I popped out of my room this
past Tuesday morning to tell my mom that I was going with my brother to see a
movie. “Oh?” she asked, stepping into
the laundry room. “What movie?”
“The Avengers,” I answered.
Just saying it made me want to smile.
She turned to look at
me. “The
Avengers?” she asked, almost teasingly so.
“Don’t you want to see that movie Think
like a Man? Why don’t you go see
that instead?”
Now, let me be
perfectly frank here. I hold my parents in
extremely high esteem; I never went through those “rebellious teenage years”
because my parents were unduly good to me.
My mom took good care of me and my brother (the former being a
broccoli-haired nutcase, and the latter being a slacker making a nine in
Algebra II). My dad worked long, hard
hours at his job -- even if it meant going on extended trips -- just so we
could have a stable, comfortable household.
I’d sooner rob a bank than speak ill of them.
And yet, when my mom
suggested that I go see a movie besides The
Avengers, I almost laughed in her
face.
I knew instinctively
that The Avengers wasn’t a
movie. It was to be an event -- from its
May 4th release until its inevitable bowing out of theaters, it was
a holiday. A celebration that brought
together movie goers, comic fans, nerds, critics both armchair and
professional, and people just plain hungry for a good story. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t miss
it. Just as I didn’t want to get locked
out of the loop by passing on The Hunger
Games, so too did I want nothing more than to be a part of the superhero
festival.
But there’s a key
difference between The Hunger Games
and The Avengers. Namely, in that The Avengers surpassed even my earlier definition. It has surpassed being just a mere event.
The Avengers is The Avengers
-- a production that, with its merits alone, has created a fantastic niche for
itself. It is pure enjoyment
personified.
AND IT EVEN HAS ROBIN
SPARKLES.
That’s right. The How
I Met Your Mother actress makes her appearance as Maria Hill, who -- in my
limited understanding of the comic canon -- is actually a reputed SHIELD
agent. And she actually proves herself
useful! Not bad, Scherbatsky…it’s a
shame that I’ve seen nearly every episode of HIMYM, and therefore can only see this as a crossover between that
and Marvel Comics. It almost reached a
point where I expected Captain America and Iron Man to engage in a slap bet.
All joking aside, The Avengers is a fantastic movie. Maybe even beyond fantastic -- all the hype
was worth it. All the critics’ positive
reviews ring true. All the excitement
you feel from commercials and all the buildup that came from Marvel movies past
have borne delicious, juicy fruit. If
you’re reading this blog, you’ll love the movie.
If you’ve seen any
comic book movie in the past ten years, you’ll love the movie.
If you’ve ever read
anything in your life, you’ll love this movie.
If you haven’t read
anything in your life and just want to see explosions and punching, you’ll love
this movie.
If you live in America,
you’ll love this movie.
If you don’t live in
America, you’ll love this movie.
If you exist, draw
breath, and haven’t been captured by the Ghostbusters, you’ll love this movie.
That said, I still
can’t help but wonder: is it, because of my hyperbolic praise, now my new
favorite movie? Is it a revelation in
the hearts and minds of mortal men? In
the case of the former…no, it’s not my favorite movie. It’s arguably in the top five now (give or
take), but it’s not my favorite just because of some awesome moments. In the case of the latter…it’s KIND OF a
revelation. It’s very competent, but
it’s also a very simplistic story when you get down to it. Oh no, a bad guy! Time to build a team! Oh no, the team’s arguing! No matter, when the chips are down you can
count on the team! Hnnnnnnnngexplosions!
What Avengers does best is “satisfy.” It doesn’t pretend to be anything it
isn’t. It keeps things simple, but it’s
never to its detriment. Think of it this
way: you decide to make a sandwich. You
could take one approach, and get a multitude of impressive ingredients. The finest culinary elements money can buy,
and with your skills make it into something worthy of even Gordon Ramsay. That’s fine.
