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At long last, Marvel Studios has successfully pulled it off. Four years after Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk signalled the beginning of an interconnected cinematic superhero universe, 2012's The Avengers - Marvel's ultimate endpoint thus far - is finally here. Arriving with the intimidating burden of expectations following five interconnected Marvel superhero films, not to mention the decades of comic book history preceding it, The Avengers is in safe hands with self-professed geek Joss Whedon (2005's Serenity) serving as writer-director. Harnessing his unparalleled talent for witty dialogue and character dynamics, Whedon defies the odds to deliver the ultimate summer blockbuster spectacle. With more intelligence and dramatic heft than the Transformers franchise, and boasting many breathtaking action sequences, fanboys can rest assured that The Avengers is worth both the wait and the hype.
When Asgardian prince Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the mischievous brother of demigod Thor (Chris Hemsworth), arrives on Earth, he steals a powerful cosmic cube known as the Tesseract. Loki plans to put Earth under his submission and enslave humanity with the aid of the Chitauri. Faced with an unprecedented threat, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) works to unite the only beings capable of saving the planet from total annihilation: genius billionaire Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), WWII super-soldier Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), brilliant scientist Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor, as well as master assassins Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Although initially only recruited to find the Tesseract, it fast becomes apparent that large-scale combat is inevitable to defend the Earth.
Whedon had ample baggage to handle when going into The Avengers. On top of formulating a self-contained story, Whedon also needed to advance the individual stories of each character and balance the large congregation of iconic heroes...and all without making the flick seem bloated. Against all the odds, Whedon pulls it off. Indeed, The Avengers feels like a complete and cohesive motion picture, as opposed to a "greatest hits" montage of CGI-laden action sequences. Admittedly, the first half occasionally keeps us at arm's length due to the narrative's complex machinations, but the second half is pitch-perfect beat-by-beat. Everything works perfectly from the midpoint onwards - the drama, the one-liners, the ensemble dynamics, the narrative goings-on, and the action sequences are all spot-on. Furthermore, Whedon does not short-change any of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as they all play meaningful roles in the story, and receive adequate screen-time for their respective arcs to grow and percolate. Additionally, Whedon leaves logical room for both another Avengers movie as well as solo adventures for the central characters. However, one should not watch The Avengers without viewing the previous films (though The Incredible Hulk is wholly optional and inessential). Whedon does briefly reintroduce each character to bring the audience back up to speed, but the experience is more richly rewarding and cathartic for established Marvel Cinematic Universe viewers.
Unlike less skilful blockbusters, no plot holes or bewildering story elements blemish The Avengers, and, despite a narrative involving intergalactic flights of fantasy and extraordinary advances in technology, the story's internal logic never collapses in on itself. Plus, unlike The Dark Knight, this is not a joyless superhero experience - instead, a fun atmosphere (similar to films like The Dirty Dozen) enlivens The Avengers, with fun derived from both snappy banter as well as the action set-pieces. Anyone familiar with Whedon's writing (Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) should not find it surprising that the dialogue sparkles as vibrantly as the digital effects, with several genuine laugh-out-loud moments scattered throughout the picture. Luckily, though, the story's dramatic elements are still taken seriously, and there is always the sense that a lot is at stake. Although Whedon abides by the established formula of the heroes coming back together to save the Earth after utterly failing, this story development carries genuine weight after the events of the second act.
21st Century blockbuster filmmakers too often rely on disorientating rapid-fire editing and shaky cinematography to generate the faux illusion of excitement. On the other hand, Joss Whedon eschews lazy shortcuts like this, instead staging enthralling large-scale action sequences which benefit from elegant, sturdy cinematography. Most audacious is a single tracking shot which moves through the climactic devastation, shifting from one Avenger to the next, showing us awe-inspiring capabilities of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Moreover, during the climax, Whedon focuses more on the interactions between the heroes as they banter and plan strategies, in addition to observing the innocents caught up in the mayhem. This approach generates a crucial sense of humanity, again elevating The Avengers above Michael Bay's regular output. Indeed, Whedon (working with editors Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek) favours rhythm, suspense and dramatic payoffs as opposed to empty, frenetic bombast. Additionally, the special effects and production values consistently impress, thanks to the gargantuan $220 million budget. The Avengers delivers the goods time and time again, leaving you in utter awe. The definitive touch is Alan Silvestri's stimulating original score, which bursts with flavour and majesty, giving The Avengers a distinctive cinematic identity. In particular, the main Avengers theme is brilliantly memorable.
The Avengers boasts a cast of staggering enormity, yet the ensemble shares fantastic chemistry and works exceptionally well together. Leading the pack is Downey, who retains the razor-sharp comedic timing and irresistible charm which originally rendered him the perfect cinematic Tony Stark/Iron Man. Downey provides the lion's share of the comic relief, particularly while interacting with the supporting cast as personalities clash. Alongside him, Evans remains note-perfect as Captain America, once again showing an innate sense of boy scout goodness and morality while also advancing his character maturation. In addition, Hemsworth is still a fine Thor, and Renner makes a strong impression as Hawkeye despite limited screen-time (something he resentfully spoke about in interviews). Reprising her role from Iron Man 2, meanwhile, Johansson is a complete delight as Black Widow - she's sexy and believable, and kicks some serious butt. The last Avenger is the Hulk, who confidently steals the show. After two Hulk movies of mediocre quality, Whedon finally does the character justice. Taking over the role from Edward Norton, Ruffalo is an appealing Bruce Banner, while the digital effects that bring the Hulk to life are spectacular. Plus, yes, the Hulk smashes stuff real good and, yes, it's fucking awesome.
Luckily, the supporting players equally assured. Jackson was born to play Nick Fury, as he oozes cool and charisma, and looks intrinsically badass with an eye-patch. Similarly excellent is Hiddleston, who here reprises his role from 2011's Thor. Hiddleston is both charming and sinister as the Norse God of Mischief, making for one of the best villains in recent memory. Rounding out the cast are a few more robust carryovers from prior MCU films, including Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Selvig, and Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony Stark's loyal companion, Pepper Potts.
An exhilarating victory lap for Marvel Studios, The Avengers is simultaneously a superlative Marvel blockbuster and an outstanding Joss Whedon film. It's refreshing to see a summer movie which provides popcorn-munching delights without insulting one's intelligence, and it's equally refreshing to see a superhero movie which avoids the "dark, gloomy and gritty" approach. The benefits of Whedon's involvement cannot be overstated; without his talent for handling ensembles or writing snappy dialogue, The Avengers could have been a messy letdown. Thus, let's be thankful that the end result is an extraordinary success with infinite replay value. It will inspire absolute ecstasy in comic book enthusiasts, and, thankfully, casual viewers should also find The Avengers to be a deliriously enjoyable, crowd-pleasing blockbuster. Be sure to stick around for additional scenes during and after the credits.
9.2/10
