Released to international audiences on April 11, 2012 this mammoth ensemble superhero action
adventure film already out-grossed it's 220-million-dollar budget by the time it finally opened stateside
on May 4.
Serving as both a rare crossover movie, and an indirect sequel to the five Marvel comic
book adaptations that preceded it, this is an incredibly ambitious undertaking...
finally delivering a super-sized pay-off that has been teased at for the last four years.
Best known as the creator of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", director Joss Whedon makes his big-budget
debut here, leading the immensely talented pack of big-name actors we've grown familiar
with over each of their respective films, with the notable exception of Mark Ruffalo,
who replaces Edward Norton as "Hulk".
The entire 143 minute epic is executed with precision, carefully merging together these
powerhouse characters in near flawless fashion: What results is an immeasurably enjoyable
experience that fulfils every primal facet of entertaining cinema.
Greatly rewarding for fans, and new-comers alike, "The Avengers" kicks off with an explosive
start that sets the scene, reveals the villains, and provides us with consequences and depth.
Slowly, the Earth-saving team of heroes is assembled on a super-secret flying aircraft
carrier, and we're delicately re-introduced to each Avenger, one scene at a time.
70-years-removed from his original existence, Chris Evans as Captain America turns in a
more interesting, and relatable performance here than he did in his own, disappointing
origin film - contributing to several of this picture's more hilarious moments.
Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston return as Asgard gods Thor and Loki, and continue
to fight and wisecrack with each other.
Early battles between them, and the other Avengers do little to service the simplistic
story, but are undeniably entertaining and downright cool to watch.
As the third actor in as many movies to play the part, Ruffalo adds his own flair to Bruce
Banner, but isn't any noticeably better.
Lacking superpowers, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner are perhaps the least interesting
in the group, especially considering their extremely limited backstory - but their performances
keep many scenes grounded emotionally.
Arguably, the highlight of the team is Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man -- who receives the
slight majority of the screen time, dazzling with his impressive aeronautic battles, sarcastic
quips, and daring heroics.
SHIELD members Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg finally receive an opportunity to shine,
and definitely don't disappoint, expanding on their previously limited roles.
Faced pace, and quick-witted, a slower, tense middle-act sequence contributes personal depth
to the otherwise hollow story.
With such overwhelming potential, this brave motion picture could have easily fallen short
of it's lofty goal, but instead, it swings for the fences and hits an absolute grand
slam.
Every character is given ample time to strut their stuff... and when the final climatic
battle settles into place, and the unstoppable Avengers stand back-to-back, ready to take
on the evil forces of the world, it's positively impossible not to smile, and enjoy the breathtaking
30-minute climax.
Of particular mention is a single, continuous 60-second shot that, with the advent of incredible
visual effects, swoops through the battlefield, showing each Avenger at their pinnacle, mid-attack,
vanquishing the hundreds of cookie-cutter bad guys.
This lone sequence alone is worth the price of admission, in a gloriously high-octane
popcorn blockbuster that never lets off the throttle, or disappoints.
Rather than approaching the serious and artistic tone of the brilliant "The Dark Knight", this
film instead reaches levels of historic memorability with it's crowd-pleasing, and light-hearted
execution.
It is not without it's faults though; as the simple story serves only as a catalyst to
assemble the various heroes, and prolonged examination only reveals is absurdity.
Accomplishing exactly what it sets out to do though, this is easily the finest example
of big-budget Hollywood delivering exactly what the fans what: a fast-paced, hilarious,
exciting, stunning, and enthralling adventure that is one of this decade's best.
"The Avengers", " Astonishingly fun.
An exhilarating extravaganza."
Well, that was my glowing review, now let's read some of yours from the YouTube comments.
Here's the Rate-o-Matic to score Marve's "The Avengers"... a double TEN.
No surprise here, your praise for this film was overwhelming, with 75% of all reviewers
scoring this film an amazing.
A wonderful film that is thankfully greater than the sum of the lesser films that preceded
it, this is a ridiculously enjoyable movie for all ages... and one none of us will have
problems watching over and over again.
No question, this movie was amazing!