User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2028 Ratings

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  1. Jun 16, 2013
    10
    In the decade it's taken to bring everything together, we've continually been promised that the Avengers would be the superhero movie to change all superhero movies and it's a damn good thing, because I really hate superhero movies. Three things made this film standout and shine over the many, many superhero films that have been released. The most obvious thing is the huge, superstar, cast. Not only is it incredibly difficult to bring a cast like this together, but to get them to work together, without getting in each others way must have been nearly impossible. Second, even though the film involves superheroes and outer space, it seems somewhat realistic to us. These heroes have families, personalities, feelings, people get hurt, and some people even die, letting us see the human side of these characters. Finally, the Direction of Joss Whedon brings it all together. Whedon has always had this unique ability to put his own style on spin on things, at first it seems strange, but ultimately we come to love it. He is such an underrated Director, who brings so much to everything he's a part of, and it's great to see him get to do a huge project like this. The Avengers was special, not only because it took a decade to make, but because if you saw all the individual movies first, like I did, you feel a connection to these guys, it's almost like you know them personally and you expect them to act in certain ways when they all come together. The individual films really built up the excitement and helped the Avengers to become a billion dollar earner at the box office. From the performances to the special effects this was once exciting, terrific movie, and may be as close to perfect as a superhero movie will ever get. Expand
  2. Jun 9, 2013
    9
    The best superhero movie of all time. This movie is so amazing, bringing the superheroes together and forming the avengers was the perfect idea for marvel. Loki played a great villain in this movie and it was a lot of action and pretty hilarious. This movie had so much action that it was hard to take your eyes of the screen for just a second. Iron man was the most exciting thing about this movie to me. This is definitely one of my favorite movies and if you watch the extra ending of the movie it gives you a clue that Thanos will be in the next movie. Watching this movie tells you that the guardians of the galaxy will be very good. Expand
  3. Jun 6, 2013
    10
    The Avengers. It's what they call themselves, sort of like a team. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" type thing. Yeah, takes them a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a head count here: A demi-god; a super soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins. They have a Freakin Hulk!!

