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!… Expand

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.

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.

Please don't listen to the snobby anti-genre movie reviews. As a guy who enjoys a good introspective, quiet indie full of symbolism and heavy thought... this was a GOOD movie. No, a GREAT movie. I laughed, I clapped, I felt for the characters on screen. Joss Whedon remains a figure of cult hysteria because his scripts tap into the minds of a generation, and rightly so. He does nothing less in this film, and every single actor is up to the challenge. Of particular note here are Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk - and the best version so far. It's hard to tell how much of this is creditable to Ruffalo's display as Banner and how much credit goes to the writing and CG wizards behind this version of the not-so-jolly green giant. But I will say that this movie finally shed the idea that a proper exploration of the Hulk has to be cerebral, introspective, and outright depressing. This Hulk manages to be both affecting AND fun, and Ruffalo's Banner is just as interesting as the "other guy."

RDJ as Tony Stark continues to impress. Honestly, there's no real weak link in the cast. I was a little worried about Sam Jackson's ability to wrap his mouth around Whedon's poppy dialogue, but his Nick Fury carried a fantastic amount of gravitas and screen presence, and really added dramatic weight I was surprised to see from an actor who has become (sadly) better known for his culty larger-than-life persona than his acting.

All in all, this is just a fantastic film, and one I plan to see in the theater again before it leaves - an activity I rarely do in the time of high-priced entertainment. Kudos Whedon, kudos Marvel. I am in awe.… Expand

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.… Collapse

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not so much a review in & of itself, as a response to all of the negative reviews I have read. With that said, this will be FULL OF SPOILERS. Do not read anymore if you hate spoilers. Most of the negative reviews I have seen thus far have been written by individuals who, quite obviously, have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. At least in regards to The Avengers. Some common complaints I have seen:
1) The movie did not have enough exposition & I struggled to keep up with what was happening.
~The movie had plenty of exposition...about FIVE MOVIES worth of it. If you can't remember what happened in Iron Man or Thor because you haven't seen either of those movies since their theatrical release, that is not Joss Whedon's fault. Nor is it a fault of this movie. It would have been impractical to squeeze in an extra twenty or thirty minutes of exposition in a pointless attempt to bring those individuals who didn't "do their homework" up to speed.
2) The heroes bickered & fought too much with each other.
~The reasoning behind this was two-fold. First & foremost, this is a form of fanservice. Geeky comic nerds (i.e. the target audience) WANT to see Thor & Hulk go toe to toe. We WANT to see Captain America deflect Mjölnir with his shield. Pitting our favorite heroes against each other has been a part of comics since comics existed, & to exclude that element from the film would have been a massive disappointment. Even if you ignore the fact that the heroes fighting amongst themselves was a desired piece of the movie, you cannot ignore one simple truth: it was entirely in character for these heroes to not get along with one another. At least, not at first. How unbelievable would it have been if the upright, disciplined, & serious Steve Rogers became fast friends with the pompous, arrogant, & self-absorbed Tony Stark? It would have been an outrage.
3) My willing suspension of disbelief broke when I saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
~Having S.H.I.E.L.D. play a role in all of the movies leading up to The Avengers, & then planning S.H.I.E.L.D. to have such a large part in The Avengers, but to exclude the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier? Or, perhaps even worse, to simplify or dumb down the Helicarrier so it was JUST an aircraft carrier? Tantamount to blasphemy. Thor without his hammer, Captain American without his shield. Sure, those characters would still WORK & would still be recognizable...but (much like the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier) those are iconic elements that the audience is expecting to see.
4) The movie had a slow start.
~You must have missed the first fifteen minutes. You know, the part with all of the explosions, the gunfights, the car chase, the demi-god vaporizing people, & the massive underground complex that was turned into a city sized crater. All before the title appeared on screen. After that, the movie gives a brief (six to ten minutes) exposition on what each individual Avenger is currently doing, gives the viewer a glimpse on what the bad guy is up to, then dives right back into more action. Perhaps the first hour felt slow because the second hour was an absolute non-stop adrenaline fueled thrill ride. That's my best guess.
5) Nothing but mindless fight scenes.
~I don't know how to reply to this, other than ask...have you read a comic book? Ever? There is, on average, a pretty good bit of fighting. Which, most comic book readers will agree, is not a bad thing as long as its done well. In The Avengers...it is done very well.
6) The dialogue was terrible.
~I digress that some characters are less interesting to listen to than others. However, that is not something you can fault the movie for. Every character works at their maximum capacity, & every actor fulfills their roles quite well. You cannot blame the movie or Chris Hemsworth for Thor having epic sounding if somewhat stiff dialogue. You cannot blame Joss Whedon or Mark Ruffalo for Bruce Banner seeming somewhat bland, boring, or shy. They are playing the characters perfectly, absolutely spot-on! Not every member of The Avengers gets to be the witty & sharp tongued Tony Stark.

