Loki, having fallen from the Rainbow Bridge in the finale of “Thor,” survived. He found allies in a distant realm, eager to help him seek revenge. All the malevolent Norse god needs to do is open a portal using an artifact submerged by Captain America. To confront the impending nightmare, Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D., assembles a team of superheroes led by the irrepressible Tony Stark.
The finale of the first cycle of Marvel comic book adaptations (with a “2” presumably on the way) was hailed as the most ambitious project in film history and kept under wraps until the very last day. The secret was kept, and audiences approached “The Avengers” with wide eyes, barely suspecting what awaited them in the next two hours. One of the main questions before the film’s release was, of course, who would win? Iron Man versus Thor? Or Hulk versus Captain America? And what about Nick Fury? Almost nothing is known about this old warrior… Without delving into spoilers, let us just say that friendship conquers all, without mercy.
A Clash of Worlds
The collision of multiple worlds, hinted at in previous films of the saga, begins in different corners of the Universe, converging on Manhattan. In terms of worldview, the film suggests that all is well in America, and the specter of 9/11 no longer haunts studio executives at night – New York hasn’t been demolished with such relish in a long time. Whedon, a master of dialogue and creator of “Serenity” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” chose not to construct a response to Snyder’s “Watchmen” and instead opted for a good old-fashioned brawl with witty banter. A wise move – one shudders to think what the Marvel bosses would have done if the audience hadn’t left the theater feeling uplifted.
Character Dynamics
As for the clash of worlds, despite all the promises of equal participation of the characters in the final battle, Iron Man, the “300-ton gorilla,” as Downey Jr. promised, steals the show. Ruffalo, who replaced the magnificent Edward Norton as the Hulk, is believably vulnerable and miserable until he transforms into the green monster. Black Widow Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) fights brilliantly. Thor and Loki comically, but charmingly, enact a Norse saga for the little ones. Only Captain America (Evans) seems a bit bland, but on the other hand, he is only required to embody all that is good.
Fun Facts
- Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury, signed a contract with Marvel to appear in 9 films, including “The Avengers.”
- The reunited band Soundgarden interrupted work on their new album to record the song “Live To Rise,” which plays during the credits.
- Hawkeye is an important hero in the Marvel universe, with his own “Hawkeye” series consisting of three volumes (or sixteen issues).
Tony Stark, so vividly and dashingly brought to life by Jon Favreau in the first “Iron Man,” is now destined to carry the entire series on his titanium shoulders, regardless of the number and effectiveness of his comrades. His personal, very Iron Man-esque Armageddon lurks around every corner; he wants to be a playboy and philanthropist, but he has to be a genius, a daredevil, a savior of the world… Superman, in short. Everyone looks at him askance, except for the faithful Pepper Potts, but they can’t do without him. While the others are sorting out their relationships, he has no choice but to clean up the mess, because there’s no one else to do it. Downey steals the film with the silent consent of all participants and does it demonstratively, almost casually: an eagle eye, pressure, an elegant turn… Only Hawkeye Jeremy Renner could compete with him, but he was deliberately given almost no lines, so he has to act with his back and eyes, which the actor, however, does brilliantly throughout his allotted twenty or so minutes.
Thanks to this balance of power, Downey’s hero reigns on the battlefield, reminiscent of “Transformers” with humans instead of Autobots, to whom one wants to address with the words of the same Stark: “What are you doing here, rehearsing Shakespeare?”
However, for that one phrase alone, one could give not only two hours of life, but also about a dozen virtual Manhattans.