The Avengers Reviews

921 Pictures

How Marvel managed to surpass immense hype

Posted : 8 years, 2 months ago on 18 February 2016 02:10

Listal hasn't been the only place where I've been posting reviews. There have been websites that I visited prior to discovering Listal where I decided to type out my thoughts on films that I had thoughts about. This is was an Blogger review of The Avengers that was posted on December 9, 2012. Back when the movie was the biggest thing ever and it still is today, to an extent, but it was at the height during 2012. So yeah, what did I have to say about one of the most hyped superhero movies or really one of the most hyped films in general? Well, you have an whole review to find that answer. So, let’s get on to the review...

At the very end of the popular superhero blockbuster, “Iron Man”, there was a scene where Nick Fury was talking to Tony Stark about the “Avengers Initiative”. That was the very moment where people were anticipating the upcoming Avengers movie. Many of the Marvel films released afterwards (“The Incredible Hulk”, “Iron Man 2”, “Thor”, and “Captain America: The First Avenger”) were pretty much created to establish more superheroes that will team-up in the upcoming movie phenomenon that is the Avengers movie. As you might have expected, this movie had a lot of buildup and many people were highly-anticipating this film because of it. While I was also highly anticipating this movie, I still had some doubts that it could be a bad movie. You never know, many big-budget films with a lot of hype have turned out to be disappointments in the past. However, those doubts were pretty much thrown out the window, when I learned that Joss Whedon was going to be a writer and director in this project. For those who don’t know, Joss Whedon is a rather popular screenwriter, executive producer, and a director of television and film. He is well known for his works in television shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel”, and “Firefly”. The thing about Joss Whedon’s work is that he is well-known for making amazingly thought-out storylines with a large cast of interesting and developed characters. Often times, his films and TV shows became critically-acclaimed cult-classics because of his great writing and characters. And with a movie that needed a storyline that can allow a large cast of characters to play big roles in a grand adventure, I thought he was the perfect writer/director for the Avengers movie. Knowing he would be playing a big part on the production of this movie, I was probably even more hoping to see how this movie would turn out. I finally got the chance to see the movie in theaters and the moment the movie began I was hooked throughout the entire thing.

The plot of “The Avengers” is that there is a powerful energy source known as the Tesseract that came from the mystical land of Asgard but has managed to land on Earth. This energy source catches the attention of espionage agency, S.H.I.E.L.D., who take the Tesseract and plan to use its power to benefit the world. However, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), a former Asgardian, comes to Earth and takes the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. He plans on using the Tesseract in order to call a massive army of aliens called the Chitauri to invade and conquer the Earth. In response to this, Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., reactivates the dormant “Avengers Initiative” to assemble a team of the world’s mightiest heroes in order to defeat this global threat. This team consists of Tony Stark/Iron Man (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (played by Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo), Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner). It isn’t easy getting these different personalities to work together, but with the invasion getting closer. Will these people be able to work together in order to save the world? As you can tell from the plot summary, the story isn’t that groundbreaking especially compared to previous superhero blockbusters like “The Dark Knight”. However, the way the story is executed, the way the action and adventure enfolded, and the way the different characters clashed and worked with each other. It really makes the movie an even more entertaining experience. The story isn’t even that bad and really it does its job very well: it was able to give each member of an ensemble cast significance and give each moments where they could truly shine.

A movie with this large amount of hype needed an ensemble cast that would perfectly play this diverse cast of superheroes. Luckily for us, they managed to cast some really good people in this movie. Most of them returned from their roles in other superhero films, but they also managed to get some new actors into the mix. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the role of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man, the narcissistic, cynical, and sarcastic billionaire with a suit of technological armor that can perform incredible feats.

Steve Rogers: Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?

