The Avengers

It's a film that future generations will still be gushing about, much like previous generations did with such classics as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It may not be perfect, but The Avengers lives up to its promise and delivers quite a punch. I feel The Avenger struggles as most superhero movies do with finding a way to naturally introduce its characters in a way that doesn't seem forced or formulaic. They do a decent job for what it is, but there are certain times you will feel the campiness of older works coming on as you view the film, and truly you just have to sit through it to get to the action that eventually will be at hand. Besides that though, there isn't many flaws. The acting is rather good, Samuel L. Jackson may take a line too seriously or too, but it's all in good fun. Again Tom Hiddleston as Loki is a major standout, and I also enjoyed the return of Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth Thor- as well as an improved performance by Chris Evans as Captain America and a great performance from replacement Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo. The action scenes are exciting and tense, there is some camera angles here and there that can be a bit annoying, but for the most part it is rather clear and not awfully tedious action- as many films of this type could be. In the end, despite its campiness and formulaic actions- The Avengers is an incredibly fun time. It takes pride in its stories and characters and makes the most out of an experience that could have easily been phoned in. Its a film that will live on for some time, and one i'm rather glad I got to experience first hand.

My Rating: 9.4/10.

I'm happy to report that everything established in previous movies pays dividends in a big way. It's not that anyone needs to see those other Avenger solo films before seeing this gem but it certainly adds depth and texture to this amazing product. Not having to intro big main characters deeply allows the action to flow but also allows for better development. This also allows them to probe deeper into the character's personalities. This heightens the tension, so often missing from comic-book movies, and adds real weight to the story as well as the action sequences which are thrilling and often mesmerizing. The result is a film that's just flat out exceptional.

Of course all the phenomenal heroes got to shine and the story accommodated them all perfectly. What I loved is that Marvel did it again with their main villain. Loki was just so wonderful and complex in this amazing movie. Spurned Loki masterfully dances on the fault lines of villainy and redemption. He always keep people guessing and. Again, that's just shear perfection coming from the god of mischief. He has such a mixture of emotional psychological complexity. You have somebody who's capable of thinking and strategizing at the speed of light, but underneath that is a deep well of pain that at any moment threatens to boil over and Tom Hiddleston plays it like the master he has become. This is Oscar worthy villain performance good.

The performances in this movie are as good as any I've ever seen in an adventure film. The great actors say that acting akin to playing tennis. The rally that they play with a new partner is completely different from one to the other. Each of these GREAT actors have such specific talents that it's fun to see them play off each other at different times in this movie. I think Whedon realized this as both director and writer and shuffled things around on purpose to play to strengths. It's just another wonderful aspect of this spectacular movie event.

I have got to tell anyone who will listen that this is one of THE best adventure movies I've ever seen. It's almost impossible to convey how pumped I am now that I've seen it. I purposefully avoid hyping myself for movies because when expectations are too high, nothing seems to be able to reach them. I usually avoid the hype train whenever possible. That said, I was jacked to see this movie and was fully aboard the hype train. It couldn't be helped. So, I was certainly open to intense disappointment had this movie not been good. I'm so happy to report just the opposite has happened.

The only word I can think of to describe this movie is AWESOME. It's amazing work and everything I had hoped for and more. It's exceptional entertainment for the uninitiated but it has everything a fanboy could want to be sure. It has every little nuance of what a fanboy wants to see. One of the MANY things I loved was the tension and flat out conflict that arises between team members. It's not a two dimensional "team wonderful that bands together to fight crime ho ho ho." Most don't like each other at fist and there is so much texture to be played. That is great because so many of these characters are larger than life. They have egos and the big guns aren't used to working with other people or even playing by the rules. Stark, Thor and Banner all work "the other side of the fence" so to speak. Then there's the Widow, Hawkeye and Captain America who are used to following orders and playing within a command structure. They are all thrown together in a wonderful and, best of all, believable fashion. Again, more than I ever dreamed possible.

The entire cast really delivered. You needed more than just action actors or stunt doubles to play all these parts. The pathos is there but so are the timing and true deep performances. Look, I was missing Ed Norton as much as anyone on that hype train I talked about but I'm so happy to say that Mark Ruffalo won me over. I hope he's locked up for the long haul because we don't need any more changes. Three was the lucky number for movie Banners. Every other actor in Avnegers that we've seen before is BETTER than their previous incarnation (EVERY single one) with the possible exception of RDJ as Stark. He's great but it's hard to top his take on the character from the original Iron Man in an ensemble movie. I also have to fully disclose that I'm insanely attracted to Scarlett Johansson. I thought her Widow character was amazing but I'm definitely judging that through rose colored glasses. The character arcs that run there course during this film will surprise a lot of general audiences expecting nothing more than a Transformers type popcorn scarfdown.

