So, it’s finally arrived. After a four year wait, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Hawkeye all get together under Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. as they attempt to save the world from Loki and a band of bad ass aliens who he has struck a deal with. With the hype machine firing on every cylinder it has, The Avengers (or Avengers Assemble for us Irish and UK folks) has alot to live up to.
And Christ, does it live up to it. The Avengers lives up to every single expectation you’ll have and then some. Over the years, audiences have grown accustomed to a bunch of Marvel super heroes, particularly Iron Man and Hulk who have had more than their fair share of big screen outings, so one would wonder how the hell can they all work together, especially when Thor, Black Widow and Captain America are thrown into the mix, not to mention Hawkeye.
The Avengers is a movie of two different halves. Firstly, each character is introduced and slowly they all become acquainted with one another. And that’s when the fun really starts, as none of them really get on. Constant bickering, snide remarks and an uneasy tension are the norm here, not to mention some woodland destruction. But all that goes out the window when it’s end of the world time, as they put their quirks against one another to one side and and work as a phenomenal team, delivering this years most exciting movie.
Any concerns you might have about balance and what not, forget about it. In the past super hero / comic book movies have fallen by the sword of having too many characters (Spidey 3 springs to mind) but Joss Whedon has delivered an incredibly well balanced script here, where every single lead character seems to have an equal amount of involvement and screen time. It could have been quite easy to have Iron Man (easily the most recognisable character of the group for non fan boys) take up the bulk of this movie, but Tony Stark will have to wait for Iron Man 3 to do that. It’s during the first half of the movie that you realise the complexity of the balancing act Whedon has had to undertake, and as the quirks are ironed out with each other, its quite apparent what an organic script it is and the whole movie flows incredibly well. Some might say it slows down as the characters intertwine with each other, but this is much of a muchness. Otherwise, you’d really be left with half a movie as the introductions to one another are not only vital, but also go about setting the tone. And in any case, the interactions are hilarious at the best of times, with each character outdoing the other scene after scene.
The cast all seem to have a great chemistry together, which translated off screen as well (apparently they would go out after a days shooting together) and this adds to the onscreen hilarity, as the laughs come aplenty. But in particular Jeremy Renner takes to the role of Hawkeye incredibly well and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, seems to have upped his game since Thor, and that was no bad performance. All in all, each actor is brimming with chemistry and presence and again, given that each one of them are more at home in their own movie, its an incredible melding together of the Marvel universe. But if there is one character that steals the show, its the big green rage machine. Hulk, utilising Mark Ruffalo with ILM, is a sight to behold. For a character that doesn’t speak, he is just hilarious, touching and delivers a range of emotions that are as big as himself. Safe to say, this is the best Hulk we’ve seen!
Visually, The Avengers doesn’t disappoint either. Everything from the helicarrier to the new Iron Man suit is just visually astounding. And the new suit removal on the roof of Stark tower is something every home should have. And thats even before you get to the apocalyptic grand finale (I’m not going to mention the epic stuff in the middle with the helicarrier). Speaking of the grand finale, the last 40 odd minutes of The Avengers are completely and utterly insane. You will be hard pushed to find a movie that has delivered action like this in quite some time. It literally is a tour de force in visual effects. The amount of subtle touches, again are equally impressive from water drops to collapsing trees. Your jaw will be on the ground….alot.
At 142 minutes, The Avengers is quite a lengthy movie, but if truth be told it needs it. Again, balance comes to mind and you’re never left hanging around and when business picks up, Whedon can direct some kick ass action sequences. The frantic pacing in the closing quarters are real edge of your seat stuff, and be prepared to applaud on a number of occasions as the set pieces will have you wanting to jump out of your seat. Previous to the finale, there is plenty of other moments which will have you cheering and clapping! This is serious bang for your buck!
Overall, The Avengers is a phenomenal cinematic experience, delivering engaging and hilarious characters with breath taking action coupled with a super script. This is one of the most entertaining films you will see this year and without doubt, the best Marvel movie to date. The Avengers is an experience not to be missed.
