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The Avengers
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Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 871 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson
  • Summary: Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel's The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Amy Biancolli
    May 3, 2012
    100
    There are moments of genuine pathos, genuine humor, genuine surprise. As much as the film adheres to the strictures of the standard comic-book movie, it also pops with a knowing, loving, Whedon-world jokiness that keeps everything barreling along.
  2. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    May 4, 2012
    60
    They're fascinating characters, to be sure, with back stories ripe for development. But Whedon doesn't commit here, and the results are shrug-worthy.
  3. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Ben Sachs
    May 2, 2012
    30
    Of the star-studded cast, only Mark Ruffalo (playing Bruce Banner) and Robert Downey Jr. (as Iron Man) bring any personality to the place-holder dialogue. Overlong, monotonous, violent, and simple-minded, this is like one of those "World's Biggest Gang Bang" videos, except that no one onscreen appears to be enjoying himself.

See all 43 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 324 out of 357
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 357
  3. Negative: 14 out of 357
  1. Blaze007
    10
    The build up and hype for this movie was definitely worth it. It's one of those movies you'll be replaying over and over in your head, reciting some familiar lines with friends, and be dying to see again after you leave the theater. I enjoyed the build up a lot actually and the not-so-action-packed scenes, as they allowed you to get reacquainted with each character, their story, and their personality. Seeing the collection of actors interact with one another also provides some really cool moments as well, and they all meshed together quite nicely. Every hero in this movie gets multiple moments to shine, which I absolutely loved, and there's some brilliant comedic moments mixed in with the action to keep you thoroughly entertained. I thought Samuel Jackson's lines could have been better written at times, as well as Chris Evan's and Cobie Smulders', but for the most part, I came away saying that it was definitely worth seeing in theaters. The Hulk and Iron Man especially steal the show in this one... and not to give too much away here, but fans of the show "How I Met Your Mother" may also really like this film too, as a couple references (not sure if they were intentional or not, but then again, Cobie Smulders is in this) to the show are made.… Expand
    • 3 of 3 users said yes
  2. drm
    5
    I said I wasn't gonna do it, but I watched 'The Avengers' last night, in glorious 2D. Now for a solid week, fake life-style comic nerds have been building this thing up to me like it was the second coming of Christ. It isn't. Think of it like this. 'Love In The Time Of Cholera' is a far better literary work than a 'Wolverine' comic. They are truly different animals. Using this example, "Scarface" is a far better film than "The Avengers". I didn't get the impression Joss Whedon was trying to make high cinematic art here, which is fine, if you take it at that level. It's fun. It's mindlessly entertaining, and the effects are top notch, but then they sort of had to be, didn't they? Watch it. Take your kids. They'll love it. Just don't let any Marvel fanboys build up your hopes too high. As comic movies go, it's pretty decent. As a pinnacle of modern filmmaking, it fails all over the place.… Expand
    • 12 of 28 users said yes
  3. filmfan1990
    1
    The special effects for this movie were amazing, I'll give it that. But there is no significant story, the "come together moment" is not believable at all, and it takes way too much time to get the ball really rolling.… Expand
    • 14 of 82 users said yes

See all 357 User Reviews

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