In closing...I am sure I missed some complaints. Those are the ones that burned foremost in my mind. Is The Avengers a landmark groundbreaking masterpiece? No.
Is it a work of art that will be discussed in classrooms? No.
Is it a damned fun movie that hits all of the right spots, pushes the right buttons, & pleases its target audience? Hell yes. It is certainly that.
Will there be a sequel? Without doubt.… Expand

very good movie. Cannot go wrong that's for sure. I give it an 8 because the story simply is not as good as super hero movies like batman. The action is really good and the effects are awesome. Definitely worth seeing.

The movie as whole is not bad but at the end of the day, it's pretty much the generic superhero/comic book movie - lots of explosions with some semi-funny one-liners. The action sequences were nothing outstanding (they were actually less impressive than the first scenes in Thor). On top of that, the movie is a bit slow until the half-way point. Some characters felt out of place like Scarlett Johansson's character and that Phil dude. Hulk's reason for being on the team was very blurry as well. Overall, an entertaining popcorn flick but nothing more.… Expand

I love superhero action movies, and though I was really looking forward to this movie, tried not get too high of hopes, so as not to ruin it for myself accidentally. I don't think it worked though, as I was kind of disappointed in this movie. It was decent, but it could have been so much better. As soon as it ended, my friend and I, who both love Joss Whedon, and this kind of movie, both turned to each other and shrugged. We both agreed that Joss has great ideas, but is not a great director of movies. Some of the shots were kind of random, pacing needed to be tightened up, it felt too long in spots (I started getting sleepy at one point and didn't think I would miss anything if I took a quick nap) and I wanted it to hurry and get to the point several times, and I just didn't feel much connection to or care about any of the "superheroes", even the ones I had already liked and connected to in previous movies. If Joss had more experience directing full-length films, I think this movie would have been much better. (Sorry, Joss, I really do love you! But, I have to call it like I see it.) But, all that said, I liked it okay, I just knew that it could have been really good, and was disappointed it wasn't living up to its potential.… Expand

Just saw The Avengers and all I can say is WOW!! this is the movie comic-book fans have been waiting for. the action is great, the interaction between the actors in their respective roles is awesome. The movie definitely moves along, in my opinion, considering it is over two hours. It is certainly one of the best comics to movie adaptions I've seen in a long time. A must see!!!

I think my brain exploded from an overload of awesomeness! If you are a fan of all the previous solo films... get ready for the best payoff we've all been waiting for since the release of the first Iron Man. I'm going back for seconds!

The summer movies are here and The Avengers delivers. Every thing about this movie WILL satisfy the nerd/geek in you. Its is written and filmed like a Marvel comic book movie should be. Josh Whedon has raised the bar on the start of summer blockbusters movies and every other Marvel movie to follow. All the characters are equally woven in and each roll is well balanced that you don't have time to fall in love with just one. If you have never picked up a comic book and feel like you might be lost on the characters I highly recommend watching the prior movies that brings this team together, Iron Man, Caption America The First Avenger, Thor, and Hulk. I'm already dreaming of the next Avengers movie.… Expand