But you could take another approach; you could just take the best ham,
the best lettuce, the best tomatoes, and the best bread, add your own secret
sauce, and give that to your pals.
Assuming that you aren’t a wealthy socialite, your pals might say
“Wow! This sandwich is amazing!” And the emphasis would be on it being just
that -- a sandwich. Put in extra
ingredients, and you COULD have an even better product, but there’s a subset
that could argue it isn’t a sandwich anymore.
Make all the standard ingredients nice and tasty, put those on the
forefront and you’ll have friends naming you as the king or queen of the
sandwiches.
That’s all you need to
know to sum up The Avengers -- it
makes one hell of a sandwich.
But that seems a little
unfair; there are just so many little things that make the movie so great. So I’m going to go through a few of them, and
maybe enlighten you a bit in case you missed them. (You’d best pack your bags, because we’re going
on a road trip to Spoiler Hills, Oregon.)
--Robin Sparkles. That’s it, that’s all you need.
--Okay, seriously. Like I said earlier, Agent Hill does a lot to
make a name for herself throughout the movie, even without superpowers, tech,
or extreme training. Holding her own in
combat, and barely flinching at the sight of trouble; managing a few extreme
feats even before a single superhero comes on-screen; it’s a perfect
representation of Robin Sparkles on the big screen. But more importantly…
--Even if you don’t
know who Agent Hill is (and it’s only thanks to the Avengers cartoon and subsequent wiki-sniffing that I do), the movie
does something incredibly vital: it tells
us her name. She’s not just some
no-name soldier, or Fury’s gopher. She’s
essentially his right-hand woman, and is treated as such from her actions, to
her proximity to the big boss, all the way down to giving her something to
identify her by. The same applies for
Agent Coulson; we know him from a few other movies, but I admit that until this
outing I had trouble remembering his name.
“Oh, it’s…that guy!” I thought to myself. “Yeah!
I’m glad…uh…that guy’s back!” But
now I know his name, and I’m glad I do.
It’s the first step -- not the last, but a vital one -- in identifying
with a character.
--“What do we do now?”
Cut to Fury staring ahead…and then, the title card. I lol’d.
--I like how the first
hero we see (well, besides Hawkeye getting brainwashed by Loki at the start) is
Black Widow. In an ever-growing tally of
“Smart Things The Avengers Does That
Michael Bay Should Have,” we get to see her -- one of the few team members that
hasn’t gotten her own movie -- in action.
I’ll get to this later when it becomes even more applicable, but it
shows just what kind of work (in terms of subterfuge and combat) she’s capable
of. Also, I like how they make sure the
audience remembers how probably buxom Scarlet Johansson is via Widow’s low-cut
tanktop. Because it’s not a hot-blooded
American movie without a liberal application of bouncy bits.
--Nick Fury heads off
to recruit Captain America (hell yeah!) while Widow goes after Bruce Banner,
better known as the Hulk. We see Cap in
the same circumstances we left him in from the end of his movie -- punching a
sandbag into dust. To my surprise, he
seems unusually angry and bitter, though I suppose I wouldn’t be in much of a
mood for socializing if I’d woken up more than a half-century in the
future. On that note, it seems like a
subtle implication -- given that he’s got multiple sandbags on hand -- that
Cap’s been spending a lot of time in this SHIELD-tapped gym. Between the old-timey look and the fact that
there’s no one else around, I suspect that it’s a way to suggest that the “man
out of time” is phenomenally more isolated than you’d expect, even with
knowledge of his circumstances.
--Meanwhile in Calcutta,
Widow meets up with Banner. Now, I saw
the other Hulk movies and didn’t have a problem with either of them (though my
memory of the 2003 movie’s pretty spotty, which doesn’t inspire confidence);
I’m still a little puzzled why Edward Norton didn’t return so he could put some
bricks of money in his pockets. That
said, Mark Ruffalo was just as good, if not better. He feels closer to what I imagine Banner
being: a guy who tries to stay out of the spotlight and play nice with others,
but has to keep a certain “Mr. Hyde” locked in his cage. Also, I hope I wasn’t the only one that
jumped when Banner suddenly shouted at
Widow.
