Though it was only six years ago, it’s genuinely difficult
to envision a Hollywood that existed before Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’ now. In an
age where every major franchise wants to replicate exactly what Kevin Feige and
his studio accomplished over the course of four years, all building up to this
movie in 2012, it’s easy to overlook and understate just how monumental this
film was. In that sense it’s also difficult to detach it from the ensuing hype
and aftershocks that the film has continued to create to this day. In other
words, it’s somewhat difficult to even judge it as just a movie.
It is also difficult to think of any movie in recent memory
that has so completely epitomised the concept of pure blockbuster
entertainment. There’s a brilliance to its narrative simplicity, a greatness to
its character driven story and a wide appeal to its broad use of tone. It says
a lot about how well a movie handles its exposition that a viewer could walk
into ‘The Avengers’, without having seen any other MCU movie and still get a
complete grasp pf what is happening.
Part of that is down to the aforementioned narrative. Though
it’s far from complex the story and its ensuing structure give the film room to
focus on what matters most, the characters. It makes their joining together a
central conceit that constantly drives the plot forward. There is a reason why
that now iconic shot of the superhero team finally united has such a cathartic
effects, because the whole movie is structured around building up to that
specific moment.
If anything it feels even more impressive in retrospect
given how many superhero event movies seem to lack any narrative drive for
their first act. We don’t receive any clarity or cohesion as we just watch
things happening for an hour and then the plot kicks in. That it now the case
with ‘The Avengers’ as the stakes are laid out perfectly within the first few
minutes and then proceed to intertwine with the team as they are subsequently
introduced, unfolding simultaneously with their arcs across the movie. This is
the reason why the story never drags, why it never feels condescending to the
audience and why it always contains a clear focus point from which to further
the plot, all of which could have very easily befallen the movie.
With this ensemble another easy pitfall would be to have
certain characters feel side-lined or underutilised but once again ‘The
Avengers’ avoids this trap. Though some characters certainly get more screen time
than others each player is endowed with a clear and concise arc that works to
develop their personality as the plot rushes along. These moments of
development are brilliantly placed throughout the movie. From small exchanges
of dialogue to the little interactions that underpin the action, everyone has
time to grow and change over the course of the film.
The same can be said for how each character is used within the
action scenes, particularly within that final battle across New York City. Each
hero has a specific function and role that allows us to track their individual actions
and in turn get a sense of the battle as a whole. Again it’s a common flaw
within many blockbusters that an epic final battle can feel confused and cluttered
but ‘The Avengers’ manoeuvres around that in how it allows the audience to have
a firm hold on the geography of the scene, not just in the final battle but in
all of the action scenes. It gives us a simple thought process of knowing which
hero is trying to accomplish what, and then presents that in an interlinking
manner.
As for the actors who play said heroes, they all sink so
perfectly into their roles that it’s hard for me to even say there is a
standout. I suppose Mark Ruffalo should receive specific praise given that
unlike any other main character in the movie, he had to build his performance
from the ground up. He had the added pressure of introducing a new persona for
Bruce Banner/the Hulk as well as subsequently developing that persona, of which
he did a fantastic job. Ruffalo’s Banner is more smooth and at ease with
himself which only serves to make his subsequent transformation all the more
jarring. But underneath that charisma is a clear darkness that he alludes to
throughout the movie, which lends itself the deepening our understanding of the
character and is internal dynamic.
Robert Downey Jr embodies the same tightrope walk between
arrogance and confidence that made Tony Stark both compelling and watchable in
his previous outings. Chris Hemsworth is still embodying the boastful in the
role of Thor whilst retaining that streak of humanity that makes the god of
thunder intriguing. Chris Evans performance keeps Captain America grounded,
conveying the sense of man outside of his own time in the middle of a tough transition,
but also distinctly dutiful. Scarlett Johansson continues to bestow Black Widow
with all the intrigue and strength that makes the character such a valuable
commodity. Jeremy Renner possesses this stoic mysticism that renders Hawkeye as
an involving presence. The undercurrent of all these performances is that they
establish a distinct characterisation but leave enough room for development,
and to achieve that six times over in a single film is no small feat.
Though I do think Joss Whedon’s direction leaves a bit to be
desired in terms of its visual dynamics, in that too many of the conversations
and dialogue exchanges in the movie seem to be shot and edited in a
conventional manner. But the way he conveys the action in the movie is a
triumph of cinematic language. As I said before, he expertly makes the
characters intrinsic to the way the action flows and develops. He manages to
convey this through some phenomenal long takes that takes the audience through
the entire landscape of the battle in a way that seems effortless.
‘The Avengers’ still represents blockbuster entertainment at
its best. Containing fulfilling character arcs, thrilling action and a sense of
spectacle that is magnificent to behold.
Result: 8/10
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