Avengers Assemble to Entertain
First, let me say that I'm not a
purist. I don't feel that a movie of adaptation of comic book
characters have to follow the comic exactly. The Christoper Reeve
Superman movie set the standard and showed that when you respect the
source material and treat the characters as real and not as cardboard
cutouts or stereotypes a good movie can be made. Not a good comic
book movie, just a good movie.
Great movies started being made with
the comic book characters when they started fleshing out the
characters and understanding their motivations.
This is what helps make The Avengers a
great movie. The individual movies clearly defined the characters and
their motivations. Even without seeing those movies, it's clear to
the viewer that those motivations are in conflict as the heroes
assemble. Helping to give us the obligatory hero vs hero fight,which
is handled very well. It's not just tossed in for a hero fight, it
actually contributes to the story.
In fact therein lies another reason for
the greatness of this movie. Not a single frame is wasted. Every
move, every frame, every line contributes to advancing the story or
revealing something about the character(s).
The movie opens on an alien world
with Loki and an alien (not a Skrull). During the trailers the sound
system was pumping. So I know it worked. Yet it was hard to hear
clearly in this scene. Were they mumbling? This was the only time the sound was bad and my first disappointment
Then we see a captured Black Widow and
the style of the movie is set in this one scene. Drama, action,
humor, defined characters, understandable story, good acting and an
investment in the characters. The balance is set here and maintained
throughout the movie. There are two writers on the movie, but the
Whedon style is immediately evident.
My second and last disappointment was the title
sequence. Was this an after thought? After months of pushing a well designed
Avengers logo in our face. The title sequence shows a poorly designed
logo.
There are payoffs for people who saw
all the previous movies, but that's just icing on the cake. It does
help at a critical turning point and really makes the audience (as
well a the heroes) emotionally invested. The character interaction is
amazing and serves to drive the story.
This movie arrives at just the right
time. Special effects are at a point where you can't tell they are
effects and so don't take you out of the story. As a comic artist I
can create destruction on an epic scale. And it doesn't cost a thing.
Previously movies couldn't afford to do this. Finally we can see a
movie that can create the destruction that is believable in a world
populated by superheroes.
The movie is longer than normal at 2
hours and 22 minutes, yet it does not feel long at all. I felt like
I could have sat another hour without any seat bottom wiggle.
The Avengers is an awesome,
entertaining movie.
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copyright 2012 H. Simpson