THE MOST RELENTLESSLY AWESOME FILMS EVER - PART EIGHT:
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012)
'Superhero'.
'Team'.
On their own, each of those words can evoke exciting story possibilities and
images - but put together the potential is even greater and exciting. If you're thinking of cinematic potential
then this is even more so - but at the same time the risks that go with those
are also multiplied. For every great
Superhero movie, there are as many (if not more) that have disappointed. And when these films have tried to introduce
more characters, to expand a 'franchise', well the results haven't been successful. Then you have the added unknown of getting
several characters, established in their own films (and film franchises) - how
do you bring them together and make it feel like they're all equal? And what do you present them with that's a
threat big enough to justify their coming together? Going in to Marvel's 'The Avengers' (or
'Avengers Assemble' as we have to call it here in the UK), the dangers that it
wouldn't work always seemed like they would outweigh the potential for
excitement and fun.
But when the film hit back in 2012, smashing Box Office
records like a green rage monster, any of these risks, these doubts that it
wouldn't work, were quickly forgotten.
Yes, it's not a perfect film; and yes it does teeter occasionally on its
tightrope walk - threatening to slip in to cheesiness or campness on occasion;
but it holds it together enough to provide an exhilarating finale that is
exciting, joyous, entertaining and crowd-pleasing. So much so, in fact, that I would argue there
is a strong case to make that this is the greatest Comic Book Superhero movie
of them all. Even on those occasions it
almost feels like it's going to fall apart, Joss Whedon's fantastic and
endlessly quotable script, and the charismatic cast that simply own their
roles, keep the film on track.
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| The Avengers: before they fight together, they usually fight. Each other... |
Apparently Whedon really had to wrestle the script to
completion, stating that the biggest challenge was to justify them becoming a
team in the first place. You can imagine
as well that it was probably tough to convey each character's voice too. And offer a satisfying story, and one where
the potential of portraying these Superheroes working together on screen is
fulfilled. So the first thing you have
to acknowledge is how great Whedon's script is; full of so many witty and endlessly
quotable lines, for each and every character.
And what's more, they're so right for each one - we already knew that
RDJ could deliver a snarky line with zest and style, or that Thor could be the focus of
humorous fish out of water moments - but it's not just these two who get their
laughs, and never at the expense of making fun of the characters or trying to
make them zany or (even worse) campy.
Take Black Widow's introductory scene - absolutely pitch perfect in
showing her approach to espionage, we get a great laugh out of her stating "this
idiot is giving me everything" (while she is bound to a chair, dangling over
a ledge!), and then get to see her open a can of whup-ass on her apparent captors. This scene further demonstrates that Whedon
not only knew how to bring out the fun in having these characters appear on
screen, but he also gets them, and portrays them faithfully to the lore and
history of their comic appearances. It's
just small things that illustrate this, like the way Thor wipes the blood from his mouth with a
wry grin when he's fighting Hulk - you just know he's relishing in having
found a worthy opponent to fight.
Finding a consistent tone for this film could have been
the major Achilles heel - how do you match the tech-savvy, rock-star persona of
Tony Stark with the earnest and straight-forward heroism of Captain
America? How does Thor's realm of
'magic' and 'gods' remain believable alongside the super science behind Iron Man and Hulk? Yes, there are moments when this threatens to
unravel - Cap's sudden appearance, and Freedom-espousing monologue, just as
Loki is about to zap some museum patrons in Germany does come perilously close
to being a bit, well, cheesy.
Fortunately Whedon knows to keep things moving briskly along, and we get
a brawl between Cap and Loki (I love how they both react during it, indicating
they both realise that they've never fought someone like their opponent
before), followed by a suitably attention-grabbing arrival of Iron Man, and the
film keeps the tone correctly balanced.
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| Loki is a classic villain - dastardly, heartless, yet at once charming and strangely likeable... |
As well as Whedon's script and story pacing, the success
of the film owes a tremendous deal to its cast, who you can sense are growing
in confidence in their roles. Of course, even before this film RDJ absolutely kills it as Stark (like Jackman and Wolverine, Christopher
Reeves and Supes, it is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to embody the
role as definitively), but if the cast had any reservations or uncertainty
about these characters coming together (which is understandable) by the end of
the film they are all invested and, you can sense, having fun.
As great as the ensemble is you can still pick out individuals for
praise - and firstly, it's worth pointing out that Tom Hiddleston, as
fan-favourite Loki, shows absolute gleeful commitment to his character right from
the start. Thinking about the great
moments his character gets, both in terms of out and out villainy and wicked
humour, it is clear he knew what a great role he had in this film (in fact an email came to light in which he thanked Whedon
for the role he had written for his character, so this is truly the case).
And what a great villain Loki makes for this film - you need a threat
that justifies 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' coming together, and he delights in
tormenting and manipulating them, even when he allows himself to be their captive.