    This movie is everything a comic book movie should be.
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  4. Jun 3, 2013
    9
    This was a lot of fun to watch. Not only was it action-packed but it was also hilarious. There's a lot of funny dialog and action sequences. Iron Man and the Hulk really made the movie!
  5. Jun 3, 2013
    9
    The Avengers was good, but it could have been better. I thought it was cool that so many superheroes could be fit into one movie. Some of the scenes were crafted well, but the movie had a lame villain and the ending( even though cool) could have been better. I think the movie is overrated.
  6. May 31, 2013
    10
    As a guy who enjoys superhero movies, I have to say that The Avengers is one of the best superhero movies of all time. Robert Downey Jr. was great as Iron Man. Chris Evans was great as Captain America. Mark Ruffalo was fantastic as Bruce Banner and Tom Hiddleston was amazing as Loki, who is one of my favorite super villains ever. The plot was extraordinary. Just do yourself a favor and watch this movie. Expand
  7. May 30, 2013
    10
    I'm not gonna lie, this movie was absolutely amazing! Also, if I'm being completely honest, I went in assuming it would be another highly overrated superhero movie that couldn't like up to the hype. It definitely wouldn't be the first time I disagreed with the critics. Boy was I mistaken. Outside of the films from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, this is easily the best superhero movie ever made. They plot developed perfectly, the action sequences were incredible, there were a lot of unexpectedly humorous scenes and dialogue, and the characters and actors were all great. One of my concerns going in was how they would possibly give each character their fair shake. Well the great Joss Whedon did a great job keeping a perfect balance between staying true to the individual characters while further introducing a developing Black Widow and Hawkeye. Another thing, Mark Ruffalo did a marvelous job as Bruce Banner. A lot of people were worried about him in that role and were upset about the change from Edward Norton. Maybe it's because I'm biased and loathe Norton but I thought Ruffalo did a better job as Banner. I wouldn't have minded them focusing a little more time on the Hawkeye character and I wouldn't have minded if they actually squeezed in Natalie Portman's character for a quick scene or two but the movie really didn't need it. I just think if you can put Portman on screen, you put Portman on screen, lol. I also wouldn't have minded if they focused a bit more on the villainous pawns and where they come from but I have a feeling we'll find out more about them in the following Avengers sequels so I can't be too upset about that. All in all, if you like superhero movies, action movies, or just kick ass movies in general, you should like this movie too. Expand
  8. May 24, 2013
    9
    I love this movie. The special affects were excellent and I love how the characters have to come together and work on the same side instead of all going there own way. I hope the next movie is as good.
  9. May 22, 2013
    10
    This movie pulls off what it is trying to do perfectly. The acting is great, the plot, while not complex, works, and the visual effects are stunning. While not as good as The Dark Knight Rises, This movie perfectly does what it set out to do. But seriously, during the last big fight, how are they talking to each other without earpieces?
  10. May 15, 2013
    10
    The mother of all Superhero movies. Really enjoyed it, Absolutely Electrified me. The Avengers definitely was the cherry on top of the cake of Marvels Phase 1 and will be loved by fans in this entire realm for Generations to come.
  11. May 15, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ''this song was kick ass from start to finish i new it was going to be chronic all the superheros were 10/10 the acting was the same and i was in love with the hulk he kicked ass expecially when he fought Loki and loki was like u are a dull creature i am a god then hulk kicks his ass Expand
  12. May 12, 2013
    9
    Everything happens very fast which helps maintain a constant climax, with a story that humanizes the heroes, and scenes as spectacular as those of Transformers 3, what could be better is the largest participation of Thor and Captain America, and the decentralization of the plot in Iron Man and Hulk.
  13. May 1, 2013
    10
    The avengers is in my top 3 favourite films of all time. it shows how amazing all these heroes.. Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk and Thor come together for the avengers and take on loki thors brother. Loki is a great villan and every single character in this film does a fantastic job. The Film makes perfect sense and to those that say it doesn't.. just watch all the other films.... the best thing about this movie is that it makes you want to have all the avengers films in your wardrobe.. This film is fantastic. the action is amazing and everything is awesome! Expand