Tony Stark: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

Robert Downey Jr. fills the role of Iron Man with a lot of charisma. He plays Tony Stark as the snarky jerk who has good intentions. This is the interesting thing about Downey’s portrayal of the character. He is certainly fighting for good but he isn’t afraid to play dirty and get mean. He can take a rather serious situation and make funny quips to lighten the mood. In fact, he is probably the funniest character in the whole movie. This makes him an interesting contrast to the rest of the group and it definitely takes him awhile to get adjusted to working with the others. However, the character does go through some development as the ending of the movie shows. Chris Evans returns to the role of Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America, an American soldier with superhuman strength who fought during World War II and spent over 70 years frozen in ice. Chris plays Captain America as the idealistic soldier that is determined to fight for his country, while adjusting to a whole new time period. The movie does show how the Captain is affected from entering a world that has changed since he was around. By the end of the movie, he has become more adjusted to his new setting and able to use his experience and leadership to really help out. Chris Hemsworth plays Thor, the Asgardian god with the power to summon lighting and the brother of the antagonist of the movie, the mischievous and twisted Loki.

Thor: Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!

Natasha Romanoff: He killed eighty people in two days.

Thor: He's adopted.

Chris Hemsworth portrays the role of Thor as the foreigner whom is not accustomed to the ways of his new surroundings. However, he comes from a land of more royalties and advancements compared to Earth. Thus, he acts as if he’s superior to the rest of the group while acknowledging not by much. Another thing about Thor is that he always sees the good in people as he constantly tries to get Loki to change his ways, while the Trickster God just keeps scoffing off his offers for redemption. Mark Ruffalo plays Bruce Banner/Hulk, the peaceful scientist that keeps a raging monster deep inside of him. Honestly, out of all the people that have portrayed the jolly green giant on film (Eric Bana and Edward Norton), I think Mark Ruffalo does the best performance in this movie. He really does seem to capture all the things that makes the character interesting. As Bruce Banner, Mark manages to portray him as the rather calm yet shy scientist who seems to be holding something back. As the Hulk, he manages to show how intimidating and destructive he is capable at being. The first time you see Bruce Banner become the Hulk, you aren’t glad to see him tear stuff up. You are generally frightened because that rampaging creature is loose and will do massive damage to anything and everything around him. Another great thing about Mark Ruffalo’s performance is that it seems he have become a more developed character. In the previous Hulk movies, Bruce was always afraid to let the Hulk out and treated him like monster that he must destroy. In contrast to this movie, Bruce treats the Hulk more like the animalistic side of him that could be controlled and used for the better. This makes it all the more awesome when you see the Hulk using his brute strength against the invading aliens, later in the movie. You can thank Joss’s great writing and Ruffalo’s great performance for finally making a really great Hulk performance. It makes you hope to see a sequel to “The Incredible Hulk”, starring Mark Ruffalo in the lead role.

Natasha Romanoff: This is just like Budapest all over again.

Clint Barton: You and I remember Budapest very differently.

Next is Scarlett Johansson playing the role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, the master assassin who seeking redemption as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I think Scarlett did a great job playing the femme fatale who can kick butt and get information through any means necessary. The character of Black Widow was a very interesting one as she didn’t feel like just the Girl they added in the Team of Men because they needed a girl. Joss Whedon has been known for making an interesting character first and the gender later. So, it shows that Black Widow wasn’t a character defined by her gender but by her role and actions in the main plot. Scarlett Johansson was able to present a character that handle herself in nearly any situation and there is an array of mystery to the character that keeps her character interesting. She feels like someone that could side-by-side with people like Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. Then, there is the final Avenger of the team, Clint Barton/Hawkeye who is played in the movie by Jeremy Renner. This character was honestly the one that surprised me the most. While all the other heroes had been established from past movies, this movie was Hawkeye’s first main appearance in the series (aside from a brief cameo in “Thor”). I was worried that they wouldn’t be able to make his character fit alongside with the other Avengers, ESPECIALLY considering his only power is to shoot arrows. I believed they really weren’t going to be able to work him into the story and make it genuine and I was also worried he’d be the weak link of the group because of his kind-of lackluster abilities. Fortunately, his character REALLY did manage to work in the film... and he even made shooting arrows pretty awesome. His character in the film is that he used to be a loner assassin who, like Black Widow, ends up changing his ways and work for S.H.I.E.L.D. In fact, he has special chemistry with Black Widow throughout most of the film. However, he does a bigger role in the story, but without revealing any spoilers involves the main antagonist of the movie, Loki.

Thor: We were raised together. We played together. We fought together. Do you remember none of that?

Loki: I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who should have been king!

