Back when Iron Man hit theaters in 2008, the concept of a “cinematic universe” sounded ridiculous. Four years later, legions of fan were on board to see the first test with The Avengers. Would this culmination of Phase One feel big enough without losing its soul? There were so many ways this ambitious plan could fall short. The more recent messes of DC’s Justice League or even The Defenders TV series from Marvel show how it could fail. Could the MCU succeed?
It’s surprising to look back at The Avengers today and realize how well it tells a story. Long stretches without action build up the characters beyond their original movies. Characters like Nick Fury and Natasha Romanoff expand into more complete individuals. It’s a blockbuster that isn’t just trying to throw money at the screen. It concludes the first chapter and opens the door to a lot more. This bridge to Phase Two rarely feels like it’s just setting up future movies. Our knowledge of the first five movies allows the screenplay from Joss Whedon (and story by Zak Penn) to skip obvious exposition. We dive right into an adventure that’s already in progress.
I’ve watched this film several times, but it had been a longer time than with most of the earlier MCU releases. I was more excited to see how this first Avengers story would hold up today. It’s refreshing to catch up with a fun, complicated story that deserves the hype. It’s going to take a lot to knock The Avengers off the top of my rankings for this rewatch. But more on that later; let’s dive into Marvel’s first epic!
The Earth Implodes!
Our story begins with a quick shot of Loki speaking with The Other; we know upfront the threat is serious. We’re dropped into a massive S.H.I.E.L.D. facility with Nick Fury, Coulson, and Cobie Smoulders’ Maria Hill, who we meet for the first time. NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Space Power Facility in Sandusky, Ohio provides the right massive setting. Loki quickly arrives to steal the Tesseract, and we’re off to the races!
Despite the importance of this moment, nothing feels too heavy in these scenes. The way that Samuel L. Jackson tells Loki to “please put down the spear” draws a big laugh. It’s good to remind us that all of this is pretty silly. It’s interesting to not have any of the main superheroes involved in this action scene. Loki’s success with the heist (and controlling Clint Barton) shows that even S.H.I.E.L.D is ill-equipped for this fight.
This opening sequence lasts about 10 minutes, but it packs mayhem into that time. Hill chases down Clint and Loki’s henchmen in a straight-up car chase while the base disintegrates. Seeing this huge space implode reminds us how everything will get bigger in The Avengers. Whedon throws the Marvel template out the window and just rolls through the packed scenes. The basic plot is pretty simple; the team must overcome its differences and doubts to save Earth. However, there are a lot of small twists and turns to reach that point.
Assembling the Heroes
The next steps involve gathering everyone together to battle his new enemy. This could easily feel perfunctory yet stays interesting because the story keeps moving. I’m also interested in what everyone has been doing, especially Bruce Banner. Mark Ruffalo steps into the role with ease and brings added menace. Even if we knew little about The Hulk, we do not want “the other guy” to arrive. Natasha Romanoff starts in a stereotypical interrogation straight out of Alias but Johansson finds way to sidestep the clichés. It helps that we know she’s way ahead of her captors. The quick fight scene from Iron Man 2 revealed her many skills.
We return to the post-credit scene from Captain America: The First Avenger, but it plays differently this time with Fury and Steve Rogers. Tony Stark is enjoying romance with Pepper Potts and supporting clean energy, but it doesn’t take much to get him on board. The early moments with everyone (well, except Thor) meeting have a nice levity to them. Banner looks a bit lost among other people while Coulson fawns over Captain America.
The first big fight with Loki feels strange, and not just because he wants to be caught. The moment with the Holocaust survivor standing up to the villain doesn’t really fit. It rejects Loki’s idea that humanity craves subjugation, but I’m not sure he really believes that point. Tom Hiddleston plays Loki as a guy who’s trying so hard to be the Big Bad. However, there’s always a little doubt that he really deserves that label. He’s clever and willing to kill, but it’s more about the game than the ultimate prize. Loki would probably be bored if he actually ruled Earth.
