Sci-Fi Pick: The Avengers (2012)
Most recent comic book films have some sci-fi elements to them. Even the gritty Dark Knight trilogy involved atomic bombs, super-advanced weaponry and the ability to track everyone through their cell phones. And it seems the less gritty things get, the more sci-fi those comic book heroes become. That’s why the sci-fi pick this week is The Avengers.
At this point, it’s fairly safe to assume that just about every living human has seen the Marvel blockbuster, but what I did recently was go back through the film looking at it through a sci-fi lens. Obviously anything involving Thor is going to have more sci-fi elements than your average superhero film, but this is also the first look at the new Hulk as played by Marc Ruffalo. Bruce Banner is a doctor and scientist in a way that does not jive with the science of the modern world, but that’s part of what makes his character so interesting. While we don’t really see too much of his origin, it’s still great to finally have him on screen with the other heroes.
Then there’s the whole “giant aliens descending on New York through a wormhole” and destroying the city. That conjures up images of iconic science fiction where aliens attack earth. The great movies involving that are too numerous to count, and The Avengers is just another solid title that can be added to the list.
For me, The Avengers didn’t quite live up to the hype that a $1 billion plus movie earns, but it’s still an excellent addition to the Marvel canon – and you can’t go wrong with giving it another viewing on instant watch.