The Avengers Movie Review

[This movie review is spoiler free]

5 Reasons Why The Avengers Kicks Ass

1. Hawkeye & Black Widow 

Joss Whedon dedicates lots of screen time to showcasing the characters Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), both of whom we've seen briefly in previous Marvel franchise movies. In Thor we were teased with a sneak peak at Hawkeye and in Iron Man 2 we were privileged enough to get a taste for how truly awesome Black Widow is.

 

In The Avengers, both Hawkeye and Black Widow are given as much airtime as their big 'super hero' brawler friends (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America & Hulk), which is a good thing because they are the easiest characters to identify with. Hawkeye and Black Widow have no superhuman powers, instead they rely on their unique combat skills to get the job done. Hawkeye and Black Widow keep the movie grounded and show the audience that you don't need super powers to make a difference; anyone can step up to the plate and take a swing!

 

As Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner commands the screen with his likeable swagger and cocky attitude. It's no wonder he's already taken over the Bourne (The Bourne Legacy) and Mission Impossible (Ghost Protocol) franchises. In The Avengers, Joss allows Hawkeye to show off his skills with a bow, leaving the audience breathless when he performs trick shots that defy the laws of gravity.

As Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson steals the spotlight with her deadly curves and impressive moves. The months of martial arts training Scarlett had to undergo has paid off, ten fold. I could of literally sat there and watched Black Widow kick the living crap out of bad guys for 2.5 hours and I still would have left the cinema giving this movie a big thumbs up.

2. Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk

Eric Bana and Edward Norton can take a seat. Of all the Hulks I've seen on the big screen, Mark Ruffalo is by far the most suited actor to play the jolly green giant.  Mark portrays Bruce Banner as a reserved, down-to-earth and humble genius (essentially the polar opposite of Robert Downey's Tony Stark).

 3. The Avengers is Hilarious

When you sit down to watch The Avengers over the next few weeks, be prepared to laugh. The Avengers is by far the most hilarious super hero movie ever made. Joss Whedon's unique brand of comedy and well-timed humour (see Firefly) is sprinkled throughout the movie in a way that keeps the audience in a good mood, from start to finish, unlike 'The Dark Knight'. There are action scenes in The Avengers so intense they leave you on the edge of your seat, breathless, and just when you least expect it one of the main characters will say something that sends the entire cinema into an uproar.

The Hulk, who, it can be argued, is historically the least funny super hero of all time, delivers the movie's two biggest laughs. Only Joss Whedon could take a character like that and utilise him in such a way that leaves the audience walking out of the cinema going "Remember when The Hulk did that...", instead of re-living the big action set pieces.

4. The Relationships

The Avengers is a huge ensemble movie with lots of interesting characters who, prior to this, have never interacted with each other on screen before. Joss somehow manages to carefully budget and juggle each minute of screen time to highlight the relationships formed by each of the characters. For example, Tony Stark has never met anyone who challenges him intellectually, until he runs into Bruce Banner. While Thor has never met anyone who can physically match him, until he goes up against Iron Man and The Hulk. Joss spends the first hour of the movie letting these relationships play out and it's an absolute treat to watch.

5. No Girl Drama

Thankfully, the only "girlfriend" character that features in The Avengers is Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), and she only gets a few minutes screen time. They touch on where Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) is hiding, but that's about it. Joss checks the girl drama in at the door and rightly saves it for the standalone movies.

Overall

The Avengers is the best Marvel-brand super hero movie of all time, and I'm not just saying that as a Joss Whedon groupie. It's not better than The Dark Knight (DC Comics), but it doesn't try to be either. The Dark Knight is technically a better movie, but The Avengers is loads more fun, packs the laughs and leaves you smiling as you walk out the door. Comparing them alongside each other in the super hero genre is pointless. Go and check it out!