2012 | Dir. Joss Whedon | 143 Minutes
"If we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it."
With support from an extraterrestrial army, Loki appears on Earth, steals the Tesseract from SHIELD, and begins a campaign to take control of the planet by force. Unable to contain Loki with the forces of SHIELD, Nick Fury calls upon Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, and Tony Stark to combat the rogue Asgardian, while Thor arrives on Earth to capture his brother. The heroes must set aside their differences and work together as a team to defeat Loki and recapture the Tesseract.
Like the super-sized Marvel Comics crossover events that inspired this film, The Avengers is a massive sequel to (and culmination of) the various story threads left unresolved in Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger (and, to a lesser extent, The Incredible Hulk). As Loki rains destruction upon New York City, Tony Stark learns to be a selfless hero, Bruce Banner receives an opportunity to channel his rage towards a worthy enemy, Steve Rogers begins to come to terms with his new surroundings in the 21st century, and Thor continues to mature as a responsible defender of the realms.
The action sequences are phenomenal, featuring stand-out set pieces and amazing production. The reveal of the SHIELD helicarrier and its cloaking mechanism is a breathtaking cinematic moment. Thor's arrival on Earth to capture Loki and the ensuing fight with Iron Man is dynamic and a lot of fun. The battle on the helicarrier halfway through the film between a group of mercenaries led by a brainwashed Clint Barton, provoking Banner to lose control as all hell breaks loose, allows all of the heroes to show their unique talents. The film culminates with a massive battle on the streets of New York between the fully-formed Avengers and invading extraterrestrial forces. The extended battle is a sight to behold, concluding with Stark flying through a wormhole carrying a nuclear missile to the enemy mothership. The visual effects are stunning and the action is constantly inventive, featuring all of the heroes in top form.
Robert Downey Jr. is once again a lot of fun playing Tony Stark, sitting on the fine line between confidence and arrogance, with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts complimenting his performance in a short scene establishing Stark Tower in New York City. Paul Bettany returns to voice JARVIS, more of his dialogue advising Stark against his reckless tendencies. Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff is a fully-fleshed-out character this time around, with Johansson relishing in additional layers of depth alluding to the character's troubled past. Samuel L. Jackson's role is extended beyond just a featured cameo as Nick Fury, directly driving the plot to bring together "Earth's Mightiest Heroes," bringing respectability to the headstrong director of SHIELD. Clark Gregg turns in his best performance yet as Phil Coulson, with the added character quirk of Coulson as a massive fan of Captain America, while fellow returning SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell played by Maximiliano Hernández is relegated to a background role. Chris Hemsworth is as charismatic as ever returning as Thor, playing up the character's confidence over his peers and his frustration in having to recapture his brother. Tom Hiddleston is deliciously evil reprising the role of Loki, the film's primary villain with opportunities to colorfully trash-talk all of the heroes. Chris Evans' Steve Rogers naturally fits the role of team leader Captain America, particularly excellent in interactions with Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, highlighting the differences in the worldviews of Stark and Rogers. Jeremy Renner also returns as Clint Barton, and although he's an active participant in the plot he unfortunately spends most of film under Loki's mind control. Stellan Skarsgård's Dr. Selvig character suffers similar shortcomings spending nearly the entire film in a brainwashed state.
The returning cast is joined by Mark Ruffalo, doing a fine job replacing Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, astoundingly soft-spoken and low-key as Banner until the character's anger boils up. Canadian actress Colby Smulders is excellent as Nick Fury's second-in-command, the elite SHIELD Agent Maria Hill. Joss Whedon regular Alexis Denisof plays "The Other," Loki's appropriately nasty alien liaison who serves a powerful and treacherous master.
The Avengers is nothing short of a cinematic miracle. Director Joss Whedon balances several disparate storylines to form a cohesive, entertaining, and wholly-satisfying narrative which each and every star character receiving the treatment they deserve while truly advancing each of their respective character arcs. While the ending of the film certainly paves the way for further adventures, the film is an impactful conclusion to first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
MID-CREDITS STINGER
"The Other" is disgusted with Loki's failure, suggesting to his master that to challenge the heroes of earth "is to court death." His master, the intergalactic despot Thanos, rises from his throne and smiles.
POST-CREDITS STINGER
Shortly after saving New York, the battle-weary Avengers, still in costume, sit in a tiny restaurant eating Shawarma as suggested by Tony Stark.
STAN LEE CAMEO
Stan the Man plays against type as a skeptic that does not believe in the existence of superheroes during the aftermath of the Battle of New York.
FRAGMENTS
- To avoid confusion with the iconic British espionage series also known as The Avengers, this film was retitled Marvel Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom
- Several musical themes from Captain America: The First Avenger, which like this picture was scored by Alan Silvestri, can be heard throughout the film
- Genre actors Powers Boothe and Jenny Agutter appear as members of SHIELD's World Security Council; Agutter reprises this role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Character actor Harry Dean Stanton makes a cameo appearance as a workman who provides Bruce Banner with a set of clothes after witnessing him crash through a building as the Hulk and transform back into his natural form; he asks Banner if he is an alien - one of Stanton's most notable roles is his portrayal of a doomed workman in 1979's Alien
- Ashley Johnson, Ellie in The Last of Us, plays a small role as a cafe waitress during the Battle of New York
- Enver Gjokaj, who appears in a small part as a New York cop, would later appear on Agent Carter as Peggy Carter's colleague Agent Daniel Sousa
- Marvel One-Shot: Item 47, featured on the home video release of this film, tells the story of two common thieves who make off with a Chitauri gun in the aftermath of the Battle of New York, only to be captured by Agent Sitwell and subsequently recruited by SHIELD
