The Avengers Movie Review (What Rocked and What Sucked)

As promised, here goes a movie review for The Avengers.

For this blog entry, I’ve brought a buddy along with me: Donne Celadina or DCEL as we fondly refer to him. I’ve been a longtime fan of his comic reviews over at Random Rants (Heck! The guy’s been writing reviews before I even started blogging!) and so it’s fun to do this with him.

Anyway, I’m thinking everyone has seen The Avengers by now. I guess it’s already safe to post spoilers.

So here we go!

The Assembly

DCEL: The film started off a little too slow for me. I know that opening sequence was action-packed and all but it just didn’t feel Whedon-y. It felt like a generic open. The recruitment scenes were okay. I mostly enjoyed that of the Black Widow and Iron Man. From there it was smooth-sailing.

Mark: I find no problems with the opening. Like you said, it was action-packed and so it was a thrill to see things going right from the beginning. Speaking of the recruitment, the scene where Black Widow tried to “persuade” Bruce Banner was a winner for me. A slightly angry Banner truly was enough to scare the heck out of anybody – even a top Russian spy!

Hero vs Hero vs Hero

DCEL: It was a well-balanced film. I even liked the fight between Iron Man and Thor and Cap. Iron Man’s Shakespeare accent was awesome. I read in the internet that the fight was unbelievable because Thor got his ass semi-kicked by Iron Man and that Cap should’ve broken some bones when Thor hit his shield with Mjolnir. Well no, it was a fair fight. Iron Man was overcharged from Thor’s lightning and Cap’s shield absorbed Thor’s blow. It was made of vibranium, after all.

Mark: Yeah. I love it that we see the heroes fight it out with each other before forming the super crew. Iron Man vs. Thor – Check! Thor vs Hulk – Check! Thor vs Cap – Well, kinda! It’s a pity though that Cap and Iron Man didn’t really go toe-to-toe with each other – although Whedon almost gave us that! And oh! Black Widow and Hawkeye’s  fight sequence is also worth-mentioning. These agents proved they are definitely not “minor characters” in the movie.

Funny Moments

Mark: I love Stark. He and Loki doing the “headcount” showed his trademark calm yet angsty attitude. With or without his armor, this is one guy who’s not afraid to threaten a god. Hulk also stole every moment he was in. He suddenly punching Thor after fighting with him side by side was too hilarious.

DCEL: Some people say that it was Iron Man who mostly threw the zingers. Yeah that’s because of his personality. But Cap and Thor was were also able to say some Whedon-y lines. From Thor backpedaling with “adopted” and Cap’s sudden burst of “I got that reference.” It was subtle but it suited the characters.

“His first name is Agent”

DCEL: Phil Coulson‘s fanboy moments were awesome. When he went “I watched you while you were sleeping” the whole theatre was laughing. Then he followed it up with the bit about how he had a say in the design of the updated Cap costume. These scenes make what happens later more heartbreaking. True to Whedon formula.

Mark: Yeah. I really feel bad that the guy died. I mean he’s always been a likeable character but I liked him best in this movie. In the past films, he’s more of a serious, executive-type dude who’s out there to look for Thor’s hammer and stuff. This time, we see him talk about his vintage Captain America trading cards – they’re “near mint,” he emphasizes. This scene made him more human and, in most geek’s case, very relateable. Granted his death was necessary (even crucial) to get the heroes working together, but seeing him so human made me want to see him more of him in the future. Too bad that won’t happen anymore!

Black Widow and Hawkeye

Mark: Every character gets equal chances for the spotlight. I have no problems mentioning Hawkeye’s scenes as some of the highlights of the movie. His Helicarrier attack showed that he’s more than merely a marksman but an analytical, well-trained killing machine. Jeremy Renner showed that the character actually deserves his own movie – or at least a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie with Nick Fury maybe

DCEL: The real stand out of the film for me at least for the first half was Black Widow. Did you expect what happened in her recruitment scene with Russians? I did. Because for those who don’t know who Whedon is, he’s the guy who made Buffy and so he knows how to make badass babes. The second time she did it I was surprised - and so was Loki!

“And Hulk… SMASH!”

Mark: Like many critics have confirmed, Mark Ruffalo indeed makes an awesome Bruce Banner. I was one of those who was hesitant about the idea of replacing Edward Norton but Ruffalo proved me wrong. His Banner is shy and geeky yet very in control. I love that.

DCEL: Anyone who has seen the movie will agree how awesome it was when Banner showed up in the climactic battle and how bad-ass he was when he suited up. I am a long time Hulk fan but they say that this is the first time the movie Hulk worked. I agree. Not only was his fight scenes “smashing” he was also unintentionally funny. Tell me you weren’t LOLing with the way he handled “puny god” Loki.

Escalating Danger

DCEL: The stakes just keep rising as the movie progresses. The danger escalates. Everytime they think of a solution it just got worse for them. Case in point: Thor trying to stop Loki and he is thrown into the cage. Coulson stopping Loki with that big-ass gun before being impaled from behind. That’s how you reach the climax.

That 360 Shot

DCEL: I was spoiled for the 360 shot of the team so it wasn’t as awesome for me as it should have been. But there is this one continuous shot of the Avengers fighting Loki army, tracking each team member in the battle. That was an awesome moment. And then at the end, when they pan out off the damaged Stark Tower and we see that the still standing and solo “A”.

Stars and Stripes

Mark: I won’t allow this review to end without me mentioning about how I love Captain America in this film.  He may be old-fashioned but he’s more than a boy scout. He’s the team’s moral compass. I love it when he confronted Loki in Germany. He’s also a great tactician and we clearly see  elements of that in the film.

Other things that rocked

DCEL: Tony mentions LMD. Banner in a bike. They also make sure to tell us that the Hulk didn’t hurt anyone when he fell. That he knew where he should land. Hulk HULK! HULK!!!

Mark: Cap and Thor fighting side by side - the two Chrises! Hulk trying to lift the Mjolnir was fun. Those who haven’t read the comics (or haven’t seen the Thor movie at least) wouldn’t get that. Also, Soundgarden’s Live to Rise. And of course, the after-credits was mind-blowing!  I was truly thrilled to see Thanos on screen. Can’t wait for part 2. And needless to say, I hope to see more heroes too! I think it would work as long as it’s Whedon at the helm.

Other things that sucked

DCEL: Captain America’s mask. They only made a passing explanation why Hulk was out of control during the Helicarrier sequence. Was he influenced by Loki’s staff or was it because it was Banner’s choice to transform? Also, that abrupt ending with Loki.

Mark: I don’t know if I missed it but did anybody hear Cap yell the famous catchphrase? You know, “Avengers Assemble!” I can’t believe they left that out. I was waiting for it the entire time – I was hoping he’d say it during that 360 shot.  And again, I’m not happy that Coulson died. Plus Stan Lee’s cameo was pretty meh for me. I expected more.

VERDICT

DCEL: 4.5 out of 5 because of the opening scenes. The movie wasn’t Whedon-perfect but it’s close enough. Besides it was just 2hours 15mins. Let’s wait fot the 3 hour extended cut on DVD.

Mark: I’ll rate this 5. It was a fun film to watch. Whedon is a master of balancing characterization, humor, and action. The movie was about 2 hours and 22 minutes but it didn’t feel that way. It’s fast-paced and action pack. No dull moments. This is the perfect example of a superhero movie done right!