THE AVENGERS Review

Directed by: JOSS WHEDON

Produced by: KEVIN FEIGE

Screenplay by: JOSS WHEDON

Story by: ZAK PENN & JOSS WHEDON

Based on: "The Avengers" by STAN LEE & JACK KIRBY

Starring: ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., CHRIS EVANS, MARK RUFFALO, CHRIS HEMSWORTH, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, JEREMY RENNER, TOM HIDDLESTON, CLARK GREGG, COBIE SMULDERS, STELLAN SKARSGÅRD, SAMUEL L. JACKSON

Critical reception: ROTTEN TOMATOES -  92%

                                       IMDB - 8.5/10

                                       METACRITIC: 69/100

Synopsis: Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army. 

The strength of The Avengers was not in the story but in its casting. The actors and actresses  cast were impeccable, fitting into their roles beautifully (with a few minor exceptions here and there). Robert Downey, Jr. delivered yet another brilliant turn as the "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" Iron Man. Chris Evans did a stolid job as the 'fish-out-of-water' Captain America while Chris Hemsworth continues to have a godly presence in his scenes. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow character and back-story were fleshed out in more detail this time than in Iron Man 2 while unfortunately, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye was reduced to a more-or-less bit player. Representing the shadowy intelligence organisation S.H.I.E.L.D, Samuel L. Jackson continues in playing another no-nonsense character- this time as Nick Fury, war veteran and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Once again, Clark Gregg is spot-on as the impassive yet funny Agent Coulson whereas Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill was rather wooden and stilted. 

The two real stand-outs, however, were Tom Hiddleston and Mark Ruffalo as Loki and Bruce Banner respectively- at least in this writer's opinion. Tom Hiddleston brought a certain gravitas to his role that turned Loki into an emotionally-damaged and complex character as opposed to a mere two-dimensional villain. Mark Ruffalo, taking over from Eric Bana and Edward Norton, brought a certain geekish, shyer and even boyish charm to the conflicted character of Bruce Banner. He was also the first actor to actually play the Hulk using the same motion-capture technology that allowed Andy Serkis to play Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and you can see the Ruffalo features in the Hulk as he tears up buildings and villains, ending up as one of the more memorable characters.

In terms of action and special-effects, the $220 million budget was certainly well-spent- the Helicarrier, battles between the members of the Avengers and the final showdown in New York were beautifully rendered and on a grand-scale. These scenes and more were truly adrenaline-pumping and breath-taking, executed brilliantly. 

However, the movie is not without its weaknesses. The director, Joss Whedon is a household name for his television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the short-lived Firefly. He  also wrote for several comic-books, his most notable work the Astonishing X-Men series. His film credits include contributions to the screenplays of Toy Story, Speed and Alien Resurrection. Joss Whedon was therefore more of a writing-man than a director and even then for television than films. The lack of experience in the latter could be felt on occasions as the film suffered at times from a more television style, something on which even Marvel executives agreed on.

Furthermore, the story came dangerously close to becoming more of a comedy than a serious superhero movie. While the numerous one-liners and one or more pop culture references were a welcome breath of fresh air, it veered dangerously close to becoming campy- and one look at the disastrous Batman & Robin shows how toxic that can be. Similarly, if one were to ask what they remembered most about The Avengers after watching it for the first-time, many people would say that it was the jokes more than the action sequences. That can be interpreted as both positive and negative, though it did not make the film any less entertaining. 

With regards to the story, it was rather formulaic and overly familiar (alien invasion movies have been done just one too many times) and indeed, the third act was more or less a rip-off of Transformers: Dark of the Moon (albeit far more enjoyable). This isn't necessarily the fault of Joss Whedon- the alien invasion appears to have been a stipulation of the producers and studio heads. Likewise, the themes and issues weren't entirely thought-provoking or ground-breaking as the film tended to centre more around the characters- which was why they were the highlight and support of the film. In a given choice of a better story or better characters, the latter is always more preferable. However, when considering that the real duty of The Avengers seems to have been to deliver a humourous, exhilarating and action-oriented popcorn affair- in that aspect, it performs beautifully.  

