Superheroes Assemble in "The Avengers"

This review was originally published in 2012. Except for cleaning up some spelling errors, it is being republished as is.

Somewhere in the middle of “The Avengers,” there is a grand action sequence where Earth's (or at least Marvel's) greatest superheroes band together to fight a swarm of aliens pouring out of a wormhole in the sky. Once the battle erupts, it never slows down. Characters punch, fly, and smash these faceless creatures in a sensory overload of kinetic visuals and booming sound design. After over thirty minutes of continuous chaos, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) turns to Captain America (Chris Evans) and points out that “what we do will be pointless if we don't close that portal.” In another film, I might have had reservations about a line stating the obvious so late into the set piece, but it serves as a perfect example of a movie knowing exactly what its audience wants and delivering it with style.

At this point, the film has delivered epic action sequences that are thrilling and breathtaking to watch. Just when the spectacle threatens to overstay its welcome, the characters' distinct personalities cut through to inject fresh energy into the film. I laughed at Black Widow's line because it was both funny and astute. Then I wondered if it was purely coincidental that the sole female member of the team was the one pointing out strategic logic to all the brawny men. Considering the film was directed by Joss Whedon—who specializes in fun action, sharp dialogue, and strong female protagonists—I knew it was no accident (though I wondered if I was the only one picking up on it).

Whedon had the daunting task of assembling characters from five individual solo films into a cohesive narrative. He had to give “The Avengers” emotional stakes while satisfying the audience's appetite for blockbuster spectacle. He accomplishes this by first having the heroes clash among themselves before uniting to face the invading Chitauri army. There is so much destruction that you’d almost suspect Michael Bay was at the helm. Unlike the Transformers series, however, this movie possesses the one ingredient that makes two hours of non-stop action work: personality. If there is one area where “The Avengers” triumphantly succeeds, it is in how its characters play off one another.

You have Captain America and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), two natural leaders from different eras who clash over who takes command. You have Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), a cocky billionaire who plays the superhero game because he finds it fun and delights in taunting... well, virtually everyone. And Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)... he just wants to live in peace and avoid getting angry enough to turn into a giant green monster. They are assembled by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to save humanity from Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has seized the Tesseract and plans to use its power to take over the world—or perhaps just to prove a point to his godlike brother.

Considering the primary mandate of “The Avengers” was selling hyper-kinetic action to summer moviegoers, selecting Loki as the primary antagonist was a brilliant narrative choice. As I noted in my review of “Thor,” Loki stands out as a compelling, three-dimensional villain. While his motives here are a bit more straightforward, his lack of physical strength relative to the team forces him to rely on manipulation and intellect, making him a far more dangerous threat. Had Whedon chosen a generic brute as the main threat, the conflict would have felt far more routine.

Unlike last summer’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” I never found myself bored during the extended climactic showdown. If the Transformers franchise had characters with this much charm and banter, those movies would be far more enjoyable. It proves that any concept, no matter how inherently ridiculous, works when placed in the hands of the right storyteller. “The Avengers” isn't the single greatest superhero film ever made, but it is easily one of the most enjoyable. Though with the inevitable promise of sequels down the road, hopefully the filmmakers resist the urge to bloat the runtime—because a little Hulk goes a long way