It's generally considered pretty bad form for a critic to get emotionally invested in something they are critiquing; and even worse form to write an entire review whilst still under the emotional influence of said article. Still, I've never been one for rules and dammit if I'm not going to try to convey just how indescribably amazing this movie is.
You've heard the hype. If you haven't, then you've been living under the biggest rock yet to grace this technologically advanced floating lump of earth and water. As with any hype, there is always a fear that The Avengers could never live up to the massive hype surrounding it. But fear not, The Avengers not only lives up to the hype, but blows the hype out of the water, into the atmosphere and Hulk Smashes it to the ground. It is truly impossible to generate enough hype to match the splendor of The Avengers.
For those of you somehow not aware of what's happening here, The Avengers is the culmination of Marvel Studios attempt to bring comic book cross-media continuity to the big screen. Starting all the way back with Iron Man 1, then continuing through The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Iron Man 2 and Captain America, Marvel has been slowly weaving their films together into a concrete universe. Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the disgraced sun of Odin and brother to Thor, has returned to Earth with a massive and unstable power and the intent to unleash an unstoppable army onto the Earth. Desperate, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, in the role that was based on him in the first place) pulls together any and all heroes under SHIELD's purview. This includes the reclusive Dr Banner (Mark Ruffalo, replacing Edward Norton), the thawed out Captain America (Chris Evans) and the narcissistic, ego-maniacal Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr, playing the role for the third time). Thor (Chris Hemsworth) himself even eventually joins the fray and it's a race against time as the heroes must put their differences and egos aside to unite in the Earth's defense. Over simplified as it is, The Avengers is much more than its deceptively simple premise thanks, mostly, to three important things. Joss Whedon (Firefly, Serenity, Buffy) has not only provided an extraordinary screenplay, but once again proves his directional chops are criminally under-appreciated. But a fantastic script and direction wouldn't mean a damn without the actors to back it up, and thankfully The Avengers deliver on all fronts. Both Chrises and Robert deliver even stronger performances than they have previously, and Mark Ruffalo owns Banner more than even Edward Norton could. Tom is having way too much fun as Loki and his personality elevates him well beyond stock-standard villain territory. Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is really the only missed opportunity here, with his character mostly left to the sidelines or support roles. And yes, there is much more to Scarlett's Black Widow than that leather or 'dat ass' this time around; Whedon gives her plenty of room to flex her acting as well as her legs.
The Avengers true wonder comes from the way Whedon manages to work in all his little quirks and have them not feel out of place. He truly understands these characters; their flaws and their humanity. His wonderful moments of comedy never feel unnecessary or forced, but a natural progression of events from a deep understanding of who and what he is writing for. This especially shines through with both The Hulk and Captain America. Whedon provides the best understanding of The Hulk so far as an unrestrained, brutal force, like throwing a hand grenade into a sandpit. Some of the best moments of comedy come from the Hulk being the Hulk. And Captain America provides an interesting change for Whedon, a step outside his usual flawed, complex characters and a chance to write a straight man, and he handles it divinely. It's a tribute to everyone involved that this film manages to feel like a natural continuation of not one, but five different movies.
In weaker hands, The Avengers could have easily fallen apart. There's always so much going on, so many characters, so many sideplots, but at no time does it feel like too much. Whedon keeps a steady hand on everything, letting the pace build slowly until it erupts into a stunning final act. It succeeds not only as a standalone movie, but as a movie teeming with the fan service this kind of cross-continuity stories were invented for - Hero on Hero, cross film cameos and references, hints at further stories and developments. I challenge anyone not to leave this film feeling something incredible. I'm calling it, right now, nothing this year, comic book movie or otherwise, is going to surpass this film. Go, see it, now.
Seriously.
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