As mentioned previously, Loki is the main antagonist of the film. He acts as the major conflict that the Avengers need to stop. And with that role, I believe Tom Hiddleston plays it very well. Loki played a rather good villain with his rather charismatic yet vain attitude. He also has an interesting backstory (that was explored in “Thor”) involving his relationship with his “brother”, Thor. Loki and Thor’s conflict as well as Thor’s attempts to redeem the corrupted Loki makes an interesting subplot for the film that works to not interfere with the main plot. However, it isn’t just Thor that Loki manages to have a conflict with as throughout the story, Loki ends up attempting to manipulate the other Avengers as part of his master plan. Luckily, he does get his comeuppance at the end and it is definitely very enjoyable to watch. Samuel Jackson plays Nick Fury, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. and creator of the “Avengers Initiative”, whom after making brief appearances in the previous Marvel films finally gets to show his greatness in this movie. Nick Fury was able to show his capabilities in the action and story department. He plays a significant role in the plot as it is flowing (especially at the end). He isn’t just the leader archetype that brings the group together and then stays in the background for the rest of the film. He is a largely important character that can handle himself in action and during the rather serious moments. Samuel L. Jackson does a great performance with the role as it felt like the character was made to be played by him. And finally to round off the performances is Clark Gregg playing the role of Agent Phil Coulson. Agent Coulson was actually just a supporting character to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. He made previous appearances in “Iron Man” and “Thor” but he managed to have the most important role in this movie. Not going to spoil anything but you start feeling for Coulson's character later in the film and he definitely made a big impact in the story. Clark Gregg portrays Agent Coulson as the quirky yet down-to-earth S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Clark was able to make the character very likeable, which makes what happens to him in the film all the more powerful. Overall, the cast in this movie gave incredibly good performances, all the actors felt like they perfectly fit in their roles and they truly help make us believe that we’re watching our favorite superheroes on silver screen.

Now, I have explained in large detail that the writing and performances were all very good. However, was the direction anything special and was it able to give the right kind of mood that fit this movie? The answer is “yes”. The direction for this movie was very well done, again praise goes to Joss Whedon whom not only was a great writer but a spectacular director for this film. The film was very fast-paced but it really works as the film becomes a spectacle that one cannot take their eyes away from. The well-done action helps as well to make this movie such a spectacle to view. The action scenes are wonderful but the reason it works so well with the film is because it is action that builds. There is stuff that happens in the first act but as it goes on, the film just gradually gets more and more thrilling that builds to this epic climax. And that epic climax is the true reason that this film was so greatly praised. When the Chitauri invasion occurs and the Avengers are ready to save the Earth, your heart will pumping hard and you will be loudly cheering at nearly every action the Avengers do during that scene. While the film can get very action-packed, the film has a rather light-hearted tone especially compared to the other superhero movies released this year (such as “The Dark Knight Rises”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, and “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”). As you’ve probably seen from this review, “The Avengers” contains a lot of light-hearted quips and snarks that are shown throughout the movie. Now, this could damage the film and turn it into campy obscurity. However, these humorous quips and remarks actually work for the movie because they are actually pretty funny; I honestly laughed out loud during this movie. And I do believe there is a purpose to these funny quips as it really does make the movie more replayable. There is a reason why “The Avengers” is the 3rd highest grossing film of all time. I presume that many people weren’t just satisfied watching this wondrous movie for just a first time. With the combination of great acting, writing, directing, and humor to boot, I can guess a lot of people wanted to watch this movie again and again. Heck, I’ve watched this movie to prepare for the review way more times than I need to. This was a film that had broken records and I’m sure a lot of people would agree with me that the “Avengers Initiative” was an amazing success.

Overall, “The Avengers” is a truly amazing film. Everything in this film tries to achieve works incredibly well. The writing was simple yet well-done, the performances are superb, and the direction is amazing. This was a film that anyone could pick up and enjoy... however, there may be some moments that you may feel slightly in the dark. Thus, you may need to watch the other Marvel films in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” to understand some of the things being presented. However, it doesn’t alienate anything away from this truly amazing spectacle. This definitely will not be the last we’ll be seeing from Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, or the rest of the Avengers as sequels have already been announced for this individual films. And I definitely cannot wait to see more from the World’s Greatest Heroes.

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A great movie

Posted : 9 years, 4 months ago on 27 December 2014 06:42

'The Avengers' is a crossover movie between Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who team up to stop Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from stopping Earth. It's one of the best superhero movies ever!