  14. Apr 26, 2013
    9
    Not only is The Avengers a great film by itself, its also a great; Iron Man movie, Captain America movie, Hulk movie and Thor movie. With the huge potential of failure from the unprecedented build up, it is one of the biggest comic book achievements ever
  15. Apr 17, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Whoever digs deep to find the faults of this film will also have to dig through an epic amount of fun in the process. I thoroughly enjoyed this film for exactly what it is: a Super Hero movie. I wasn't overly convinced with some of the 'phase 1' films, Thor was average, Caption America was fairly poor and the Hulk films where dreadful. However I loved the Iron Man movies as Robert Downey Jr. Is exceptional and he's even better in the Avengers. Joss Whedon is a genius for making this work as I was never convinced he would. I'm also pleased he's over seeing the 'phase 2' projects as he's shown he understands the production values of what makes a perfect Marvel movie. The cast is superb, Robert Downey Jr. steals the show delving deeper into the complex character that is Tony Stark. Other than Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Christopher Reeves' Superman, I think Robert Downey Jr. is the best casted actor to play a superhero to date. There's been multiple incarnations of Batman, Spider-Man and the Hulk, but the thought of somebody else playing Iron Man other than RDJ feels like having Christmas Day without a Turkey. It just would not work. Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans convincingly make the numbers up but neither of them stand out from the crowd. Scarlett Johansson is brilliant again as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow. Her character deserves a stand alone movie and although she's more like Tomb Raider than a superhero, a Black Widow film would be awesome. The surprise of the film is Mark Ruffalo who's nailed the character of Bruce Banner. Third time lucky for Marvel who tried Eric Bana and Edward Norton previously to play the Hulk but they where both unconvincing and instantly forgettable. I think what worked third time around was that producers focused more on getting the character of Bruce Banner perfect before they worried about the CG of the alter-ego the Hulk. To add to that, the CG for the Hulk in the Avengers is the best to date. I'm not a massive Hulk fan but I would happily welcomes a Hulk film if it casts Ruffalo again. They've found a winning formula with Ruffalo so I hope Marvel stick with him. The biggest disappointment is Jeremy Renner. He's a great actor playing the great character Hawkeye, but I think Joss Whedon presented this character wrong. Jeremy Renner's acting talent was wasted and he just seemed to be forgotten about. I hope there's a Hawkeye movie for Jeremy Renner's sake as he deserves the chance to show everyone he can offer more to the role. Tom Hiddleston does well to fill the big role of the villain considering he's competing alongside a huge array of talent. His performance as Loki however is by no means up there with the best of cinematic superhero villains. For example Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor and both Jack Nicholson's and Heath Ledger's performances as the Joker are timeless. Samuel L. Jackson is on form and has a larger input in this Marvel film which is good, I hope he's involved in the Shield TV series but I doubt he'll step down to TV. Last but not least without further a do, Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson deserves the last word. I was gutted that he got killed off, but he's apparently reappearing in the Shield TV series. He's consistently been brilliant in all the 'phase 1' films and its a shame to think he won't be involved in 'phase 2'. Overall Avengers is a great film, great visuals, great choreography of action and great performances. Its the first super hero film to give Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy a taste of competition but in a totally different way. This is by no means award winning material, but the Avengers doesn't want awards, it wants everyone to have an epic amount of fun. Joss Whedon I salute you! Expand
  16. Apr 7, 2013
    9
    This is hands down the best super hero movie made to-date, and I've seen them all. At over 2 hours and 20 minutes, it is wholly captivating, perfectly balancing character development, team development (which is critical for this movie) and eye-popping 3D action. This is no small feat, bringing together the six "heroes.". Even the minor characters are brought to the forefront (Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, for example), enriching their characters and making their action sequences just as cool and dynamic.

