WORDS Ella Cullen
The creators of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D must have known the show had high expectations to meet when the pilot was launched yesterday, certainly much higher than your average pilot. Marvel fans can rest easy in the knowledge that the rumored fourteen billion-dollar budget was extremely well spent. In fact, the pilot was exactly what one would expect from an Avengers spin-off series. It’s funny, exciting and imaginative yet in a careful, respectful and almost comforting manner. If your only criticism of the Marvel franchise is that the films simply aren’t long enough, you’ll love the show. The return of Agent Coulter, played by Clark Gregg, is a cheesy but well received plot twist.
The pilot was exactly what one would expect from an Avengers spin-off series. It’s funny, exciting and imaginative yet in a careful, respectful and almost comforting manner.
The talent behind this project will allow it to retain the persona of the films. The show is helmed by Joss Whedon, stars Gregg, and is shot by David Boyd (who also provided the cinematography for cult-favorite, Firefly). These are the factors constantly pulling the series away from the threat of becoming another shoddy spin-off and instead bumping it up to the status of a viable standalone TV show. The show also features Brett Dalton, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennett, Elizabeth Henstridge and Iain De Caestecker as Agent Coulson’s team, each member of which has their own specialty, which includes such stock favorites as a computer whiz and a martial arts master.
At its core, it’s the talent behind this project who allow it to retain the persona of the films.
Perhaps the only real criticism is its failure to fit in amongst an array of intelligent and groundbreaking shows gracing our television screens of late. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is fun, but it’s following a well established blockbuster formula that fails to ever really break new ground. At its heart, Marvel is Disney for adults. It’s consistent. The good guys always win. Point and case, one even came back from the dead, sometimes that’s what you need. More than anything else, the show is fun. It features the great one-liners that Whedon is known for, attractive people running around and blowing things up, the return of a great actor, and everything else you would expect from a spy series (mystery, geniuses facing impossible challenges, and gadgets including a flying car called Lola). Thanks to Whedon’s writing, Boyd’s camerawork, and no doubt the shows massive budget, Agents of SHIELD is definitely worth a watch. Expect a very enjoyable season in the coming weeks.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D sees its European premiere this Friday (Sept. 27th) at 8pm on Channel 4.
