The Avengers

I do not think that I have ever seen a summer movie season start off this strong...

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury...still as badass as ever

The Avengers has been in the works for a long, long time. Ever since Iron Man was such a hit, Marvel and Paramount Pictures have had a grand idea. It was an idea that many in Hollywood thought was very risky; make several superhero movies and have them all come together in a kick-ass movie based on the most famous comic book team of all time. Over 5 years and 5 movies later, The Avengers is finally upon us and the moment nerds have been waiting for for decades is on the big screen. And it is ridiculously, absolutely, phenomenally fantastic.  


Now as my readers, please understand that I had very high expectations for this movie. The only movie that I am more excited for this summer is The Dark Knight Rises. I even went into the theater for The Avengers thinking that I was going to be let down probably because of how disappointed I was with Iron Man 2. And The Avengers blew my expectations up, smashed them with green fists, hammered them with the tool of a god, and then bounced them off an American shield right back in my face. So now that I have told you that I love The Avengers I guess I should explain why? Well OK, if you insist!

The financial damage to NYC alone would cripple the U.S. economy...but hey!
It's a movie!

The Avengers is a huge task of a movie and it is a task that if you mess it up, you piss off a TON of people, mainly fanboys. So who better to direct the movie then Hollywood's resident fanboy, Joss Whedon? And honestly, he should be credited with being the reason this movie is so great. He has a lot of egos and heroes to balance: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, and the villain, Loki. Everyone gets their screentime and their interactions are jarring. They dont immediately get along. In fact, the first half of the movie is them fighting each other. It's smart to play it this way and show the hardships of throwing a team together. 

Hawkeye = badass Legolas. Hulk = badass 

What's even better is that the script is sharp. This movie, on top of having some stupendous action, is hilarious. The hardest I have laughed since 21 Jump Street easily. The way the team interacts leads to some side-splitting jabs and there are just some situations that had my theater in stitches. And guess who wrote the script? Joss Whedon. I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing a lot more of this guy pretty soon. 

Did I mention he can direct the hell out of an action sequence? And this was where I thought the movie was going to falter. Turns out that The Avengers features some of the coolest sweeping action scenes this side of 300. Especially the last battle. Remember how in Transformers Dark of the Moon you just wanted the 90 minute action scene at the end to well...end? Let's just say that in The Avengers I probably could have watched another hour of the last battle. So. Much. Fun.

I know I'm 22 years old, but seriously...I want to be Iron Man

As a last credit, I must congratulate the actors and actresses and the team that picked them. I had questioned some of the choices of the actors in the past Marvel movies, but it is clear to me now that I have seen the "big picture" that everyone is perfect for their role. Once again Robert Downey Jr. is mesmerizing, and everyone else brings a new life to their characters. And the surprise of the show? Mark Ruffalo. Screw Edward Norton and his acting prowess because Ruffalo just blew him out of the water as the Hulk. I would love to see Marvel make a entirely separate Hulk movie, which is maybe why they signed Ruffalo on to appear in 6 more films.

So is there anything that goes wrong in The Avengers? Eh...I mean, not really. There are a few lulls, and I just had some personal issues with it. For starters, it lacks really any weight. Anytime something serious happens, something funny comes along to undercut it. But then again, this is no Christopher-Nolan-bat-flick. This is a fun, superhero epic. And that's what you have to know going in. We will get the serious side and the deeper meaning of being a superhero when The Dark Knight Rises releases on July 20th. But for now, it's time to just have fun.

Want to achieve a nerdgasm? Well, this is the money shot.

If you have been following my reviews you may know that I label my ratings of 10/10 as "Instant Classics". Do I think that The Avengers deserves a 10/10? Not entirely. There are better movies out there. But with regards to the superhero genre, The Avengers is most certainly an instant classic and I would dare to say that nothing comes close to beating it. The Dark Knight of course is probably its equal, I guess it depends what my mood is on any given day. But when it comes to perfecting a genre AND redefining it at the same time, The Avengers just took the crown. With this summer being probably one of the best summers for movies in my lifetime, I am so enthralled that it started off on such a high note. 

The bar has been raised Batman. And personally, I cannot wait for your response in July because if you can beat The Avengers you are going to be one hell of an experience.

Pros:

• Joss Whedon just solidified himself in Hollywood. Took a bunch of characters and a huge agenda and nailed it
• It is truly surreal seeing all of these characters on the screen at the same time. Going back to their separate movies might be hard to do
• Every actor brings their superhero-acting A-game and it creates life in the characters, but more importantly, the team
• Hilarious. I didnt think I was getting a comedy with my superhero film!
• Special effects are astounding. I am continually amazed by Hollywood and its geeks
• Special shoutout to the new Hulk, Mark Ruffalo. Made me a fan in a single film, so you have to be doing something right
• 3D IMAX was awesome. Not as awesome as some other movies, but not bad by any means

Cons:

• Story leaves a bit to be desired. I'm not a fan of Loki either (although he was a much more formidable opponent in this movie)
• Forgetful soundtrack, you guys already know my feelings about this
• Lacks gravity or weight, but then again, that's not really its goal

Rath's Review Score: 10/10 -- Instant Classic

And now, I introduce TRAILER EXTRAVAGANZA!!!! Below are 4 (FOUR!) NEW trailers for the biggest films of this summer. Enjoy!

The Dark Knight Rises:

Prometheus:

The Amazing Spider-Man:

The Expendables 2: