I'm not gonna lie: the second time in, The Avengers is still as awesome as the first time I saw it. I've already analyzed the film in my last review, but after seeing it again with my family and friends, I began thinking more about how I would rate the film in terms of the entire superhero genre. I seriously considered calling it my favorite superhero movie, surpassing even The Dark Knight. I know I'm not alone in this assumption, as it seems the Internet has erupted with nothing but praise for Avengers. So I started thinking to myself: is Avengers or Dark Knight the superior film? Which one has made a greater contribution to the superhero genre?
After seeing Avengers, my gut reaction would be to go with that film, but then I have to keep in mind that it was through the Marvel characters that I got into comic books in the first place. In a Marvel/DC battle, I always go with Marvel, just because I relate more with the characters and find them much more interesting. But DC has proven that it has characters that are just as interesting as Marvel's, Batman especially. For the longest time, I called The Dark Knight my favorite comic book film, even though Marvel characters like Spider-Man ranked higher on my personal list of favorite superheroes. I was so relieved to see in Avengers a film that could challenge Dark Knight for supremacy, and a Marvel film no less. So while seeing Avengers twice has reaffirmed that I still feel the same way about the movie, I have to ask if calling Avengers better than Dark Knight is jumping the gun, or is is legitimately better?
The Dark Knight is a dark, gritty, realistic take on the comic book genre that not only provides genuine thrills, but makes the audience contemplate what it means to be good or evil. The film acts as a metaphor for post-911 America, in that it analyzes how far men will go to bring down terrorism and whether they could lose themselves in the process. Two-Face is a perfect example of this, while Batman is a man who sticks by his morals even when the world is going to hell around him. The Joker is an absolute: he is chaos personified, the ultimate evil who exists solely to prove that men at heart are just as corrupt as he is. Through the symbolism provided by the three main characters, it is obvious that Dark Knight deals with some pretty serious stuff. It's not just an action-packed blockbuster. It's a cautionary tale about our society, a film that transcends its comic book roots to convey the feel of a modern crime drama. In more ways then one, The Dark Knight is very impressive. There is no point in denying the massive achievement that this film accomplished, in that it showed the world that stories taken from comic books don't always have to be childish entertainment, but serious material that leaves an impression on you once you leave the theater.
The question is, compared to The Dark Knight, what has Avengers accomplished? How has Avengers changed the game and redefined the superhero genre? In a lot of ways, Avengers is just as big of an accomplishment as Dark Knight and is certainly a game changer, but for very different reasons. In terms of plot, Avengers doesn't aim nearly as high. It's a straightforward superhero flick. Villain with a god complex tries to take over the world, superheroes have to stop him. There's fighting among the heroes, they learn to get along, stop the villain, and the day is saved. The end. Simple, except what Avengers lacks in a complex plot it makes up for in scope, scale, and character interaction, not to mention entertainment value.
The great thing about the Avengers is seeing not one, not two, but six different superheroes play off each other. The dialogue between them sparkles, both when they're fighting and when they're assembling. The action is nothing short of breathtaking. And, best of all, the very nature of the film brings out the full potential of the superhero genre. Finally, a film has come along that takes full advantage of what has been commonplace in comics for years but has never been conveyed on screen until now: crossovers. Since Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby created the characters in the '60s, Marvel has been an ever expanding universe filled with characters who would always cross paths with each other. Due to licensing issues with different studios, we never got a chance to see those interactions that made the universe seem more lived in until now. Not only is it possible, Joss Whedon has shown us that it can be done well. His knack for solid writing and character development ensured that these heroes wouldn't be thrown together half heartedly; they would come together as organically as possible.
Did I mention how fun it is? I've said it plenty of times before and I'll say it again: it is the action and the comedy that makes this film work. I don't care if the plot has been seen dozens of times before: the sight of six superheroes bouncing off each other before coming together was what made the film unique. This film was a gamble for Marvel, in that they had to introduce B-list characters into their own films and build up hype over four years just to make people care. But they do. The gamble worked. Now Marvel has a fully realized cinematic universe on their hands which is still growing. They have the potential to take their next films anywhere they want. They can go cosmic, they can do magic, they can continue exploring advanced science or espionage or politics. The possibilities are endless. Finally, common audiences are seeing the potential of the comic book genre, something that to them is a possibility now but to comic fans has simply been a fact since the birth of the medium.
After saying all of this, it would seem obvious that Avengers takes the cake over Dark Knight. To reiterate, Avengers shows the potential for comic book films to be interconnected and create a shared universe that is limitless in scale, one that provides a tempting sandbox for directors to play around in and tell fun, exciting romps that entertain audiences of all ages. But going back to Batman, The Dark Knight showed the potential for comic book films to be taken seriously, not just as blockbuster entertainment but as heavy, psychological dramas that reveal hidden truths about our society.
As a fan of comic books, I can say that the genre is defined by both of these ideologies: the desire to have fun, and the desire to want something with more substance. The fact of the matter is, if comics were all about revealing something about our society, they would be too dark and grim. Yes, they would be critically praised for their intelligence, but if every comic did that, they wouldn't be very fun to read and no one would buy them. On the flip side, comic books, and superheroes especially, are meant to act as escapism. People want to read about larger than life characters that go on death defying adventures, who save the day, get the girl, and go home happy. But if all comics were just pure entertainment, readers would get bored and would clamor for something a little more meatier. Films work the same way, both cinema in general and the recent trend of adapting comic books to film.
Since The Dark Knight came out, it seems the current trend in Hollywood is to make everything dark and gritty in order to come off as grounded and realistic. In order to get an audience, films have to be more reality-based. For the past few years, this would make a compelling argument. But when a film that has an armored billionaire, a time lost super soldier, a giant green monster, and a thunder god go up against an army of inter-dimensional aliens becomes the biggest opening for a film in history, there is now proof that not all films have to be dark and gritty to be successful. As long as it's done well, people will suspend their disbelief and enjoy a 2 hour superhero team up. We know now that it's successful. In other words, the two different potentials of the comic book genre that have worked so well on the printed page for more than 50 years now work equally well on film.
In terms of potential, Avengers and Dark Knight are equals, but they are opposite sides of the same coin. Dark Knight is dark, serious, and realistic while Avengers is light, funny, and fantastic. Both are good, but for entirely different reasons. To compare them and their contributions to the superhero genre would be like comparing Star Wars to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both are very well done films that made huge contributions to the science fiction genre, but where one is a fun, light-hearted, simple action/adventure film, the other is a serious, realistic cautionary tale that has something to say about humanity as a whole. Science fiction was redefined with 2001, but whereas that film showed the genre could be taken seriously, Star Wars showed we could have fun with it as well without losing its integrity.
We have a similar situation here with Dark Knight and Avengers. We know now from both films the potential the genre has. The Dark Knight Rises will only increase that potential on the dark and serious side, while I'm sure that Marvel will continue expanding their universe and pushing their light hearted approach. Both Avengers and Dark Knight are good for what they are, and after this train of thought I have come to realize that I love them both equally. One exceeds at making me think, while the other exceeds at making me laugh and cheer. I thank both of these magnificent films for revealing the potential comic books have in the world of cinema, and therefore helping to reaffirm my passion for both comic books and films as fun and sophisticated story telling mediums.
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