‘Avengers’ lives up to the hype
Adapting a popular series into a movie is always a tough balancing act among what looks good on the big screen, what will draw the average movie-goer and what will appease die-hard fans. “The Avengers” has managed to strike the perfect balance.
Avengers writer and director Joss Whedon (“Cabin in the Woods,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) does an incredible job of balancing the screen time of his star-studded ensemble cast. Whedon also translates a complicated plot into an easily digestible story with only a few details left untouched – the mechanics and origin of Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) staff remain murky throughout the film, for instance. Whedon’s trademark humor is especially fine-tuned and buffers the movie from being too serious or too campy. The simple one-liners help to highlight less obvious character details.
While the films plot is adapted from the original 1963 comic book, the heroes are certainly not the flawless role models of yesteryear. Every hero has character defects and personality differences that lead to verbal and spectacularly physical infighting. One of the most visually stunning scenes is an all-out brawl among Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Iron Man (Robert Downy Jr.).
The dialogue is another triumph for the film. Every character has an individual voice and a distinct speaking style. There are no awkward persona overlaps or stock characters in the primary or secondary cast.