The Avengers Assemble ... Only to Disappoint

Rating: 5/10 (13 July 2014)

Don't get me wrong. I liked "Iron Man", "The Incredible Hulk", and "Captain America: The First Avenger". "Iron Man 2" and "Thor" were disappointing in my opinion, but I was still anxiously awaiting "The Avengers". Now, after having watched a couple of times, I can soundly say that "The Avengers" is a disappointment.
While "The Avengers" isn't all bad, it fails in many departments. For starters, Loki is a terrible villain. He never felt like a threat and neither did the Chitauri Army which appears in the film's final act without explanation. There is lack of suspense and the film suffers as a result.
Meanwhile, the plot is also contrived and clichéd. The death of Agent Coulson kind of fails to evoke any emotion as he isn't fully developed as a character. For some strange reason, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner can now control his powers for the sake of the story. The main heroes fight among themselves before finally realizing that they're all being selfish. The story here is nothing more than the good guys versus the bad guys, something that has been seen countless times before.
The performances, meanwhile, are passable, but not commendable. Robert Downey, Jr. has the pleasure of saying some of the film's best lines, but at times, it feels like the movie revolves around him. Mark Ruffalo does an okay job as Bruce Banner, but I dare say that I would've preferred Edward Norton. Meanwhile, the two Chrises do the best with what their given, compared to Scarlett Johansson (who merely serves as eye candy) and Jeremy Renner (who is largely forgotten as Hawkeye.)
The movie ends with the same action-packed explosion-fest that has ended so many past Hollywood blockbusters. Yet, despite the caliber of the people involved with "The Avengers", the finale feels like something out of the "Transformers" movies, which isn't really a comparison to be proud of.
All in all, "The Avengers" is a disappointing entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although it offers some witty dialogue every now and then, along with the occasionally exciting action sequence, it is bogged down by clichéd storytelling and a remarkably weak villain. Considering this film cost $225 million, it could've been much better.
5/10