Review #14 - Avenger's Assemble

  Take one eccentric billionaire, a God from another world, drop in a recently defrosted super soldier, mix with a volatile rage monster and drop in a couple of master spies and you’ve got the greatest super hero team the world has ever seen. You’ve got The Avengers.

    I had been looking forward to this film for a long time so, like many others, I had a lot of expectations riding on the Avengers Assemble, and I was not disappointed. Having Joss Whedon as the director and writer of this film, I believe, is key to its success. The classic Joss Whedon wit he injected into the script had the whole cinema in fits of laughter. He manages to bring this team together without making any of the hero’s the main focus, giving each character their chance in the spotlight.

     I thought the way that the characters were brought together, some being enlisted, others like Thor choosing to join forces was more interesting and engaging than if everyone had come together mutually. Their differences were an integral part of the plot and made the team stronger in the end. Yet from the beginning Whedon hints at how the heroes will come together later on, the fight on the plane pairs the hero’s up with those that are equally matched e.g. the hulk has the strength of a god and would crush any of the human opponents so takes on Thor. Iron man in his suit is equivalent to a super strong human – Captain America and the two assassins share a similar skill set. And what could be better from a superhero movie than watching the characters flex their muscles and give us a taste of their destructive powers even if it is on each other?  

        The audience is also given a taste of Loki’s power too when he taunts the Avengers out into the open. Now personally I don’t think Loki is a particularly terrifying villain. He is ruthless and his obsession with power and anarchy is typical of any villain but underneath he is simply a petulant child still snivelling about living his life in his brother’s shadow. He strikes me as the kind of weak character who craves power but wouldn’t know what to do with it if he did actually grasp it. However saying this he does look rather impressive when he strolls down the sweeping staircase and swiftly grabs his victim throwing him easily down on a plinth like a sacrificial lamb and mutilating him. All this is given a menacing tone with the accompanying music that builds and changes in tone as Loki enters the room, giving it an almost operatic theme. Loki may not always appear as the most formidable enemy but he is a good stepping stone for the Avenger’s to test themselves before moving on to bigger and better enemies as is hinted at the end of the film after the credits. A short scene, cleverly placed after the credits so that some of the audience will see but some won’t, reveals a new enemy and promises a sequel to the Avenger’s Assemble.

    The only other part of this film I questioned was the Hulk’s ability to control his temper. In the beginning it seems that he has better control over changing into his other half, although no one else seems convinced of his control. Then suddenly he loses it and seems completely unstoppable, even knocking Black Widow to one side like a bug. Yet when it comes to the climactic final fight Dr Banner seems to be able to choose when he changes and remain controlled only lashing out (mostly) at Loki’s evil army. My only speculation is that Dr Banner has more control when he chooses to change than when he changes without will. I thought it was interesting how Dr Banner bonds with Stark showing that the characters join up not just over similar physical and fighting abilities but also mental ones.

   Another interesting character development was watching Captain America; throughout the film he came off as being a little out of sorts. The mix of him being behind the times and mixing with characters who held much stronger powers than his own, some that Stark points out were genetic rather than manufactured as Captain America’s powers were, makes him a little underwhelming. However his chance to shine comes during the final battle when he reveals himself as a strong leader, taking charge and really living up to his name just when the Avenger’s (and police) need instruction the most. His development throughout the film made him an interesting character to follow.

    Other than the many comical scenes that I believe have a huge part in making this film such a success, there were a few others worth looking out for. For example when Black Widow is interrogating Loki whose reflection appears next to her looking warped and evil. It was a subtle but highly effective technique. Similarly when the Avenger’s and Dr Fury get into a massive argument, squabbling amongst each other and far from the awesome team they will become, the camera slowly turns to show how upside down the situation has gone from what Dr Fury hoped for from the Avenger’s initiative. All the while Loki’s sceptre is kept in the foreground, framing the scene and reminding the audience that this is all part of Loki’s plan. Joey picked up how the scenes linked together such as (SPOILER ALERT) after Phil’s death, even though he doesn’t know it, Thor stops himself from calling his hammer to him and instead reaches down to grasp it, a humbling and respectful gesture. I also particularly liked the seamless movement from character to character during the final battle, showing how the team has finally come together to work as one force against evil.

      Over all this film is amazing! Definitely worth seeing and both Joey and I agreed that it made us want to buy/re-watch all the connecting Marvel movies. It was funny, action packed and evolved; it definitely reached expectations, perhaps even surpassed them. I would rate the Avenger’s Assemble a 4.5 stars and eagerly await a sequel. If you haven’t seen it yet there’s still time! Get to your cinema quick! And if you have seen it, trust me it’s even better second time round!