5

‘Avengers’, one of the most eagerly awaited Hollywood flicks of the year, has hit the screens today in India and the response has been staggering. The film has a ‘Who is Who’ of superheroes and the lineup is a dream come true for many movie lovers. Marvel Studios produced the project while Joss Whedon has written and directed this movie which has some A list actors like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, and Samuel L. Jackson. Let us see how the film is.

Story :

The plot is pretty simple and there is actually not much in terms of story line. Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) discovers that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is planning to take control of the Earth with the help of an alien race known as Chitauri. Nick must convince and assemble the SHIELD team, comprising of Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and other super heroes.

Some twists, personal motives and personal rivalry are thrown into the story to add depth. So will the Superheroes manage to save the earth? That basically forms the story.

Plus Points :

The ensemble star cast and the presence of so many superheroes on one platform is enough to watch the film. Apart from that, you get spellbinding action sequences, some enjoyable humour and top notch performances from all around. Special applause for Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. They just steal the show. Johansson in particular looks deadly.

As the evil Loki, Tom Hiddleston has done a very good job and this is perhaps one of the most intense performances seen for a negative character in recent times.

The second half is extremely good and the climax is going to appeal big time to action movie lovers. The subplots in the story are good and they lend the movie some depth. Special mention must be made about the CGI effects and the action sequences.

Minus Points :

There is nothing fresh in the basic outline of the story. The emotional connect required in films of this genre is missing in this movie, just like in ‘Battleship’. The action, the special effects and the explosions are all present. But there is no real euphoria once the villains are defeated. 3D effects are not too impressive.

The first half is spent in introducing the many characters and their subplots and things can get a little confusing at times. The much hyped fight between Iron Man and Thor fizzles out.

Technical Aspects :

As mentioned earlier, visual effects and fights are outstanding. The movie was shot in 2D format and converted to 3D during post production, so perhaps this is a reason for the not too impressive 3D effects. Editing is neat. Alan Silvestri’s music is good.

Whedon succeeds in lending the characters some good and humorous dialogues. His direction is top notch towards the end.

Verdict :

From a pure entertainment perspective, ‘Avengers’ works big time. There are plenty of action sequences, cool special effects and funny one liners. On the flip side, a better first half and some emotional depth to the proceedings would have been good. Still, Avengers makes for a solid watch. Don’t miss out on this one. Its a lot of FUN!

123telugu.com Rating : 3.75/5

Reviewed by Mahesh K.S.

Legend:

5 – Flawless

4 – Must Watch

3 – One Time Watch

2 – Wait for the DVD

1 – Stay Away