--Side note: the movie
goes to extreme lengths to explain that bringing out The Hulk in any situation
is a bad idea. This is important. Remember it for later.
--I won’t speak for
anyone else, but I enjoyed the Thor movie. Part of that, I think, came from seeing Tom
Hiddleston’s Loki do his thing: act like a scheming snake and slither his way
throughout most of the movie. But after
seeing Avengers, I feel like there
are two different incarnations of Loki now; the one from last year, where he
had plenty of legitimate reasons to try and take Asgard/Midgard (to keep it out
of the hands of his boorish brother, and earn his father’s praise), and the one
from this year, where he’s an all-around nasty fellow. They’re different, but equal more or less; I
think I prefer the Thor version, but Avengers Loki serves his role well. Someone has to be the reprehensible,
lecturing villain, and it’s sure not going to be Robin Sparkles. But…damn, wouldn’t that make an AMAZING
movie?
--That said, I have
mixed feelings about Loki’s treatment later on in the movie. Considering that ultimately he’s only
borrowing the toys of a bigger, nastier threat, and that he gets WRECKED and
practically left a whimpering child before the climax, it feels like the snide,
competent villain we know at the start gets reduced to comic relief. I know he’s not the toughest god around, but
did he have to be the jobber of two WrestleMania matches?
--You know what? I’m not really a fan of Iron Man -- either
his comic portrayal, or his movie incarnation.
I’m not slamming Robert Downey Jr. or his performance (on the contrary,
he plays the role well), but I’ve had issues with Tony Stark since the original
Iron Man. In the first movie, he starts out as a
reckless twat, learns his lesson, and becomes more heroic. Fair enough…and then in the second movie he
starts out as a reckless twat, learns his lesson, and becomes more heroic. And then -- again -- he starts out as a
reckless twat, learns his lesson, and becomes more heroic. You would think he would have learned his
lesson by now. It also bugs me how he
can act like a twat for so long, only to offhandedly fix whatever problem needs
to be solved, or get whatever information he needs. It’s not that he’s a bad character; he’s just
my least favorite of the group, that’s all.
--Incidentally, my
brother and I were having an argument on the way back home on whether or not
Captain America or Hawkeye were actually necessary for the final fight. Obviously you know where I stand (and again,
I’ll get to that), but I conceded that the movie probably could have gotten away without using Hawkeye. Doubly so when you consider that Wasp very
nearly made it into the movie.
Considering how consistently awesome she is in the cartoon, I’d say this
was an unfortunate loss.
--Anyway, back to
Hawkeye. Yeah…arguably, he does the
least out of the team. He plays a part,
but considering that he A) has no superpowers besides “I shoot arrows real nice-like,”
B)spends a fair portion of the movie brainwashed by Loki, and C) misses a LOT
of interaction between the characters, his presence is diminished. C is especially important because -- while he
does play catch-up by having canon-approved connections to Black Widow, he’s
still an absentee for Avengers’ strongest
suit…
--The character
interactions and development are just as good as you’ve heard. When Cap meets an un-Hulked Banner, they
spend some time talking, trading civilities, and getting to know each
other. Cap gets along with him, manages
to dissuade Thor’s onslaught, and cooperates with Fury willingly (and Coulson
of course, but that’s only natural when you’ve got a fanboy on your side). When Iron Man shows up, Stark and Banner get
time to bond. Thor and Coulson get time
to bond. Black Widow gets time to
express why she cares about Hawkeye.
Thor gets time to express concern for the brainwashed Eric Selark and
the safety of Jane Foster. Cap and Iron
Man get time to butt heads. Loki starts
screwing with people. And that’s what’s
important to note about The Avengers.
