Everything works well in this block buster movie, the writing, the acting, the directing, the special effects, the story, the villain, the heroes…everything. This is a must-see event of 2012!
In any storyline, the hardest achievement is to have an assemble cast of characters coalesce into one great adventure hence why, usually, most movies will deal with only one or two main characters over the course of the movie.
Dealing with multiply characters is difficult, it requires time to allow development, not only of the plot but also of the personalities of each individual, and is usually only achieved in books, TV series and is some cases, if the viewership allows, serial movies.
The Harry Potter eight part series and the Lord of the Rings three part series worked to establish indelible characters through a complicated storyline that had to be told through a long time line. The Hunger Games also seeks to achieve this depth of character.
Do not confuse these with the ‘continuing adventures’ type series where the character really does not grow but remains constant, like in the James Bond or Indiana Jones series. Each equally enjoyable and entertaining but really the main character does not grow, does not change, but then again that is why we go to see them, because of this non-change, really, who wants to see an aging, married with children, James Bond, still killing bad guys while taking his daughter to soccer practice?!
Marvel has taken its unique comic-book approach to their character driven series, where they have successfully blended plot lines between separate personality driven worlds (in their comics) and applied it to the movies. And it seems to have worked.
First they have created the main characters and their back story in their own movies, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Fantastic Four, each story being developed independently and complete in itself. But then comes the ensemble story and, true to Marvel ideals, this story intertwines enough from the other stories to make a believable ‘new’ world where the Avengers are possible, but not so different from the other individual realities, so a complete backstory is unnecessary, leaving more time for the actual action to unfold.
To the initiated, this brings a fullness to the plot that adds believability to the storyline, the mark of any really good yarn. To the un-initiated, the stand alone facts created (say for instance the cosmic cube – in this version called the Tesserac, which we saw in Captain America) works well without the backstory and does not impact dramatically on their overall movie experience.
Joss Whedon, who’s genius created ‘Firefly’ the TV series and the spin off movie ‘Serenity’ to name a few, applied his acumen not only to helm this movie as Director but also as the screen writer, which explains not only the completeness of the story but the easy and effective way of learning about back story and understanding character nuances through normal human interaction rather than by character speeches.
Zak Penn shares credit for the story with Joss Whedon and, of course, from the comic side, the great Stan Lee & legendary Jack Kirby.
One of the great things about this movie, which is also why Marvel (as comic book publishers) are at the top of their business, is that these super heroes are really nothing more than ordinary men (all except Thor that is) with great powers. And, like me and you, are plagued with personality foibles and the intrinsic difficulties most of us have in dealing with each other, not only on a day to day basis, but under extraordinary and stressful times. That they have to deal with these, along with their powers and saving earth from total annihilation is what makes them believable, assuming of course that you believe in super powers. And really who doesn’t!
The movie also serves up new insights into the Scarlett Johansson’s character Black Widow, and wow! I’m a comic book aficionado and know about Black Widow’s character as she appears throughout the Marvel universe, but this is the first time I want to know more, never has a female character demanded (at least not since Matrix’s Trinity) such male attention. The Black Widow needs her own movie.
Of the only two non-super powered members (Black Widow and Hawkeye) of The Avengers, The Black Widow more than shows that she has the goods to belong to this group of Heroes.
In my review of the Hunger Games, I elucidate about the ability of the lead, Jennifer Lawrence, and her ability to use facial expressions to show real emotion. And here I have to give kudos to Scarlett Johansson, her scene with Hulk’s first appearance was as dramatic as any scene I’ve ever seen. The fright as she realizes what’s about to happen, the determination to survive the encounter, and then the fear at the end when she discerned what could have been, all transmitted through her eyes, was an amazing piece of acting…probably the best in the entire movie.
My advise to you is, as soon as possible, get to your favourite cinema and see The Avengers, and then see it again, because the first time you will be so blown away by the action, comedy and drama, that you wouldn’t have been able to see the nuances that are peppered throughout the movie…and wait until the credits are rolling, you’ll see the next villain and why I mentioned the Fantastic Four earlier on.
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