What happens next:

'Phase 2'. That's how Marvel Studios' president and the man responsible for shepherding the films, Kevin Feige, is describing it. 'Phase 2' will consist of  Iron Man 3 (2013), the third installment in the Iron Man franchise, followed by the sequels to Thor and Captain America, respectively titled Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). The new entries will include Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Ant-Man (TBA). Also, a S.H.I.E.L.D TV series is announced to be in the works under the guidance of Joss Whedon, who has been contracted to help guide all these movies and TV show to culminate in the yet-to-be-titled sequel, The Avengers 2 (2015). 

Personal opinion:

The Avengers was not merely a movie- it was a cinematic event and milestone, the pay-off of nearly a decade's worth of creative risks, almost a billion dollars in expenses and trust in both the people developing the films, the cast and most importantly, the audience. What began as a teasing post-credits scene in 2008's Iron Man culminated in the spawning of the individual solo outings of Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Incredible Hulk (though Edward Norton was eventually replaced) and the sequel Iron Man 2 before leading up to The Avengers. It was a daring move, connecting all these films into a shared universe, a move never attempted before. Now, Marvel Studios can breathe a sigh of relief: upon its release, The Avengers broke multiple box-office records and has attained the position of being the third-highest grossing film of all-time, with over a billion dollars in the bank. 

Not only that- it would also change the face of the superhero movie genre with regard to hero team-ups, something that DC Comics is now attempting to emulate with a possible Justice League movie. In addition, it was a breath of fresh air in the movie adaptations of comic-books. Ever since Christopher Nolan made Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, nearly every superhero movie that follows is trying to make it 'gritty and realistic'. Not all movies are suited for such an approach and certainly not The Avengers. There needs to be variation or the superhero movie market is going to become very saturated.   

Writer's rating: 4/5

2012: Year of the Superhero

In the world of motion pictures, the year and summer of 2012 will always be remembered as 'The Year of the Superhero'- not just for having three superhero flicks released in the same year but for being three big names: THE AVENGERS (Marvel's biggest risk and pay-off to date), THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (a reboot of a very popular comic-book character and a barely decade-old film franchise) and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (the conclusion to one of the most critically acclaimed trilogy of a Batman incarnation).

With the summer officially over and all three films released, the natural question is: out of the three, which one was the best movie? 

Over the next few days, I shall release a detailed examination on all three films in order to reach a conclusion. Stay tuned! 

Review: THE AVENGERS

Review: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

#27 (Or Life Through A Prism's Eye)

A heart cannot be made of stone
But one person's actions may turn it so.
Give her your love and you may find
it tossed in the trashcan- you're just not her type.

Even though you asked her to think
it over; all she said was she didn't feel the same.

They say fair is foul and foul is fair-
I regret now I cared 
for you the way I did all that time. 
You broke my heart,
and the pieces lay shattered on the ground, bleeding-
Crying to come back together.

But it's all right, time will heal the scars
and now, I simply wish you well- I hope one day you find 
Someone who loves you just as much I did once. 
For the world needs love to make it go 'round
And a cynic, like I, does not fit the job.

(LONG OVERDUE) FOREWORD FOR 2012

Checking back through the blog, I realise that the last post I made was way back in October last year... according to my math, unless I am mistaken, it's nearly five months since then. Technically, that makes it my first post for 2012. Whoopie-doo!

I don't have any real message or much news to put out for this first post. Just thought I'd share a couple of my ideas about what's been happening, what's going to happen and what may hopefully happen this year. I think I owe it to the people who STILL check out my blog even though it's blogger seems to have been dead all this time.

So the biggest thought on most people's minds once they stop thinking about what to do with their lives is the 2012 Question: IS the world coming to an end this December, as per the Mayan myth made famous by the movie 2012. Frankly, I couldn't care less. The world is in such a terrible situation that it seems like we NEED a crisis like this to smash all the problems in order to start afresh- order from chaos. Besides, it's just a better excuse to do all the things you want to do but were unable to. Just be careful, though- it would be awkward after all that the world doesn't end after all.

It also appears that TROLLING Pictures have successfully invaded the Internet. Sites like 9GAG have now become a guilty pleasure and enjoyable past time, although I have to admit, it's now the biggest time waster since the inception of Facebook. Phrases such as "Like a Boss", "Watch out, we got a badass over here" and "Epic Win", "Bitch, please" amongst many others, have integrated themselves into daily life and conversation these days. I myself use them constantly, especially when online.

