Review: The Avengers

Non Spoiler Review:
The culmination of Marvel's grand plan comes to fruition in The Avengers, under the watchful and wise management of Joss Whedon. Following the return of Captain America from 70 years on ice, and Loki's disappearance in Thor, we immediately see that the trickster god has found new alien allies and is preparing to spearhead an invasion of Earth by the Chitauri, in exchange for delivering the tesseract (or cosmic cube) to his benefactors. That means stealing the tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D., who is analyzing its properties for unlimited energy potential. Loki's arrival sparks S.H.I.E.L.D. commander Nick Fury to attempt to initiate his already defunct Avenger's Initiative in order to meet the threat. More problematic is managing the assorted egos, issues and relationships that come with throwing six disparate heroes together who have previously worked alone.

The Avengers is, of course, directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods), and brings back the cast from Iron Man, Thor and Captain America—Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johannson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury). Rounding out the cast is the omnipresent Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, appearances by Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Selvig. The new face this time is Mark Ruffalo, taking over from Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner.

The story has a basic premise, but is quite intricate in how it unfolds—Loki versus the Avengers. But Loki remains a very clever villain and doesn't fall into any clichés thanks to Whedon. He carries out a plot both for conquest, but also for revenge against his brother and a need to be recognized and worshipped as a conqueror. Meanwhile, Nick Fury must manage all the variables in bringing his players together, as well as meeting Loki's threat. This leads to a first hour of assembling, but remains just as interesting as the action parts.

What's even more remarkable, Whedon weaves the characters of three movies together flawlessly, with customary snappy dialogue—Tony Stark can refer to Thor as "Point Break", while at the same time Loki arrives declaring "I am burdened with a glorious purpose", and both sound just fine coming out of each actor. The byzantine continuity between films remains sacrosanct and constantly self-referenced, accented by some great appearances by secondary characters, notably Dr. Selvig, Pepper Pots, and even acknowledgement of Jane Foster. With an impressive running time, The Avengers gives everyone and everything the time needed to develop organically, without feeling rushed or too slow.

Chris Hemsworth continues to bring to life a believable, funloving god, but one who has learned his lessons from his earlier battle with Loki. Now reunited with his adopted brother thought dead, he has to deal with his responsibility in the danger facing Earth. Chris Evans juggles the characteristic do-goodery of Captain America but with new opportunity to show off his powerful leadership skills. After a very extreme Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2, he delivers a just as funny, but perhaps more restrained and enjoyable version, one likely tempered by his new relationship with Pepper Potts. Even Black Widow gets fleshed out to such a degree I'm looking forward to her getting some flashbacks in a future S.H.I.E.L.D. movie, along with her equally compelling comrade, Hawkeye, who is likely the one character with the least screentime.

Mark Ruffalo excels in portraying the troublesome Bruce Banner as a very understated and quiet genius. The Hulk itself feels like it's finally right...bearing hints of Ruffalo in his appearance, as well as a bit of comprehension scattered among his mindless smashings. The CGI really delivered this time around. I'm not yet sure Hulk should carry his own movie again, but he certainly could provide a strong pillar as a guest star in any of the other franchises.

Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, never the strongest supporting Marvel cast member, really shines here, and his subtle manipulation of his recruits masterfully herds the cats that are the Avengers. This is the first film I've really felt he's Nick Fury, and not just a tacked on element for continuity purposes. Cobie Smulders appears as new S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, who is sure to be making future appearances in the franchise. And of course...the helicarrier.

Tom Hiddleston continues Loki's arc and really succeeds in bringing a great villain to screen again, building on all his issues from Thor. The Chitauri themselves provide the army (and cannon fodder), and are kind of Skrull-like, however I've read that Skrulls are tied in with the Fantastic Four franchise, and currently out of reach by Marvel Entertainment. The climatic scene in New York is one of the best orchestrated I've seen in awhile. Just one of many dazzling action sequences.

Visually, The Avengers is awash in eye-candy—the New York skyline complete with the (terribly) ugly Stark Tower, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier with see-through computer screens, and all manner of technical gadgets, including some chilling designs for the Chitauri weaponry. But it's the heroes themselves who jump off the screen in their brilliant costumes. This is the first time we see Captain America's modern day garb, and it looks pretty stellar.

So often one can leave a film wishing a simple line of dialogue could have answered a troubling plot hole, and Whedon is aware of this. How does Thor get to Earth when the Bifrost is destroyed? What does a senator from New York think about all the damage Manhattan takes? Why wouldn't Thor go find Jane Foster? They are all simple answers and are given their bit of exposition to fill in the blanks.

One dagger's edge of super-hero movie writing is balancing humour while taking the plot seriously, and Whedon manages this quite aptly, both in the frenetic and clever dialogue between heroes, and the sudden hilarious situational moments that are laugh-out-loud funny, but never detract from the honor of the material. Let's just say that the Hulk is one of the major sources to draw from in this respect. But there's never a moment when I felt Whedon wasn't treating the material with absolute respect.

