The Avengers (2012)
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlet Johansson
Primary genre: Superhero
Nominated for: Best visual effects
Looking back at how ex-wizard (and now cancelled) Joss Whedon take on “The Avengers” without all the funboy flair and Marvel bias, one might find still plenty to admire in this first superhero team up despite some glaring flaws. “The Avengers” is the culmination of a carefully crafted five movie plan which for 2012 was something unheard off, bringing characters from previous outputs together for the first time to combat an overpowered foe in a very, very generous budget with mostly encouraging results.
“The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity”
And thus, the era of cinematic universes begun. Filmmakers (and studios) raced to capture that unique lighting in a bottle across several genres to mostly embarrassing results - one look at the DC/Warner Bros mess is enough to cause serious eye rolling. Handling this task to director-writer Joss Whedon proved a successful strategy though as the self-proclaimed geek king not only manages to juggle a large cast efficiently, he also balances them off with (bombastic) action, solid character beats, off-key humor (which would become the most hated Marvel trademark for years to come), pop culture references and sharp banter. It is an engaging method seeking to grasp (minimally in some cases) the essence of these unique individuals in this superhero no man’s land. His avengers have enough things to do even if the circumstances clearly request demand more from them; despite Thor’s relationship with Loki being the thematic heft, it remains unexplored lacking honest dramatic stakes.
But for every good thing, Whedon self-indulges himself by laughing at the proceedings way too frequently, something that will infect future Marvel outputs leading to their downfall ten years later. Its strong and relatable villain does not have much material to work with besides two fantastic monologues, one reminiscing “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) which highlights Whedon’s ability to extract menace from peculiar places. Instead of having the God of Mischief interacting differently to each Avenger, the flick falters and treats him as a joke, his cunningness and reliance on magic nothing more than a minor gimmick. Loki’s plan is half-assed squeezed into an already tight script featuring so many cast members coming in and out to consume screentime just for the sake of it. In addition, the second act in the Helicarrier drags a lot resembling more of a tv episode than a fully necessary arena to develop characters and their moral philosophy in what feels a rather endless segment.
Whedon’s direction is nothing less than TV inspired. Yes, there is an overloaded CGI track shot in the final battle that still (and kinda) looks cool now and a few nerdgasmic moments (e.g., Thor fighting Iron Man, Loki’s reflexes) but for one of the most expensive films of all time, this motion picture certainly feels, well, scopeless. Shot like an expansive TV show, any amount of CGI and explosives during the climax is devoid of the substantial cinematic flair which Michael Bay displayed a year earlier in his maligned but technically flawless “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011). The fight scenes although numerous and choreographed by Jonathan Eusubio (e.g., “John Wick” (2011-2023) franchise) are stale filled with dubious posing, gun firing and close ups to masquerade the actors’ inexperience making “The Avengers“ look like a school project after the revolution of “The Raid” (2011) in the action department.
Yet, for all the on-screen alien fighting and city destruction shenanigans, the actors are having the time of their life delivering Whedon’s delicious lines. Downey Jr and Hiddleston are by far the true standouts bringing forward much needed wit to their flashy counterparts, particularly Hiddleston who excels in his multiple monologues with theatrical gusto and making a strong case of Shakespearean acting in the comic book realm.
At the end you are left with a strange, expensive and partially funny cinematic experiment that boasts ambition but its blunt execution by an inexperienced director holds it back truly from greatness. This bustling canvas of superheroes needed a combo of Michael Bay’s computer efficiency, Ridley Scott’s eye for visuals and the sensibilities of George Miller to make it truly pop. And when you have Alan Silvestri making a tedious theme, you know your movie needs more time on its presentation besides betting on the appeal of comic book heroes alone.
The beginning of cinematic universes
+Cast, especially Hiddleston as Loki
+Well written banter
+Good special effects
+Solid action
-Anemic fight scenes
-Middle act grinds the film to a halt
-More villain
-Marvel humor
-TV feeling/doesn’t feel epic