THE AVENGERS

The Avengers (2012)

Grade: B

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cobie Smulders, and Stellan Skarsgard

PREMISE: When an interstellar villain threatens Earth’s population with enslavement, underground government agency Shield assembles a group of eclectic individuals with special talents to stop him.
 

RATED PG-13 for intense sequences of action, violence and destruction, some scary moments, brief disturbing images, and some language

Since 2000's X-Men, there has been a virtual flood of comic book-based superhero movies, and movie audiences have been dive-bombed with the story of one supernatural being's fight against injustice after another. These have ranged from the cut-rate (2003's Daredevil) and the really cut-rate (2005's Elektra, 2011's The Green Hornet) to the sublime (2004's Spiderman 2, 2008's Iron Man) and the masterful (2008's The Dark Knight). And therein lies my biggest problem with The Avengers, the hotly-anticipated movie in which Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo as the normal human alter-ego), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) ally against the forces of evil in the same film--I feel like I've seen it before. It's becoming more and more obvious as more and more of these comic book movies (especially ones based on Marvel comics) come out: if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all, with few exceptions. The obligatory action definitely has its breathtaking moments, the constant puns, one-liners, and inside jokes do provide some real laughs, and there are a few genuine shocks and/or intimate moments, but it's all a re-tread, just the newest send-up of a popular and increasingly-common formula. And for someone like me, who's looking for well-crafted, original movies rather than simply serviceable comic book adaptations, that's a problem.

Plot: After the events of Captain America, a cube of supernatural power called the Tesseract passed into the hands of Shield, a government agency run by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a board of directors. Shield scientists have found that the Tesseract has considerable power, which includes the ability to transport people to and from different planets. It isn't long before the axe-grinding would-be prince of the alien world Asgard, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), soon takes full advantage of that ability, wrecking Shield's fortress and bewitching several of their personnel and turning them into his minions, including the tough-as-nails Clint Barton (Hawkeye's real name) and the brilliant Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgaard). Not only does he make a mean entrance, but he soon makes clear his ultimate goal: to enslave the world. It quickly becomes apparent that Loki's power is beyond the ability of even the U.S. Government to contain, so Shield quickly calls its 'special agents' to combat him. That's wicked-smart playboy Tony Stark (Roberty Downey, Jr.), dignified icon Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), enigmatic outcast Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and uber-assassin Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). The final member, the heir to the throne of Loki's adopted home world of Asgard-a guy who's pretty handy with a hammer-comes on the scene shortly.

At first, they're at each other throats, questioning everyone else's motivations and abilities when they're not questioning Shield's. But all that changes when Loki attacks their high-tech aircraft and slays one of their friends, then sets an alien army loose on Manhattan via the Tesseract's portal. The police and even the National Guard are immediately outgunned and bewildered, so the primary team of heroes assembles at the city's heart to take on the baddies...and try to save the world.

What Works?

Okay, so, as much of a killjoy critic as I am (and after resisting the charms of a movie many are already hailing as Best Superhero Movie Ever, I'm feeling more like the Grinch than the Hulk), I cannot and will not deny that The Avengers delivers the goods when it comes to popcorn entertainment. As usual with action-jackson blockbusters like this (especially ones that star Robert Downey Jr.) there are plenty of witty asides, snarky comments, inside jokes, and laugh-out-loud ironies to keep the talky set-up scenes from becoming too talky. And all that is just child's play compared to the explosion-rocking, glass-shattering, pulse-pounding finale, a nearly hour-long sequence in which our titular heroes fight a pitched battle on the street, on top of surrounding buildings, and in the air. And yes, this being the conversion of several different superhero franchises, these scenes get an extra jolt of pleasure from the sight of our heroes working together. I mean, who doesn't want to see the Hulk punching, crushing and thrashing baddies in the same frame in which Thor knocks them into the stratosphere with his hammer. How about Captain America punching aliens-and leveling them with his shield-while Black Widow kicks, shoots, pummels and stabs them--anyone gonna turn their nose up at that? Then there's Iron Man shooting dozens of missiles at airborne minions while Hawkeye likewise fires arrows that explode on impact. Fun stuff, right?

And, in fact, there is enough (some might say too much) set-up so that the actors under the capes and cowls and suits don't disappear when the action starts (well, except for Mark Ruffalo, who plays the brainy Dr. Bruce Banner but not his big, green alter ego). Downey Jr. is always a hoot, Evans makes it super easy to root for Captain America with his soulful, old-fashioned nobility, and Johansson reminds us that she isn't just eye candy. Ruffalo, the third actor in nine years to play Banner, makes an impression, and Samuel L. Jackson, finally getting to actually play Nick Fury and not just plug The Avengers in other films, brings that Samuel L. Jackson umph. None of these actors are going to get nominated for Academy Awards, of course, but they're good company in this nearly two-and-a-half-hour epic.

What Doesn't Work?

On the other hand, Hemsworth suffers from the necessity of Thor's speaking in that Old World, quasi-Shakespearean prattle (and he also seems almost an afterthought in this ensemble, with Iron Man and Captain America possessing top billing), and I just can't take Hiddleston seriously as a chest-pounding super-villain, even if the actor does have a way with malicious dialogue.

Call me cynical, but The Avengers seems to already have been embraced and rejoiced over as a novelty--I believe I already mentioned how familiar we are with superhero movies in this day and age. Okay, so, like I said, you don't see Thor and Captain America in the same fight scene everyday, but Avengers has been in the works for so long, and obviously so, that it hardly seems like an original concept. After all, the plugs began with post-credit scenes in 2008's Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, continued with 2010's Iron Man 2 (which was practically The Avengers Lite, given Jackson and Johansson's constant presence), and culminated in last year's Captain America and Thor.

It's not necessarily The Avengers' fault, in a weird way: we're just so used to seeing supernatural beings fight either people or other supernatural beings while cities blow up around them and make funny comments whenever the action stops.

Content: Despite the amount of thrashing and smashing and shooting and otherwise mangling of people and aliens and half-person/half-aliens, there's very little blood or gory details. Despite all the havoc wreaked on downtown Manhattan, I'm pretty certain you're supposed to get the impression (I did, anyway) that not a single innocent bystander was hurt beyond mild cuts and scrapes. Thus, the violence, while heavy, is strictly of the family-friendly blockbuster action variety. Profanity is minimal. And despite the presence of the gorgeous Johansson--ever clad in tight leather get ups--there's nothing edgy or sensual or even mildly-suggestive to speak of. This is about as straight-laced as action flicks get. (To give you an idea, the three people sitting next to me were a young mother and her two young 6 or 7-year-olds, and they had no problem with it)

Bottom Line (I REALLY PROMISE, I know this has been long):

I'm not denying it's a big-screen-worthy summer entertainment. But despite the assembling of all these familiar faces in one film, Avengers feels less like an Event and more like just another superhero flick. For a lot of those, I've gotten amped up against my better judgment, hoping for something really special and walked out of the movie feeling underwhelmed and even-keeled. Despite some cool action and likeable characters, I just did it again.

The Avengers (2012)

Directed by Joss Whedon

Written by Joss Whedon and Zak Penn; based on the comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Length: 143 minutes

Rated PG-13