Fan Service?
My least favorite sequence in The Avengers seems designed to answer questions I might have asked as a kid. Who would win a fight between Iron Man and Thor? Could Captain America’s shield stop Thor’s hammer? The fight also goes on for a long time. It’s the only moment in the story that could use some cuts. Conflict between the heroes makes for a good story, but the fights seem over the top. They’ve just captured Loki, who is threatening the world, so why keep pummeling each other?
I appreciate the moment when Rogers stops everyone and acts like a parent corralling misbehaving kids. There’s a reason he’s my favorite of the current leads so far. Thankfully, the rest of the scenes on board the Helicarrier work brilliantly. Placing Loki inside the cage leads to excellent scenes with multiple characters, especially Romanoff. The way that she interrogates Loki to find out his plans also teaches us a bit about her background. We learn personal details about her character while she discovers part of Loki’s plans. I’m curious to see how these hints play out in the Black Widow film when it’s finally released.
There’s also snappy dialogue including this fun exchange between Thor and Romanoff:
Thor: Have a care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!
Natasha Romanoff: He killed eighty people in two days.
Thor: He’s adopted.
I’ve soured on Whedon because of ugly personal revelations and some less inspiring work, but he excels at this type of rapid-fire banter. It feels more like a screwball comedy than an action blockbuster.
We’re a Time Bomb
What clicks in this middle hour are the quieter moments before all hell breaks loose. When everyone confronts Fury about Phase 2, the argument works because they’re talking about issues of faith, confidence, and teamwork. If they don’t trust Fury and each other, how can this team even function? What’s unclear is whether Loki’s scepter is messing with their minds and increasing the dissension. I believe it’s playing a role, especially with Banner getting upset without even realizing he’s holding the scepter.
It’s a little boring to describe action scenes, so I’ll just praise a few standout moments. The shot of The Hulk chasing down Black Widow is scary because of the long build-up to this moment. The hand-to-hand fight between her and Clint offers a nice change of pace from the bigger shots. We’re watching two characters that care for each other battle within a small space. Stark and Rogers also work together well to save the Helicarrier, which reveals their future bond.
While it’s a disastrous fight for the heroes, it sets them on the course to become a team. Fury’s iconic speech about The Avengers Initiative following Coulson’s death gives them purpose for the final battle with Loki and the Chitauri. He gives them the “push” they needed to work together. Banner receives his encouragement from the great Harry Dean Stanton in a quick cameo as a security guard. It could be a throwaway role but is memorable because Stanton is amazing as usual.
This All Seems…Horrible
The Battle of New York doesn’t let us down, especially compared to similar epic finales in Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013. Those conclusions decimated civilians while evoking 9/11 in a painfully obvious way. The Avengers delivers an exciting finish without making us cringe. One reason is because it’s funny; The Hulk randomly punching Thor is hilarious every time. We’re also on board with these characters and want them to succeed. The enemies are largely faceless, but that isn’t really the point.
Before the fighting starts, Robert Downey Jr. gets a hero moment when he puts Loki in his place. While it nearly leads to Stark’s death, it outlines the stakes for everyone. Loki may think he’s running the show, but he’s really a pawn for the bigger enemy behind the scenes. He’s also no match for The Avengers when they’re all working together. Hulk reminds him that clever tricks only work so much when the big green guy can make you a puny god.
The mid-credits scene originally sent less knowledgeable viewers (like me) scrambling to learn about this new enemy. Although not played by Josh Brolin, he’s ultimately Thanos. We won’t see too much of him for a long while, but this moment gets us started. This is also the first appearance of two post-credit scenes. We close with the wonderful shot of the heroes silently eating shawarma in a damaged restaurant. It’s a graceful way to finish a packed movie that stayed light on its feet right to the end.
