THE AVENGERS (2012)

Written & Directed By: Joss Whedon 
Story By: Zak Penn & Joss Whedon 
Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey 
Editor: Jeffrey Ford & Lisa Lassek 


Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johanssen, Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alexis Denisof, Jerzy Skolimowski, Jenny Agutter, James Eckhouse, Harry Dean Stanton, Stan Lee 

Nick Fury is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international peace-keeping agency. The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster which is formed by Loki and his team

If you are already a fan of the marvel heroes depicted in this movie. You don’t even have to read this review as you will enjoy this film. If you haven’t already seen it.

This movie is just pure action through and through. It’s also visceral thrills throughout.

I Watched it in IMAX 3d and it felt like you were on a rollercoaster watching the movie. As many characters fly through the air and battle, we follow. It feels almost like P.O.V. Shots so you are always there by their side and almost their line of vision.

Most of the movies characters have already had individual films devoted to their characters. So if you have kept up with them. You know all the drama and backstory. When it comes to them and their characters. Even if not the film offers a little summary in parts.

The film is wall to wall action with some exposition. Watching it feels like a gift for sitting through half the other films. Which weren’t bad mostly, but before you got to see the character had to go through in their story. This film is mostly action, so It’s like the build up and some battles to keep you entertained then finally comes the issue or summer annual double sized issue. Where you finally get to experience the war and there is a release or like a comic book story arc that goes across many individual titles to show the point of view of each different character and how it affects them. So that you can’t wait to see the team up and how they interact with one another. Like an x-men movie without so many origin stories. The movie leaves each character a time to shine. It’s also much lighter with not as much deep internal drama and issues with humans.

What is enjoyable about most superhero films is that they show or deal with the nature of heroism. The desire to win and complete a mission, but also the nature of willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of humanity and the world at large. It reminds you that though they have special abilities there are still moral and have not only humanity but also empathy. Even if not human.

This is more a men on a mission films they have internal conflicts and fight amongst themselves then get over their issues and come together for the Greater good.

Any scenes with The Hulk is a jolt. As his character is powerful and is not necessarily a hero. He is an exposed nerve, Pure anger unleashed and like a werewolf hard or impossible to control. So he is essentially almost a monster. Like a horror film character. Only for all purposes on our side.

It’s crazy how much he is a likeable force, but so far a comic book character. Who it has proven hard to make a good to decent film out of him and his story. It takes balance to make a character dramatic at odds and never being able to tell if It’s a story where you favor character more or action. So far no satisfying film spotlighting the character has been made.

This is at heart a feel good film that surprisingly has a lot of humor.

Scarlett Johansson’s good bit as a reader of the comic books that her character Black Widow appears in, she is usually a slinky spy with guns, but I Don’t remember her having to get so close to her enemies for hand to hand combat.

Half the time her legs are wrapped around her Enemies as she fights in the movie. Not a bad position to be in and maybe a little distracting. It just tickled me a little as everyone is fighting far away with powers and her being the odd female is more physical And brings a sexiness to her fighting and who better to be directed doing this by then the creator of BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Joss Whedon.

I guess it all Falls down to what she says in the film “magic and monsters we weren’t trained for that." So it makes her character, Nick Fury and Hawkeye to a lighter degree seem a bit out Of place are they supposed to be audience surrogates? Though they seem pretty prepared for the action.

Each character gets their time to shine and the villain Loki is more of a threat then he was in the movie THOR.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron-man has the most charisma. Thor shows a sense of humor. Hulk learns to move with the beast inside of himself.

This is a film you look at with wonder like a granted wish that toy have been waiting for to be delivered ever since you were a kid. It’s not deep or a film to examine. It is pure popcorn entertainment meant to have fun with and experience, A getaway

 Grade: B+