The Avengers Review

After earning a staggering $200.3 million during opening weekend, it is no doubt that The Avengers is likely to be the biggest movie of the summer and I know there are already a plethora of reviews out there praising the movie but I just wanted to give my input as well. I saw it a little late (Sunday May 6) but that doesn't mean I was able to avoid all the crowds, lines, and crazy cheering fans. Despite it all, Marvel Studios and director Joss Whedon deliver a spectacular experience.

I was glad the movie that Marvel has been getting us all hyped-up for had exceeded my expectations; top of the line effects, the familiar cast with one change, and perfect pacing are all characteristics of the film that make it so enjoyable. However, for me it was the writing that really set the film apart from the movies that feature the individual heroes. I had wondered how each of the Heroes would fit into the film but expert writing proved that the differences and strong personalities of each character was the movie's strongest asset. We're already familiar with Norse God, Thor, (Chris Hemsworth) WWII veteran Captain America, (Chris Evans) Deadly Assassin Black Widow, (Scarlett Johansson) snarky and sarcastic Tony Stark or Iron Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson and even our favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, agent Colson played by Even Clark Gregg but The Avengers has an even wider scope of focus.

Don't worry, I didn't forget the Hulk; While we're familiar with the hero, Bruce Banner, he gets new face in The Avengers. The role of Banner is picked up by Mark Ruffalo who I feel embodies the character better than Edward Norton had. Don't get me wrong, I love Edward Norton and The Hulk was great but I feel  Ruffalo fits the physical description of Bruce Banner better and he played the role perfectly. Then there is Jeremy Renner who reprises his role as Hawkeye or Agent Barton of S.H.E.L.D. If you watched Thor carefully you'd have caught a short scene with him. It was very brief but The Avengers  takes the chance to explore his character a little more and rounds him out.

The conflicting personalities of the characters creates conflict but also allows for some comedic moments in the film. I have to admit that The Avengers made me laugh harder than any of the other marvel movies. Stark takes sarcastic jabs at the other heroes and they all play off of each other in ways that offer some great laughs. Ironically though, the movie at times had a much more serious atmosphere than any of the other films. Each of the four main heroes (Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor) all have their own agenda and are in this fight for different reasons. Captain America accuses Tony Stark of being a coward hiding behind a suit of armor who is no better than the men who worked for Hydra building weapons or Thor is ridiculed for being the brother of the villainous Loki. The script highlights a lot of tension between the characters which forces them to solve their problems together and eventually unite to defeat a common cause.

While the theme isn't very unique, it didn't at all feel 'cheesy' and was done in a way that made it unique and entertaining to watch. When the situation became more serious, the atmosphere and moods of the characters indicated it well. Performances by each actor or actress was again superb and these scenes were perfect for highlighting each of their acting strengths. Not to mention characters like Thor, Captain America and Bruce were also more rounded out in these scenes.

Enough about the heroes though; Tom Hiddleston plays the tyrannic villain and brother of Thor, Loki. In The Avengers we see more to his character than we did in Thor. With a devilishly sly demeanor and evil ambitions he becomes a villain that's no laughing matter. He's not the same Loki we know from Thor who complains of standing in his brother's shadow and never really seems to get a solid foothold in his rule. This time around he feels much stronger, independent and just seethes evil. His performance was one of my favorites of the movie.

The pacing of the movie is well done as there was never a dull moment and I refused to leave my seat for the last hour and forty minutes to use the bathroom. Interactions and conversations between characters were well done and was broken up with riveting action sequences with an all-out battle finale in New York.
The visual effects were stunning; the final battle scene made for some awesome battles in the sky with toppling buildings and our favorite heroes taking out droves of enemies with style. I was worried that some characters were going to get more attention than others but again I was surprised to see that Whedon had distributed a good share of awesomeness to each hero and balanced their scenes well. One moment you see Iron Man blowing things up with his high-tech weaponized suit and the next you see the Hulk obliterating a bunch of bad guys with his bare fists. Even watching heroes fight alongside each other was done great like Thor and Captain America fighting off waves of enemies back to back. I wasn't sure how Black Widow and Hawkeye would fit with the more 'incredible' heroes; I just felt that they wouldn't bring quite as much to the table as everybody else. I was wrong though. Hawkeye was a blast with his specialized arrows and keen marksman ability and Black Widow had some tricks to take down multiple enemies and hold her own.

Overall, the movie was a definite success and likely the biggest movie of the summer, even the year. The Avengers is in my personal opinion, the best Marvel movie to date. Between the all-star cast, excellent writing, amazing effects and edge of your seat action I couldn't recommend the movie more. Just be prepared to sit through the two and a half hours it runs, unlike myself. With sequels already planned for Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and one rumored for Nick Fury an Avengers sequel isn't too far way. Be sure to wait for what comes after the credits as it does reveal something very interesting. Bottom line, see The Avengers, I'm already anxious for crowds to die down so I can see it again myself.