In 2008, with one simple scene, with one brief moment of dialogue, a promise was made to fans. As Samuel L. Jackson strolled onto the screen as the one-eyed Nick Fury in a special post-credits scene in Iron Man, he informed Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark of a so called “Avengers Initiative”.
For the average fan watching the movie, this was just an extra hint toward a sequel. For the hardcore comic fans, this was a war cry, telling them that after years of superhero movies, the best was yet to come. But for Marvel Studios, it was a fools errand. Who would believe that Iron Man, with the freshly out of rehab Downey as its star, directed by the guy who brought us Elf would be a home run? Who would think that future films, starring The Hulk (who was reeling from an awful film in 2003) and comic B-listers Captain America and Thor could be a success? And more over, who would sit through even more films to get to a movie with them all together? How could this ever work?
And then, as a surprise to many, it did. Iron Man 1 & 2 were smash successes, blowing away Hollywood, pleasing audiences and fans alike, and lifting Robert Downey Jr. into the upper echelon of movie stars, where his talent should have had him long ago. Then, this past summer, the two heroes that “couldn’t work” became icons, as Thor took a difficult cosmic world featuring Gods and magic and made it accessible through stranger in a strange land humor, and Captain America translated a character who has been seen as a A wearing boy scout into a truly relatable hero. If Marvel Studios was a gymnast, they were in peak shape, nailing every flip, hitting every position. Surely, they’d screw up the dismount.
The dismount is this summer’s The Avengers, and having seen it twice already as of the time of this writing, I’m pleased to say that it absolutely, 100% works. And more than that, I dare say…it’s the greatest superhero movie of all time.
Having read comics from the age of 3, and still reading and following them at the ripe age of 27, I’ve had nearly three decades of fandom to follow the Marvel Universe, so for many times my mind would wander, thinking of what the perfect superhero film could be. Never did I believe that something this good could be created – let alone this well.
This literally is an example of everything falling perfectly into place. It starts at the top with a whip-smart script and confident direction from Joss Whedon. Whedon directs at a scale which he’s never demonstrated before, turning skeptics (like even me) into true believers. He had never told a story of this large a scale before, and you’d think he’d been spinning such yarns from birth. There is an ease here rarely seen in prior superhero films. Whedon loves the source material but clearly understands what it takes to make it work for general audiences, and does so with little to no change from the revered comic classics.
And it’s funny – god damn it is funny. I never knew a film featuring such epic destruction could make you laugh so hard along the way, but it does. Never too heavy, never too dark, always exciting, this is the perfect script for the film.
But on that foundation is laid even further greatness. After proving to be pitch perfect interpretations of their heroes, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth bring their skills as Iron Man, Captain America and Thor to the film, and yet never step on each others toes. They’re matched by the growing roles of Scarlett Johannson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and the debuting Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Behind the three icons, these actors could be lost – but instead, they are seen as equals, with everyone getting memorable moments to shine. Especially the Hulk, as this might even be a greater showcase of the mean green machine than his two solo starring roles.
They are pitted perfectly against the absolutely devilish Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who blows away his performance in Thor here, leading the deadly Chitari alien army against the Avengers as the films big threat. He plays the entire team psychologically, ramping up the game until the final battle, which might beat Transformers: Dark of the Moon as the biggest, most over the top action sequence in recent summer history. Looking at the trailer I was concerned about the action being centered in New York, but it works perfectly, and more so, this is a key moment, as it’s the first time action has gone down in NYC in the Marvel Movie Universe, a key location for the comics.
I could gush and gush and gush about this movie, but the fact is, I don’t know how much more I could write without spoiling so many amazing moments from the film. And this is a film that you and your friends will be remembering with joy for some time to come. The massive box office is completely earned. The gamble paid off, and I can’t wait to see ‘Phase 2′ of Marvel Studios.
Go see The Avengers, now. And be sure to stay for both scenes in the credits.
If you’d excuse me, I’ve now gotta get some shwarma.
