LITTLE ROCK — It gives absolutely nothing away to talk about the ending of Joss Whedon’s hugely anticipated, multi-superhero blockbuster. (Well, the initial ending credits anyway - that section between the narrative end of the film and the special sneak add-on scene that has become as much a staple of the Marvel universe as evil skulls and radioactive spiders.)
Underneath the glowing names of the stars, we have close-up images of the particulars from the costumes and regalia of the Avengers themselves: Iron Man’s battle scarred, glowing chest plate; the handle of Thor’s impervious hammer; the edge of Captain America’s gleaming shield, each meticulously rendered and authentic-seeming. And therein lies Whedon’s secret: As big and sprawling as the film becomes, it never loses contact with the grounded reality of the day-to-day details of its heroes. It’s every bit as micro as it is macro, which is largely why the film is so richly satisfying.
This isn’t to suggest that it doesn’t cater to the summer boom-boom set, there to have a good time and see a bunch of costumed heroes whale on things. As the film opens, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team are attempting to harness the incalculable energy of the Tesseract, an otherworldly cosmic cube found by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) somewhere deep in the ocean.
In short order, the cube opens one of those pesky time/space portals that allows the ever-conniving Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Norse god of mischief, to suddenly appear at the secret installation and steal the cube, along with a couple of agents and scientists whose minds he’s infiltrated.
Fearing the loss of the cube and worried about Loki’s plans for it, Fury finally embarks upon the Avengers Initiative, whereby various members of the superhero fraternity, including Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Downey), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are all called in at once to stop Loki and regain the Tesseract.
Of course, it takes awhile for the bickering, standoffish heroes to finally stand together as a team, and Whedon skillfully mines the friction. Tensions are high within the group from the get-go, with the Captain and Stark barking at one another in continuous alpha dog one-upmanship; Hulk’s mild scientist alter-ego questions his very presence on a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission; and Thor’s unhappy with having to do business with his evil half-brother Loki. Rather than paint them as dull, bland dogooders - the Super Friends! - Whedon gives them outsize, prickly personalities that leave them nearly at one another’s throats before the team finally gels at the start of the third act. So well-earned is the moment, you’ll have a hard time suppressing the goose bumps.
As has previously been well-displayed in much of Whedon’s other work (everything from Buffy to The Cabin in the Woods), he also has a singular talent for riotously funny dialogue and moments of expansive irony designed to make the fanboys in the audience veritably squeal with delight. You get the impression that he loves writing for his range of characters - from Loki’s boastful “I’m Loki of Asgaard,” he breathlessly intones by way of introduction, “and I’m burdened with glorious purpose,” to Stark’s sneering bonhomie (“No hard feelings, Point Break,” he tells Thor after initially brawling with him, “You got a mean swing”) - and it shows.
Somehow, he’s found the secret formula to perfect popcorn theater, just enough action, rapid-fire dialogue, elaborate special effects and genuine surprise to keep you enthralled. All of which goes beyond mere spectacle into something a good deal more nourishing.
At one point, Loki, his powers amassed, his godlike ego unchecked, appears before a startled crowd of humans and commands them to kneel before him.
“You crave subjugation,” he leers at them. With a summer movie this potent and fun, he may well have a point.
The Avengers
89
Cast:
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson
Director:
Joss Whedon
Rating:
PG-13, for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference
Running time:
142 minutes
MovieStyle, Pages 37 on 05/04/2012