After-the-fact Review: The Avengers

Grade: A

Most days, it doesn’t pay to be an optimist. Such a quality inevitably leads to heartbreak. But, there are days, like no other, when positive thinking pays phenomenal dividends. Today, is one of those rare days.

Joss Whedon’s adaptation of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s, with a twinge of Mark Millar’s Ultimates, Avengers is pure, unadulterated fun. A random audience member two seats down from me, may have summed up the Avengers better than I ever could, “If I told my younger self that there would be an Avengers movie of this quality, she would never believe it.”

Unfortunately, a few naysayers may have felt that the Avengers was little more than a curious, if impossible, prospect before seeing Whedon’s summertime masterpiece, but rest assured, Whedon has done what seemed impossible. He has made a balanced, respectful superhero flick that remembers exactly what superheroes should be: fun.

Avengers essentially recounts the first meeting of Marvel’s famed dysfunctional supergroup and their first encounter with an otherworldly force that no one hero can withstand, in the case Loki (Tom Hiddleston) the petty, mischievous brother of Asgardian God of Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth). When faced with Loki, who possesses the a glowing cube with cosmic power, The Tesseract, and an army of alien Skeletors, one-eyed super spy, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) goes about assembling four of Earth 616’s mightiest heroes and two kinda-superspies. Man out of time, Captain America (Chris Evans);god from another world, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), anger personified, The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo); and cocky techKnight, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) join Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and, eventually, Green Arrow pastiche, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to become the most functionally dysfunctional superteam, one that has time bicker incessantly despite facing down alien armies and nuclear strike teams. As with any confluence of superheroes, the question becomes: will these heroes be able to put aside their differences to save the world? Of course, they can...

Whedon’s Avengers has a simple plot, but he uses that decision to do what he does best: build unforgettable characters who play off each other phenomenally well. Granted, the Avengers are well-defined enough that they don’t necessarily need Whedon’s, who also snagged a screenwriting credit, deft touch, but it doesn’t hurt. Every character, from Cap to Iron Man to fan favorite Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), is remains true to the core qualities developed in decades of comics and writ large in the individual Avengers prequels. Cap is as noble and principled as expected while Tony Stark reveals heroism beneath unflinching snarkiness, and those are only two of the most memorable examples of the exemplary character work Whedon puts on display. Whedon balances character and spectacle so well in the Avengers that one wonders why Marvel doesn’t just hand him their slate of big screen endeavors from here on out. Whedon orchestrates character and chaos with equal aplomb. The sheer quality of the mayhem--coherent, clear, and consistently thrilling--that unfolds on screen is astounding. The attack on Manhattan that composes the last hour is easily the superhero flick equivalent of Helm’s Deep, only better. In fact, The last hour plus of Avengers somehow crams more action--with exceptional geography--than any superhero flick ever has, and for that audiences really need to thank Whedon and Marvel for making this happen. 

Whedon and company could not have made this happen without an top notch cast. Robert Downey Jr. is the undeniable star of the show here--though the Hulk probably truly deserves the title--as he dominates every scene with Tony Stark’s trademark asinine, cocksure quips. Chris Evans comes in a close second, further eschewing his own well-known cockiness to give Captain America and unflinching earnestness that makes him the hero really deserve. Mark Ruffalo steps up to plate to prove that third time’s the charm for the Hulk, making Bruce Banner far more engaging and palatable than his predecessors by subtly weaving Banner’s bookishness with a razor’s edge of intensity. Chris Hemsworth continues make Thor far more digestible than most Thor comics have by expertly balancing Thor’s Shakespearean bravado and the character’s own endless compassion for his brother. Speaking of which, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki proves even more threatening and nuanced than he did in Thor and makes for a great villain who does more than attempt to take over the world. Even Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is a far more improved character than she was in Iron Man 2, and thankfully, she’s focused more on kicking ass this time than posing. Sadly, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye gets short shrift this time, and we never get to see the character’s well-known rebellious streak. 

Looking at that list, and the fact that Marvel and Whedon managed to wrangle so many actors and characters to create such an amazing display, one can’t help but be amazed at Marvel’s ambition. Sure the plot is basic--but so was the first issue of Avengers--and the original creators get minimal credit--by all rights, this should be Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Avengers--but this is nonetheless and exceptional achievement. Avengers has raised the bar for superhero flicks by going back to basics. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy may have been the most recent set of superhero movies to raise the quality of the genre by bringing pure artistry to the fore, but the Avengers does something that Nolan’s film rarely make audiences do: smile.

The Yin and Yang of It

Yang: Amazing character and action on display in Whedon’s blockbuster masterpiece. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and the Hulk are standouts amongst a cast of standouts.

Yin: Plot is a bit simple and the sheer existence of this film in the face of Marvel’s recent entanglements with the Avengers original creator, Jack Kirby, is an affront to creator’s rights, but these are minor quibbles.

In between: Hulk smash.

Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

Grade: A-

Good: Good old-fashioned superheroics with an earnestness missing from most superhero movies; Anchored by solid, likable performances from Evans, Atwell and Jones; Cool Easter eggs for comic fans

Bad: Some weak CGI and needless special effects; rushed ending

Ugly: When the Red Skull loses his face.

When I was about ten, my favorite superhero movie was not Superman or Batman, but Disney’s adaptation of The Rocketeer. I didn’t recognize the nostalgia for what it was at the time, but I knew Nazis were bad and a guy with jetpack strapped to his back, which was as likely to kill him as propel him into the air, would never be anything but cool. Seeing the movie again earlier this year, I realized how great it really was. It was an earnest piece of nostalgia—almost twenty years later and I get it—that was unafraid to be simple, good old-fashioned superhero fun. Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger is the perfect heir to the Rocketeer’s legacy, delivering a plain old fun superhero tale that recalls the virtues of Golden Age comics with little of the angst and pretense of most superhero movies.

Captain America breaks the cycle of rote origin stories to become Marvel’s best movie since the first Iron Man thanks in large part to its likable cast and commitment to unabashed, uncomplicated superheroics. Chris Evans, the former Human Torch, stars as the titular Sentinel of Liberty, Steve Rogers, who begins the movie as a 98 lb. weakling desperate to join the allied effort to battle the Third Reich in 1942. Evans plays Rogers perfectly as a hero with a heart bigger than Spider-Man’s and easily more willpower than Green Lantern. Evans’ Rogers is tough and patriotic, but not overbearing as one might expect from a hero draped in the flag, and this is all before he becomes Cap. After four failed attempts to enlist, Rogers is handpicked by genteel, noble German refuge Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci, playing another sublime variation on the world’s coolest mentor), at the Stark Exposition no less, for an experimental procedure. With the help of austere British agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and the father of the future Iron Man, Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Erskine subjects Rogers to a super scientific procedure that basically equates to an injection of steroids in an industrial strength tanning booth. Rogers emerges as the picture of human perfection, with peak human agility, speed and strength. Ironically, he’s the embodiment of Hitler’s Aryan ideal sent to sock Hitler in the face.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the result of Erskine’s first experiment, Nazi malcontent with a severe skin condition Johann Schmidt aka The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), is building an army known as Hydra that will break away from the Third Reich and bring the world to its knees. As the Red Skull plans to take over the world with the help of a cosmic device yanked from Odin’s treasure room—see, it’s all connected—Cap slogs through a stint as a USO mascot and war bonds salesman before single-handedly rescuing a unit that includes his best friend, one James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and setting himself on a crash course with the Skull and Hydra.

While Evans does a great job toning down his typical snarky charisma and imbuing Cap with a respectable, genuine sincerity, he is supported by a more than able cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones and a number of familiar, if not overly famous, faces. Hayley Atwell’s Agent Carter is a solid romantic foil for Cap. She is competent and tough, but shows feelings for Cap without being schmaltzy. Jones plays the Colonel of Cap’s unit with the rugged toughness that has defined Jones career. In Cap, he seems to be rehashing his Agent K persona from Men in Black while seeming to have as much fun in a comic-based film as he’s had in a long time. Sebastian Stan is great in a smart turn as Bucky Barnes. Comic fans will be familiar with Bucky as essentially Captain America’s Robin, a teenage sidekick thrust into a ridiculously dangerous situation. Here, Director Joe Johnston and a screenwriting team led by Christopher Markus make a smart move by aging Bucky to adulthood and establishing a more storied rapport between the two. Dominic Cooper brings a cocky spark to Howard Stark that mimics Robert Downey’s performance as Howard’s son Tony.

Hugo Weaving does a serviceable job as the Red Skull, a villain who is not as flamboyant as the Joker or the Green Goblin. Due to the focus Red Skull as the force behind on Hydra rather than a weapon of the Third Reich, Skull loses a bit of his edge. Weaving doesn’t help by dropping the German accent a few times and wavering between slightly over-the-top villainy and believable menace. On average, the performances in Cap are uniformly great in their balance between cockiness and grit that many, right or wrongly, believe defined the WWII era.

Director Joe Johnston was seen as a questionable when announced, but, as the man who helmed The Rocketeer, he’s actually perfect. With Captain America, he did a great job of recreating the visual feel of 1940s serials, complete with sepia filter and halo effect. It was an especially wise choice on his and Marvel’s part to avoid temptation to bring Cap into the modern age too soon. The war era setting makes the characters earnestness much easier to digest and seems to deflate any cynicism very quickly, mostly due to the rose-colored glasses through which many view WWII. Marvel Zombies will also be pleased with Easter eggs of some notable heroes and villains from the era and nods to classic Cap mythos, including a pretty faithful recreation of the original costume used in serials from the 40s—though, it must be said, the new costume is pretty cool and is probably the most practical superhero costume since Batman’s Dark Knight variation.

