Let’s face it, The Avengers just had to be good. Because if it didn’t live up to the expectations placed on it, the entire geekdom may just let out a collective sigh of disappointment so massive I’m not sure the universe could take it.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. Slightly. But we, the geeks, wanted
this to kick some serious ass very very badly. We wanted it to swagger into
cinemas with the arrogance of Iron Man and obliterate all other comic book
flicks with a power akin to a Thor hammer swing or a Hulk smash. We wanted it
to…be…really good…like…Captain America? I’m sorry, I don’t have any Cap puns.
We wanted to come before our Demigod and Unofficial Elected President of the
United Nations of Nerd Sir Joss of Whedon©, get on our scrawny little knees and
say ‘You did it. Well done, sir. Well done.’ Quite simply, we wanted this
superhero movie, a culmination of several other superhero movies, to be so
super-ly super that even the most super-ly elitist Marvel fanboys could put
down their comics, venture out of their secret lairs, watch it and say ‘Cross
my heart and swear on Stan Lee, that was fucking super.’
Well, let out a sigh, comrades…a sigh of relief, because The
Avengers would have to be the super-est
mothertrucking superhero film of all time. Of all time! It is a
complete triumph for writer/director Whedon, Marvel Studios and the comic book
film genre. It’s got your set pieces, your eye-popping effects, your lots of
shit blowing up, and everything you want in your big dumb action flicks without
being, well, dumb. It’s got your
classic good vs. evil, minus the cheese, add additional modern pop culture
references (how very Whedon-esque…) It’s got fantastic one-liners and numerous
moments of ridiculously good comedic timing, it oozes cool and it is fun, fun,
FUN. It’s got everything you want from a superhero movie, all delivered with
levels of panache and bravado that make all lesser efforts of the genre look
like a daggy Mini, ready to be crushed by this big, brash tricked-out Hummer.
Aside from all the bells and whistles, and supersuits, and
submarines, Whedon’s script packs a punch in itself. The plot is basic (as an
action plot should be) but well executed and full of wit. Loki has assembled an
ugly, intergalactic army to wage war on Earth, and only the uniting of SHIELD’s
finest (Black Widow and Hawkeye), a few special, shall we say, ‘independent
contractors’ (Iron Man, Cap, and Hulk) and another Asgardian on the side of the
good guys (Thor) has any chance of stopping him. Whedon has done a fantastic
job to write each character well, staying true to their iconic traits and
idiosyncrasies, while also remembering that this is a film about the assembly
of a group, and a group of strong
personalities and clashing egos at that. These guys are not about to instantly
sit down to tea and crumpets together, and many of the film’s best fight scenes
(of which there are many, all hard-hitting and wonderfully choreographed) are
actually Avenger vs. Avenger. Once the group does band together, all the character
setup of the prequel films as well as the first half of this one pays off, as
every character has an important role, and the failings of one hero can be
balanced out by the strengths of another (Iron Man’s arrogance being tempered
by Cap’s practicality and military mindset, Hulk and Thor’s brute strength and
rage contrasted by Hawkeye’s clinical calmness).
Having already had a film (or in some cases two) each to get
into character, the cast all deliver comfortable and entertaining performances.
Two who have grown into their roles particularly well are Robert Downey Jr as
Tony Stark/Iron Man, who has now set the bar for all smartarse-y wisecracking
heroes to come, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who is equally adept at mischievous
and malevolent, and also put in some fine comedic work and facial expressions
as the punchline (or sometimes punching bag)
for the heroes. New to the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk is Mark Ruffalo, who
provides the best film incarnation of the character yet, rejuvenating the Hulk
from a brooding dullard and a CGI’d joke back to a funny and thouroughly
kickass Marvel favourite, who in my cinema got the biggest laughs and the
biggest cheers. By the time the film gets to the climactic final battle on the
streets of New York City, every character has a special place in the audience’s
heart. And what a battle it is. Taking everything big, bold and explosive and
amplifying it even more, it is (pardon the use of the ‘S’ word again) a
super-sequence of action excellence; a visually jaw-dropping, pulse-quickening
thrill ride that gives the film the ending it deserves.
Sequel, please.
9/10
