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| Poster artwork for the action comedy drama film The Avengers. |
Powerful
Pack
by Linh
The blockbuster action film from Marvel, The Avengers, that is also called Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom,
and based on the comic book with minor alterations made for the film adaptation
is directed and co-written by Joss Whedon (Serenity,
The Cabin In The Woods). Most of Whedon’s
vision for the film’s premise is realised, and the cast assembled to portray
the team of superheroes are superb. Whedon, who is mostly known for his work in
the television series Buffy The Vampire
Slayer, brings together a group of individuals who all manage to work as a
team on the screen. All the superhero characters have already appeared in films
leading up to this film’s release, which makes it easier to attract an audience
and create a larger fanbase.
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AWESTRUCK
AVENGERS: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans)
prepare for the battle ahead in the film The
Avengers. Image: Marvel Studios.
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In The Avengers,
Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D, is experimenting
with the special cube of unlimited sustainable energy called the Tesseract,
when he is rudely interrupted by Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Loki uses his sceptre
to “cast a spell” on Dr. Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye
(Jeremy Renner), making them his followers, then destroys S.H.I.E.L.D
headquarters as he departs with the Tesseract.
Nick Fury sends out orders to
his spy agents Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
(Scarlett Johansson) to enlist the help of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey
Jr.) and Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) respectively. Meanwhile, Nick
Fury convinces Steve Rogers/ Captain America (Chris Evans) to join the fight
against Loki. After the team have captured Loki in Stuttgart, Germany, Thor
(Chris Hemsworth) drops in to take Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard. The
team warns Thor that Loki has sent an army to destroy Earth and the Tesseract
is missing, so he agrees to hold Loki in custody until they find the Tesseract.
However, Loki’s plans of ultimate power and control look likely until the team
of superheroes can work together to stop the invaders on land and in the air.
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HULK
HORROR: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) escapes the rage
of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in the film The
Avengers. Image: Marvel Studios.
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The battle scenes look spectacular and are brilliantly
edited so the action from the air and on the ground blend and move smoothly
from one character’s fight scene to another.
The hand-to-hand combat and fight scenes leading up to the big battle in
Manhattan are excellent; Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as
Hawkeye give each other powerful punches and kicks before calming down to a
brief emotional moment of shared history from their past; the forest fight
scene between Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is a
comical masculinity-contest and seems to help establish an understanding of how
they can use their powers “with” instead of “against” each other.
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HOTSHOT
HAWKEYE: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) makes a perfect hit as he leaps
through the air in the film The Avengers.
Image: Marvel Studios.
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Throughout the film, there seems to be an underlying
message of “power” and “unity”, which involves the superheroes assembling as a
group without losing their own individuality, and the idea of how power can be
corruptive and destructive as well as easily shared to assist humanity. The
“power” which Nick Fury and Tony Stark/Iron Man seek pertains to an energy
source that is clean, unlimited and sustainable which can provide power for
everyone’s daily needs. The “power” which Loki craves is the control or
domination over others and a desire that they must serve him as their ruler. In
an ironic plot-twist, the power of the Tesseract is used to unleash destructive
forces upon Manhattan, New York, prompting the superheroes to use their powers
to fight back.
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HEROIC
HEAT: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans)
and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) fight off a fiery foe in the film The Avengers. Image: Marvel Studios.
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The film uses a variety of special effects in audio and
visual depictions, including motion-capture technology for Mark Ruffalo to
physically portray The Hulk. In the past, the giant green monster was usually
computer generated and voiced by Lou Ferrigno. The film’s visually stunning and
breath-taking action sequences are some of the best work for the Marvel comic
book film franchise. The Avengers exceeded
expectations at the box office in Australia in 2012, as it is a fun, exciting
and fast-paced film where every scene counts.
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AGILE
AVENGER: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) lies low as Bruce
Banner unleashes The Hulk in the film The
Avengers. Image: Marvel Studios.
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Director: Joss
Whedon
Writers:
Joss Whedon (story, screenplay), Zack Penn (story), Stan Lee (comic book), Jack
Kirby (comic book)
Cast:
Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Chris
Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård,
Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alexis Denisof, Jenny Agutter,
Powers Boothe, Harry Dean Stanton, Stan Lee, Donald Li, James Eckhouse, Lou
Ferrigno (voice), Paul Bettany (voice)
Producers:
Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Alan Fine, Patricia Whitcher, Jeremy Latcham, Louis
D’Esposito, Avi Arad, Kevin Feige,
Victoria Alonso
Cinematographer:
Seamus McGarvey
Original
Music Composer: Alan Silvestri
Film
Editor: Jeffrey Ford, Lisa Lassek
Production: James Chinlund (Production Designer), Billy
Hunter, Randy Moore, Benjamin Edelberg, Richard L. Johnson, Gregory S. Hooper,
Jann K. Engel (Art Directors), Victor J. Zolfo (Set Decorator)
Costume
Designer: Alexandra Byrne
Languages:
English, Russian and Hindi with English subtitles
Running
Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