I honestly don't want to give away ANY of the movie with this review because this is one film that needs every scene to be savored. Do yourself a favor and remain unspoiled. It's how I saw the movie (apart from what the trailers showed) and even though you're obviously reading this review, read no others with any kind of spoilers whatsoever. Experience the awesomeness for yourself. Avengers as a movie and as a team on screen is an unstoppable force. I'm just going to say, Hulk & Thor combination equals AWESOME and leave it at that. This movie defines MUST SEE.

LA Review of 'The Avengers' (No spoilers)

I was lucky enough to attend the Marvel screening of 'The Avengers' on Saturday morning in Century City, CA. This was an unusual screening as movies of this caliber are not screened some three weeks before it's release date. Just minutes before the movie started, we were all surprised when writer/director Joss Whedon walked in with Kevin Feige to introduced their little "Justice League" movie. Not only did we all laugh, but some booed. lol. If that wasn't enough of a surprise, the soft spoken Whedon introduced on stage Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) and Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill). Wow is she stunning in person! The audience gave them all a standing ovation with deafening cheers! (This explained why the secret service like security were searching, wanding everyone. No cameras, cell phones, nothing was allowed in.) What a nice surprise for an early Saturday morning screening.

I've never read comic books. This is a comic book movie. It was made for hardcore fans of comics, and I appreciate the care Joss Whedon gives to this movie. It was very entertaining to see Tony Stark (Iron Man), Thor, Dr. Bruce Banner (Hulk), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Agent Maria Hill, Agent Phil Coulson and Director Nick Fury all interact with one another.

Capt. Steve Rogers was fighting in WWII just yesterday. Having been recently awoken from his frozen sleep, he struggles to fit in our modern world with all this technology around us. The God of Thunder, Thor, is not from this world (realm) and doesn't understand modern technology on Earth as well. Dr. Bruce Banner has been on the run from the government, practicing medicine in third world countries. He hasn't been the Hulk in two years (What's his secret? ;). Tony Stark is still the same, playing with this high tech toys and inventing new technology. So how do you get them all to interact and play well together? Well, Director Joss Whedon is the secret to making it all work.

The highlight of the film for me is how Joss Whedon has all these characters interact. Deep character development was not needed for this film. (That is what the respective movies are for: Thor, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: The First Avenger) He does a great job of not forcing dialogue, and the interaction of the characters is much more organic than I would have ever anticipated. That is where Whedon deserves the most credit. He took what appears to be a very silly premise, with silly looking characters and made it completely work. Seeing as the Avengers comics date back to the 1960s, you can tell he not only did his homework, but he really cares deeply for the material, and his passion definitely shows on- screen.

The movie is vastly entertaining. The Action scenes are amazing and satisfying. Nobody is short changed when it comes to the fighting or action sequences. I felt as if there was not a single bad performance. A couple of dialogue lines seemed off, but once you remember who the character is, and why they talk the way they do (think of where they come from), it all makes sense. Each respective character is true and honest to itself. Each of the characters brought their personality (from their respective movie) to the table. It is by far the best Marvel movie to date.

So who was my personal favorite character from the movie? Dr. Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo) of course! He is by far the BEST Bruce Banner/Hulk since Bill Bixby. His intelligence (genius) is unparalleled (greater than Tony Stark's) and his compassion for human lives is what drives the good side of his character. As a kid growing up, he was my favorite Marvel super hero. I enjoyed watching Bill Bixby play medical doctor/physicist Dr. David Banner on television. I'd watch, terrified with my hands up to my face, as he transformed into the raging green hulk. Yet i was so fascinated with him being a scientist, helping those in need. When Mark Ruffalo was first announced to play Bruce Banner, i didn't know what to think of it. I knew that he's a good actor. All he needs is the right director to get the needed on-screen character out of him. I really hope they make an Incredible Hulk movie sequel starring Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner. Or at least, i vote for him to reprise his role in any sequel. He was a natural fit for this role.

Overall, the best thing about these characters is that they are not silly twenty-something terrible actors who were chosen for on-screen eye candy. They all do a fine job of bringing these characters to life and their chemistry together works great. Assembled, they are unstoppable. When i heard an Avengers movie was rumored to be in the works, i was ecstatic. The day has finally come. Go see it. Thrice. 10/10 Stars.

I just loved Marvel's Avengers. I thought it was smart and the impressive cast really delivered! This movie works on so many levels and makes you draw on just about all of your emotions. I don't remember when I enjoyed a movie this much! Such cool fantasy but what makes it extra special is following this film after all the other solo efforts from each character. I enjoyed the others films quite a bit but they all delivered something different. Seeing them blend together in Avengers and the sparks that resulted was the extra special treat. Example: They blended the grounded futurist (Tony Stark) with the Norse thunder god and his angry brother in a perfect way. Same could be said for every other character. It all works. In fact, it doesn't just fit, it's a symphony and that dyconomy and difference in characters are what makes it truly great. It's why this movie stands so tall above any other franchise at the moment. Things like Transformers, GI Joe and even Star Trek all operate with monotone restrictions. Avengers covers all angles and delivers depth with its fun.

I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in years if not ever!