'The Avengers' features some of the best visual effects I've ever seen, the plotting is smart and the whole visual style is something you can't take your eyes off! I still prefer 'The Dark Knight' but 'The Avengers' is one of my top five favourite superhero movies! It doesn't surprise me it's the third highest grossing film ever made (unadjusted for inflation)

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The Avengers review

Posted : 9 years, 6 months ago on 21 October 2014 12:45

This is the best of the recent Marvel films. It's smart, funny. challenging, dark, and in spiring. This is the one that brings the disparate characters together in unison to fight a common foe. They probably can't replicate this storyline but they did a damn good job with this one. Plaudits to everyone involved.

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The Avengers review

Posted : 10 years ago on 15 April 2014 08:46

Loved the avengers. I hear some people complain that they didn't bring edward norton back as bruce banner, but I don't think he would have played well in this team action/comedy film. Overall it is a really great cast with awesome heroes. Can't wait for Avengers: Age of Ultron!

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The Avengers review

Posted : 11 years, 1 month ago on 2 April 2013 06:40

I'm afraid that after reading too much psychology and discovering the fact that I'm more partial to realistic based entertainment, I've kinda lost the liking for irrational, goofy, fantasy or superhero-themed (especially) movies. Not that I will stop watching them, oh no, it's just that I don't get that much entertainment from them like I used to. I'm more partial to dramas or compelling character study movies, like Casablanca, Tyrannosaur & 12 Angry Men. You may think of it differently, but then again who's asking you to think in the same vein as I do? I must say the discovering of this fact was quite unfortunate. Just as I had decided to watch less of the superhero stuff, they go and show The Avengers on TV. What's better, they showed it with subtitles. Aah, could you want anything better? I think that's enough back story, now for the review:

Joss Whedon's latest feature is almost everyone's wet dream. I would be little surprised if many viewers actually got an orgasm while watching it. What more could you want than a couple of good looking people running and jumping around in colourful costumes? The Avengers is basically 12 Angry Men for the less patient, more funny, less serious, more loud. Since it's the hottest thing going of recent times, and since it was subtitled, I decided to watch it anyway, not expecting to be blown away but expecting to find it a nice, likable feature. How correct I was.

Dialogues. Yes, that's what I ended up loving from the film, more than anything else. The connection of the dialogues with the environment was smooth. Very entertaining, some brilliant, some totally convincing, regardless of who was saying it. I may not be exposed much to the COW - Cult-of-Whedon - but it doesn't take more than a few minutes of this film to know that he ain't no ordinary story-teller.

The thing of comic book movies is that, although accessible, require a lot of pre-research and understanding of the comic universe. Since I'm no expert in either of that, the overall effect, like in many other superhero movies, felt fuzzy, disorientated, detached. I liked what I saw, the entertainment part of it anyway, but was lost in many references and scenes. To me it's a decent film, but I'm not a part of that world so it can be safe to say I didn't enjoy it as much. You may notice I've ranked quite a few superhero movies higher ratings but I'm guessing it has to do something with the execution style. Some managed to do it better than the others, that's all.

Performance-wise, it was good to see talents as mismatched and colourful as the heroes themselves. Robert Downey, jr. has always been the coolest actor to portray a superhero in recent times, even cooler than Wesley Snipes in Blade. Anyway, RDJ was back at what he's good at doing: being mr. obnoxiously cool while delivering lines with almost pitch perfect timing. Chris Evans is one of the relatively few actors from the 2000's who I actually like. If you see him in Sunshine and, to a lesser degree, in Push, you will realize why. Reprising his role from Captain America as the titular character, Evans this time played his character as a wounded personality who is struggling to find himself... right? Just like before, he gave a good performance that stood well with the others. Chris Hemsworth was a great surprise. I missed him in Thor, but I got to see him in here and finally understood why he was the perfect choice for the role. He shared a good chemistry with Tom Hiddleston - who portrays Loki: an equally impressive performance - and the two formed a sort of Asgardian Abbott & Costello. Even though I've seen less of his work, Jeremy Renner is easily one of the best actors of modern times. His pristine professionalism really does the trick. Scarlet Johansson was just fine, never was a big fan of her. The full spotlight I think should be given to Mark Ruffalo and his flawless - I mean it - take on Bruce Banner / the Hulk. Three actors down, Ruffalo uniquely added a nice touch, a deeper understanding, and for the first time we saw the shadow of the monster on the man. Despite the fact he had a relatively less screentime, it was impressive beyond anything. Clark Gregg once again turns up as the ubiquitous Agent Coulson, one of the nicest characters in cinema history. He also happens to be one of my favourite, due to his fanboy attitude, complete awe of the superhero life, and as being the true agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. His death has to be one of the saddest ever in cinema. Oh well, I'll get to see him in the one-shots.