    And surprisingly, it is the best Hulk movie. There are two scenes featuring the Hulk that will have you laughing so hard you'll be in tears. You'd think Iron Man would have the coolest action sequences, but when the Hulk inflicts carnage on the enemies, you don't want it to stop.

    This is Josh Whedon's breakout movie. No longer will he be known as "the guy that made the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series," but the guy that made The Avengers.
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  17. Apr 6, 2013
    10
    As I write this review, the Avengers is my personal favorite movie. The Avengers is an absolute blast, featuring mind-blowing special effects and CGI, great performances all around, and humor that makes this an all-around incredible movie.

    My personal favorites in this movie were Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. Robert Downe
    y, Jr. brought back more of his sarcastic and witty comments that make him the best character in the movie. However, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner was just incredible. He played the part very well. As for the Hulk, he was awesome.

    I also have to applaud the other cast members (Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johannsenn, Jeremy Renner). They all did very well in their respective roles and I felt that Loki was a very good villain.

    Overall, this is an absolutely stunning movie that every has to see at some point.
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  18. Apr 2, 2013
    10
    When the demoman from Team Fortress 2 is involved in your movie, you're doing something right. People, you need to follow the likes of this movie, because it is simply amazing. Please watch this movie
  19. Mar 30, 2013
    10
    Wow "HULK SMASH," his way in to give this movie a 10 easy! How could I give it anything else after watching the Hulk!? Is it even possible, nope not for me. This move is a must watch! I don`t know what anybody who does not like this movie was expecting. Did you think this was "A Beautiful Mind" part two? At first I wondered how they would make all the heroes come together, but they did a great job with it. All the characters fit right in. The critics are crazy for not liking this, I don`t know why they even exist, everybody should have their own opinions on movies and everything in life. If you just listen to critics, or even friends you will miss out on allot of things you actually would like. Expand
  20. Mar 23, 2013
    9
    A popcorn movie that gets everything a popcorn movie needs right. It's got the special effects, cheesy dialogue and like-able characters, but it does it all effortlessly and is one of the best superhero movies to date.
  21. Mar 23, 2013
    9
    I was surprised, this movie is really good, I thought it was another of Transformers, but it was really smart and funny.
    The result was not only a blast, but also led to more adaptations, including the coveted 'Spiderman' walked many years ago stuck in an economically unviable Study (Carolco) and promoters like James Cameron who remained in the way.
    They know how to count and give casual
    joke humorous, sad not like Michael Bay attempts to do so. The performances are really good by the entire cast, especially that of Tom Hiddleston, is really good and hae see Loki's character as a great and dangerous villain of comic books, and my opinion much deserved every award nomination.
    The visual effects and uncountable stages are really amazing, definitely an Oscar nomination in this.
    What I did not like was that it is very predictable, so I tend to like movies, I like movies when something unexpected happens, but here there was exepcion, also becomes longer and that can be very annoying as the movie.
    Nearly two hours of footage, and how difficult was entertained. In the end it was hard not to. Not drops, not weakens and does not disappoint, with all the spectacular and the technique allows exploiting the potential in each frame which was holding. If you had to hang a picture next to the term 'blockbuster popping' the heroes traveling on the streets of New York would be the ideal.

    'The Avengers' have joined. They do not separate the precipitated sequels.
    Good Movie.
    My Score: 9.3
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  22. Mar 17, 2013
    9
    An exciting thrill ride from start to finish. This is exactly what you expect in a summer block buster. It's not easy to take this many superheroes and keep all the characters relevant that's a credit to Joss Whedon.
  23. Mar 16, 2013
    10
    It is one of 2012 best movies. It is suitable for just any age. Iron man, Hulk, Captain America etc... are awesome. I just don't know why did critics gave it 60 while it has a score of 92 on rotten tomatoes and it deserves 92. Buy it on DVD or wait until its TV release. Recommended for anyone.
  24. Mar 7, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film is utterly fantastic! We get all our favorite characters from previous Marvel films and they are put into 1...what isn't there to like.

    With the fantastic direction from Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer I know right! Quite a difference) this film lives up to its hype which many films do not this film also has the best CGI I have ever seen...The best sequence for me is the one shot where there are no cuts, just one fluent shot which follows Iron Man as he helps each of the Avengers one-by-one.

    Now, why have I put this film on a 9/10...That's because I did not really enjoy the prolonged bickering between the Avengers. It took way too long for them to finally work together. However, it does not mean the banter during these scenes were boring!

