Marvel teased us with the release of this film near the end of various previously released super hero flicks like Captain America and Iron Man 2. This would be the movie that unites all the super heroes from the Marvel universe. Well actually, only those that had not been previously licensed to other studios. Hence, you will not find characters from X-Men, Spiderman, or the Fantastic Four in this movie. Director Joss Whedon brings back fond memories of creative television series like Firefly and Dollhouse, but what does he make of a 220 million blockbuster production?
The Avengers was released in the UK as `Avengers Assemble’ to avoid confusion with the 1960’s television series with the same name. The main protagonists in this flick have all had movies of their own: Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. If I had to pick any of those movies that would be good to watch before The Avengers it would be Thor as it introduces the most important characters, including the antagonist. However, The Avengers can also easily be watched by itself.
This film does not fall in the trap of taking its subject matter overly serious, which I think is key for movies in the superhero genre. The Hulk, not a very talkative character to begin with, in particular has some good `moments’ in this movie. The chemistry among the main cast is excellent, and even supporting characters, like Agent Phil Coulson, deliver memorable performances. Robert Downey Jr. gives an excellent performance as the ever arrogant Tony Stark, and Mark Ruffalo is easily the best Hulk so far.
The Avengers is a special effects extravaganza where no expense has been spared to produce excellent looking computer generated imagery. The 3D is subject to mild strobing effects, particularly during quick pans. It was added in post-production. There were very few scenes in which it actually made any difference, so it might as well have been left out.
Overall the filmmakers do a good job of keeping the fights both interesting and easy to follow. It does not become an unwatchable mess typical of poorly choreographed fight scenes. One scene in which the camera floats by all the heroes fully engaged in combat in the middle of a city-wide attack is particularly impressive for it manages to actually keep the audience engaged instead of invoking disorientation. The music and sound effects were excellent, and combined with the spectacular visuals certainly warrant a visit to the cinema.
If I had to pick on anything: the plot is a little thin with respect to the drive of the main villain. The interactions between him and his allies could have used some more screen time. Whilst shrouding a villain in a cloud of mystery makes sense to some extent, what actually drives him sometimes eluded me.
This movie should be skipped only if you really do not like superheroes, everyone else should go and watch this as it surely lives up to the expectations. So: stop reading, and go see it!
★★★★★★★★☆☆