Marvel's The Avengers (2012) - Review

We are just over 2 weeks away from the culmination of 10 years of cinema that has been the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, to celebrate, I will be reviewing the must-see MCU films before Infinity War releases. First up: the first team up, The Avengers.

Prior to this film, I was pretty luke-warm on the MCU. While I loved the first Iron Man and enjoyed The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2 was nowhere near what I was hoping for, and I neglected to see Thor in theatres. Couple that with The Dark Knight Rises coming out later that same summer, and you can understand why my expectations for The Avengers were tempered.

Thankfully, I walked out of that theater on May 4th happier than ever to have been proven wrong.

In Marvel's The Avengers, the villainous Loki (Tom Hiddleston) attempts to rule Earth, using an army of aliens from another realm. To stop him, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and SHIELD brings together Earth's mightiest heroes. Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must learn to work together in order to save the world and become The Avengers.

What truly stands out about this film is how well it balances all of the characters involved. Joss Whedon was the perfect writer/director for this first outing, utilizing his ensemble cast skills to give everyone more than enough to do. This was the first attempt at creating a truly shared universe, with 5 previous films introducing each of our unique heroes. While it works well on the page of a comic book, questions arose on whether or not it would transition well to film. This film answered with a resounding yes.

Another thing The Avengers excels at is its presentation within the film as being a big deal. The iconic 360-degree glory shot is a perfect example, with Alan Silvestri's score swelling as our heroes finally unite on-screen. Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey creates a sense of scale, with low angles giving the sense that our heroes are larger than life. As well, the use of extreme wide's conveys amazement at certain times (the introductions of the SHIELD base and the Heli-carrier, and the action scenes in the third act). Rich colours give depth to the scenes, with the costumes and explosions splashing off of the screen. The comic book influence is prevalent, blending high fantasy with grounded realism in the grey streets of New York.

Since this is a review leading-up to Infinity War, I want to briefly touch on how this film builds to where we are now, 6 years later. With our heroes assembled, The Avengers lays the foundation for the complex and intricate storytelling the MCU would feature down the line. The relationships built between our characters in this film heavily features in future films (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Thor: Ragnarok). Certain arcs for the characters are also started here, such as Iron Man having mild PTSD from going through the portal (the best part of Iron Man 3), and Captain America distrusting SHIELD/the government (Winter Soldier & Civil War). This also marks the first appearance of Infinity War's villain, Thanos, as he is revealed to be the one behind supplying Loki with the Chitauri army. In a post-credits scene, it is hinted that Thanos will go up against The Avengers, starting us down the road to Avengers 3.

The Avengers was a revolutionary film. The notion of a shared universe was laughable prior to 2012, and the effects are visible as companies like DC Comics, Lucasfilm and Universal are now all attempting to craft their own versions of the MCU. Ultimately, The Avengers is a landmark movie that is deserving of all the praise it gets. 6 years and 12 films later, it is still my favourite MCU film, and one of my favourite films period. SEE IT TWICE.