Magic of the Marvel messiahs

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Just a thought: Now, what would happen to the global box-office if Superman, Batman, Flash, Aquaman and Wonder Woman from the DC Comics empire — with a guest appearance by Archie aka Archina nowadays — were to gang up to combat the creepiest crawly on earth?

Lex Luthor perhaps? The cash collections would go through all the platinum-plated roofs, Titanic would be dwarfed in the commercial charts, and sequels-prequels would continue to delight your great-grandkids.
Dream on. Mercifully another strong, extra-muscled superhero clan, has been kicking butt and more down the decades. Cut to the Marvel Comics’ stable of invincibles who team up in the all-too simply titled The Avengers. Some of the invincibles here have a personal agenda, some well over with the skimmed milk of human kindness. And all of them, it goes without emphasising, want everyone from Alaska and Zanzibar to Aurangabad to Adelaide, to live yappily after. Thanks guys, if it weren’t for the Marvel messiahs, we’d be dead ducklings. Quack.
In effect, this is to say don’t expect story substance or emotional morsels from the aptly timed special effects extravaganza of this summer. Directed by Joss Whedon — his biodata boasts only of the minor sci-fi antic Serenity — the outcome is irresistible for its mega-flashmatazz, and a script which takes almost paternal-like care to lavish equal attention on its caboodle of characters, each of them possessing a solid track record of success in their solo outings. Of course, you tend to be more partial towards the presence of three of the valiant ones, simply because they are portrayed by actors with star value. Like it or not, familiarity does breed fondness.
Of the half-a-dozen Marvel do-gooders, you relate instantly to Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), the philanthropist playboy who places his incipient romance with Gwyneth Paltrow on hold, besides abandoning his designer threads to don the unassailable armour of his own invention. He has the wittiest one-liners, suggesting that he could have been spending time with James Bond over martinis. Cheers!
The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), the brilliant scientist, who was affected by gamma radiation to turn into a one-man rampage, ingratiates himself immediately into your like-list. This colossal weirdo is tongue-in-chic, consistently endearing instead of being a freaky stereotype. Incidentally, Ruffalo does the part full-on justice: a tough act to pull off since he steps into the boots of Eric Bana and Edward Norton, both actors with an estimable screen presence. See, no actor’s indispensable.
The female quotient — Black Widow — is filled in perfectly by Scarlett Johansson, eye-lolly-cum-spy, performing hair-raising stunts with a bravado matching any male’s. As for Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), they have their distinct strengths and eccentricities. And taken individually, the six are quite vain and competitive — at points even querulous. The doughty half-dozen combine for the S.H.I.E.L.D peace-keeping force helmed by a charismatic leader (good ole Samuel L. Jackson). That all the superheroes are engaged in war against just one mega-adversary does water down the dramatic hi-jinks. Never mind. After all, big baddy Loki (Tom Hiddleston), juggles a power cube which could blow up the world besides serving as a portal to outer space.What an odyssey really.
Or would you call it futuristic baloney? George Lucas’ Star Wars (the opening edition) and Steven Spielberg’s forays into Jurassic Park and E.T.-land had speeded on smooth plot wheels. This one doesn’t. It’s brazenly in-your face banking on the already in-built popularity of its heroes, and special effects pyrotechnics which are admittedly raised to another level than what you might have evidenced in The X-Files or Wolverine. All things considered, the Matrix series still remains unequalled though. Shhh, comparisons are odious. As a stand-alone blockblaster, here’s a techno-marvel, appealing to the child in every viewer from adolescents to nonagenarians.
Character-driven, one of the film’s set pieces showcases an aircraft carrier which arises from water to transform into a brain-boggling space ship. Plus, the last half-an-hour of this 140-minuter forms the apocalyptic climax unspooling against the backdrop of New York. This sequence alone is worth the price of a multiplex ticket. Astonishing!
Those in the mood for entertainment-entertainment-entertainment — with 3-D effects added in post-production — will be thoroughly thrilled. Those craving a bit more, would be well advised to leave their thinking caps at home. When razzle-dazzle is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it. The Avengers, despite its lack of novelty, is irresistible.