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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.
