A fine film for the faithful and the casual.

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2012)

The story goes that back in 1961, Martin Goodman, the owner of a struggling comic book company, played a round of golf with one of the owners of DC Comics. The man was doing a bit of boasting of their recent success with their Justice League comic, a revival of the all-star team concept of the Justice Society of the 40s. Goodman went back to his editor and asked for something like it. That editor (Stan Lee)put his head together with the company's best artist (Jack Kirby) and they conceived the Fantastic Four. The stakes were high, as the company was close to going under. It paid off and the Marvel Age of Comics, as Lee liked to call it, had arrived. This hit would spawn more, eventually leading to a true rival for the concept of the Justice League, a team of Marvel all-stars; and the Avengers were born. Throughout the years, the Avengers would be a book of visual flair, action and epic tales. In various hands, the book would feature not just a group of stars, but a real team.
Now, almost 50 years later, Marvel Studios has done the same. Frustrated with the lack of control over their cinematic adaptations, even when things worked out well, Marvel formed their own production company. They did not have an easy job, as their biggest name characters had long ago been sewn up by Fox and Sony. They would have to start with characters who weren't as well known, outside of the comic world. They began with Iron Man. The film proved a hit, both with the casual audience and the fans who followed the comic over the years. It was well written, well cast, well acted, and well executed. Marvel didn't rest and progressed with their plan to introduce a new movie in close succession to the previous one. Much like the comics, paths crossed and old heroes welcomed new. One by one, the members of the Avengers came forward. It all came to a head with the Avengers movie.
The film is first rate, with a great cast and excellent visuals. The previous films established the characters, so time didn't need to be wasted reintroducing the characters. Much like James Bond, we start with action and stop only to plan for the next event. The scope is epic enough to warrant a team of people, rather than an episode any single member could handle (a common fault in many Justice League stories, where Superman dominated all). Joss Whedon, a fan with strong credentials in the comic world, hits the notes right. He introduces the threat, then begins assembling the team. However, teams in the Marvel world rarely work harmoniously at the beginning. They test each other, argue, trade barbs; but, when it counts they get down to business. This truly felt like the comic brought to life, much as Richard Donner's Superman had before, and Christopher Nolan's Batman had more recently.
It's not a perfect film, though. There are a few to many convenient moments, like the scientist unconsciously building a failsafe into the dimensional gateway. Hawkeye and Black Widow are still underdeveloped, as they had little more than cameos in the previous films. Dialogue suggests a history, but they are still mostly cyphers to non-fans. Many character moments ended up on the cutting room floor, due to time constraints, so we don't really get to experience Captain America struggling with an unfamiliar world. In a related note, Cap never really sounds like someone from the 40s. Hopefully, sequels will be able to explore these things more and the film series can mature beyond just an action spectacle, as the comics did. Whedon and the cast & crew certainly gave a foundation on which to build.
There are many moments to enjoy, from Whedon's trademark wisecracking dialogue, to Tom Hiddleston's layered villain, to the revelation of SHIELD as more than just a glorified Marvel FBI. There are some excellent quiet moments in all of the thunder and we see the human costs of the battle, which is too often missing from these things. In the end, the film earns its success. Here's hoping that Marvel won't rest on that success and try to venture into some of their other books, especially those that don't revolve around superheroes. The company produced some fine western and sci-fi characters, not to mention someone needs to do a Howard the Duck film that is as good as the comic was.