    Overall, a fantastic Super-Hero movie, possibly the best, the only fault would be the ever-long bickering over than that...all I got to say if you haven't watched it yet, stop reading now and watch it!
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  25. Jan 24, 2013
    9
    It is the closest to perfection a comic book movie adaptation can get. I really can not say too much else. I found almost nothing wrong with it, however, I do feel they could have gotten a more prominent Villain. Loki was convincing and a worthy foe, but it just felt like they could have gone up against someone more sinister than an Asgardian with daddy issues. Still, a fantastic film that I can watch over and over. How on earth did Cobie Smulders get cast in this movie? Quite the big leap from TV sitcom to ...... this. There's nothing wrong with her, I was just pleasantly surprised. Expand
  26. Jan 17, 2013
    9
    I like this movie but it isn't my favorite.
  27. Jan 11, 2013
    10
    The avengers is the best movie with best cast.I can't wait till avengers 2 comes out. Avengers is the best super hero movie. Bat man is nothing compered to the avengers.
  28. Jan 9, 2013
    10
    I hate starting off a good review with a rant, but really? Comparing this movie to Transformers? Only league where this was the same as Transformers were the groundbreaking special effects, simple as that.
    Director Joss Whedon has created a film that has a mixture of all of our favourite fanboy fantasies, a near-perfect script in which the title characters, particularly (and as usual) Rob
    ert Downey Jr, i mean, who else but Whedon's dark yet comical understanding of the genre and Downey Jr's witty delivery could get away with labelling Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) as "Point Break" or calling Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton (Jeremy Renner) Legolas? Simple little bows to other genres captivate this into a gloriously fresh and surprisingly funny film, and a wonderful beginning to more Avengers.
    The excellently diverse Tom Hiddlestone reprises his role as Thor's brother, Loki, who attempts to capture the Tesseract, which first appeared in Captain America (again played by Chris Evans).
    What differentiates this ensemble film from the rest? Well for starters, all our superheroes are on the same screen, Joss Whedon is clearly not afraid to lend screen time to develop other stories, particularly Renner's Hawkeye and the return of Scarlett Johansson's delectably dangerous Black Widow. We also see the return of the most fearsome, yet difficult hero of them all, the one we have yet to see a favourable film about, Hulk. Taking over from Ed Norton,we see Mark Ruffalo taking the reigns, and quite honestly the dialogue between him and Downey Jr is not to be missed or forgotten. The interactions between all characters is unmissable. Phil Coulson returns and his as deadpan hilarious as ever, lining himself to play a pivotal role in the film.
    what please me the most watching the Avengers was how Whedon has expertly divided the screen time between all our heroes, while still maintaining a thriving story and not leaving the human characters out in the cold.
    The battle of Manhattan is stunning to watch,whether it was witnessing Iron Man bounce rays off Cap's shield to defeat enemies, Thor and Hulk teaming to fight the alien race or Black Widow and Hawkeye nitpicking with their respective skills, each member had a part to play, but it was indeed Ruffalo's Hulk who stole the show, his humorous 'other guy' stance regarding the Hulk, his nervous yet accepting persona and of course his dialogue with Tony Stark was just excellent. This was smart, sophisticated, funny, pop cultured and fun, everything Transformers wasn't. As my current re-watch favourite, this is easily the best superhero movie in a long while, suit up, grab your shield, hammer, and turn green, then watch, watch and watch again.
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  29. Jan 7, 2013
    10
    This is by far the best Marvel film released. It avoids the forced Hollywood romance plot while delivering copious amounts of Marvel fanservice. With the exception of Captain America, I feel that each of the Marvel characters had a chance to showcase their talents. Not only that, but there's a good amount of humor in this film as well.
  30. Jan 5, 2013
    9
    Got to be the best movie i saw in 2012. Great cast a very simplistic but decent story and some good dialogue. One of the things i like about this film and it gets so right is a GREAT final battle in the last 45 minutes which just looks amazing. alot of theese comic book movie films have theese crap 1-2 minute ones that are just so lame and anticlimactic that it almost makes the movie feel like a waste. The one problem is though you have a great team of super heroes fighting one guy names loki and his army of Alien things. would have been so much cooler if it was a team of villians. Oh well for Avengers 2 then hopefully. Other then that don't waste your time seeing this in 3D . This was my first 3D movie i rented for my 3D TV and the 3D just felt tacked on outside of a few moments when it looked cool. Avengers in the end has to be the best Comic book to movie out there so far. Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 43
  2. Negative: 1 out of 43
  1. Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    May 8, 2012
    75
    The banter has zip, the effects are fun, the climactic battle is decently spectacular, and if the 3-D is mostly expendable, there are a few scenes where it adds a nice kick.
  2. Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    May 4, 2012
    80
    This mania is what Marvel followers have hungered for, and it would be fruitless to deny their delight. As Loki says to a crowd of earthlings, "It is the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation." We do, Master, we do.
  3. 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.