs was entertaining as hell.  However, it was also done a bit too much, in my opinion.  When you hear Thor making smart ass comments (“He’s adopted,” in reference to Loki), you know a line has been crossed.  Again, does it get to the point that its annoying or a detriment to the overall quality of the film?  No.  But it’s still something that could have done with a bit of editing and rewriting.

The Bottom Line

The Avengers, from start to finish, is an amazing piece of cinematography, a terrific adaption of The Avengers comic books, and an overall body of work that should make any hard or softcore comic fan stand up and cheer.  In almost every way possible, this film was a smashing success.  Did it live up to all the hype surrounding it?  If it didn’t, it came as close as any film could have.  Go see this movie. You won’t be disappointed.  HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.