Not being very familiar with the Marvel comic universe and not having seen the previous movies (Iron Man 1 + 2, Captain America, Hulk and Thor) I was afraid that the movie would be a little hard to follow. But despite the large amount of central characters I found this not to be the case.
Each of the Avengers is introduced in a "recruiting" scene. While this slows the beginning of the movie down for those familiar with the characters, it is important for those (like me) who are new to the Marvel Universe.
The story is simple and not new, but still effective and catchy: A bunch of specialized people don't get along at first but then need to pull themselves together in order to save the world.
The dialogues are witty and to the point as expected from director/screenwriter Joss Whedon. In particular Robert Downey jr. as Iron Man gets amazing lines that he delivers so effortlessly that he steals every single scene he is in.
The pace of the movie constantly increases without ever being hasty or rushed. It has the perfect balance between action scenes and character development.
The cast is stellar, especially considering that often movies based on comics have the reputation of being mere action movies. In this case the cast is filled with Academy Awards winners and nominees, such as the already mentioned Robert Downey jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson which gives the movie a high quality in quieter and more dramatic scenes. The rest of the cast is also composed of high class actors such as Scarlett Johanssen, Stellan Skargard and many more.
As already stated Robert Downey jr. is amazingly witty and strong as Iron Man (I look incredibly forward now to watch both Iron Man movies). He is the hero among heroes without being flawless, which makes him so believable. Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of Bruce Banner/Hulk is nuanced and perfectly expresses the struggle of his character. He wants to help but has to accept that people around him always see him as a time bomb.
The CGI is amazing even as per today's standards and the camera work was refreshlingly calm without slowing down the movie as opposed to today's popular "shaky camera".
This movie is great entertainment for those who enjoy some action and still expect good dialogues. I can heartly recommend it and if possible try to catch it in the original language and not in a dubbed version.
good review....thanks as always.
ReplyDeleteVery good point to watch it in English