Review of The Avengers (2012) by Kevin P — 22 Apr 2018

Strengths: It was always a crazy ambitious plan, but Marvel made the Avengers work in ways nobody could've imagined. Joss Whedon was the perfect person to write and direct this, as he seemed to fully understand what needed to be done. The movie juggles so many vital characters and none ever feel like an afterthought. Robert Downy Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), and Chris Hemsworth (Thor) are as great as they always are. Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk) steps in and provides an upgrade over Edward Norton. Speaking of the Hulk, this was the first movie to truly feel like it understood what the Hulk is supposed to be. He gets to absolutely wreck stuff. Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow) is honestly kind of a show stealer, while every scene she shares with Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye) is great. It's the kind of thing that was only put into the MCU during this film, yet worked very well. Tom Hiddleston (Loki) is also a great villain choice, as he and the character have the charisma to line up next to his co-stars. The story has just the right amount of dramatic peaks and valleys. The conflict is not only against Loki and his army, but among the Avengers themselves. Two of the best scenes involve the members arguing on the ship, as well as fighting in the woods. As noted, each character is given ample opportunity to strut their stuff, but the film also makes sure to give the fans what they want. Battles between Cap/Iron Man, Thor/Hulk, Thor's hammer and Cap's shield, etc. were all given attention. The writing is sharp, the dialogue is witty, and there are several laugh out loud moments, making it one of the funniest Marvel films ever. Of course, there's also the action, which is tremendous. There are several huge action sequences that are all perfect for this kind of movie. The final battle against the aliens in New York is grand, breathtaking, and features incredible team ups.

Weaknesses: I'm sure it sounds weird to say, but I couldn't find any. This is the epitome of what the big blockbuster superhero movie should be.

Overall: An incredible achievement. They handled so many moving parts with grace and the end result was the greatest superhero movie in history. The action, writing, performances, and way they respected the source material and characters were all done perfectly.