Review: The Avengers

A mere decade ago, the superhero film was not a subgenre, but an anomaly. With the exception of the A-listers of Marvel and DC, the most recognition a hero would get is a name drop in Kevin Smith’s nerd universe. Then came the monumental X-Men, Spider-Man, and Batman Begins, and the floodgates broke open. The superhero genre was the go-to safety net for box office success.

And in 2012, it’s hard not to groan a bit at the mention of a new origin story. They’ve become bloated, formulaic, and a bit of a bore. Combined with the over-ambitious task of packing six prolific superheroes into a single feature, The Avengers was the film project begging to put an end to the superhero movement of the new millennium, imploding with overblown characters and a plot not serviceable to them.

But what happened? Well, they assembled. And they fucking kicked our asses for a bombastic 2 and a half hours, crafting Marvel’s best feature length film yet.

To call Marvel’s Avengers a great movie is an injustice to the monumental talent involved. It’s a cinematic experiment that saw the utmost success, platforming itself by the polished characters of the preceding movies and establishing just how this could all be possible. After sitting through The Avengers, I was immediately understanding of the tepid cinematic visions of Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America; each film was simply a set-up for the clash of the titans that has just been bestowed upon us.

The plot revolves around the energy source from Captain America, the tesseract, and it’s theft from S.H.I.E.L.D. by Thor’s Loki. Loki plans on a massive attack on Earth with the aide of an alien horde, so Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) seeks the help from The Avengers Initiative. The first half of the film focuses on the volatile relationship of the crew, particularly a rivalry between Tony Stark and Thor. The lack of co-dependency makes the initiative shaky; but of course, things come together when the attack begins.

No, the plotline itself is nothing revolutionary. But the dialogue and chemistry between the extraordinary cast sets The Avengers above the rest. Hemsworth and Evans have grown into their roles, Ruffalo brings emotional weight as a conflicted Bruce Banner, and Downey Jr. continues to be a scene stealer. The cast, and the characters they create, will stand the test of time as an ensemble film to aspire to be like. Even supporting characters Johannson, Jackson, and Renner earn their screen time without feeling like filler.

There are moments that the costume design and conflict feels dated, and the ending was a bit tacked-on, borrowing fruitlessly from a cliché that isn’t really necessary in The Avengers. Still, the movie is Marvel through-and-through, which is a wholesome blessing here.

The Avengers is one of those rare movies that challenges the value of popcorn movies and their positioning in cinematic history. What is its value? If a blockbuster doesn’t have the artistic integrity and insight of say, Nolan’s The Dark Knight, is it base and valueless? Joss Whedon proves to us the talent and effort required to fully realize a universe made to entertain.

Now, Summer of 2012: the bar has been set. Your move.

Grade: A-