It was tough to find something to critique in this film given it hits so many right notes. For a long running time (about 140 minutes), I never once thought about the clock. I was enjoying every moment of character and action. There is always the debate about individual character's power levels—just how much damage can Loki and Thor take and inflict? How invincible is the Hulk? And just what happens when Mjolnir hits Captain America's vibranium shield? I guess my major gripe is that the Stark Tower is such a monstrous eyesore that it would never get approved in Manhattan. Of course, the helicarrier is completely preposterous, but absolutely fun, and, as expected, goes down more than Lindsay Lohan in a nightclub bathroom. And the post credits scene (while not a complete surprise as the film progressed) totally delivered, and ranks up there as one of the best revelations in the series. 

The Avengers is a success in every way—as an action movie, creating a template going forward for a super-team film, tying the threads from all the other movies, and kickstarting a sequel. It's best appreciated after a healthy dose of all five previous instalments, but would keep any action lover entertained. I loved it and will be seeing it again. It's going to make oodles of money and I'm happy for Joss Whedon that he'll likely be able to hand pick his future projects (Wonder Woman, please).

Without a doubt, Marvel gets how to portray its characters in film, in stark contrast to Warner Brothers' top down direction for DC (except if you're Chris Nolan). I look forward to the next episodes in these franchises, with what is sure to begin a build up to Avengers 2.

Review: Thor

Non Spoiler Review:

Marvel's latest installment in its shared super-hero universe is Thor, which is a challenging character to tackle given his mystical background. Thor opens with a narration by Odin All-Father chronicling Asgard’s war with the Frost Giants, and providing a backstory for the origins of Norse mythology. We next see young Thor and his brother Loki being shown the power source of the Frost Giants (which figures prominently in the film), and then back to the present, where it's time for Odin to pass his rule over to his favored son. But his decision may be premature, as Thor's arrogance and rashness brings Asgard to the brink of war with the Frost Giants, leaving ambitious Loki waiting in the wings.

Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) delivers what is sure to be his break-out role, successfully making Thor his own as much as Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man—brash, impetuous, arrogant and noble, while very likable and endearing, and dumbly blind to his brother’s machinations. Meanwhile, Branagh manages to integrate enough Shakespearean elegance to the dialogue that doesn’t sound stilted or out of place at all. Thor makes a believable higher being from another place, but one the audience can totally relate to.

Natalie Portman (Black Swan) also stars as the likable scientist Jane, and Stellan Skarsgård as her mentor (and one who grew up with stories of Norse mythology). Together with their plucky assistant they're investigating the many odd atmospheric disturbances caused by Asgard's realm-breaching wormholes.

But it's the Asgardian cast that really gets a chance to play it up, including Anthony Hopkins delivering his standard great performance (he really only has two roles these days—sage father figure or psychopath). Ray Stevenson (Rome) appears as one of the warrior's three. Tom Hiddleston is Thor's brother, Loki, and the villain of the film (and possibly future movies). Given he works his machinations in the background in secret, he manages to successfully rise to the challenge in playing against Hemsworth's heroics. 

The big challenge for Branagh was to introduce a magical character into the current Marvel movie universe—someone who can fight alongside Captain America and Iron Man without suffering a genre clash. The super-science equals magic equation and the explanation of the nine realms (of which Earth’s universe is one) successfully integrates aspects of Norse mythology into the Marvel universe. Thor is a higher power, interpreted as a god, and the accouterments of his world and weaponry (like the rainbow bridge wormhole) are believable in the context of the movie.

The costuming was brilliant—managing to make the otherworldly fashion look wearable and functional without crossing over into camp. Asgard is rendered in sensory-overloading scope and detail. There was so much set design that it is well worth a few pause screens on the future blu-ray just to check out all the vistas of Asgard and Jotunheim. It all felt like a solid interpretation of Kirbyesque architecture for the big screen. Some of the ice planet scenes did seem overly CGI, but that could be due to the 3D effect.

Another pleasant surprise was the successful blend of a lot of humour into the drama without feeling forced. Thor’s fish-out-of-water situation brought plenty of genuine laughs without taking at all away from the serious, world shattering elements. 

I certainly loved the movie, but I can see where some might have difficulty with it. Fans of romance may be left wanting, given Thor and Jane's flirtation is vastly overshadowed by his quest to return to Asgard and save his realm. There are too brief appearances for some other interesting characters like Heimdall (Idris Elba) and Frigga (Renee Russo). Natalie Portman didn’t particularly have to stretch her acting chops this time around. Most of the cast does fall under Chris Hemsworth’s shadow, as it’s really all about him finding his way back home and settling Asgardian politics rather than an Earth-focused threat (aside from the Destroyer being sent to kill him). 

For Marvel fans, there are several great references (allusions to the Hulk and Tony Stark, as well as a feast for the eyes as far as background details—the relics in Odin’s vault, for example). Agent Coulson pops up to provide continuity with previous films, as he now seems to get all the tough S.H.I.E.L.D. cases. And stick around for the post-credit scene that serves to set up the likely villain and plot device for Avengers.

Perhaps it’s my love of mythology that really sealed the deal for me, but Thor is a fun ride that succeeds in no small part to the combined efforts of Chris Hemsworth, Branagh’s vision, and a unique (sometimes over the top) visual style. The plot might not be for everyone—involving primarily Asgard—but the sequels will surely bring Thor back to Midgard, with hopefully the same supporting cast (and winged helmet).