Why I Still Love The Avengers

Written by: Tony Lazlo, CC2K Staff Writer

I reviewed THE AVENGERS for CC2K when it came out, and over the years, my admiration for it has only grown. Seeing DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, Marvel’s latest entry and the first formal merging of the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe with Sony’s mutant movies, reminded me of why I still enjoy this movie so much.

THE AVENGERS is a perfect comic-book movie, delivered by a guy—Joss Whedon—who was basically grown in a lab to tell a story like this. Honestly, I think a lot of folks came into THE AVENGERS having not seen all of the phase one movies, and Whedon’s quick and lean exposition addresses that problem gamely. In the space of its first half hour, Whedon introduces the macguffin and all the major characters for newcomers.

Whedon also delivers on a central need for a comic-book crossover: all the heroes fight each other. Further, he depicts everyone’s powers better and more vividly than any of the other phase one movies.

He lavishes special attention on maybe the most boring character, Captain America, taking the time to set up a laugh line for him—“I got that reference”—while also showing us how and why he’s super. He can operate at a top level in a low-oxygen atmosphere, all while carrying out a spy mission in his spare time. Though I’m not a religious person, I appreciate how Whedon took a moment to underline Cap’s faith. (“There’s only one God, ma’am, and I don’t think he dresses like that.”) I think my mom would’ve liked that line, rest her soul.

I praised Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner in my original review, and of course, my admiration for his performance has only grown. As with Cap, Whedon takes special care to set up Banner’s now-iconic line, “I’m always angry,” while also putting him at the center of the villain’s plans.

Whedon’s script also meets one of my toughest requirements: everyone sounds unique, from the Asgardians’ pseudo-Shakespearean dialect, to Fury’s punchy prose, to Stark’s snarky intellectualism, everyone has a voice.

It’s a great script for a delightful movie. I still love it.