--It -- unlike Michael
Bay’s productions -- knows how to stay QUIET.
It intersperses moments of meaningful exposition and character
development with action scenes, instead of the other way around. How do you know it’s meaningful? Because elements that are teased early on,
like Tony Stark creating free energy on his own or Loki’s talk of removing
freedom, or why it’s a bad idea to bring Hulk anywhere, actually come to
fruition. It’s informative, effective,
and oftentimes incredibly funny. Add all
that to the tally of “Smart Things The
Avengers Does That Michael Bay Should Have,” if you would.
--I think my favorite
scene is the rise of the SHIELD helicarrier.
I know enough about the comics to know that SHIELD has one, so when Cap
and Banner get taken to their apparent HQ and it’s a big ol’ boat, I was a
little confused. And then it seems like
it’s actually a submarine. “Wait, what?”
I asked myself. “But I thought it was…” And then you get to see the boat transform,
slowly but smoothly (and clearly) into the infamous vehicle. Moreover, it's symbolic; it's not only the heroes' HQ, but a hallmark of heroic ideals -- giving the platforms of freedom and justice a place to stand firmly. When it takes off, there's a heroic swell of music; when it gets wrecked in an enemy attack, the Avengers hit their lowest point. It -- like any good setting -- is a character in its own right. Seriously, Bay. Take notes.
This is how you use CG to inspire awe, not ire, in your audience.
--Okay, let’s talk
about the fights for a bit. There are roughly
four of them before…the big one…and they all impress in different ways. Robin Sparkles does her fair share in the
first bit, as noted; Captain America and Iron Man manage to give Loki the “Welcome
to Earth” treatment, Cap blocks an attack from the god of thunder with a blow that levels an entire damn forest
(America!), and there’s a raid on the SHIELD Helicarrier that does a number on
the team. It’s all well and good, but --
and I can’t believe I’m saying this -- the focus isn’t on the action until the
last thirty or so minutes of the movie.
You’ll know when it starts, but again it’s because so much time is spent
developing the characters and events.
Think of it as “planting seeds.”
That’s not to say that the fights are boring or inconsequential, because
they’re impressive too. It’s just that
compared to…the big one…they’re just teasers of what’s to come.
--There’s a scene when
Cap’s about to go after Loki, and he says “There’s only one God, and he sure
doesn’t dress like that.” Er…that’s…hope
nobody thought too hard about the implications of that line. He’s from a different time, I know, but…it’s
still very unfortunate.
--Now let’s talk about
Hulk. I went in expecting A) a standout
performance from the new actor, and B) smashing to an unprecedented
degree. Both of those expectations were
met and exceeded. What came out of
nowhere -- and I say this quite frankly -- is that The Incredible Hulk is
EXTREMELY FUCKING SCARY. The entire
movie has been whispering in your ear “By the way, don’t bring out The
Hulk. You don’t want to meet The Hulk.”
This is the payoff. From the
transformation to his absolute wrecking of the helicarrier, or anything in his
way…for a few moments, I thought I was watching a horror movie. He doesn’t just smash things, he TEARS THEM
APART. In one instance, he runs through
anything in his path. In another, he
rips a jet apart piece by piece. And
that roar…damn. Just…damn.
--My only complaint
about the Hulk out scene: he lands an attack on Black Widow and sends her
flying. How on earth did she survive
that? Hulk doesn’t seem like the type to
hold back, nor is Widow anything more than a highly-trained assassin. How did she not get sliced in half or turned
into a leather-clad bloodstain before she even hit the ground?
--Minor note: as Hulk
does his whole rampaging bit, guess who comes in to try and stop him? Clearly, the only one who can.