Another guilty pleasure I've gotten myself into is the delight of a TV Show by the name of "COMMUNITY". I LOVE IT! The constant pop-culture references and meta-humour make it feel so much more real than all the other sitcoms on the cable these days. Thank God NBC put the show back on the schedule after putting it on indefinite hiatus- criminal offense of the first degree! Besides, Alison Brie is one of the most amazing characters on that show and it's lamenting that girls like her no longer exist. Five-to-six females out of ten around my age nowadays are pretentious show-offs and b*****s, sorry to say it. It's amazing how when they're all together in the same place the building doesn't implode for all the collected stupidity.  

That's it for now, I guess. A big thank you to all those who tune into my blog.

Here's to the future. May the Force be with you.

MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE MOVIES

It's been a hectic week and I've barely had anytime to write for HOLMES' HIDEOUT. So, rather than delving into an article or story, I decided to share with you, dear reader, my Top Ten Favourite Movies of all time. If you haven't watched them, check them out, and please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and your favourite movies too!

MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE MOVIES:

01. The Lord of the Rings trilogy

02. The Lion King

03. Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes Back

04. Lawrence of Arabia

05. Schindler's List

06. Casablanca

07. Ratatouille

08. The Dark Knight

09. Spider-Man 2

10. Toy Story 3

THE EXTINCTION OF A SPECIES CALLED "GEEKS"

Geek: (gēk) n. a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked

– Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Geek: (gēk) n. a cool species that is sadly misunderstood

– Dinesh Liyanage

In addition to tigers, Giant Pandas and Asian elephants, this author would like to submit a new entry to the list of endangered species: a small dying breed known as “geeks”.

It is incredibly and unbelievably sad that only a very few people remain with whom I could engage in a long and entertaining conversation that will sporadically jumps from the universe and mythology of Star Wars to the world that was first entered through a wardrobe and came to be known as Narnia, from the magical castle of Hogwarts of Harry Potter to joining two Hobbits on a ragged and dangerous journey outlined in the epic trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. 

What ever happened to the days where we would sit at one side and endlessly discuss the fate of Harry Potter as we waited in eager anticipation for the release of the final book? Does anyone still imagine how cool it would be to wield real lightsabers or actually be a part of the timeless galaxy created by George Lucas? And is there anyone left who remembers the Golden Age of Pokémon, a glorious era of childhood where trading cards and playing the Nintendo Games held an important place in a child’s life? If one went walking around the school about six years ago, in almost every nook and corner, one would hear the latest developments in Pokémon: Ruby. My birthday cake for my sixth birthday was moulded in the shape of that yellow critter Pikachu- and every time I remember that piece of my childhood, it has never failed to put a smile on my face. 

Where is the geek in us nowadays? For that matter, is anyone even aware about such pop icons and influences that have helped shape culture into what it is today? Most people seemed to have dunked the head of the geek inside them into a vat of boiling acid and let it burn and shrivel to death, allowing a dull soul to grow instead in its place. I know many people who tell me to “grow up” when I start speaking of such things. They prefer to talk about mundane events, instead, like about the upcoming exams. 

Dear reader! Don’t ever let your inner geek die! It may occasionally fall silent but never allow it to remain permanently deaf. Heed its cries- let the geek raise its head and crow against all those who try to oppress it. 

I leave you with this line from the song Baba O’Riley by The Who:

~ “Don't cry, don't raise your eye. It's only teenage wasteland.” ~

BLOOD SPATTER

The urge to kill him was getting stronger.

     I am not a psychopath. But I am concerned about my sister’s well-being, especially after she made a decision to continue staying with Sean, even though the brute had beaten, battered and raped her in the past. She did not seem capable of detaching herself and letting the animal go, even after the number of times I tried explaining about how she was throwing her life and future away. She’d simply say, ‘I still love him, Tommy. And I know he loves me, too. No matter how… angry he can be.’

     It’s messed up, I know. But it’s hard on me because I love my sister. She’s the only one who’s ever truly understood me. Well, from what she’s seen of me, at least. There are some things about me that I prefer to keep hidden. No decent person would understand, not even someone as caring as my sister LeAnn. And I didn’t want to lose the only sibling and remaining family member I have.

