Marvel’s The Avengers” made a gazillion dollars its first weekend in theaters, which means there’s a good chance you’ve already seen it. So, instead of writing a review, I’ll simply say, “The movie rocks,” and list my favorite things about it, kind of like we’re geeking out on it over shawarma. (If you got that reference, you not only saw the movie, but stayed through the end credits.)
I’m not a Marvel or Avengers nerd, I just love good movies, and “The Avengers” qualifies. Here’s why:
• Chemistry: “The Avengers” doesn’t feel like an Iron Man, or a Thor, or a Captain America, or a Hulk movie, it feels like an Iron Man, AND a Thor, AND a Captain America AND a Hulk movie. Somehow, writers Joss Whedon and Zak Penn crafted a screenplay that gave each superhero a reason to be in the film, moments to shine and room to be themselves. Going in, I thought some of the characters would be shortchanged, but not only was that not the case, “The Avengers” also had room for two additional heroes along with a well developed villain. Kudos to the writers.
• Iron Man: While no one character owned the movie, I enjoyed Iron Man the most. Robert Downey, Jr., seemed to have a good time and bounced back nicely after the tepid “Iron Man 2.” When Stark isn’t making wisecracks (“I’m a big fan of the way you turn into a big green rage monster”), he’s bonding with Bruce Banner or reasoning his way through a mystery. I enjoyed watching Downy, Jr., and am expecting great things from “Iron Man 3” next summer.
• Character balance: Whedon and Penn balance the loose cannon that’s Stark with Captain America, a by-the-book, no nonsense, Stars and Stripes forever dogmatist. I liked the contrast between all of the characters, the tension that keeps them from gaining traction early on and the way things finally click into place. Nothing feels forced. Whedon, who also directed, could have made a pointless smash-’em-up like “Transformers,” but character and story were clearly important to him. I can’t vouch for how faithful he was to the comics, but taking the movie on its own, he did a great job.
• The action: Blockbusters have increasingly been leaving me cold. But “The Avengers” not only has great action, but action that has a reason for being in the movie. The villainous threat and the battles have more weight than the typical summer fare. The movie isn’t “Batman” heavy, but strikes a good balance between fun and gripping. I was also impressed with how Whedon kept topping himself. I didn’t think he could outdo the incredible set piece on the airborne battleship, but he builds the movie to an even more thrilling finale. Nothing original happens, but there’s so much energy on display, I can’t fault the climax for being derivative.
• “And Hulk - Smash!”: It’s taken three movies, but Marvel has finally produced a version of the Hulk audiences can get into. A lot of credit should go to the script, which makes the Hulk entertaining, and the animators, who surpass the other renditions of the character, but the lion’s share of the acclaim should go to actor Mark Ruffalo, who nails the role. Every bit of Banner’s brilliance, unease and simmering nervous tension comes through in his performance. I hope they don’t change actors again. Ruffalo needs to be the Hulk for the duration of this series.
• Black Widow taking out four ruthless Russians while tied to a chair: I know this scene technically should be filed under “action,” but I thoroughly enjoyed the choreography in Black Widow’s fights, and had to bring it up.
• “I got that reference!”: Captain American saying he understood the “Wizard of Oz” reference was my favorite joke in the movie.
Whedon and company could have screwed this up, but they delivered what I feel is one of the best superhero movies ever. With “Prometheus” and “The Dark Knight Rises” on the horizon, this is shaping up to be an awesome summer at the movies.
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, and a mild drug reference. Three-and-a-half stars out of four. Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.