Welcome to my extremely late review of the Avengers movie. The ironic thing about reviewing movies is that when you see a really good one, it’s kind of hard to come up with stuff to say about it. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that the Avengers shattered box office records and is a really good movie. It is.
This is easily the new reigning champ of superhero movies and not just because of the money. Joss Whedon deserves a great deal of credit, but so do the makers of Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and Thor. Finally, comic fans have what they’ve been longing for: a movie that brings a comic book universe to the screen. This was the way to do it. Slow build. One block at a time.
Everyone has been raving that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk stole the show. Again, pretty accurate. Although Norton’s portrayal was pretty decent, Ruffalo brings a little neurosis to Dr. Banner and Whedon’s script holds tidbits, revealing just at the right moment. The nice thing about Whedon is that he doesn’t take the material too seriously. Tony Stark throws off one-liners throughout and all the cast get their moments to really shine.
Ultimately, picking apart the big events (like why Nick Fury gets to continue his funding at the end) in this instance, aren’t really worth picking apart. Samuel L. Jackson’s Fury is a reliable coordinator who gets to kick a little ass, but like everyone in this movie, serves his purpose and then steps aside for the next guy. That’s the real victory here. Whedon has not only balanced all the characters, but the script also balances the various actors. Robert Downey Jr. does get to chew up a little more scenery than most, but you won’t mind.
The plot is a pretty straight forward alien invasion story, combined with how the various characters finally come together. Loki, the strongest villain out of all the single movies, is back and just as evil as ever. Even if you’ve been living under a rock for the past 50 years and missed the other single movies, you won’t be lost. Go see it. It’s probably the most perfect summer blockbuster you’ll see.
I give The Avengers 10 keggers. It’s rare that I consider seeing a movie a second time. This I would see again. Also, stay for the after credit tidbit. Marvel fans will go nuts.
