The Avengers

Before I begin, I feel as though I must confess that I'm a DC man, through and through. Batman and Superman are the end all be all of superheroes in my correct opinion. Unfortunately, DC films have been all over the place since the likes of 1978's Superman and a few good to great Batman films. Not that Marvel's track record has been perfect, but since Iron Man in 2008, they have done an incredible job at building a shared movie-verse with five different movies all with the intent to lead into this years The Avengers.

Think about that for a second. 4 years, 5 movies, and boom, the biggest superhero movie of all time (notice I didn't say best). The mere fact that Marvel was able to make it to The Avengers at all is an achievement in and of itself, but that they actually made a great fucking movie is incredible ( I could have said Marvelous, but I wanted to spare you).

Just about everything in this movie is spot on. The action is epic, the humor is plentiful and hilarious, and the character work is exceptional. Director Joss Whedon brings the earth's mightiest heroes together in a way that seems effortless, making sure every character ( that matters) gets their time to shine.

I know there were a few worry-warts out there who were worried that this was basically going to be Iron Man and Friends, and while RDJ is definitely featured prominently, this is really Captain America's movie. He doesn't get more screen time per se, but the filmmakers made sure to put in some extra care into Cap's transition to modern day as well as his role as leader of The Avengers. Speaking of, the film did a great job of showing the conflict that is had between such giant characters, with Steve Rogers always being the glue that barely holds them together.

As I said before, RDJ has plenty to do here, giving some of the best one-liners Stark has had so far, but he also makes Iron Man's transition into a team player believable, a crucial objective given two films were dedicated to the characters' insistence on being a one man army.

Oddly enough, the film's dark horse is Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. Ruffalo brings a quiet confidence to the character that we haven't seen on the big screen yet. Finally, Banner truly comes to terms with his alter-ego which is a welcome change to the usual moping and self-pitying previously portrayed in other installments. Don't get me wrong though, I still really like The Incredible Hulk and Norton's performance, but Ruffalo really makes the character his own and I for one hope to see him pop up in Iron Man 3 even if its only as Banner.

Of course, you can't talk about Banner without talking about 'the other guy' as he's referred into the film. This is the Hulk we've been waiting for. A true rage monster, going after whoever and whatever is in his way. Ruffalo is the first actor to play both sides of Banner, as he performed motion-capture as Hulk, and its a vast improvement on previous incarnations. Not only is the technology better, but the personality is hilariously realized by Whedon and Ruffalo in a way that only the comics had done before. Easily the best part of the movie.

Black Widow is also given much better material here than in Iron Man 2, which isn't too surprising since Whedon is obviously known for writing strong female characters, and Johansson acquits herself accordingly. Even Hawkeye gets a few moments here and there, and I hope that if either of them get their own movie, the other is featured prominently.

Honestly, if there was a character who the shafted a little bit I'd say it's Thor. Hemsworth once again brings great authority and humor to the role, and the scenes between him and Loki are especially good, but Thor never really gets that one "Holy Shit!' moment that everyone else does. Having said that though, he still has plenty to do, particularly a great fight with Iron Man and Captain America.

Last, but not least, there's Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston. I love Tom Hiddleston. Between this, and other films such as Midnight in Paris and War Horse, he has proven to be an extremely charismatic performer and he is a blast here. He relishes the part, and that fun is shared with the audience. Brilliantly though, he doesn't let you forget how that deep down he is just a son and brother who feels abandoned, and will let nothing stop him in his quest for vengeance. I seriously hope he has an equally big part in Thor 2.

Overall, The Avengers is rousing and exciting in every way it should have been. I hope Whendon returns for the sequel, as I feel he really is the one who can juggle a group of characters like this. This is a flick that is going to be hard to beat this summer, though I have a feeling Nolan won't go out without a fight.


Well dudes, summer is here and I don't plan on doing much, which hopefully means  I jump back into My Mission of watching all dvds and blu rays that I have yet to watch. I plan to start around the 21st or so, so head back here and give me a look see. Until then, suck it.