“The Avengers” (2012): The Perfect Summer Romp ★★★½

…..After 5 films over the course of four years (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America) and months upon months of fervent anticipation, Disney and Marvel’s superhero experiment The Avengers was finally released this weekend, uniting each titular hero and a handful of other familiar faces for an orgy of comic book splendor. Unsurprisingly, the film opened to Hulk-sized proportions, and not only has it amassed an incredible global haul of $642 million in 12 days (it was released internationally a week ago and will certainly cross the $1 billion mark), but it also grossed an astounding $200 million this weekend domestically, easily dethroning Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 for the film with the highest grossing opening weekend of all time. After seeing the film in a jam-packed, sold-out theatre last night, it’s easy to see why the world is assembling in the masses to watch it, for not only is The Avengers the perfect comic book film, but it’s also the perfect summer movie: an awesome blend of typical Joss Whedon snappy humor and stunning action sequences that’s nothing short of adrenaline fueled fun.

…..If you’ve never seen the prior Marvel films, especially Thor and Captain America, the first hour of The Avengers may seem a bit dull and confusing, as characters scramble to get the superhero group together after Loki, the sinister demigod brother of Thor, steals the Tesseract, a tiny, blue cube with insurmountable energy that holds the key to Loki’s plan to invade and become the leader of Earth. If it all sounds hokey and cornball, well, it pretty much is, but what writer-director Joss Whedon does so perfectly is that he knows this (I’m telling you, this really is the age of self-referential films) and uses it to fuel not only the Avengers’ battle with Loki, but also the battle among themselves, as each one’s huge ego clashes with the next. Let’s face it too, the main reason we all want to see The Avengers isn’t because of its fanboy specific plot, but it’s because it’s the first time in movie history where we can see 6 beloved superheroes on the screen all at once.

…..It’s with this notion that Joss Whedon creates the perfect summer/comic book film that’s part action spectacle (the CGI special effects are simply astonishing, especially the new, motion capture Hulk) and part witty comedy, as Tony Stark’s haughty Iron Man goes head-to-head with Steve Rogers’ team playing Captain America and the well-spoken, monarchical Thor. In fact, a three-way fight among them is one of the most thrilling action sequences of the film, as Thor’s mighty hammer clashes with Captain’s heavy-duty shield and Iron Man’s gadget-filled armor suit. Filling out the Avengers Initiative is ace-archer Hawkeye, butt-kicking babe Black Widow, and gamma ray genius Bruce Banner/Hulk. What’s so wondrous about The Avengers is that Whedon really has crafted a team film that never seems to rely on one hero over another. Just when one superhero steals a scene and seems to take charge as the film’s centerpiece, Whedon scales back and moves to another, balancing the film among each tormented soul so that we really do feel like this is an Avengers film, not an Iron Man film or Captain America film with other heroes in it as well.

…..As you’d probably expect, the acting is all top notch and each actor shows up to the table not wanting to steal the show but ready to work together to make the show. Just as he was in the Iron Man films, Robert Downey Jr. is a scene-stealing delight as Stark/Iron Man, and whether he’s trying to piss off Banner to see the Hulk come out by poking him with sharp objects or calling an impromptu meeting between Thor and Loki as “Shakespeare in the Park,” Downey Jr. provides the film with its rapid-fire comedy. Even better is Ruffalo, who finally nails Bruce Banner as a vulnerable, soul-searching scientist in ways that Eric Bana and Edward Norton failed to do in the previous Hulk-centric films. As Loki, Tom Hiddleston is devilishly marvelous, giving us a sociopath villain who doesn’t just love mind games but is obsessed with them. A great superhero film needs a fantastic villain, and Hiddleston’s horn-rimmed Loki fits the bill perfectly by being a villain who isn’t just an opponent (he’s full of evil schemes) but who’s also a contemporary for the Avengers (he’s just as much a tormented soul due to his inferiority issues). Even the two non-superheroes played by Scarlet Johansson and Jeremy Renner (they’re humans with extreme talents) leave lasting impressions, as each actor never forgets to show the fear that comes from being the two mortals in a battle between immortal beings and ideologies.

 …..While the film certainly isn’t perfect – a scene toward the beginning where Johansson’s Black Widow accepts a phone call during an interrogation is an eye roller and Samuel L. Jackson, though badass as the eye-patch wearing S.H.I.E.LD. Leader Nick Fury, is pretty much a plot pusher – it comes together in the most perfect way by the time the New York City alien invasion closes the film in spectacular fashion. Take note Michael Bay, this is how you destroy a city! By the time skyscrapers begin falling and streets begin imploding, you’ve seen the ragtag team of superheroes come together in such a human way that the special effects become important to the story at hand (not just visual eye pleasers), for they’re the means by which these characters will prove that they are a team of interconnected souls, not just a group of egotistical freaks. In the most enthralling and engaging sequence of the film, Whedon crafts a single shot that travels the city from superhero to superhero as each Avenger fights with his/her trademark weapon, and it was in this moment where I couldn’t help but smile – screw some slow moving parts and head-scratching plot developments, this is as much fun as you’re ever going to have at the cinemas!

…..In a summer movie season that also sees the releases of The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, and Prometheus, The Avengers has set the bar unbelievably high thanks to its wildly amusing blend of snappy humor and eye popping action. Perhaps the longtime friend who I saw the film with summed it up best; after each superhero made his/her grand entrance, she’d turn to me and say with a huge smile, “Oh my god! I love [insert name here]!” Though she never had seen a Marvel movie before The Avengers, the chance to see all these actors and characters come together was a complete joy for her – she didn’t have to think, all she had to do was sit back, relax, enjoy the show, and cheer along with the crowd. I guess that’s why the film is ultimately the perfect summer movie – The Avengers isn’t just fun and entertaining as hell, but it’s also a time machine, a film that brings back the inner, giddy child in all of us who once believed in superpowers and dreamed of becoming a superhero himself/herself, and isn’t that what the summer is all about? Bravo, Whedon, bravo!

3 and ½ Stars out of Four