Combine a comic book fanatic’s greatest fantasy with an all-star cast and expert execution, and you get The Avengers. This action-packed film pulls the fantastic pop-art world of comic books out of the page and flawlessly brings it to life on the big screen.
Wasting none of its two hours and 22 minutes, The Avengers begins with gusto as Loki (Tom Hiddleston, War Horse), Thor’s power-hungry and greasy-haired younger brother, steals an all-powerful energy source, the Tesseract, from the secret defense agency known as SHIELD.
To retrieve the Tesseract and prevent Loki’s conquest of the galaxy, SHIELD’s director, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, The Other Guys) unites the most powerful heroes under one name, The Avengers. Getting Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, Shutter Island) and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson, Iron Man 2) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, Thor) to work together, however, proves to be quite a challenge.
As this unconventional and dysfunctional team works out their differences, the audience is treated to enthralling backstories and an ingenious script, all the while being kept on the edge of the seat by Loki’s maniacal antics. Among the battle scenes that elicit wide-eyed stares and gaping mouths are clever bits of humor that leave viewers falling out of their seats.
When multiple characters and backstories come together in a single film, the attempt to make the plot cohesive often detracts from each individual role. This is not the case with The Avengers. Each hero holds his own amidst the action and brings a set of unique qualities to each scene.
Although director and writer Joss Whedon makes sure that no hero outshines the other, Iron Man seems to receive an inordinate amount of screen time, but that’s nothing to complain about. His character, intrinsically chock-full of witty remarks, offers an amusing break from the other, more traditional heroes.
Iron Man and the Hulk command the battle scenes, which leave the audience giddy with excitement. The non-stop action for most of the movie has been set up so well that it does not come across as drawn out or overbearing in the least. The abundance of superheroes in fact, allows for a frequent change of scenery, creating new and unique situations well before any others have a chance to get old.
The Avengers truly encapsulates all the wonder and excitement of the comics and presents them in a way that anyone can enjoy. It is so engaging that the audience can hardly wait until the credits roll to start applauding this ultimate superhero movie that readily delivers an unforgettable experience of epic proportions.