Favorites: The Avengers
There are so many options to pick from in this list of favorites. Even after multiple viewings, I keep discovering new things in The Avengers. I’m sticking with my normal approach with these picks, but they are just a small part of the fun. I’d love to hear what you’d pick in the comments.
- Scene(s): The heroes have a big argument before all hell breaks loose.
- Character: Nick Fury is the centerpiece to bring the heroes together.
- Shot: We see an enraged Hulk chasing down Black Widow in the background while she flees on the Helicarrier.
- Action Scene: The entire sequence on the Helicarrier in the second act even outshines the Battle of New York.
- Surprise: There’s more dialogue scenes than I remembered.
Rankings
If you’ve read this far, it won’t surprise you to learn that The Avengers does well in the rankings and is now the leader. It doesn’t introduce new characters (beyond a quick Thanos appearance), but some get more of a chance to shine. This film also sets a new bar for post-credit scenes with two that include a key plot moment and silly ending. The exception is the Stan Lee scene, which I keep forgetting actually happened.
The Movies
1. The Avengers
2. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Iron Man
4. Thor
5. The Incredible Hulk
6. Iron Man 2
Lead Characters
1. Steve Rogers/Captain America
2. Tony Stark/Iron Man
3. Thor
4. Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Villains
1. Loki (Thor, The Avengers)
2. Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)
3. General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (The Incredible Hulk)
4. Ivan Vanko (Iron Man 2)
5. Obediah Stane (Iron Man)
6. Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)
7. Emil Blonsky/The Abomination (The Incredible Hulk)
Key Supporting Characters (Not Villains)
1. Peggy Carter (Captain America: The First Avenger)
2. Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Iron Man 2, The Avengers)
3. Nick Fury (Iron Man 2, The Avengers)
4. Agent Coulson (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers)
5. Jane Foster (Thor)
6. Pepper Potts (Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers)
7. Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Thor, The Avengers)
8. Colonel Chester Phillips (Captain America: The First Avenger)
9. Howard Stark (Iron Man 2, Captain America: The First Avenger)
10. James “Bucky” Barnes (Captain America: The First Avenger)
11. Odin (Thor)
12. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Iron Man, Iron Man 2)
13. Betty Ross (The Incredible Hulk)
Stan Lee Appearances
1. Plays Larry King (Iron Man 2)
2. Wears a bathrobe as “Heff” at a party (Iron Man)
3. Drives a pick-up truck to grab Thor’s hammer (Thor)
4. A general watching an award ceremony (Captain America: The First Avenger)
5. Dismisses the idea of superheroes in New York (The Avengers)
6. Drinks contaminated soda (The Incredible Hulk)
Post-Credit Scenes
1. The heroes silently eat shawarma in a nearly destroyed restaurant after the Battle of New York (The Avengers)
2. Thanos learns that Earth is formidable and smiles. (The Avengers)
3. Loki survives and controls Dr. Selvig (Thor)
4. Nick Fury introduces himself and The Avengers Initiative (Iron Man)
5. Coulson arrives in New Mexico for the discovery of Thor’s hammer (Iron Man 2)
6. Tony Stark meets Ross in a bar and tells him about the team (The Incredible Hulk)
7. Nick Fury calls upon Captain America, and we see a preview of The Avengers (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Next Time on Friday Night Movies
The MCU rewatch continues as we roll into Phase Two with Iron Man 3! We’ve seen a lot of Tony Stark so far, and that will continue once again. Next week, I’ll join the circus and see if I believe an elephant can fly. I recently saw the Tim Burton adaptation of Dumbo, so it will be interesting to check out the original Disney film once again.
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Related Articles: The Avengers
Iron Man (MCU Rewatch #1)
The Incredible Hulk (MCU Rewatch #2)
Iron Man 2 (MCU Rewatch #3)
Thor (MCU Rewatch #4)
Captain America: The First Avenger (MCU Rewatch #5)
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