The Avengers Have Arrived

People often wonder why critics tend to beat up on the big, mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. Are they just being contrary and going against popular opinion? No, they do it because these films, if we are “profiling”, tend to have the least respect for the intelligence of their audience. Film critics sit through hundreds of movies a year; they know the landscape, so to speak. They know when they are being fed over-advertised garbage by a film studio that's just out to make a buck. Woody Allen once went so far as to say, “If my films don't show a profit, I know I'm doing something right.” Why? Because like it or not, when it comes to filmmaking Hollywood has a reputation for embracing a calculated assembly line approach. “Groups A and B will like this movie, what else can we throw in there to get Group C on board?” It's a bit insulting. We are people, not cattle.

Here's the thing though, there's nothing inherently wrong with popular entertainment. It's just that far too many people don't subject these behemoths to any form of discriminating taste, so Hollywood gets a free pass whether the end result is trash or treasure. It's like making no distinction between ten different glasses of wine, you simply take a sip of all of them and say, “They're good enough.” If Battle: Los Angeles (2011) was one of those wines, I would pour it out in disgust. One taste of The Avengers, however, and I'm thinking, “Give me some more of that one!” The difference is palpable. If more Hollywood blockbusters were on the level of The Avengers, critics wouldn't have to bash so many awful ones along the way.

What makes The Avengers so special? The list is long: character, wit, imagination, epic scope, exciting choreography, you name it. I actually enjoyed most of the characters here even more than I did in their own movies. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo this time around) and Captain America (Chris Evans) were both given short shrift in their pictures, which were average at best, but here they are both quite appealing. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) certainly isn't a complex fellow, but he was more fun to watch than he was last year. We see a lot more of Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), all of whom get to show what they can do after being relegated to smaller roles. Last but not least, Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) can still be counted on to flaunt his extra large ego and let the wisecracks fly.

The film picks up where Thor (2011) left off, in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) is trying to unlock the mysteries of the Tesseract, a potential source of unlimited power used by Red Skull and HYDRA in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). The Tesseract also functions as a gateway to other realms, and it is through this gateway that Thor's brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), returns after his fall from Asgard. With his trusty new spear he can subjugate his victims, creating servants of Dr. Selvig and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Hawkeye. Nick Fury escapes with his life, while Loki makes off with the Tesseract.

Loki's motive? To be worshiped as a god, apparently, the way Asgardians used to be. He feels that humans are a greatly inferior race innately yearning to bow down and be controlled by someone powerful. When he fell from Asgard, Loki ended up in the realm of the Chitauri, a hive-minded alien race looking to possess the Tesseract. Loki makes a deal; the Tesseract in exchange for an army of Chitauri to conquer Earth.

Unaware of these details, Fury still knows that Loki and the Tesseract are a potentially devastating mix. He decides it is time to put the “Avenger Initiative” into effect. So, from various corners of the world our heroes are brought together, and all but Thor and Hawkeye meet on an advanced S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft carrier that can fly and use “reflection panels” to turn invisible.

Loki's next step is to locate iridium, which must be used in conjunction with the Tesseract to open the huge portal that will allow the Chitauri to invade Earth. He locates the iridium in Germany, where Iron Man and Captain America intercept him. Loki is captured, and on the way back to the carrier, Thor shows up for a few choice words with his brother. This culminates in a fun forest brawl between Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.

At this point, not even halfway through the film, it would probably be wise of me to scale back on the details, and simply address what works so well in general. In a film like this, interaction between the key players is priceless, and writer/director Joss Whedon (co-writer of The Cabin in the Woods) really nails it. I particularly enjoyed the bits between Iron Man and Captain America, two polar opposites who collide like trains. The former is accused of being a self-serving egomaniac, while the latter is as selfless and straight-laced as they come. Maybe though, just maybe, even Tony Stark will prove willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

Loki is still a solid villain, as he was in Thor, appearing all the more so as his devious plans come to light. Our heroes, though they never seem to run any genuine risk of biting the dust, at least appear to have their hands full. There are several terrific action setpieces, the best I've seen since last year's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, that should be studied by filmmakers who think good action means shaking the camera around while blowing everything up and filling the gaps with CGI.

Naysayers have compared the forty minute final battle here to what we saw in Transformers: Dark of the Moon last year. Not a chance. Transformers featured idiotic characters and writing, so by the time Chicago had become a war zone, I was about ready to slice my wrists. Besides, the battle itself was simply not engaging. There was no one worth caring about or rooting for, all I saw were a bunch of computer generated robots laying waste to the city. In The Avengers, even when the Hulk and Iron Man are purely animated constructs, we see them as characters. We like them, we want them to succeed.

Speaking of that final battle, it really should be considered a tour de force of some kind. I mean, it's not the Battle of Borodino in Bondarchuk's War and Peace (1967), but my goodness, Whedon and his editors (Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek) are due some credit for managing all the different gears of this machine. There's an awful lot going on, but it never devolves into a chaotic mess. There's computer animation everywhere, buildings getting torn apart, huge alien snakes flying around, explosions galore, and yet the film never loses sight of its heroes. They provide us a focal point, visually and emotionally, which is why this machine emits a hum instead of a hiss.

There is also an impressive tracking shot in the climactic battle as the camera flies from hero to hero kicking butt around the city without any visible cuts. It's a nice touch, indeed, though I still prefer the craftsmanship of real tracking shots like those found in Touch of Evil (1958) and Goodfellas (1990). Another fine addition is the humor peppered throughout, with Iron Man and the Hulk getting the most laughs from the audience I saw it with. The stakes are pretty high when you're talking about world domination, but it's still a comic book adventure, right? Whedon understands that lighter moments don't have to come at the expense of the heavier stuff.

Ultimately, what we have here is a grand ol' time at the movies, and a splendid example of the Hollywood blockbuster done right. A lot of directors get lazy and complacent when given a $220 million budget, but bundles of cash seem to get Joss Whedon's creative juices flowing all the more. You really see that money up on the screen, and every hero gets their chance to shine, so if you have a favorite, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

It's not high art, nor will the story win any awards, but The Avengers is better escapist entertainment than every one of the films that led up to it. I call that “living up to the hype”. However, Marvel Studios' success here should also be their gravest concern. With Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2 already in the making, they have to be wondering, “How do we measure up to The Avengers with these solo efforts?” Frankly, that's a damn good question.

The Avengers (2012): 8 out of 10
Battle: Los Angeles (2011): 1 out of 10
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): 2 out of 10
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011): 8 out of 10
War and Peace (1967): 9 out of 10
Touch of Evil (1958): 9 out of 10
Goodfellas (1990): 9 out of 10