Avengers —Josh Sarnecky
Martin Scorsese may not like it, but the film industry has never been the same since the Avengers first assembled in 2012. While The Avengers is not my favorite film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (that honor belongs to Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Panther), the movie’s ambition and influence are unmatched. This superhero team-up managed to transform a group of B and C list comic book characters into household names and cultural icons.
Comic book movies have been a staple at the box office for decades now, but the four films in The Avengers franchise each hold a spot among the ten highest grossing movies of all time. Numerous studios have attempted to replicate Marvel’s success and create their own cinematic universes; at this writing, none of them (including Marvel’s rival, DC) have achieved the same level of success. As the first film to bring the heroes of individual blockbusters together to universal critical and commercial success, the impact of The Avengers on the entertainment industry and on global popular culture cannot be overstated.
For all of its success, the movie shouldn’t work. The characters and their superstar actors are forced to share screen time but not overshadow one another. The plot is generally simplistic and can be easily summed up as “team forms to catch bad guy, team catches bad guy, bad guy escapes, team reunites to defeat bad guy, team enjoys shawarma.” And, at the time, none of the heroes were considered as recognizable or beloved as past superheroes on film like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man. Miraculously, The Avengers overcomes all of these potential roadblocks and actually leans into them for the betterment of the film.
Thanks in no small part to director/writer Joss Whedon, the characters’ interactions and their dialogue transform each scene into a fan-pleasing sensation. Whedon joyously explores each hero’s path, pushes them into conflict, and shines a light on their growth by the movie’s end. The script is wildly quotable and deftly balances comedy, action, and heart. Even as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki threatens to steal the spotlight, The Avengers reminds you that this toy box is full of fun characters with their own histories, motivations, and quirks. The circular shot of the titular team gearing up for the final battle is nothing short of iconic.
That shot represents the creative willpower that shaped this movie into being and the still-unfolding potential this film launched. Whether or not The Avengers should be considered cinema or should be inducted into the lofty film canon so arduously guarded by some gatekeepers is irrelevant. What remains clear is that The Avengers is undoubtedly one of the most important and enjoyable experiences in film this decade.
