The Avengers

I went to the 9:30 pm screening, after a very physically exhausting day, and I told myself that if this film manages to entertain me enough to keep me awake, I will give it five stars, and here they are. Now seriously: Avengers is a perfect blockbuster with great sense of humour, incredible chemistry between the characters and amazing action. If you are not looking for the brooding of Batman or the ambition of the Wachowskis (or anything “more”), and you only want good fun at the cinema, you can’t do better than this, it has no competition among the light summer blockbusters. And I’m saying this as someone who didn’t like too much the previous Marvel films and is also not a member of Whedon’s fan club. But there’s one little quibble: Next to the other superheroes, Black Widow and Hawkeye look so out of place and meek. And it’s also weird to see Auntie Robin in SHIELD’s control centre. Hulk/Banner rulez. (05/09/2012)

Undemanding, popcorn paint by numbers with clear contours which begin to turn pastel green only after they line up. The Avengers Assemble is quality craftsmanship which unfortunately pays dearly for having just routine action (the first “teaser" part is markedly better than the second) and zero “emotional involvement" of either the viewer or the characters. The whole thing rests on the shoulders of the Stark - Thor - Banner trio and the remaining characters are either a necessary evil (Capt. America) or there to make up numbers. And also a proper baddy is sorely lacking; Loki is outstanding, but he’s more an amusing stooge than an arch-villain. As far as Marvel team productions are concerned, the movie versions of X-Men play in a much higher league. (05/02/2012)

In the weight class of superheroes who, instead of psychotherapy sessions where they spend two hours figuring out their superhero identity, manage everything by letting their powers speak, preferably in a pretty fierce, loud, and explosive way, the Avengers actually have no competition far and wide. For the first hour, they tease each other with humor, and they use it together against the alien invasion. Kudos to Whedon for dividing up the roles precisely and giving everyone exactly the space they need. Most importantly, it's all done inventively (camera tricks) and it’s imaginatively (funny inserts even into the serious scenes) shot. [My only criticism goes to Loki. Hiddleston isn't so bland anymore because now he’s a charismatic bastard whose character portrayal by the writers falls a little short. Edit: After the second screening, this criticism no longer applies either.] (05/04/2012)

Yes, the story is sterile and stale, the emotions non-existent and the pace of the narrative is rather erratic, inflated at the end into a charmless presentation of risk-free superhero action. But it doesn't matter, The Avengers is still the chosen one, a film that represents the most basic Marvel idea of colourful comic book characters quite perfectly and surgically accurate. All the clichés are deliberate, skilfully adapted to build an adequately simple plot that best suits this kind of team-ups and that doesn't unnecessarily distract from its primary intention: the entertaining interaction between the diverse heroes, the development of their relationship and the careful interplay with previous (and of course future) instalments of the Marvel Universe. It’s a great COMIC-BOOK movie, with utterly likeable archetypal characters, a charismatic villain, and effects like something out a fan's wildest wet dreams. It doesn't play on civility like Nolan, it plays only for the devoted fans of Tony Stark, Captain America, Thor or the Hulk, and in a perfectly balanced and precise way, as if all those legendary books suddenly came to life and took to the streets of Manhattan, without any questions or delays. The actors are without exception excellent, with the cherry on top in the form of the incredibly sexy Scarlett, before whom, as an enemy I would have knelt down on the spot and desperately cried "Capture me, Lord, capture me!" :)) 90% (05/24/2012)

The Avengers are getting better. The disappointment of the movie theatre is slowly but surely fading thanks to the DVD, and the only problems I really have are with the character of Hawkeye (or rather, his wooden performance) and the fact that the film wants to be endlessly breathtaking at times while making fun of itself, which is a strange game I haven't yet bought into. (05/14/2012)