Finally! After what seemed like ages, Marvel finally released the superhero film I was actually waiting for. As much as I enjoy the genre for it's special effects romps and cheesily-written one-liners, the glut of sequels, reboots and introductory films were becoming far too routine (and irritating towards my finances). The Avengers actually steps up to the plate and offers the audience much more of a cohesive film; one that stands up to the likes of Spider-Man, and maybe even The Dark Knight. At least it was one of the better superhero films I'd seen, in recent memory.
After Loki, Thor's nemesis, accidentally falls from Asgard to Earth, he corrupts Hawkeye and steals a powerful energy source from S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Nick Fury. Col. Fury assembles his close circle of superheroes: Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, The Hulk; and later on, Thor. The new team: The Avengers set out in search of Loki and try to stop him from from unleashing the forces of his world upon Earth through the use of this new energy.
Although the plot sounds typical of superhero movies with it's predictable good-versus-evil dynamic, The Avengers is different in that rarely does one see a film with a group of well-known superheroes matching wits with one another. Marvel may have started this trend with X-Men, but it's so infrequently used, from what I presume to be because of economic reasons. After all, the film is expected to make over a billion in it's third week; I presume from the excellent marketing and hype brought on by the preceding films. Director and writer Joss Wheadon takes great advantage of this setup, and finds great opportunities for humor and character development. These end up translating into some stellar performances from the cast. What I did feel like the film was lacking that would've truly made it a standout, was pathos. Sure, there was a sense of urgency to the film's events, but at the heart of the story's goofy, comic-book trappings, I didn't think the dramatic moments resonated with me as much as they did with Christopher Nolan's Batman series.
Things also get off to somewhat of a slow start in the begining, but after the film's first hour, it becomes relentless and pure action, with some of the amazing team dynamics being masterfully portrayed in the climactic, New York City, battle royale. Also, I didn't find Loki to be that engaging or threatening enough of a villain. But for those of you who've seen the film, it was satisfying to see one particular scene, which ends with Hulk refering to him as "puny god", because it basically summed up my feelings about his character.
Despite my few criticisms, I thought The Avengers was a lot of fun, and definitely has my pick as one of the better films of 2012. I didn't see it in IMAX, but with the exception of the two showcase battle scenes, I eventually confrimed from other sources that IMAX-viewing is only necessary for the diehard fans, as it is nothing groundbreaking. Summer movie season has gotten off to a fantastic start.
8/10
Peace,
- Jon
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