REVIEW: 'The Avengers'

   

"I'm telling you... It's going to suck. The Avengers is going to be terrible."

 In early March of 2011 I heard those words uttered by a man who identified himself as a crew member on the film that was then hiding under the working title "Group Hug." I was later able to confirm that he indeed was working on The Avengers.

 You have to remember, last spring The Avengers was in no way a sure thing. Screenwriter and geek iconoclast, Joss Whedon had been tapped to direct the film, but had only ever directed one other film, 2005's Serenity. Whedon also had cast of mega-stars who would likely all be battling for screen time. The story of the film would be huge. A massive tale that featured five unique superhero's coming together to battle a cosmic danger. He also had generations of fans watching his every move, and with all of this chaos and expectation, Whedon had to try and make the biggest Superhero movie of all time.

 Unfortunately, early in the films production, there were stories that seemed to lend weight to our pessimistic crew members words, and seemed to indicate that Whedon's film was doomed to failure. In late April we reported that the theft of actor Samuel L. Jackson's script had forced the films production to abruptly stop. Days later, MARVEL issued a statement in which they said that filming was underway and was going well, however by the time they had issued the statement our report was nearly a week old. As well, we heard numerous stories about problems with sets falling apart and logistical breakdowns that had even left crew members temporarily stranded in remote parts of New Mexico. However, by mid May all the news from the set of The Avengers was good, and even when circumstances started to look gloomy for the film... They turned out to be pretty awesome.

 In June wildfires in the high deserts of Arizona and New Mexico caused major air quality issues in the Albuquerque area as smoke choked off sunlight and visibility. While this seemed to be a problem for most people, the horrible smog actually seemed to help on the set of The Avengers. In the opening scene of the film, Nick Fury and the agents of SHIELD are hard at work, trying to evacuate from a top secret SHIELD base. Albuquerque's Atrisco Heritage High School was actually where this scene was filmed and crew members indicated at the time that the smoke actually created a very dramatic look for the scene. Having seen the finished product, they were absolutely right. 

 In July, we stumbled upon a very cool exclusive that no one else had. We reported that even though she had previously denied she would be featured in The Avengers, actress Gwyneth Paltrow was indeed in New Mexico shooting her part in the film. We also reported that her character Pepper Potts had more than just a cameo in the film. AND we were totally right. One of the biggest story elements of The Avengers is, how does egocentric, megalomaniac Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr.) fit into a team with equally powerful superhero's? It is in an early scene with Paltrow that this question begins to be answered. It is also through her Pepper Potts character that we are reminded of our fondness for the long suffering Agent of SHIELD, Phil Coulson(Clark Gregg). 

 The first third of the film is invested in explaining how Iron-Man, Captain America, THOR, Incredible HULK, Black Widow, and Hawkeye actually come together. The middle of the film is illustrates how all of these heroes have personal idiosyncrasies that keep them from working together. However, after a sneak attack by forces under the control of LOKI results in a tragic loss, The heroes begin to understand that while they may not want to work together, the world desperately needs them to. The final third of the film focuses squarely on the epic battle of The Avengers vs. Loki and his army of alien invaders. 

 The smartest thing director and screenwriter Joss Whedon did was that he didn't attempt to change or alter these classic MARVEL characters. He only attempted to help us know them better. The Avengers turns out to be a giant playground where we get to see these iconic characters grapple with dangerous forces in a world that is very similar to our own. A visual and emotional spectacle the likes of which is rarely glimpsed. Whedon was smart enough to realize that to make The Avengers work, he had to approach the film like a classic action adventure. The bad guys are bad. The good guys, though lethal and at times self serving are good, really and earnestly. While that may seem like an old fashioned approach for a storyteller who is best known for deconstructing genre's, it was exactly the right approach for The Avengers.

It's kind of ironic actually. So much of the story in The Avengers revolves around the conflict of worlds. Like the conflict between Earth and LOKI's alien army. Or the conflict between the jingoistic, God fearing 'old world' of the 1940's that Captain America hails from and the self centered, modern world that Iron-Man Tony Stark hails from. It is more than fitting that the same kind of conflict existed behind the scenes. A modest city like Albuquerque was invaded by Hollywood. Movie stars accustomed to the excitement and celebrity of Los Angeles found themselves stranded in the high desert of New Mexico. Somewhere in the midst of these monumental conflicts, Hollywood's newest, and biggest blockbuster was born. The Avengers assembled. Some assembly was required, but the results are amazing.