His is not the only star-making turn in this film - that
a film so strongly based on an ensemble cast can boast two of these
performances is remarkable. Going in to
this film Hulk had a pretty chequered cinematic past, and the casting
of respected actor (but not box-office draw) Mark Ruffalo, instead of inviting
previous actor Edward Norton back, might have indicated that Marvel Studios and
Whedon may have continued the trend of being uncertain how to handle this
character on film once again. Well, that
emphatically turned out to not be the case: Ruffalo's performance, under-pinned
by many subtle touches that entirely fit the character (I love the remorseful glance he throws at Black Widow as he is about to 'Hulk out' on the Helicarrier), and Whedon's script
giving him (again) some great lines and fantastic, crowd-pleasing moments, proved it IS possible to get the character right on screen. And it also brought Ruffalo to mainstream star status.
It was a turn that left audiences and comic fans wanting more -
hopefully Marvel will one day give Hulk another solo movie, which, pleasingly,
Ruffalo is open to.
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| Everyone was unprepared for how memorable Ruffalo would be as Bruce Banner in this film |
The film's greatest success - above its cracking script,
great performances, and finding a consistent tone for a number of different
characters - is arguably how it fulfils the long-held wishes and dreams of
comic fans and movie audiences in ways that no one would have imagined possible
until recently. Comic book and Superhero
movies have had such a chequered history that when Marvel Studios teased they
would be building to this through Nick Fury's cameo at the end of 'Iron Man',
that excitement would always be tempered by a realistic nervousness, based on
the number of comic films that have disappointed. Although Whedon may have struggled to write a
story that gave sufficient grounds to bring these characters together as a
team, he clearly knew what an exciting and momentous event seeing them finally brought
together onscreen would be. So we get a
final act that must rank as one of the best action-sequences of the decade, and
certainly in the Superhero genre. After
a two-act build up that teases, with semi-team ups between Iron Man and Captain
America, as well as spats between Thor and Iron Man then Hulk (addressing those
endless fan debates and desire to see what happens when these powerful heroes
clash!), a superbly crafted shot shows our heroes back to back, facing a threat
that truly justifies the intervention of not just one, but a team of Heroes. When the camera pans round them for that
iconic shot, Whedon is milking the moment for all it's worth - and rightly so,
as it is a moment of wish fulfilment for countless comic book fans after years
of hoping and dreaming, and the culmination of Marvel Studio's planning and
universe building.
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| For comic book fans and geeks, this was the film's key money shot - in both senses of the term... |
Whedon's skilled handling of the characters and balancing
their screen-time continues right the way through this sequence - each hero
gets a moment of awesomeness in their own right that is completely befitting
their character. We see Cap being the
selfless leader, Thor bringing the thunder (and lightning), Iron Man using his
tech and smarts to bring down his foes (whilst delivering a snappy one-liner),
we see why Black Widow and Hawkeye are the best at what they do (as well as
some amusing insights in to their working relationship); and of course, we get
to see Hulk smash. I don't think there
are many films that boast a moment as uproariously crowd-pleasing as his
'fight' with Loki! This is topped off
with possibly my favourite shot of the entire film - in a single shot the camera follows the battle, showing the Heroes fighting individually and then
back to back against the invading Chitauri army, combining their powers and
abilities to take down their foe (underpinned by Alan Silvestri's rousing theme
music). For me, it completely captures
those double-page pieces of artwork from comic books (known as spread pages)that
depict tremendous and epic scenes showing Superheroes battling against their
foes (or each other) - with incredible detail to pore over, as well as
capturing the essence of what makes the characters so cool and awesome. This scene, and the rest of the climactic
battle, quite simply never get old, no matter how many times I watch it.
This scene illustrates why I would argue
that 'Avengers Assemble' is the greatest Superhero comic book movie of all
time; with moments like that it absolutely captures why so many people have
ever picked up and read a comic book, pored over the art, and avidly followed
the adventures of their favourite characters.
This film captures the sheer joy and awe that great comic book stories
and characters have evoked in readers at some point in their lives; whilst there
are many comics that prove how challenging, intelligent, insightful and
artistically profound the medium can be, the first reason anyone picks up a
comic is to be entertained and wowed by great art, stories and characters. It is a joyous form of escapism. Does this mean that 'Avengers Assemble' is a
better comic book/Superhero film than the highly lauded 'The Dark Knight'? Again, I would argue 'yes'. Whilst that film is a masterpiece,
successfully capturing how comics have (in the right hands) been capable of
making insightful socio-political observations, as well as treating the
psychology of superheroes very seriously, as I have said it is 'Avengers
Assemble' that conveys the sheer joy of comic books, the awesomeness of the
characters and stories, more effectively than any other film in the genre.
For comic book geeks and Superhero movie fans,
if you'll pardon the metaphor, this film is joy on an almost orgasmic level ('geek-gasmic', if you will!); it
is like the best sex you've ever had with your most perfect partner! Sure, it starts out tentatively and a little
uncertain in some places, with an occasional, awkward fumble - but then it
becomes as exhilarating and joyful as you hope it would be, building to a
satisfying conclusion that leaves you with a contented feeling afterwards. Whedon apparently stated he wanted to make a
film that would give audiences the same experience of some of his favourite
blockbusters when he was growing up; he more than achieved this - he gave us a
defining genre classic, a box-office milestone, and an iconic moment in pop-culture.
It is an uplifting, entertaining joy of
a film, and one I will never tire of watching.
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| ...the film should also be given due credit for bringing Schawarma to everyone's attention, of course. |
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