There are
hundreds of ways to approach a review of "The Avengers," but the most
important aspect of this film is its potential to influence movies and the
super hero genre as a whole. Rarely has something of this scope been attempted
by Hollywood. The concept of bringing together four distinct super hero
franchises into one movie that encompasses them all and more is daunting. If
done correctly, this film could inspire many more like it, and change the way
Hollywood functions, but if it fails it could stop anything like it from
happening again.
Luckily,
Director Joss Whedon was more then up to the task. He honors each of the
original five movies without lingering too long on any one. The film’s focus is
on how the team interacts and slowly grows together. Whether it's the lack of
communication or clashing personalities, it is clear early on that none of the
heroes are going to be instant best friends. Their arguments help each
character grow as a team, but also supply the humor of the film. Iron Man
(Robert Downey Jr.) is particularly hilarious, and hopefully this level of
comedic writing will transfer into his next film.
But never
you fear: this film isn't all about drama and character interaction either. The
fights are plentiful and diverse. Each character gets a chance to shine in
battle, bringing their unique styles and personalities into play. Captain
America's (Chris Evans) amazing agility is spectacularly over the top, and Hulk
(Mark Ruffalo) brings a brutality the others can't match. Hawkeye (Jeremy
Renner) is the only one left out of the spot light, but during the final fight
he's entertaining enough to make you wonder what Marvel will do with him next.
"The
Avengers" isn't without it's minor flaws. There’s a not unexpected
reliance on knowledge of the past films that may leave newcomers confused. All
of the heroes get their moment, but none change drastically for better or
worse. The comedy, although brilliantly written, is almost non-stop and comes
from all sides at once, making it a bit much at points. But my gripes with this
film are few and far between, and none of them keep it from being fantastic.
Only time
will tell if "The Avengers" succeeded at changing the way the genre
works, but it proved the potential is there. Stellar acting, an amazing script
and brilliant direction make this one of the best superhero action films to
date. Fans, nerds and regular Joes get more than they could ever ask for, and I
personally can't wait to see what's next.
4.5 “Super
Heroes” out of 5
Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron
Illustration by Tim
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