I guess I should start paying attention to this Joss Whedon character. The Cabin In The Woods (co-wrote by Whedon) was a glorious geekfest for me and more than likely my favorite film of the year so far. Now after watching The Avengers, I’m thoroughly impressed with both his writing and directorial abilities. Maybe I should buy into this guy’s hype and run through Buffy?
After all, Marvel’s The Avengers is really a ridiculously ambitious film to take on. There are SIX avengers, three of whom (well, four sorta…) had their own standalone film. Then there’s the core members of SHIELD and a villain to boot. The cast alone is a back-breaking load to sort out. In addition to having the burden of balancing each character’s story lines, you have the added pressure of entertaining both the casual fan and hardcore comic readers. For the longest time I was skeptical that the movie would ever work. I was like, what is this gonna be 4 hours long and confusing as shit? Well, I was proved wrong by Mr. Whedon. Not only has he crafted an enjoyable piece of entertainment, but it’s also a well made film. A film with few errors and lingering questions. Small problematic elements that I’m not sure how the film maker could have done a better job handling anyways. What I’m trying to say is: I liked it.
For anyone not familiar, I will reiterate that I am no comic expert. I truly enjoyed Iron Man and yes, even the slightly less effective Iron Man 2. But while I found fond moments in both Thor and Captain America, neither film had me falling head over heels. But with all the characters together in The Avengers, something happened. The central plot of the film focuses on having these individual heroes come together, ultimately learning that they can become an unstoppable force by working as a team. The movie itself embodies that magic. We are pulled through conversations, battles, conformations and ego trips as each character interacts with one another. Screen time for each character is used wisely and to full effect. And on top of the heart is of course the action. We want to see our heroes prevail and show off their true badass potential. The film gives you those moments for each and every character and has action scenes throughout that could all be solid finale battles. I had read preliminary thoughts on the film that noted pacing issues in the first half that picked up significantly in the last act but I would wholly disagree. While the film is long, scenes never feels unnecessary and above all, it’s gloriously action packed.
With over billions and billions of comic book fans and Marvel practically breathing down his neck, Joss Whedon was given one job and one job only and that was to not screw this up. Thankfully, he doesn’t even come close to screwing it up and makes this one of the funnest superhero movies in recent time. Nice write-up Linds.
Thanks Dan, I totally agree with what you said (obviously!)
Like you, I don’t worship at the altar of Whedon, but I’ve become a much, much bigger fan of him after the last month between both Cabin and this. Maybe the quality of The Avengers shouldn’t be that much of a surprise; he gets group dynamics unlike any other. But the fact that it’s such a rousing success nonetheless caught me off-guard and satisfied me beyond my wildest expectations. What a way to start off the summer!
I think that, like Cabin, it’s possible to just take this as a grand-scale lark and have a blast with it, but I think it’s just as possible to do so while still looking underneath the surface for something more; if Cabin wants to remind us why we love/need horror films, then The Avengers should serve as a similar reminder regarding superheroes. Largely that nostalgia is seen in its surface elements; it’s hard not to think about why superheroes capture our hearts and attention when we’re being saturated with action focused on superheroics. (Among other things.) But I think the fact that the Avengers Initiative itself is stemmed in Fury’s belief in heroes points to something much more nuanced about why we’re drawn to these sorts of characters in the first place.
You are right on the nose. I’m also pumped to hear you make the Cabin/Avengers connection because I completely agree – I was wondering if I was only noticing the similar threads because I had seen them so recently or if it was actually there
Give in to the hype because Buffy The Vampire Slayer is very good. Season one does have problems but they are mior. I was hooked by the 3rd episode
Ahhhh! You are selling me on it for sure! Now where do I find the time…
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Glad you enjoyed this despite not being a comic-book fan. Yes, gloriously action-packed is right but it’s also has some substance and plenty of fun humor. I think Whedon’s done a great job in making a movie that transcends even die-hard fans.
Totally. I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment. Even with a year as stacked as this one, it has potential to be one of the better films of 2012.
Nice write up Linds, this is actually the first movie that I went in saw twice since i don’t remember when. Agreed that the balancing act with all the characters was perhaps the most impressive thing about the film.
Thanks! I agree, it definitely brings the film to a new level