THE AVENGERS

by Alexandra McClain
Before there was an A- Team TV show in 1983, The Avengers could be considered the original “A-Team” from Marvel’s 1963 comic series. When Nick Fury, director of the International Peacekeeping Agency S.H.I.E.L.D, finds himself desperate and almost defenseless against a threat of global safety, he must quickly assemble a team of extraordinary individuals. The Avengers are an unlikely pack of super heroes who at first seem more concerned with fighting each other than defending the greater good.
Putting Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawk Eye together in one movie, inevitably creates a clashing of egos. However, this clash leads to the perfect formula for a team that eventually realizes they can do more damage together than they can alone.
While most action films seem based solely around the action, Avengers has a lot more to offer. The core of the film is in the characters and their interaction with one another. Character development throughout the movie is key in the progression of the plot. As the characters evolved and overcame personal obstacles amongst themselves, the plot progressed.
It was interesting to watch the progression of the characters throughout the movie. At first it seemed the main characters were all against each other. Even David Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, referred to the group as a “ticking time bomb”. When the characters were busy bickering amongst themselves, saving the world from destruction was quickly put on the back burner.
During the movie there was a shift of morale as the characters began to accept they were a team and unite to defeat the real enemy; Loki. Played by Tom Hiddleston, Loki is Thor’s brother who sets out to take revenge upon the earth and its inhabitants.
Director Joss Whedon did well in making sure that none of the characters and their egos overshadowed one other. As much as the characters may have bickered with each other, particularly Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, essentially their personalities complimented each other. For example, Captain America’s diplomatic attitude was there to balance Iron Man’s arrogance. Black Widow was there to keep Hulk’s temper at a minimum. While they each had their own moment to shine throughout the movie, the best scenes were of them working together for the greater good.
The plot was easy to follow and well paced. Whedon did a good job in spacing key moments out in the movie so that it didn’t all seem too crammed or overwhelming for the short time span of the movie. The storyline flowed well, and it was an exciting adventure to watch as a motley group of characters grow to form an incredible team. Avengers is a winner by far. When else will you see talented actors like Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation), Chris Evans (Fantastic 4), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Tom Hiddelston (War Horse, Thor) Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island) and Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) come together to create the perfect on screen chemistry?