Oh my god! Oh my god, peeps! Today I saw The Avengers!!!!
Written and directed by my writing hero, Joss Whedon, The Avengers is the culmination of Marvel Studios multi-movie plan. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk all come together to form the world’s heroes – The Avengers. Also part of the team, but without solo movies, are Black Widow and Hawkeye.
Yeah. It was awesome.
So, why was this movie so awesome? Let me detail the ways!
No spoilers, peeps, so proceed without fear
Cost
One of things that mightily impressed me is how the cost to the characters was portrayed. These guys are superheroes, right? Nothing hurts them, correct?
Well, no.
The best way to show the power and might of an enemy is to show the damage they can wreck. If our heroes are SUPER, show the physical cost of their battles. If a demi-god, a super soldier, and a man in an iron suit can be beaten about as if they are annoying flies, what does that say about the might of the bad guys?
Our heroes get beaten up A LOT, and it takes it out of them. Each character shows the physical cost fighting bad guys takes on them, and yet they pick themselves up and continue fighting. This is a theme Joss Whedon visits often, especially in Angel. True heroism is picking yourself up when you’ve been beaten down, and continuing to fight.
Character-informed Dialogue
Joss has an amazing ear for dialogue. There are ten main characters, and each one sounds unique and different. Loki’s voice sounds nothing like Tony Stark’s voice, which sounds nothing like Agent Coulson’s voice, which sounds nothing like Natasha Romanoff’s voice. Each character’s dialogue informs their personality and goals.
When Thor speaks in his grandiose, Shakespearen way, you know this is because he is from another world. When Tony Stark makes smart-arse comments, you know he’s doing it to piss everyone off.
Undercutting
A big action or dramatic moment, where your heart is racing and you feel you are about to leap out of your skin, is immediately undercut with humour. You bark a laugh, and realise this is pacing at its finest.
Also, watch out for Hulk and Thor’s moment – fried gold.
Witty Banter
The Tony Stark/Pepper Potts scene. LOVE.
So there’s a few reasons I HEART The Avengers. I’m definitely going to rewatch this as soon as I possibly can.
And YAY JOSS!!!
