Obviously for an undertaking as big as this, the person chosen to bring it all together has to be expertly chosen. Enter Joss Whedon, who has been bringing together unlikely bands of heroes for almost the entirety of his career (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse), and he is certainly more than qualified for the job.
In the film Whedon is able to bring together a wholly unreal team of fighters together, in a surprisingly realistic matter. Their eventual team up feels neither forced nor rushed, and the timing is just right. You can't forget of course, even with the Avengers, just like anything else, some assembly is required. Being quite a fanboy himself, Whedon knows and understands the characters fully, and is able not only to bring these characters to life, but he also is able to have fun with them, which is actually one of the biggest highlights of the movie. The film capture the best bits of the heroes own respective films, and amplifies it for the big hero bash.
Every character also has a bit of wit to them, and it makes the movie all the more enjoyable. I'll shy away from spoiling the hilarious quips, but I'll just have you know the film has Whedon's signature subtle wit, as every snarky comment from Mr. Stark is pure comic gold (or gold titanium alloy I suppose), and even Dr. Banner is able to inspire a few laughs himself with his self-deprecating humor and well timed grunts.The film is as funny as it is smart, and you'll be not only cheering, but laughing along with your favorite heroes for the as they battle for the Earth.
Thankfully it's a believable battle as well, and Loki is able to upgrade from nemesis to arch quite well, and he makes for a chillingly calm villain that you love to hate. Every hero and foe has a role to play, and despite the overabundance of both, nobody feels out of place or useless. Screen time is also shared extremely well between the characters, and it never feels as if anyone got the short end of the stick.
Thankfully the performances of the actors match their heroes spot on as well. Robert Downey Jr. is Iron Man, his performance as bulletproof as it was in both of the past films. Chris Evans has finally found his hero, and plays the patriotic good-boy with heart. Chris Hemsworth is believably Shakespearean, and his 'Thor' seems to be ripped right out of the pages of fairy tales himself. Mark Ruffalo plays a rather convincing reluctant not-so-jolly green giant, convincing I'd say for Norton purists to at the least accept his performance. Jeremy Renner has perfected the stoic assassin character, and his Hawkeye has some of the coolest tech I've seen in a film in quite some time. Scarlett Johansson is lethally seductive as Black Widow once again, and her martial arts moves are as tight as the catsuit she dons. And of course, Samuel L. Jackson does his tough-as-nails, no nonsense take no Nick Fury which is as entertaining as it is boisterous. All in all the performances are well delivered and balanced, each character is unique and interesting, and when thrown in the ring together, it makes for very entertaining results.
The Avengers is a large accomplishment not only in it's own brilliance, but also in it's ability to be the first film to successfully bring together so many franchises, and do it in a way that is entertaining while at the same time being loyal to the original source material of which it is derived from. The film is fun, funny, and comic-cool all at the same time, and it welcomes easily those new to the franchise, as well as satisfies those who have just pulled themselves away from their most recent issue of Marvel comics. For the bold steps it takes The Avengers is almost flawless, and I can only urge you to see it if you haven't already.
