Initial thoughts: I didn't have high hopes for The Avengers film despite the fact that it had a lot going for it. This was probably down to Captain America And Thor not being that great (in my opinion).
Marvels Avengers
We saw a different side to Tony Stark in the Avengers with a change from his usual cocky self. A compassionate element to his character surfaced although I won't go into any more detail as to why for fear of revealing important plot points.
Whedon managed to conjure up a different side to Banner for the Avengers film. Banner comes across as more of a likeable character this time around. Granted, the character still has all the pent up aggression but there is also that lost soul element. He is a man who has to deal with a great burden and this comes across nicely thanks to Mark Ruffalo playing the character a someone who is slightly depressed but with an explosive side that could emerge at any moment. But it is the glimmer of warmth that failed to come across in previous Hulk incarnations (apart from Bill Bixby's portrayal) that makes this version more audience friendly. Of course this incarnation of Hulk is not perfect. It is an improvement over the previous version but it doesn't quite match the fluid motion of the animation found in Ang Lees effort. In that film you truly believed in his strength but most importantly you could buy into his weaknesses. Above all in that film the motion capture effect was spot on. Unfortunately in the Avengers the Hulk felt a bit like a video game character. I'm not saying that the Avengers Hulk was bad it just doesn't quite live up to expectations. Motion capture wise it was pretty good as Ruffalo put his own spin on the character.
None of the characters were pushed into the background which felt like a refreshing change. Before going into the film I assumed that Black Widow and Hawkeye would play minor parts in the grand scheme of things but thankfully I was proved wrong. Both characters had a nice story arc going on. Every character had a part to play.
Good points
The Avengers is pure action from start to finish and the characters are a joy to watch. Tom Hiddleston plays an excellent villain, injecting a sense of British charm into the character. The characters work well together with each one bringing something special to the proceedings. There is plenty of life in this film with a wealth of awesome special effects and plenty of witty one liners to keep the viewer entertained.
Bad points
The pacing of the film was a bit too fast for my liking and as a result it was hard to take some of the action scenes seriously. Also, the Hulk wasn't the best, he was good, but the Ang Lee version remains tall in terms of realism (life like movements and believable behaviour). Those are my only gripes in an otherwise entertaining film.
Overall opinion
Marvels Avengers is a must see movie with plenty to offer, in fact even non Marvel fans should enjoy it. The story moves along at a swift pace and the action comes thick and fast. Every character has their own story to tell and it's nice to see that none of them are pushed to the sidelines.
Score: 8.3/10
