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The University News

“The Avengers” makes for good, loud fun

Photo+Courtesy+of+www.hollywoodreporter.com.
Photo Courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com.
Photo Courtesy of www.hollywoodreporter.com.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. That is, if you are a movie fan.” The Avengers” opens this weekend and is looking to build off “The Hunger Games” in what figures to be a huge summer at the box office.

Featuring a cast of stars including Robert Downy, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth and others, the group is finally ready to do battle against the forces of evil.

After teasing in the end of several Marvel films, Samuel L. Jackson finally arrives as Nick Fury, Director of The Avengers. He leads the group comprised of Thor (Hemsworth), Iron Man (Downey), The Hulk (Ruffalo), Black Widow (Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and last but not least, Captain America (Chris Evans). The unlikely team must learn to get along quickly before Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the brother of Thor follows through on his plot to become ruler of earth.

Joss Whedon continues a strong 2012 by following up “Cabin in the Woods.” “The Avengers” truly captured the essence of the classic comics. Like an all-star game in pro sports, this film is not your average, everyday superhero film. Viewers have come out to not only see how their favorite superhero compares to the competition; they also want to see how great they can be together.

Whedon takes advantage of this by putting the hero back into superhero. While many recent films like “The Dark Knight” have begun looking at the dark sides and conflicts within each superhero, “The Avengers” goes the other way. The heroes appear larger than life. They all believe they are the best and the biggest conflict in the film is between their big egos.  The level of humor in the film is also noticeably higher, including many one-liners from Downey.

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The reason that “The Dark Knight” achieved so much success and attention was the fact that it didn’t follow the superhero rules. It wasn’t clear if Batman was right or wrong.  There were no clichés.

This is not the case in “The Avengers.” The fact that viewers have already gotten to know the heroes in “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”, “Iron Man,” and “The Incredible Hulk” means that there is no time for each characters baggage.  It is clear from the get go that these individuals are better than the rest of us. Displays of physical and mental prowess are demonstrated constantly. Perhaps the most effective tool to set them apart is the inclusion of Hawkeye and Black Widow in the group.  These two heroes are incredibly talented in combat, but do not have any superpowers. This makes the others seem that much more impressive. Even these two most highly trained military members cannot be successful without the help of superheroes. Whedon plays on this several times during the film.

This is a film designed with the audience in mind. The best word to describe it is “fun.” Sure, it might not be nominated for Best Picture, Actor/Actress or Director, heck, it the special effects aren’t even that ground-breaking, but that’s ok. Yes, it’s the same as a lot of other films but there is a reason they keep getting made. They are fun to watch.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself fist pumping or clapping during this one.

The good: If seeing multiple superheroes coming together to fight doesn’t get your blood pumping, I don’t know what will.

The bad: This one is about as cliché as it gets. Good guys win. Look good doing it. The day is saved. The end. The 3-D also seemed mostly unnecessary, especially on the wallet.

The verdict: It’s always fun to have someone to root for. It can’t hurt to have 6 instead.

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