Film Post Mortem: The Avengers

Mondo does it again!  What a spectacular poster for a pretty darn good film.

Two Avengers posts in 3 days!  Lucky you.  I managed to squeeze in a late night showing of this film Sunday night with an old friend of mine.  It was a great thing all around as I hadn't seen said this friend in years.  Very good to catch up with him after that much time.  But you aren't reading this to find out more about my friend and I.  No, you want to read what I thought of The Avengers.  Well in a word: Great.

Now let me qualify that word and say that this film was not life changing, piss your pants, Jesus second coming, great.  Some critics have implied as much in their reviews and that, my friends, seems a tad hyperbolic.  Rather, I would say it was great in the same sense as a well mixed drink is.  It is delicious going down and it leaves a nice feeling afterward.  I know I just compared a movie to a drink, but to me they are not that dissimilar as both are fleeting and seek to provide a distraction from the troubles and travails of out lives.  But I move on.

I want to make an admission right off the bat and say that I am not a die hard Avengers fan.  I never read any of the comics.  Could not tell you a thing about the various members of The Avengers, beyond what I know from their films, and  I have no idea who are any of the villains they have faced, save for Loki.  But that said, I feel that this film gets the characters themselves right and is surefooted when it comes to the dynamic of the characters when they do finally come together.  The way they interact, the conflicts they have, and the feelings exposed all seem right to me based on the baggage I bring to this film from the previous films these characters have had individually. 

The other thing I admire about the film is that it feels like a non-stop roller coaster for alot of the running time but also is able to slow down and give each character their own moment.  I found one such moment involving Agent Colson and Thor on the helicarrier to be particularly good and a nice way to call back to the events that took place in "Thor".  I like that this film can walk that tightrope between big summer action tentpole and character study,  and walk it well. 

Every character gets their moment to shine in this film and each contributes importantly to the story overall.  The film feels balanced and it is funny.  I found myself laughing out loud at some the lines and exchanges between the characters.  I particularly liked when Hulk punches Thor out of the frame after the two have successfully defeated an alien vessel.  It was a small moment in the large scheme of the film, but it felt true to the character of The Hulk. 

The visual effects on this film are top notch, as they should be considering the type of film this is.  It is a dynamic film to look at and I found the opening sequence to be one of the best I have seen in a long time.  It doesn't waste too much time explaining everything, but rather launches the audience headlong into the story.  Without spoiling too much, this opening makes it clear the threat Loki is and the immense power of the object which he seeks and ultimately possesses.  

Some have complained about the ending not being as big as it should be and wishing it was more global in scope.  But I found the ending to be just fine.  I don't feel there was a need to have different groups of The Avengers fighting battles in different cities around the world.  That would be missing the point of the ending, which is to establish that this group of diverse heroes has found a way to work together and to do so well.  By having them not work together in one location kind of cheapens that reveal a bit.  No, them fighting on JUST (rolls eyes) the island of Manhattan is just fine with me.  

This review is more vague in nature than many I have written previous and this I can tell you friends is intentional.  The less you know going into this film, the better.  I knew very little about the film before seeing it and I think I enjoyed it more as a result.  Just know it is well worth the ticket price.  The Avengers is a film I think the comic and non-comic fan can both enjoy in equal measure.  My hat is off to Marvel, Joss Whedon, and the incredible cast who all made what seemed impossible possible:  An Avengers film which is a great thrill ride from beginning to end.  From here, I think the sky is the limit for Marvel Studios and the rich universe of characters they possess. 

Grade: Five Hulk Smashs!