I attended a press screening for the film The Avengers which opens Friday, May 4. The super heroes offer a unique opportunity to analyze personality and teamwork. Individually, they have their own idiosyncrasies and talents. Together, they must learn how to share the spotlight and put aside their competitiveness and quirks to work effectively together.
The evil Loki, brother of Thor, has no apparent motivation for good. He wants control and for others to worship him. He has no conviction – you can’t have conviction for what is wrong. He represents all that is wrong about seeking control, manipulation, and bullying.
The Hulk definitely has anger management issues, though he is attempting to control the problem. At first, we are not sure of his motivations. He says he controls his anger by always being angry. He has just learned when to show it to fight evil.
The Iron Man is known to be selfish, but in the end, he is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the world. He has a sense of humor and does not take himself too seriously which makes it easier to work with him and makes him a more believable leader.
The Black Widow is confident, strong, and calm under pressure. She must convince the Hulk to join the effort. She is persuasive.
Captain America is loyal and patriotic and a rule-follower. He has been frozen in time and holds onto the past. He has to learn to trust the rest of the team.
Thor has to decide what is right. His brother is evil so he must choose between loyalty to family and loyalty to society.
Nick Fury is a manager. He must work with each Avenger and his or her unique temperament and unite them for a common mission.
The Avengers are all very different from each other and society, but they use their skills to fight for the good of society. They work better as a team than individually. The final battle scene requires them each to use their unique skills. They learn from experience that their strength together is greater than their strengths individually.
Are you loyal wanting to do what’s right but not trusting others? Are you too independent? Do you have trouble channeling your frustrations in the right direction? Do you have something to which you are committed? Do you need to have control to benefit yourself, or are you interested in helping others and promoting what is good? How is your teamwork? Working with others involves contributing our talents while respecting the talents of others.
Oh, and yes, the 3-D and special effects in the film are quite impressive.