In a massive, heavily secured research facility, the S.H.E.I.L.D
Agency’s best scientists study the mysterious Tesseract. Its energy personified, and its true
capabilities have to be tapped. One
night, it suddenly becomes active, opening a portal across time and space. Through that portal steps Loki, the exiled Norse
God of mischief. He arrives with a horrifying
agenda: the complete and total subjugation of humanity. He escapes the research facility with The
Tesseract in tow, which plays a pivotal role in his master plan.
It’s finally here. The
grand experiment that Marvel Studios began with 2008’s Iron Man has been leading to this very moment. The
Avengers is the most ambitious film of its kind ever attempted. It tries to do what the comic has done so
effortlessly for nearly 50 years: combine a number disparagingly different
characters and mythologies into one cohesive fantasy universe. To achieve this end, Marvel has enlisted the talents
of legendary television scribe Joss Whedon.
Whedon places his unique stamp on the property while retaining that of its
parent company. The result is a colorful
yet balanced juggling that only gets bigger as it goes along.
Visually, Whedon rebukes the pseudo-realistic approach
favored by so many other films of this kind.
This is a comic book world populated with heroes that wear brightly
colored costumes as if they were casual attire.
Yet the production design is not bathed solely primary colors. It actually reflects the controlled
schizophrenia of the film. Various
levels of darkness are contrasted with equally varying levels of light. Iron Man shines like an armored angel, while
Hawkeye hides and broods in dark corners like Batman. Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography nestles
nowhere in the middle of statically epic and modernly frenetic. It’s indistinct, but also flexible.
The dialogue also reflects the wondrous variety onscreen. Josh Whedon and Zak Penn’s script changes
speed and tone to suit the characters and situations. The exchanges between Thor and Loki have an
almost Shakespearian grandeur that somehow never seems silly or misplaced. It’s also not so overly serious as to bog
things down in mannered posturing. Jokes
and quips intrude on serious moments with no warning at all, catching the
viewer totally off guard. All of this
should be gloriously messy, but somehow it isn’t. The screenplay finds a steady rhythm somewhere
near the end of the first act, and maintains it throughout.
The Avengers is organized
into two distinct halves. The first is
all set up, while the second is nonstop action.
There is a massive, multi-part set piece that takes place on the S.H.E.I.L.D
helicarrier. The heroes fight off
intruders while squabbling amongst each other.
The sequence allows the viewer no rest, jumping from one situation to
the next. The coup de grace is an
extended ground battle in Manhattan, where Loki dispatches hordes of Chitauri
warriors to raze the city. If Michael
Bay had an ounce filmmaking discipline, Transformers
3 might have looked something like this.
By the time it’s all over, each character has been allowed multiple show-stopping
moments. No one is short changed.
That sense of equity extends to the dramatic and comedic
moments as well. Like the characters
they portray, each actor brings his talents to the table. They all maintain fidelity with their performances
in past Marvel films. All of these
characters are fully fleshed out, and have a field day in this new
setting. Chris Hemsworth looks like a professional
wrestler but speaks like Othello. Mark
Ruffalo plays Banner as neurotic and repressed.
This makes for a much more sympathetic and eccentric character than has
been offered before. As Hawkeye, Jeremy
Renner is all intensity and focus. There’s
not a false note among this cast, and it’s a joy to behold.
The Avengers is
like the Star Trek of superhero
films. It places a cast of characters in
the midst of outlandish situations and insurmountable odds, and makes their
personality differences a major part of the show. A new bar has been set for superhero films
that focus on a team as opposed to a solo character. No longer is it enough to have one character
front and center while the others play the background. Joss Whedon understands that in order for a
film of this sort to work, everyone should have their time in the spotlight. After all, there is no “I” in team, and there’s
not a dull moment in The Avengers.
Yeah Hulk! He and Iron Man stole the show .. I'm planning on seeing this again once the crowds die down
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