Superheros Combine in ‘Avengers’

By MEGAN CHAMPION

New York City is destroyed once again in Marvel’s “The Avengers,” which was released this summer and shown last weekend at Cheap Seats. It was the highest grossing film in the summer of 2012, and is currently the third highest grossing film of all time.
This is no fluke. Combining the epic superheroes from other popular Marvel movies, such as the “Iron Man” movies, “The Incredible Hulk,” “Thor” and “Captain America,” “The Avengers” was a force to be reckoned with.
The movie begins with a bang. Loki, Thor’s evil brother, steals the tesseract, an ancient artifact capable of opening a portal to Earth. Viewers are immediately thrown into the action with a car chase out of a collapsing research facility.
As the film progresses, each superhero is asked to drop what they’re doing and join the team to help save the planet. Natasha Romanov, or the Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is found tricking villains into giving up undercover information. Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., is called upon while making improvements to his big business.
Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, arrives in a burst of thunder from the sky, while Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo, must be tracked down by Romanov and manipulated into joining the team.
Finally, Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans, also known as Captain America, is still trying to make his way in a world that is not in the 1940s anymore.
Director Joss Whedon does well at developing every character. No single character is the main focus of the movie. This theme of individuality is continued throughout the film.
Each action scene features clips from each superhero’s perspective and about their own unique issues, such as the Hulk being afraid of his own strength and Thor’s conflicted feelings about his brother, Loki.
One of the more interesting aspects about the movie is the way in which these very different characters interact with each other. While each hero obviously has their main flaw, they all work together when united as a team. Iron Man’s cockiness helps motivate characters, and the Black Widow uses her skills to discover Loki’s plans.
There are many intense action scenes, but the movie hits its peak during the climax on the streets of Manhattan. Each character is present, working together using his or her own strength to save the day.
As the credits roll, many people would get up from their seats, but only true Marvel fans know there is always a scene at the end of the credits. Stay tuned to get a chance to see the Avengers chowing down on schawarma sandwiches.
“The Avengers” will be shown again in Lee 411 on Friday, Oct. 5, at 10 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.