I would like to take a little detour from my usual Jokercentric ramblings to speak about the AVENGERS MOVIE.
WOW! At first, I wondered how they could make a movie with so many characaters and still give them all some meaningful screen time that added to the plot. I mean, there is Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Ironman, Hulk, Agent Coulson, not to mention LOKI and his army and an array of supportive actors while there is only 2 hours and 30 minutes of movie. IMPOSSIBLE RIGHT?
WRONG!!!
Joss Whedon did an amazing work with the story and screenplay, allowing each of the characters to weave themselves into the plot in a way that flowed naturally. Each character takes the spotlight, like well choreographed fireworks, shining on details that have made them memorable (Fury’s commanding presence, Tony Stark complete disregard of authority while overflowingwith heroism, Captain America’s patriotism while searching for what it means to be a hero in a world so alien to him (without being cheesy), just to name a few). All while adding to the plot like threads add to the fabric.
But this could not have been accomplished if there was nothing to bring these heroes together because in the movies as in literature, heroes have to have something to forge their character. A Yin to their Yang…a villain. And here is LOKI, the vengeful (and may I add) psychotic demigod from Asgard magnificently played by Tom Hiddleston.
Most villains are hard to write while keeping them real. It is easier to write them flat and unidimensional; monsters or buffoons. Either extreme takes the menacing aspect from the villain, makes the plot weak, and the heroes just unrealistically heroic. That is why only a few villains transcend the page or the screen. Where would Moriarty, Dr. Doom, Joker, and Magneto be if they would have been carelessly written? Good villains embody not only evil, but highlight that side of us that we would like to keep in the shadows. They are mad, but they are human too (or demigod in this case). They are evil, but they are in a sense…they are like us and that is what makes them scary.
This is another thing in which I think Mr. Whedon excelled. Loki’s character was (in my humble opinion) magnificently written. From the Thor movie we knew that Loki was still alive and not happy. He felt displaced, humilliated, defeated by mortals and his spoiled half brother. And we know he was not going to just quit because he knew he was destined for some greater purpose.
But before he gets the spotlight, he’s going to to take on those that have done him wrong. Loki’s anger turns into vengeance, then slowly morphs into obsession to finally become madness. He is willing to sacrifice it all to show everybody his greatness. And that, like with every villain, is his downfall. He plays the heroes and is played upon in a clash of opposing forces that leaves us wondering what is really going through Loki’s mind. What is his ultimate goal? Can our heroes defeat a god?
I laughed, gasped, held my breath, sighed in relief and even shed a tear, all in just 2 and a half hours. That is what good movies are made of, and this movie has it all.
I’m not going to give spoilers here. There are plenty of sites where you can get those, but I will tell you that the movie is definitely worth watching, at least once. It is good entertainment, and lots of fun, while keeping a good quality of storytelling without becoming cheesy or ridiculous. Go to the movies and enjoy the two and half hours that will leave you yearning for more avengers, while satisfying your inner child dreams of superheroes and supervillains.
Oh, and before I forget…remember to stay in the theaters until after the credits so you can see what’s in store for the Avengers. Really want to know that bad? Ok, because you asked….THANOS
