The Avengers

Movie

2012

Two thoughts come to mind after seeing this film. Thoroughly enjoyable from stem to stern and greater than the sum of it's parts. Everything about this movie worked - the plot, the characters, the acting, the dialogue, the effects, but most of all the timing. I never took my eyes off this 142 minute movie, I couldn't.

The one liners you grew accustomed to watching Robert Downy Jr. in the Iron Man movies where so much better, had greater impact and were far funnier in the Avengers. Better still, they came at precise moments enhancing the action in every way. A movie like this could have bogged down in the sort of gratuitous action we've seen before in these super hero movies. Not this movie. It was, in a word - great.

As for declaring the film greater than the sum of it's parts, it's neither a stretch nor necessarily obvious. The Iron Man movies were quite good, thanks in large part to Robert Downy Jr.'s confident acting and super cool technology (special effects). That said, I found the Thor movie unwatchable, I hated it, never finished it. In the Avengers the Thor character (Chris Hemsworth) was fabulous, completely likeable and totally righteous. The Hulk movies left me with a "meh" attitude. Blind rage isn't endearing in a super hero. Except in this movie it was. It was used to perfection. The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) became the star of this movie. As for the Captain America (Chris Evans) I never saw the movie. In the Avengers "old" CA was picture perfect, the glue that held the team together.

The other characters Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and The BlackWidow (Scarlett Johansson) were great and really added personality to the plot. Far from being mere eye candy Johansson shows us that the Black Widow is more than just a pretty face; she's as dangerous psychologically as she is physically. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) Mr. S.H.I.E.L.D. himself was fine as was his sidekick Agent Maria Hill (the stunningly beautiful Cobie Smulders). Perhaps the funniest one liners were delivered by the driest of characters, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) who we have come to know from the other Marvel movies as the recruiter for Nick Fury.

What super hero movie would be complete without a great villain? The Avengers doesn't disappoint. Meet Loki, wonderfully complex, masterfully dancing on the fine line between villainy and redemption as the god of mischief. The half brother of Thor, he is seeking his revenge on dear brother by declaring war on Thor's protectorate - the Earth. He is more than a simple megalomaniac with a great smile. A great villain will at times pull at your sympathies before showing his true colors and Loki delivers.

Whether you liked any of the Marvel movies before this you owe it to yourself to see this one. It will be the yardstick all future super hero movies will be measured against.It really is that good.


4 of 5 stars


CW


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