In conclusion, The Avengers is strictly for the fans. I don't believe it will achieve the cult status of the level that, let's say, Scott Pilgrim and Kick-Ass achieved. It's a decent film, but it could've done more character development.

7.5/10

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The Avengers review

Posted : 11 years, 4 months ago on 27 December 2012 05:19

I always watch this movie when I'm bored, because it's simply entertaining.
There's actually nothing more to add, it's a very entertaining movie full of action. Nothing more, nothing less.
I think that this film wasn't a disappoinment for the comic fans at all, even for the long-time residents.
But there's nothing groundbreaking about this movie either - besides that it's a huge step for the Marvel Movieverse.
It's great to see the Avengers in an actual live-action film and I hope to see more members working together in the Avengers 2. Who would've thought that a collaboration of so many superheroes would be possible in a life-action movie and that without being a total screw-up?
This movie wouldn't be so great without this amazing and likeable cast, though.
It wasn't the best movie in 2012 in my opinion, but it's unquestionable worth watching.
It's also thanks to this movie that I started reading Marvel Comics, isn't that a win-win situation?
I'll definitely keep track on the upcoming Marvel movies!

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The Avengers

Posted : 11 years, 4 months ago on 18 December 2012 06:25

The Marvel films are a mixed bag, really. Alternately they’re films which give the comic book/superhero genre a much needed boost of fun, manic energy and great comedic zingers, and films which follow a routine paint-by-numbers aesthetic, wedging in characters and plot lines, sprinkled with easter eggs for the inevitable sequel, without bothering to form a coherent or interesting storyline to go with them. The Avengers is really no different. It’s the summarization of the “Phase One,” as it has been dubbed, and occasionally plays like the extended trailer for the inevitable sequel.

That Joss Whedon is at the helm was both a blessing and a curse. Whedon has many strengths, and I loved his work on Astonishing X-Men, but he seems to lack a cinematic eye. There’s no shot which inspired much whimsy, wonder, awe or excitement. And much of the film – from the production design to the costumes – looks like it was filmed for television instead of for the big screen. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s uniforms are embarrassing cheap looking. As is Captain America’s modern day costume, what was wrong with his outfit from the first movie? It looked more believable in action, unlike this bulky thing which makes him look a mess and weighed down. There’s nothing in these outfits to make you believe for a split second that they’re true military-level combat-ready gear. And their bases are all too shiny and new to look like they’ve seen any kind of use beforehand. I’m guess most of the budget went to paying the cast and the special-effects, which are top notch.

But, thankfully, Whedon’s strengths, snark and character building, remain intact. While there may not be much going on cinematically speaking, there’s plenty of rich character building moments to focus in on. Black Widow’s introduction to the movie springs immediately to mind. And Tom Hiddleston’s Loki practically steals the entire spotlight outright throughout most of the film. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner and Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark have a clever meeting of the geek minds that also sees Stark trying to get the big, green rage monster to come roaring out.

But that’s the problem with The Avengers, it is made up of moments, some engaging, some absolutely terrible, that don’t add up to much. The first thirty minutes is chock full of purple prose and tin-eared dialog, cringe-inducing acting and characters being introduced and hyped up as major players before being tossed to the sidelines (I’m looking at you Hawkeye, one of my favorites from the comic). And the climax, which has a character seemingly sacrificing themselves for the greater good, inspires no true emotional investment. We know that they’ll live to see another day; Marvel already announced the title, director and release date of the next film in their solo franchise.

Perhaps being shackled by Disney and Marvel’s demands for frivolous entertainment left Whedon in a state where he was trying to write and direct a behemoth franchise collider/starter with one hand tied behind his back? It’s the best theory I could come up with as to why this plays out in such a predictable manner.