Oh...and stick around for the credits ;)
And Christ, does it live up to it. The Avengers lives up to every single expectation you’ll have and then some. Over the years, audiences have grown accustomed to a bunch of Marvel super heroes, particularly Iron Man and Hulk who have had more than their fair share of big screen outings, so one would wonder how the hell can they all work together, especially when Thor, Black Widow and Captain America are thrown into the mix, not to mention Hawkeye.
The Avengers is a movie of two different halves. Firstly, each character is introduced and slowly they all become acquainted with one another. And that’s when the fun really starts, as none of them really get on. Constant bickering, snide remarks and an uneasy tension are the norm here, not to mention some woodland destruction. But all that goes out the window when it’s end of the world time, as they put their quirks against one another to one side and and work as a phenomenal team, delivering this years most exciting movie.
Any concerns you might have about balance and what not, forget about it. In the past super hero / comic book movies have fallen by the sword of having too many characters (Spidey 3 springs to mind) but Joss Whedon has delivered an incredibly well balanced script here, where every single lead character seems to have an equal amount of involvement and screen time. It could have been quite easy to have Iron Man (easily the most recognisable character of the group for non fan boys) take up the bulk of this movie, but Tony Stark will have to wait for Iron Man 3 to do that. It’s during the first half of the movie that you realise the complexity of the balancing act Whedon has had to undertake, and as the quirks are ironed out with each other, its quite apparent what an organic script it is and the whole movie flows incredibly well. Some might say it slows down as the characters intertwine with each other, but this is much of a muchness. Otherwise, you’d really be left with half a movie as the introductions to one another are not only vital, but also go about setting the tone. And in any case, the interactions are hilarious at the best of times, with each character outdoing the other scene after scene.
The cast all seem to have a great chemistry together, which translated off screen as well (apparently they would go out after a days shooting together) and this adds to the onscreen hilarity, as the laughs come aplenty. But in particular Jeremy Renner takes to the role of Hawkeye incredibly well and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, seems to have upped his game since Thor, and that was no bad performance. All in all, each actor is brimming with chemistry and presence and again, given that each one of them are more at home in their own movie, its an incredible melding together of the Marvel universe. But if there is one character that steals the show, its the big green rage machine. Hulk, utilising Mark Ruffalo with ILM, is a sight to behold. For a character that doesn’t speak, he is just hilarious, touching and delivers a range of emotions that are as big as himself. Safe to say, this is the best Hulk we’ve seen!
Visually, The Avengers doesn’t disappoint either. Everything from the helicarrier to the new Iron Man suit is just visually astounding. And the new suit removal on the roof of Stark tower is something every home should have. And thats even before you get to the apocalyptic grand finale (I’m not going to mention the epic stuff in the middle with the helicarrier). Speaking of the grand finale, the last 40 odd minutes of The Avengers are completely and utterly insane. You will be hard pushed to find a movie that has delivered action like this in quite some time. It literally is a tour de force in visual effects. The amount of subtle touches, again are equally impressive from water drops to collapsing trees. Your jaw will be on the ground….alot.
At 142 minutes, The Avengers is quite a lengthy movie, but if truth be told it needs it. Again, balance comes to mind and you’re never left hanging around and when business picks up, Whedon can direct some kick ass action sequences. The frantic pacing in the closing quarters are real edge of your seat stuff, and be prepared to applaud on a number of occasions as the set pieces will have you wanting to jump out of your seat. Previous to the finale, there is plenty of other moments which will have you cheering and clapping! This is serious bang for your buck!
Overall, The Avengers is a phenomenal cinematic experience, delivering engaging and hilarious characters with breath taking action coupled with a super script. This is one of the most entertaining films you will see this year and without doubt, the best Marvel movie to date. The Avengers is an experience not to be missed.
Oh...and stick around for the credits ;)
