The Avengers Assemble

Starring;

Robert Downey Jr.
Chris Evans
Mark Ruffalo
Chris Hemsworth
Scarlett Johansson
Tom Hiddleston
Samuel L. Jackson

Director;

Joss Whedon

In three words;  Excellent – Fun – Thrilling

Plot;

Loki arrives on Earth to obtain an energy source which will be used by him to control and conquer. However, S.H.I.E.L.D boss Nick Fury as other plans and brings together a formidable defence in the form of Iron Man, Captain America, Dr. Bruce Banner and Thor. Can these super heroes put their egos aside to defeat the biggest threat the world has ever seen?

Review;

Bringing together such massive characters into one film is without doubt a daunting prospect for the most experienced of directors. It was therefore somewhat of a surprise that Joss Whedon was given the task of putting The Avengers on the big screen. It would seem the more logical choice would have been Iron Man director Jon Favreau. However, perhaps the producers felt that this would make The Avengers be seen as another sequel to Iron Man.

Having said this Whedon has done a brilliant job with the look and feel of the film being right on the money and he has been able to balance the characters with valuable screen time for all with it looking too contrived. Admittedly Whedon’s job is made easier given the fact that he wrote the screenplay which has his wit and comedy timing in equal measures.

Downey Jr is well on form as Tony Stark, giving a consistent performance throughout all of the films. Chris Evans is excellent as Captain America who is surrounded by a modern world he doesn’t understand. I was disappointed that an agreement couldn’t be made with to bring Edward Norton back at Dr. Bruce Banner however, Mark Ruffalo’s take on the troubled genius scientist is a well thought through performance and he is a welcome addition to the franchise.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor is again very well cast, although his accent seems rather odd. Thor’s relationship with his adoptive brother Loki (Hiddleston) gives the film a centre to focus on without alienating the rest of the cast. On Loki I felt that Tom Hiddleston was perfect for the part, however I just wanted to see a deeper darker Loki. I felt that his costume was dated, although true to the comics, which should have been altered.

Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson are in support as S.H.I.E.L.D Agents Barton and Romanoff. They provided two interesting characters that can no doubt support their very own feature film. There is a massive back story to these characters which can easily be explored. For me the standout performance from a supporting cast member was Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson who brings brilliant comic relief and a further character to care about.   

It could be said that some action scenes are rather long and they would be if we only had to deal with one superhero however when the screen is filled with them the director has to account for this and ensure that everyone is given screen time. The humour is well balanced with the action sequences; the Hulk provides memorable laughs and does Tony Stark.

This is an excellent addition to the Marvel film collection and without doubt we will be looking at another Avengers flick in the future, which will have a lot to live up to.

Verdict;

4 out of 5.