The Avengers (2012) Review

On my way to reviewing all the MCU films I have now made it to the end of the first phase which means I have made it to The Avengers and I re-watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a group of superheroes have to come together to save the world from an alien force. 

Main Character

He was the first star of the MCU and he is one of the main focuses here, I'm talking about Robert Downey Jnr as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man and I think he is great in the film. He has so much charisma and the one liners are coming at a really high rate in the film, the key thing for me though is that his character develops and I think what this film does really well is show you how much has changed in him since the first Iron Man film. Chris Evans is back as Captain America and it is fun seeing this man who is from another time having to deal with modern times, I also like how his character interacted with the others, also in the action scenes Cap still shines and this film doesn't even montage past all of it. The dynamic between Downey Jnr & Evans is great here and shows just how different their personalities are and how difficult it is for them to work together despite the world literally being on the line. 

Supporting Characters

Okay, there are so many characters so in order for this review to not be longer then it needs I will try and keep this as short as possible. Chris Hemsworth is great as Thor, he adds more humour and presence in the role and like all the other characters he really gets to excel by bouncing his presence off of the other characters. Tom Hiddleston plays the villain Loki and what a shock he is great too, we saw the start of the character in Thor but he has clearly progressed since then and I liked how the relationship between the two brothers develops from the previous film. Scarlett Johansson is back as Black Widow and she is much better here then she was in Iron Man 2, she is actually given a character and real time to shine and the best thing I can say is that she stands alongside these gods and super powered beings and doesn't look out of place. Jeremy Renner plays Hawkeye and they don't give him that much to do, or more like they handle the character poorly, but by the end of the film I came around to Renner in the role and given more to do he is a great fit for the character. Over the first phase of the MCU we have seen flickers of Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury but this is the most we get of him so far and he is great, he is just so cool and interesting with his motivations not being as black and white as you would expect for this film. Now onto The Hulk, Mark Ruffalo takes over the role in this film and he is great as Banner, yes it is different to Edward Norton but he feels like a natural fit and I really liked his character here. But The Hulk is the star of this film, when he gets going he is amazing and looks incredible, The Hulk has never been better then he is in this film I believe and credit has to go to him for that. Clark Gregg, Colbie Smulders & Stellan Skaarsgard are also all good in their roles. 

Story  

As you can see by the lengthy cast list there is plenty going on here but it all balances nicely. I love the fact that the film shows that despite these characters all being heroes they don't all necessarily get along and have different views on things and it adds some much needed drama. I think the fact that we have seen their solo films aids in that as the film doesn't have to waste time with backstories and that allows the film to move at a really fast pace. Yes, there are some conveniences but I don't care, this film is so fun and the final act is comic book film greatness and delivers truly memorable moments. 

Script

The script is great, it just has that very snappy dialogue with plenty of one liners and dialogue that just fits the characters appropriately. There is also some depth and drama to this popcorn blockbuster film and that is good and credit to the people behind the script as this aids in making these god like characters interesting and a bit relatable. 

Style 

The style of the film is one of the best things about the film. As I mentioned above, the pacing of the film is incredibly quick and that aids in making this an incredibly fun film. The action scenes are huge in scale and the CGI is at its best here then any MCU film that came before. Which brings me onto The Hulk, he looks amazing, the action scenes involving him are the the most exciting part of the film and finally the MCU had a Hulk that delivered in looking and fighting like he deserved. 

Overall

Overall, The Avengers is a special film that is a must watch for not just Marvel fans but all film fans. I think because of what The MCU now is we sometimes forget about this film and take it for granted. But without, The Avengers there wouldn't be an MCU and it is an amazing film that is honestly one of my favourite movies possibly ever. 

Rating - 10/10