     The gate I was standing in front of was dilapidated and rusted. It was guarding a house in an equally neglected state, the paint peeling and the walls dirty. The small front garden was unkempt and had been allowed to grow wild. A light bulb hung crookedly over the front door. The windows were stained and unclean, the curtains were drawn and even from this distance, I could hear the thump-thump of loud rap music blaring from inside.

     I winced. What was it with abusive people and their fascination with rap music?

     I placed my hand on the gate, but did not open it. I was still thinking about what I was planning to do. I absently ran my finger along the sheath of the hunting knife strapped to my side. The clean and sharp blade was craving for blood- I could hear its cries and pleas for it to be fed. Just like that knife, I too hungered for blood. The blood of the animal ruining my sister’s life.   

     I could have calmly walked into the house and slice Sean’s neck then and there. Disposing of the body— not a problem. I’d been rehearsing it in my mind for the past two weeks. The world wouldn’t miss the crack-snorting and abusive Sean; heck, they’d thank me and give a medal for getting rid of him. So what was stopping me? 

     My sister. LeAnn would never forgive me if she knew what I did. How sure am I about that? Very. She’d told me.

     ‘I can get rid of him for you, sis,’ I said quietly. There had only been a very few customers at the café that afternoon. The sun was shining on LeAnn’s head through the window. She was holding her cup of coffee in both hands, staring deeply— with an almost religious fervour— into the dark liquid trapped in its cylindrical container, as though she could see something that I could not.

     My sister had not spoken a word from the time she’d walked in after I had called and asked her to meet me. An enormous bruise on the side of her face was slowly purpling. Her eyes were red and swollen (from crying) and she looked prematurely aged, as if an extra three decades had been added to her already thirty years.

     But somewhere in her lost state of mind, she appeared to have registered what I’d said. She raised her head and met my gaze— and I started involuntarily. Her eyes were blazing with a fury I’d never witnessed before and to be honest, it frightened me.

     ‘Stay away from Sean, Tommy.’ LeAnn’s voice was hoarse and raspy from all the cigarettes she smoked. Her yellowed and stained fingernails curled around the coffee cup bore testimony to it. ‘It’s not your problem—’

     She coughed, a gravelly smoker’s cough. Somewhere deep inside me, I felt a twang of pity. Whatever said and done, at the end of the day, blood is thicker than water; and even if I didn’t care about people in general, I’d never put my sister in that league. I remember LeAnn from her cheerleading days back in high school— she was just another sixteen year old girl with all the same insecurities of life… but she was happier. It killed me to see her the way she was now.

     ‘Don’t, Tommy,’ she said, going through a second round of coughing. ‘Please… I can take of this.’

     And you’re doing a fine job, I thought.

     ‘Whatever you want, sis,’ I said. I placed my hand on hers— I’d learnt long ago that doing that helped. ‘I was… I’m just looking out for you.’

     She gazed at me. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes.

     ‘For what?’ I hated it when people started crying. But I’d learnt it was important to never show your distaste for the appearance of tears. Apparently, it made you a horrible person. I’m still trying to figure out how that exactly works.  

    ‘For dragging you into my problems.’ She pulled her hand away and fished around in her battered turquoise handbag for a clean handkerchief. She blew her nose and looked at me with freshly red and watery eyes. ‘You must be ashamed to tell people that I’m your sister.’

     ‘No, I’m not,’ I replied. It was the truth. But I was ashamed to say that she refused to leave Sean. ‘How could you think like that?’

     A weak smile from LeAnn. ‘Sorry.’

     I’m sorry, too, sis. I stared up at the house. I’m sorry— no, that’s a lie. I’m only too happy to kill your boyfriend.

     I pushed the gate open. It creaked noisily as it swung to a side on rusty hinges.

     The music grew louder with each step. I analysed my point of entry. Front door— no, not smart. Back door— better.   

     I sneaked around to the back. Stealthily, carefully, I turned the doorknob. The door opened without any noise or trouble. Good. I gripped the handle of the hunting knife with eager anticipation. I’d been waiting to do this for a long time.

     I padded through the tiny kitchen and into the living room. My nose crinkled at the smell. Let me try and describe it as simple as possible- combine the stench of unwashed gym socks with a decaying body under a hot sun, and you’ll know what I mean.