Nary a chance is taken with plot beats, remember when I said that Marvel films are typically paint-by-numbers? Well, if you try, you don’t even have to try hard, you can see where this film is heading twenty minutes before it even gets there. Oh look! They’re all in-fighting! Will they be able to put aside their differences in time for the third act’s grand scale invasion? Duh!

It’s not that The Avengers had to be a token action movie that’s the main problem with it; it’s that it never takes a chance. We had how many films trumpeting up to the arrival of this one? And it plays it all so very safe. With films like X-Men: First Class and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy taking the superhero genre to unique and unexpected places, The Avengers insistence on sugar-high, empty calories is a bit of a disappointment. When Batman gets his back broken, financially ruined and emotionally shattered by Bane, you feel something. When Iron Man and Captain America are trying to restart the wing on the SHIELD Helicarrier, you know neither one of them are truly in danger. The difference between these two scenarios is that we haven’t been given any moment to doubt or fear for our heroes; we know they’re going to win as soon as the action scene starts.

But at least the cast seems to be having a ball. Ruffalo and Hiddleston really are the highlights of the film. Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth deliver the same strong performances as Captain America and Thor as they did in their respective films. Scarlett Johansson, shockingly, was actually given something to do this time around and equates herself well enough. I never understood the mass geek love for Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson, but I think I’ve finally unpacked a tiny bit of it. Jeremy Renner, perfectly cast as Hawkeye, is given nothing to do besides stand around (looking pretty) either shooting arrows or being a brainwashed zombie. One of the film’s greatest flaws is not having introduced his hot-headed character more and given him more to do, he’s like their version of Wolverine in a way. And I, for one, am getting greatly tired of Downey Jr’s snarky take on Iron Man. It was entertaining and cute in the first movie, and now it’s just grating on my nerves. Stark can have those moments, but they never ask him to dig deeper into the character and look beyond the arrogant braggart. There’s a lot of meat in the character’s back-story and personality that the films haven’t even begun to expand upon, instead they rely upon him to be a cocky bastard.

So, there you have it. The sets and costumes look cheap, it starts off unevenly paced filled to the brim with astoundingly poor dialog, and eventually becomes a mindless, fun diversion. You’d think with the billion dollar box office gross and the multiple-film lead-up/hype it would have been a more ambitious and rewarding experience. Maybe they’re saving it for the sequel. Lord knows they’ve got an awesomely dark and disturbed choice of villain for it.

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I want some Shwarma. :)

Posted : 11 years, 6 months ago on 25 October 2012 08:38

Although Marvel Pictures have always made curious appointments in regards to their feature film directors the results have been mostly solid, if not spectacular thus far. I certainly didn't expect Jon Faverau to deliver one of the best comic-book movies ever – Iron Man. If it wasn't for DC's own Billionaire playboy superhero would've champion Iron Man as the best flick in the genre. Yes I do rate Iron Man that highly. Spider-Man 1 & 2 were good but didn't exactly capture the essence of Peter Parker while Spider-Man 3 was a huge mess, not Mark Steven Johnson mess, but a mess nonetheless. Last year's motion picture debuts of Marvel staples Thor and Captain America were also very good, very faithful to their respective source material. Joe Johnston redeemed himself after a misguided attempt at bringing the Wolfman back to the silver screen, whereas Kenneth Branaghs Shakespeare sensitive's proved a stroke of genius in fitting Thor into Marvel's motion picture universe. To be honest I even enjoyed 2008's The Incredible Hulk after Ang Lee damn near killed the franchise.

Even though Marvel Pictures has proved time and again to make the right decisions when producing a movie on its own, the hiring of Joss Whedon seemed like an odd choice. Of course Joss Whedon is the genius behind TV-cult hits like Buffy, Angel and Firefly but his only foray into directing was 2005's Serenity. Managing all those superstar egos, handling multiple character arcs, dealing with several multimillion dollar franchises and making everyone happy from top brass executive down to the hardcore fanboys – to be honest, I wouldn't have entrusted him with a fraction of the $200-million-plus budget for The Avengers. Thus far only two directors have managed to pull off the impossible and accomodated several superheroes in a single movie – Bryan Singer (X-Men & X2) and Matthew Vaughn (X-Men First Class) while Brett Ratner ruined X-Men 3 with his unfocused direction. At first I thought Joss Whedon would do an even more terrible job than the latter, considering that Ratner had more filmmaking experience than Whedon at the time of filming X3. But nothing could be further from the truth. Joss Whedon is the MASTER, with a captial M.

