Avengers

Let me start with the short short version of my review...

"The Avengers is the purest of awesome! Go buy your ticket immediately!"

That's not good enough for you? Ok. How's about just the short version?

"The Avengers is, by and large, the most fun I have experienced in a commercial theatre since I went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on opening night in March of 1990."

Still not good enough for you? Sheesh... tough crowd. Well, if you insist, here is the nitty-gritty...

The very concept of an Avengers film had put many fans of the franchise in a tough position when it was first announced. At first there was a warm and tingly geek enthusiasm that flooded through the veins at the very notion of seeing this team in action via the real-life superhero film medium. But, at the same time a conflict arose to fight off the giddiness as previous attempts at multiple character (villains and/or heroes) comic book related films had failed so prominently in recent past. Of course, I am referencing the demise of the pre-Nolan Batman franchise, the mediocrity of the Fantastic Four films, and who could forget the strange equation that became Spider-Man 3? Well, it's about damn time that someone came along and ended this streak with, what can only be analogized as, the most vibrant and inspiring of superhero fireworks displays. Anyone with the remotest hesitation related to what I mentioned above should check their fears at the door. You will not be disappointed this time around!

With that being said, let me start by answering another question that has plagued most fans since the film was announced. Is The Avengers actually going to be Iron Man 3? To best answer this I will segue into my own personal scenario as example. Of all the superhero films ever made there are two characters that stand firmly atop my favourites list. First on the list (who will always remain there no matter what Hollywood can muster as competition) is the last son of Krypton. Nothing will ever take the crown away from Superman being my favourite superhero and film character. Close behind, in second, is Tony Stark himself with his glib wit and unmatched suit of armour. The rest of the superhero world lags far behind these two characters for my personal tastes. As such, I sat down to watch The Avengers with THE HOPES of seeing Iron Man 3. From the moment the film started until the very last credit disappeared into the ceiling of the theatre, I didn't once feel a predilection for any single character whatsoever. Even WANTING the film to be "the Iron Man show" I could not see it. Every character has both a balanced screentime presence AND a balanced effect on the narrative. The character roster is unbelievably well balanced.

The only next logical step in discussing the nature of this film success lies in the writing and direction. Having been a fan of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity, and Dollhouse, it was a huge relief to hear Joss Whedon's involvement in a project based so strongly within an established world. Being a master of character interaction and witty repartee, I knew he was THE man for this job. And, having been jerked around by suits and studios for so many years with his highly enjoyable TV projects being cancelled before getting a chance to set roots, I was highly anticipating his first real opportunity at a carte blanche, big budget, summer blockbuster project such as this. This is his giant middle finger to everyone in a suit and tie who oppressed him and his artistic nature over the last decade. They will all respect Whedon once the unparalleled success of this film begins to reign in the box office charts and critical praise.

Whether or not he put "a lot" of work into this project, Joss Whedon managed to write and direct this film nearly to perfection. The pace of the storyline only drags momentarily amidst the team struggling to form a cohesive group dynamic while Nick Fury deals with the politics of handling a pending global crisis. Whedon manages to successfully avoids the "slamming on the breaks of the story" syndrome by incorporating some of the best back-and-forth dialogue I have heard in years. These small emotional character conflicts keep the audience interested during slower scenes while simultaneously providing the necessary platform for the exposition that bridges the action. Action? Did someone say action?

It is hard to think about how to discuss the action in The Avengers without spoiling any of the fun. The sheer volume of moments within this film (be it character moments or plain old wow factor moments) is unfathomed. It seemed to me like Whedon intentionally sought to get audience reactions to peak every few minutes during the course of the film. The final battle alone, which lasts a whopping 20 to 25 minutes from start to finish, is a virtual landmine of laughs and outwardly expressed woahs for the viewer. I know that I personally missed several because I was still laughing from the previous moment. And herein lies the most fascinating aspect of the chemical makeup of the film for me. How the characters were handled.

With their backstories in place, these characters were established enough to help avoid having to go through the hassle of reintroducing their personalities within The Avengers. Obviously Whedon understood that it was still a requirement to include a small amount of that to start the film in order to help those who had not granted themselves the opportunity to catch the backlog of independent character films. In the end, what really amazed me was how each character, despite how they treated each other and behaved within their own archetype, managed to remain the same. There was never an apology for who they are and their convictions. They remain unchanged. Many might think that this film would become a vehicle for some massive redefinition of the heroes we saw in their solo outings. Not the case at all. When they finally come together to fight as a team, they remain exactly who they were in their previous outings onscreen. Thor is still the serious God hellbent on taking his plight as seriously as the plight of Gods should be. Captain America is still the "do the right thing as efficiently as possible" soldier. Iron Man is still the glib narcissist who enjoys flaunting his ego over others. And Hulk is still... well... Hulk. As much as the characters grow within the context of the Avengers plot, they still remain the same. Which is exactly how I wanted it to be.

As far as the actors are concerned, the cast being what it is, they all live up to their previous incarnations as the characters they represent. And, they all have amazing chemistry onscreen together in whatever combination is assembled for that particular scene. So, no need to dwell on them. They are just as good as they have been prior. There really is only the need to discuss one particular performance as he is a newcomer to the role of Bruce Banner. Having replaced Edward Norton from the 2008 Incredible Hulk Marvel film, Mark Ruffalo slips in seamlessly and suits the role extremely well. As much as I hate when actors get switched out like this, as it throws a wrench into the continuity of a franchise universe, it is understandable. And, as much as I would have loved to have seen Norton return and how his presence could have affected the group dynamic, I don't think there could have been a better possible choice for replacing him than selecting Mark Ruffalo.

To conclude, The Avengers is clearly the must see film of the summer. There are others that will contend at the box office and the anticipation remains. However, as much as the rest of the summer offerings are anticipated, I highly doubt that any of the other contenders will provide such a hearty jaunt of fun as is provided with The Avengers. It is a masterpiece of comic book filmmaking that will provide even the most modest superhero enthusiast with a Marvelgasm or two. The probability is pretty high that you will want to see it a second time, if not more.

I hope that you can now see that I was serious in my short version of the review when I wrote that I have not had this much fun in a commercial theatre since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opened in March of 1990.

P.S. I can't believe you actually took the time to read this full review when you could have already made it to the theatre, bought your ticket, picked up your snacks, and found a nice comfortable seat for the film. Sheesh...