Captain America fails a bit with some visual effects that can be a bit hokey with the main offender being the CGI de-muscling of Chris Evans. One thing about Cap that Johnston may have missed is that he’s not superhuman. Cap is the peak of human physical ability, so there’s no need for him to toss guys around like superman. If Johnston and Marvel would have looked to the Bourne trilogy for inspiration, they could have made Cap a living weapon with a minimum of special effects. Captain America also suffers from a rushed ending that removes the possibility of some very necessary character development for Cap. In the Marvel Universe, Cap is known as a master strategist who has logged hundreds of missions. The movie glosses over the mission’s that would have built Cap’s legend in effort to jump forward. Hopefully, there will be a sequel that eschews a modern adventure for a look at the parts of Cap's legacy that Johnston skipped.

I don’t normally call for sequels, but I want to see more Captain America. Not many superhero movies have been this enjoyable, likeable and just plain fun. It may not have the edge that more jaded members of the audience are looking for, but it trades the snark and angst that defines Marvel for a genuineness that is sorely lacking in most superhero films. Many in know will only see this as another of Marvel’s 90-minute commercials for next year’s Avengers, but Cap, just like Steve Rogers, is so much more and that’s worth saluting.

Movie Review - Push

That was kind of fun. I wish more superhero movies were like Push. Push may not have the pedigree or prestige of Dark Knight, Iron Man, or Spiderman 2, but it was a cool, low-key alternative to those weighty, loud, effects-laden tentpoles. Sure, the material is derivative (made obvious the abundance of comic book style projects today), but the gritty, uncompromising, anti-heroic spin makes Push unique in its own way.

Dir. Paul McGuigan uses Hong Kong as an electric backdrop to this story about people born with psychic abilities and the mysterious government agency, The Division, that chases them. Chris Evans, of Human Torch fame, plays Nick Gant a ‘mover’ who moves things with his mind. Nick escaped from Division’s clutches, specifically master ‘pusher’ (telepaths who manipulate thoughts) Henry Carver (Djimon Honsou), ten years ago. Now trying to lay low in Hong Kong, Nick is pulled into a convoluted web of action by teenaged ‘watcher’ (clairvoyants who see the future) Cassie, played by a quickly maturing Dakota Fanning. The twisty plot involves Nick’s ex-girlfriend Kira (Camilla Belle), another master ‘pusher’ who escaped from division with a syringe that could boost their powers and create the typical army of super soldiers. As Nick Cassie and Kira try to evade Division and a strange gang of Asian mindbenders, they encounter an eclectic cast of psychics who may or may not be on their side.
Push gets credit for being intense and, for the most part, focused. The intensity only fades near the climax when the plot loses its way thanks to an unnecessarily convoluted and meandering escape plot. Aside from that misstep, Push succeeds on the strength of McGuigan’s vision and the understated performances by the strong cast. McGuigan uses the busy, cluttered, neon streets of Hong Kong to give Push a tough, urban feel that is more in line with Nolan’s Dark Knight than Raimi’s Spider-Man. I appreciate films like Push that, despite their subject matter, use their settings to establish a believable world. Adding to relative believability is McGuigan’s approach to power displays. The powers in Push are subtle and nowhere near as flashy as something you’d see in X-Men. CGI was thankfully kept to a minimum and it works. The subtle, deceptive or defensive ways the characters use their powers meshes perfectly with the setting and McGuigan’s visuals.

Evans and Fanning carry this movie, despite being saddled with seemingly one-note (one dimensional) characters. Honsou and Belle also turn in satisfactory performances, but their characters are too clichéd to allow for any unique displays of character. The supporting cast, including Maggie Siff, Ming-Na, and Cliff Curtis, provides a blend of eclectic allies and enemies whose cool powers mostly overwhelm their character development. Evans and Fanning both turn in understated performances with more personality than any of the characters in Heroes. Evan’s Nick is a likeable toned down version of Human Torch whose quick wit and aloofness endears more than it than grates. Fanning’s Cassie is the same streetwise teen we’ve seen before, but Fanning performs with the grace of a seasoned performer and makes the character more likeable than it deserves. The characters in Push may be forced into one-dimensionality by the overwhelming plot, which includes a heavy back-story, and about five characters too many for its two-hour runtime, but what little personality they do have shines through phenomenally. The fact that script allows these characters to talk like smartass punks they should be doesn’t hurt either. As opposed to the super-serious self-effacing characters of most superhero yarns, the characters in Push are outlaw opportunists who’d rather use their powers for personal gain than to save the world. And, really, if you had powers like these, which lend themselves more to scamming (i.e. change plain paper into money) than super powered slugfests, wouldn’t you?

Push may not be the most original story, but, thanks to McGuigan’s cool visual style and strong performances, it’s a fun twist on the X-Men/Heroes/4400 template that’s worth a look to any fan of superhero flicks.