--Also, another minor
note: I’ve always thought it was weird for Captain America to use a gun. I’ll recognize that a shield -- often used as
a super-Frisbee -- probably isn’t the most practical weapon when you’re in a
war, but the shield is more iconic than any old gun he grabs from a
soldier. Also, I’ve always felt that the
shield has a symbolic element to it; as America personified, Cap’s a defender
first and an aggressor second. Cross
him, and he’ll not only withstand your attacks, but go on the offensive using
his shield -- a defense turned into a counterattack. With a gun, it’s almost like he’s taking the
first shot. I’m a bit prejudiced because
I always thought guns were a lame weapon to use, but still…
--Well guys, you did
it. You magnificent bastards made me
care about Coulson. ;_; Goodnight sweet prince.
--Okay, I think I’m
going to wrap this up. I’m not going to
get into the big damn climactic battle because my words won’t do it
justice. What I will say is that each
character does something that specifically relates to the personas as we
understand them, both in the movie and comic canon. Tl;dr: personality=roles played.
--Iron Man is the smart
guy who takes it upon himself to find unique (if reckless) answers to difficult
questions. Therefore, he finds ways to
deal with the flying Leviathans AND disposes of the nuke the only way he can.
--Captain America is
the down-to-earth, experienced leader who knows how to handle a team and wants
nothing more than to be the soldier the people need. Therefore, he delegats on the battlefield to
get everyone in position, deciding (wisely) NOT to fight a Leviathan in
exchange for helping protect and serve civilians on the ground.
--Hulk is a force of
nature that loves to fight. Therefore,
he engages in peaceful diplomacy with the invaders…by bashing the ever-loving
shit out of them.
--Thor is a warrior who
thrives in battle, and with his Asgardian might feels it’s up to him to tend to
the problems that humans can’t.
Therefore, he tries closing the portal, and goes toe-to-toe with Loki to
try and take responsibility for the woes brought on by his wicked brother.
--Black Widow is a
cool-under-pressure agent dedicated to accomplishing the mission, or whatever
operation comes her way. Therefore, she’s
the one who takes the most strides toward getting the tesseract under control.
--Hawkeye…shoots lots
of arrows really well. So he shoots lots
of arrows really well. (Side note: am I
the only one who thought that Jeremy Renner looked like he’d been starved and
punched in the face for two weeks straight while he was under Loki’s mind
control?)
--For those counting
the seconds until the climactic battle, know that there was a reason for the
wait. Not only is the final battle
beyond amazing, but the fact that you know these characters intimately -- be it
from their own movies, or the hours you spent with them in the movie proper --
means that the seeds have bloomed faster and more verdantly than Jack’s
beanstalk. You know them. You can follow them. You want them to succeed. You cheer for them when they do their
thing. You’re worried when they get
knocked down, or overwhelmed by enemies, or running out of juice. You care.
YOU CARE ABOUT A MAN IN METAL PAJAMAS, A ROARING GREEN MONSTER, AND A
SPACE VIKING. And if that’s not a
success -- if that’s not a reason to see this movie -- then I don’t know what
is.
--Actually, scratch
that. Yes I do.
--GO SEE THE MOVIE.
Perfectly sums up why the movie was so awesome! Although Stark was my favorite character... I guess I'm just a sucker for a Deadpan Snarker/Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
ReplyDeleteI'd be lying if I said I didn't see the appeal of Stark; he's my least favorite character, yes, but I still find him curiously charming.
DeleteAlso, he's rich and important, so that's always cool.
I just couldn't stop laughing every time the movie tried to show that Black Widow and Hawkeye were useful members of the team. I distinctly remember watching Hawkeye get mind-raped in the first five minutes of the film and then shoot arrows at the alien invaders and laughing my ass off at how useless he was in general.
ReplyDeleteAnd Black Widow? Admittedly, she did do a couple useful things, but at the part where she runs away from the Hulk as if he were some Gamma-Powered Jason Voorhees I snickered the whole time.
All in all, the Avengers is what every superhero movie should be: it should have a clear plot and a big punch-out at the end, without any silly crap in the middle. I think that's the main reason why it worked and why you loved the characters, actually.