Let me say it out loud:

JOSS WHEDON IS A COMIC BOOK MOVIE GOD.

Unlike Ratner he actually cares about the characters and their development throughout the movie. You think Tony Stark would just waltz through the movie and roll over every other character? You are wrong. Though Robert Downey Jr. is in top form as he always is when he dons the Iron Man suit, the other characters are far from underdeveloped and don't crumble under the pressure of his larger-than-life persona. If anything it's the Hulk that absolutely steals the show. That said, I think we have found the definitive Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo, he absolutely owns the role. He is the Hulk and we finally got the Hulk we deserved. Everybody brings their A-game and every character gets a fair amount of screen time. I can't find any flaw in this movie. Of course the special effects are spectacular but it's the dialogue that won me over. Really. Each character in this movie has at least one or two memorable lines – not just Tony Stark. When you watch the Avengers make sure you listen to the dialogue carefully – I've never heard dialogue this witty in any comic movie, and I've watched my fair share. Joss Whedon you are the freaking man. They said it was impossible to accommodate this many characters in a single movie – they were wrong. From now on everyone will reference this movie whenever multiple larger-than-life figures are thrown into one supersized extravaganza – Yeah I'm slamming the last two Transformers flicks. I guarantee Joss Whedon would've done justice to the franchise. After watching the Avengers everything that bears the name of Joss Whedon is a must-see for me now.

Final verdict: 9 out of 10. This movie is Iron Man on steroids. Go watch that movie!!!

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The Avengers...It's Entertaining none the less

Posted : 11 years, 7 months ago on 12 September 2012 03:31

Imagine a football team with all the greats in it irrespective of the time frame, no doubt that's too mouth watering and posses great threat to any living opponent at least on paper but in reality the accumulation of 11 stars do not make a great team.

The Avengers seemed to me just like the same. There are so many superheroes but to sum it up it seemed an entertaining but average flick to me. Post Batman begins the genre of superhero flicks have changed it's colour. Nolan has changed the way Superheroes behave on screen and as a result we have got the great films like The Dark night and The Dark Knight Rises. The Avengers do not imply to take that road of complexity rather it does best what it intends to do... to entertain.

The actions are breathtaking, there are so many cool one liners and also it's funny. The cast is good and even though the stars share lesser screen time than they normally do, they are super cool. But where is the story. The set up and the story screen seemed too childish to me and in the end it seemed like I am watching some superkids shooting villains in an ultra modern video game. Loki was good as an villain but never did he looked that menacing.

So to sum it all, given the huge success and rating I had expected a lot and to be honest it fell short of my expectations. It's no where near the bench mark set by the Batman movies rather it dwells on the predictable Super hero concepts. But still it's a decent film none the less and full of entertainment as an action film.

I am going 7 out of 10 for The Avengers. The biggest and the best collection of Stars did won us the game but never were they invincible as they were supposed to be...

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The Avengers review

Posted : 11 years, 8 months ago on 2 September 2012 01:17

Marvel's The Avengers, arguably the most anticipated movie, a cinematic event, that broke multiple boxoffice records and is currently the third highest grossing movie of all time. Brief to say, "Marvel, marvels in THE AVENGERS."

The story brings together a team of Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they have to battle Loki and his mysterious army of aliens in order to protect earth and a cube known as the TESSERACT.

After being exiled from Asgard, the villainous demigod Loki (Tom Hiddleston) makes a bargain with a shadowy, malevolent entity. Loki must go to Earth, capture the fabled Tesseract (a cosmic cube of immense power), and use it to open a portal that will allow the alien Chitauri army to invade earth and make Loki its ruler. S.H.I.E.L.D. has the cube, but Loki quickly takes it, what follows than is the power pack, action of about 2 hours. An impressive feat of cinematic engineering, a work of prodigious skill and efficiency that carries out its cartoonish mission.

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