The Avengers
Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
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  1. 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.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1982 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 457 out of 543
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 543
  3. Negative: 38 out of 543
  1. MRedzuan
    10
    The Avengers is the best Marvel film to date and quite possibly the best superhero movie I've seen in terms of all-out action spectacle, humor, and replay value. Tony Stark has so much more character development here than in the self-obsessed and flat Iron Man 2, it's nice to see Iron Man getting to do more intricate work aboard the helicarrier than just blowing stuff up. Chris' Evans and Hemsworth did an awesome job as the no-nonsense living legend super soldier and the huggable god of thunder respectively. Joss Whedon does an amazing job balancing the screen time for all the heroes and everyone gets their chance to shine, Black Widow and Hawkeye get to have their own complete story-arcs and S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, Agent's Maria Hill and Coulson also had their moments and they took it well with the most pivotal scene of the film. But the big surprise is Mark Ruffalo who really steals the show as Dr Bruce Banner/Hulk, he's nailed down the relationship between the scientist and the big guy down to a T, and he has all of the funniest scenes in the Avengers.
    Loved the first two acts, the first meet-up of the characters, the confrontations are all top draw but the highlights for me are the vocal interactions between everyone, whether it's between Stark/Banner, Stark/Cap, Coulson/Cap, Loki/Thor, Loki/Widow, Widow'Hawk and what have you is all perfect and I'd be more than happy if the movie would've been four hours long just to see them all bouncing off each other and that's all credit to the smart witty screenplay by Whedon. Every scene is so well made and the script compelling and essential to moving the plot forward, the most memorable moment for me was when Cap was putting on his suit while a Mozart-esque symphony is playing in the backdrop and loved all the pop culture references especially Stark's nickname for the Hawk. The final third of the movie is all-out mayhem and watching the team come together to save Manhattan from a never-ending wave of an alien race who-shall-not-be-named attacks is absolutely exhilarating and the one long continuous shot of all the Avengers in the heat of battle is captivating. It proves the point of how character build-up and the tension watching our superheroes fight and play-off each other in the first two acts and have the final battle in context can make for a more engaging and extraordinary spectacle than just mindlessly blowing things up because you have to. It's the best action set-piece I've ever seen and it's so over the top in an amazing way. When you walk out of the cinema I promise your craving for a very well made superhero movie that's not dumbed down and at the same time not as gritty and dark will be satiated. It's pure indulgence.    … Full Review »
  2. Mahoner
    10
    I'd like to just pile on with what everyone is saying...GO SEE THIS MOVIE. As close to a guarentee that you will love this movie as you can come by. Only The Dark Knight Rises might be the other but just echoing what's been said - the acting (given a blockbuster movie) is more than adequate, action scences are spectacular and the directing/script was well done. I've seen it twice and plan a third trip before it comes on Blu Ray later in the year. Must see - you won't be disappointed!… Full Review »
  3. DemonicBunny
    1
    This is a Transformers-league movie. It's all about action and special effects. But in 2012 the "special effects" are not that special, and the rest of this movie (acting, plot, logic, etc) is so bad. Just like Transformers. Avoid at all cost.… Full Review »
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