     The place was a mess. The rap music was blasting from a yellow boom box on the floor. Dirty cushions, unwashed and sweaty clothes and the remnants of half-eaten TV dinners lay strewn all over the living room. Filthy.

     And there he was. Lying on the couch. Sean was either unconscious or really drunk. His limp hand, dangling over the edge of the moth-eaten sofa, loosely clutched an empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s.

     Pig, I thought. You don’t deserve my sister.

     I quickly scanned the area. My sister was nowhere to be seen. Excellent. She’d never need to know what happened.

     ‘C’mon, Sean,’ I said softly. ‘Wakey, wakey.’

     I removed the hunting knife from its leather sheath and I stood over the sofa, where that piece of meat was snoring, his mouth open.

     ‘Wake up.’ And with my free left hand, I drove my fist into his enormous jutting beer belly.

     The effect was instantaneous. Sean’s eyes flew wide open, a guttural scream escaped his lips and he drunkenly tried to sit up, letting go of the bottle in his hand at the same time— all in the space of two seconds.

     Before he could collect his wits, I landed a powerful blow on the left side of his face. Another. His head swung stupidly. One more punch— yes! He sagged against the sofa, dazed… time to dispatch him.

     I pressed the knife against his neck and leaned close, trying not to let the smell of stale alcohol wash over me.

     ‘Sean,’ I hissed. ‘You’re a pain in the ass. It’s time for you to check out.’

     I raised the hunting knife.

     Recognition was beginning to register in Sean’s bloodshot eyes. He stared up at me wildly.

     ‘What the—’ He tried to stand up.

     I didn’t give him the chance. With one thrust, I plunged the knife into his neck.

     A fine red mist sprayed lightly on my shirt and hand as his throat instantly erupted. Sean’s eyes bulged and his neck started gurgling blood— I quickly removed a cloth from my pocket and slapped it against the wound, letting it absorb instead of spilling onto the furniture or floor.

     Then his eyes lost focus and rolled back in his head. The cloth was now soaked in red as it continued to take in the blood. The rap music played on, loud as ever.

     Carefully, I lifted his body and lowered him on to a part of the floor where there was no carpet for the blood to drip and stain. It was a struggle— the body seemed to weigh a tonne.  

     I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. I happened to glance up reflexively and I found my sister staring at me.

      For a whole minute, neither of us moved. Then I noticed her eyes travelling from my face… to the dead boyfriend on the living room floor… to the bloodied hunting knife in my hand.

     Her eyes went wide—

     ‘LeAnn,’ I said, ‘let me explain—’

     ‘I told you to stay away!’ The accusing words fell out of LeAnn’s mouth like a gunshot. ‘You just couldn’t listen, could you? You— you—’ She pointed me wildly. ‘Animal!’

     I felt a spasm inside me at the word. Animal. The very word I called— used to call— Sean. I looked down at the body at my feet. Am I an animal? If so, did that make me any different from Sean?      

     For once, I was at a complete loss. I had nothing to say to the sister who now saw me for a monster instead of a sibling trying to help. ‘LeAnn—’

     ‘Get out.’ It wasn’t a shout; it was a whisper. ‘Just get out.’

     ‘LeAnn—’

     ‘I’ll take care of the body.’ Her eyes bored into mine. ‘Then I want you to get the hell out of my life. I don’t know you anymore.’

     I stared at LeAnn… and I did as she asked. I stepped away from the corpse and walked out of the living room... out of the house… out of her life.

     It’s been fifteen years since I last saw my sister. True to my word, I didn’t contact her. That day, I saw something die inside LeAnn: her faith and trust in me. It had been replaced with a new feeling: fear. She was scared of what I had done. Of what I had become.

     To LeAnn’s credit, though, she never spoke a word about what had happened to Sean. The body was never found and the news never reached the ears of the police. I have been safe all this time.

     Am I a murderer? I don’t know. Was it wrong to get rid of the person hurting the sister I cared about? By the definition of the law, yes. Yet what is the law but a bunch of words created by old political fools with ulterior motives and nothing else to do?

     On the day I killed LeAnn’s boyfriend, I stepped out of the house and breathed deeply into the night air. I felt a… calmness… come over me. Sean was dead. My sister was safe. The urge to kill him was gone.

     I looked up at the sky and smiled. The moon had never looked more beautiful.