The Avengers (DVD REVIEW)
The Avengers
DVD
Review by Kam Williams
Superheroes
Save Planet in ‘Marvel’ous Comic Book Adaptation
The Avengers is the sixth
installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise launched in 2008 with
Iron Man, and followed by The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America.
What makes this adventure unique is that it’s the first in the series to revolve
around a team of comic book superheroes.
The actors playing those title
characters reprise their roles with the exception of Edward Norton who has been
replaced as The Hulk by Mark Ruffalo. Otherwise, we again have Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey,
Jr. as Iron Man, and Chris Evans as Captain America. The film also features the
return of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow,
who appeared in Thor and Iron Man 2, respectively.
Since
we’ve already met all the members of The Avengers, director Josh Whedon doesn’t have to waste time familiarizing us with their unique
abilities. Instead, the plot unfolds right on the heels of the post-closing
credits scene of the previous sequel which had Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson)
ominously enlisting the assistance of Captain America for a dangerous mission
with global ramifications.
So,
it’s no surprise that, at this picture’s point of departure, we find Fury
assembling The Avengers. After all, as the director of the top secret espionage
agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. (an acronym for Strategic Home Intervention, Enforcement
and Logistics Division), it is his job to protect humanity, especially from a
diabolical villain bent on world domination.
In
this case, that would be Thor’s evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who has
managed not only to escape from an outer space exile on Asgard but has gotten
his hands on the
Tesseract, a cosmic cube containing the key to limitless, sustainable energy.
With Loki en route to Earth, it falls to Fury to plan a coordinated defense of
the planet.
That task proves easier said than
done, since it calls for cooperation among individualistic superheroes with
fragile egos who aren’t used to sharing the limelight. Thus, we are treated to
pre-showdown posturing when Iron Man teases Thor about both his accent and
costume by asking, “Doth mother know thy wear her drapes?” Or when he
sarcastically compliments Dr. Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) by saying, “I’m a big
fan of how you lose control and turn into a giant green monster.”
Of course, such witty banter
subsides in favor of camaraderie once Loki arrives with his army of alien
warriors called Chitauri. Each Avenger’s talent comes in handy during the
ensuing fight sequences, of course, including Hawkeye’s bow-and-arrow, Thor’s
hammer, Captain America’s shield, and so forth.
Between a sophisticated script and
thrill-a-minute special effects, The Avengers easily adds up to the best Marvel
Comics screen adaptation yet. A remarkable treat which only serves to ramp-up expectations
for the vaunted franchise’s next offering, Iron Man 3.
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and a drug reference.
Running time: 143
minutes
Distributor: Walt
Disney Pictures
2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD
Combo Pack Extras: Gag reel; Marvel One-Shot; “Live to Rise” music video by
Soundgarden; alternate opening and ending; extended fight footage; and much
more.
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