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| No Spoilers Below! |
The Avengers. The movie that comic book fans have been dying for since the amazing debut of Iron Man (2008) and with it, the secret peek into the 'Avengers Initiative'
The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, is by far the best comic book movie I have ever seen.Whedon doesn't have a great deal of directorial experience when it comes to feature films, but after seeing this movie, I can understand very clearly why so many of his projects have attained the prestigious 'cult' status.
The movie is a good 135 minutes, but the movie has nearly no low points. There is always something happening in this movie, and it is commendable that Whedon has managed to do this.
The Avengers is the sixth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and sees for the first time in modern movie history, the cross over of several films and heroes. The film brings Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth from their respective franchises and places them all in this one monumental film.
The reason why I'm using the thesaurus on trying to get across the awesomeness of this movie is simply because it's never been done before. Never has there been a film that has managed to put superheroes onto screen in such a manner. There are 6 main heroes in this movie, then there are the 3 smaller heroes in the film as well. That's 9 cast members which all get a lot of important screen time. Joss Whedon has used every second in that 135 minute to establish why each and every one of those characters are there on screen.
The effects in this film are another thing to be admired, there is none of those substandard shots where one can distinctively tell that it is animated (aside from the rather obvious aliens). The Iron Man suit looks real, Mjolnir looks awe-inspiring and they finally made the Hulk to near perfection (he comes out best sunny side up)
I read a review about the film from the deccan chronicle, and it was pitiful to see how someone desperately try and come up with words to show how this film isn't good, and how it 'lacked novelty'. This movie is a continuation, the first crossroads of the 3 main franchises and so we see plot points from the movies come together, the world of Iron Man, the near magical science of the Asgardian Race from Thor and the swav composure and deadly energy source of Captain America.
One potential downside to this film, is that watching the other films would really help. then again, it's a franchise. You can't watch Lord Of The Rings III and wonder how they got to Mordor!
Anyway, back to the story, it pays homage to the creedo of the Avengers comic books, To fight a foe that no single hero could. An invasion is looming, a God leads it and to start the invasion he needs an energy source, our only hope are 6 unruly and chaotic individuals, who as put by Thor "Your people are so petty, and tiny." The story is naturally not as complex as the likes of Inception, but is a step up from the mindless smash em ups of Transformers. It is a story of setting aside differences (to an extent), working together (and getting a low blow in there every now and then) in order to protect the earth.
Simple enough of a plot, yet detailed enough to keep theater goers at the edge of their seats fro the entire spectacle!
The cast of the movie, is huge. I mean, huge doesn't even cover the fact that they managed to have such a huge cast playing actual roles (yes, I jab at films like the Expendables, and Valentines Day).
Robert Downey Jr. returns as the smart-alec that is Tony Stark, who after being rejected at the end of Iron Man 2 has a bit of an issue of being asked for help, as "official consultancy hours are between 9 to 5" But with a fancy new building in New York, whether Stark wants to or not, he's going to have to play ball.
Chris Evans returns as the man out of time, Captain America, it was nice to finally see some key characteristics of Captain America better fighting skills and more tactical knowledge other than knocking the front door down (from the Captain America movie) however, something that the writers could have done was to find some way of reintroducing Captain America into the real world, even if it was him sitting at a retirement home with some old war buddies of his, it would have given some scope to the character.
Chris Hemsworth really seems to have sunk into the role of Thor and continues to look down upon morals interfering with Asgardian policies, even though Thor never asked nicely. The uneasiness with which the entire cast regards him solidifies the audiences opinion of him being a god, plus, it doesn't hurt to summon lighting and blow stuff up with it.
Jeremy Renner plays the marksman aptly named Hawkeye, it was great seeing Renner in his element of the military after his successful appearance in 'The Hurt Locker'. In this film, Hawkeye could have had more expansion on his character, but seeing how deadly he is, it was no wonder why they wanted to have him in the film. As the only male character without a superpower in the avengers, it would be easy to ignore him, but Hawkeye ensures that the audience knows that in this day and age, you don't have to be a demigod, or a genius or a supersoldier to get the job done.
Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow. The Black Widow was a character which was very disappointing in her role from Iron Man 2, so it was nice to see Scarlett Johannson flesh-out her character more, connecting to her Russian roots, as well as showing off some much more spectacular fighting skills. As the only female character in the Avengers roster, it was important for her character to become one of significance and not just an item girl. With that respect, Johannson not only kicks some serious butt, but manages to show off a persuasive skill which is not what every would expect from her character. She also finally has her Widows bite! Graduating her from a girl with moves and guns to a girl with moves, guns and a death grip!
Mark Ruffalo come onto the set as the new Bruce Banner/Hulk, despite the directorial decision to not include Edward Norton in this film, they have considered the story from the Incredible Hulk as Canon. Ruffalo admitted to being a Hulk fan and has managed to make his mark in the franchise, his character is one of the most underplayed ones, but the audience can be sure to find themselves enjoying his role more than any other hero. It has long been said, that the Hulk needed to move from being this sort of werewolf and become more of a Mr. Hyde, and this movie has successfully captured that. Not only that, but they made the Hulk one of the funniest characters in this entire movie.
Other cast members like Colbie Smulders, Samuel Jackson and Clark Gregg come onto screen as members of S.H.I.E.L.D. a global peacekeeping force that starts the Avengers Initiative. One of the best things about S.H.I.E.L.D. is that they gave them a Helicarrier! I almost jumped with joy when I saw it rise on the big screen.
Clark Gregg, is another one of these superb characters that have been building their way towards this film. With a calm composure and a sharp tongue, Gregg is superb at being an Agent.
The final thing that really sold this film to me and a lot of non comic book fans were the dialogues. There were a treasure trove of witty one liners and Whedon ensured that the dialogues of the character reflect where their characters come from. Thor would speak in formal/near Victorian English, Captain America's dialogue reflect his 1940's ideology of comradery and equality, Stark has his witty comebacks and Bruce Banner has dialogue that is very calm in nature, reflecting his character who really doesn't want to get angry.
In conclusion, the Avengers is an amazing film, and as I've been trying to convince the reader of, it is one of the best comic book movies, ever. If not for the elements then for the monumental achievement of having all these heroes in one film! It is definitely a must watch for anyone who calls themselves a comic book fan, and if you haven't seen a Comic book movie, this would be the right place to start!
Inside the Asylum Rating - 5/5
If you notice, I tend to advise you to see really good movies!
Also, this was the 50th blog post! So thanks to all who have been reading through all my grammatical errors! It means a lot!
