Even though it came out just a few days ago, by now, if you haven’t seen The Avengers
film, you need to make some serious plans to see it as soon as humanly possible. Without a doubt, this is the best superhero movie to date.
Where to begin? How about at the beginning? The plot is fun and easy to grasp for the comic fans and newcomers alike. While it’s necessary to see the other Marvel Studios movies beforehand (Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man 1 & 2), odds are, you’ve seen most of them at least once. But if it’s been a while, don’t worry; the movie stands fine on its own.
The writing (Joss Whedon and Zak Penn) is really solid. The humor is funny, well placed, and tasteful. The chemistry between each character is very vibrant. And the action—while taking center-stage for the movie—is not so predominant that character development suffers. Indeed, you see a lot of character development, with individuals and for the team as a unit. And there is some very good balance to the story as well. While I’m keeping this article spoiler-free, I think it’s safe to tell you that you’ll be pulled through a full range of emotions throughout the film. It’s a well-paced film so that there is never a time where you’re looking at your watch (because you’re a good theatre-attendee and you turned your cell phone off). In fact, I’m amazed at how much was packed into one movie, while still not getting convoluted or confusing.
Like I said, the chemistry between everyone is fantastic. Whedon (who also directed) really explores the relationships between all the individual Avengers. Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Col. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) all interact with each other in all the myriad 1-on-1 match-ups, so you really get a feel for how each one character develops and how they relate to each other as team members.
One could sit and point out the various comic book references and/or inconsistencies, but we’d be here all day for that. The only things I want to point out is that there is a quick glimpse of some Jack Kirby art (creator of most of the Marvel Comics Universe). And be sure to stay for two secret endings—one about 30 seconds into the credits, and one at the very end of the credits. I’ll just say that they’re already hinting at a sequel that will make any fan of Marvel Comics will go nuts.
Overall, The Avengers is a lot of fun. Great writing, great visuals, and great acting. As for the 3D or IMAX 3D, it’s a lot of fun if you’re into that sort of thing, but seeing it in a normal theatre is a fantastic experience, so you won’t miss anything by opting for the cheaper ticket. You’ll leave the theatre wanting more, which is good, because there are tons of comic books to fill that desire. It’s everything you’ve ever loved about superheroes. And if you’re not a fan of superheroes, then get ready to fall in love.
-Ted Woods
