A lot of people have been waiting for this for a long time. For some, a lifetime. Possibly the biggest geekfest ever to grace our screen has arrived. Yes, I’m talking about Marvel’s Avengers Assemble.
Ever since Iron Man was released and received the buzz from whoever watched it, we knew that this was on the cards. Let’s face it; this would not have been possible if Captain America, Thor and Iron Man 2 were not a financial success. Initially scheduled for a 2011 release, The Avengers (as it was called then and should be called now) was pushed back to 2012 and converted into 3D during post-production.
Marvel’s Avengers Assemble sees our heroes – Tony ‘Iron Man’ Stark (Robert Downey Jr), Steve ‘Captain America’ Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Bruce ‘the Hulk’ Banner (new addition Mark Ruffalo) – join forces with S.H.I.E.L.D agents Clint ‘Hawkeye’ Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Natasha ‘Black Widow’ Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) to take down Thor’s vengeful megalomaniac brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who plans to take over the world i.e. Earth (as gathered in Thor, there is more than one world in their story :p)
First of all, there is always a problem with any cast ensemble films and especially a project with so much anticipation, there has always been this hope – or even doubt – that director, scriptwriter and cult hero Joss Whedon can deliver the goods. After the success of the individual Marvel films, you cannot really determine who would really be the main focus in this film. Johansson and Renner are easily overshadowed by the collective powerhouses of IM, CA, T and in some parts, tH (I’m lazy), which is a shame because they seem to be destined the sidekicks of Marvel. This also applies to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury – who, by the way, is strange to see on screen for more than two minutes even after his numerous cameos in the Marvel films and additional S.H.I.E.L.D agent Maria Hill (How I Met Your Mother‘s Cobie Smulders), who is basically Fury’s PA in a catsuit.
Having said that though, the film itself gets top marks in getting the right chemistry between all of the characters. They look like they have a blast with this film and each character makes the most of their screen time, limited as it may be – even fan favourite Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). Additional praise should go to new addition Mark Ruffalo, who stands his ground alongside his fellow cast members and puts in a credible performance as Bruce Banner. Oh, and the Hulk, by the way? One hyphenated word: (absolute) scene-stealer. Hiddleston is menacingly sinister as Loki – no longer the snivelling, petty kid from Thor but someone with an evil smile who is driven insane by power.
Whedon delivers plenty of laughs and wit in his script and there is enough background for each of the characters to build a solid plot. The action scenes are a joy to watch – unrefined CGI bits occasionally flake out certain parts, yet there are key moments that make Avengers Assemble pleasing and satisfactory to the eye and the geek in all of us.
Overall, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble is fun, funny and downright entertaining. Joss Whedon did good.
Musings of Guitargalchina 