The Avengers was such a fun movie that was completely worthy of taking up at least 15 minutes of every other Phase One movie’s screen time. There was humor, action, emotion, and a score that makes you feel like an actual Avenger. Seriously, the theme for this movie is incredible and it never ceases to put a smile on my face. It’s just so energetic and inspiring.
Back to actual story and stuff. The cold opening of The Avengers is not immediately followed by a flashback sequence leading up to it, which is really refreshing. It’s also excellent. It clearly sets up the plot device, villain, and seriousness of the threat, as well as setting the tone for the rest of the movie to follow. It’s also just a fun bit of action, with an intense car chase and some great Samuel L. Jackson lines.
The next section of the movie is devoted to assembling the team. The Natasha scene at the beginning is hilarious and entertaining, Tony Stark is quip-y as always, and Mark Ruffalo plays the best portrayal of Bruce Banner to date. Loki’s attack in Germany is a great testament to why we love him: he’s competent, dramatic, and charming in his own evil way. The Thor/Iron Man/Cap fight contains a good amount of humor and action, keeping up with the movie’s pace.
Inside the helicarrier, we get more quip-y Tony, more awesomely acted Banner, and more evil manipulative Loki. Tony and Bruce bonding over their backstory is powerful. Natasha interrogating Loki was awesome. Phil Coulson fangirling over Cap gives me life. When the fighting begins, the scenes are all intense and energetic.
The “grand battle with the sky beam” finale has been overdone, but at least this is the movie that really kicked off the trope. The finale is actually really good (although the battle does drag a little) – we get the heroes working as a team, we get plenty of jokes, the characters are at their best, and in general it’s fun. It’s a fun movie. Its bright nature energizes you, but it knows when to take it down and get emotional. You feel the character’s pain. You can see the strain of the fighting, you can feel Tony’s sacrifice at the end. It walks the line between campy and fun brilliantly, and the audience is rewarded with utter joy and the feeling that they can take on the world. And the Avengers’ Theme is the best freaking theme, I will fight people. I love that song.
It’s easy to forget that you can steel feel real emotion in a lighthearted movie (*cough* any DC movie *cough*), but Marvel’s The Avengers does just that. A fun action film that delivers on every aspect, I give The Avengers a 9.5/10.
This review is a part of my One-a-Day Marvel Marathon, in which I watch one Marvel movie a day until I catch up to the current film, which is at this time Spider-Man: Homecoming. Now that I’ve finally finished Phase One, tomorrow I will be kicking off Phase Two with Iron Man 3, a movie that happens after The Avengers and doesn’t let you forget it.
Stressed Nerd 