This is "Power Rangers" for adults, with fancier special effects. Please, a flying invisible aircraft carrier. My suspension of disbelief broke into a million pieces. It obviously wasn't there when the film asked me to believe that the horrendously destructive battle of six spiffy looking Marvel characters and thousands of space creatures pouring through a space portal in the middle of New York City didn't lead to the wholly unnecessary deaths of thousands of people. Please. "It's just comic book stuff" doesn't excuse the fact that it still must be made to look reasonable for the viewer to buy into it. There was no one to root for, no real plot tension, no depth of character -- the constant pointless bickering between Avengers doesn't count. Come on. What kind of shallow people these days think that a film that merely amounts to an agonizing overload of street kickboxing to defeat an effete space god is a "10" on this scale. Have video games made so many people this way? That's the real scary thing the Avengers should be avenging.… Expand

Joss Whedon's Avengers is a funny, engaging and thrilling movie that stays true to the characters established in the previous Marvel movies. Great chemistry exists between the leads and you can tell they had a blast filming it. The story is a little too simplistic but other than that this movie is firing on all cylinders. What separates this from so many other superhero movies is that The Avengers has heart, the rarest thing of all in a Hollywood blockbuster and something that is impossible to fake.… Expand

I think this was my very first movie I watched in 2012 and I gotta say, I liked it. My initial concerns were about how the movie would live up to this enormous hype it had already built up and how Joss Whedon, a director I have never even heard of, would develop the personalities of multiple characters the movie has. Surprisingly enough, he exceeded my expectations in a good way. The story and dialogue was created with full blown Hollywood style treatment, but it was witty, enjoyable, and had a solid point. The character development was also strong, something that most directors cannot handle due to the fact that making 7 superheroes individually stand out is pretty difficult. But hey, Joss Whedon did it, so I give huge credit and respect for it. Anyways, long words short, in my opinion this was a good summer blockbuster, keeping constant of it's premise and living up to the hype. Recommended watching.… Expand

Horrible film. Absolutely no content whatsoever. There is not a shred of seriousness of genuine emotion or action in this movie. Any attempt to create any sense of connection is broken up by stupid one liners, which continuously add to the shallow and unrealistic characters who couldn't really be farther from acting like superheroes. The plot is likewise very badly done. It felt like they tried to make the movie go forward just so they can show the meaningless 10-15 action scene where the "heroes" get together and kick ass.… Expand

Great action flick, non-stop action, great lines, and I plan on seeing it again. Robert Downey, Jr steals the show as Iron Man. Stay for the credits to see the teaser for the next film! If you liked the Marvel films, you will love the Avengers.

i left the theater in awe. it's the first time i've ever wanted to rewatch a movie right away. while the plot of the villain was pretty standard, seeing these heroes together and how they interact was perfect. highly recommended.

In all honesty i don't see how they could've made this film anymore spectacular than it was. As a superhero fanboy (especially Marvel) i was in utter awe during the entire duration of the film. Joss Whedon did an absolutely amazing job directing and writing this blockbuster film. It certainly isn't an easy task making a film like this work but he sure did. I especially love how he made Bruce Banner/ the Hulk and Black Widow more of the 2 key characters. It was unexpected but i loved it. I also liked how they finally made the Hulk more of a good guy because he's always seen as a bad guy in every film you see. He also looked more like the actor playing Bruce Banner FINALLY! He didn't look ridiculous and unrecognizable for once. On to other things, the comedy in this film was just plain hilarious, and it was of course centered around Iron Man (Tony Stark). With the occasional jokes from Thor and how he is not familiar with Earth and Captain America being, well..old or outdated might be a better word. The action was just non-stop and absolutely mind-blowing. It was just perfect, i literally saw no flaws in the spectacle of explosion after explosion, and the CGI was just beautiful because it was perfect. While i was watching this movie, it didn't feel like a movie, it felt like something more, thats how fantastic it was. The acting was spot on, the plot was better than expected, and i can't praise Joss Whedons job on blending the chracters and their stories together enough. He just did such an amazing job, words can't even desribe. Loki was awesome, he was the definition of a villain. Slick, evil, and genius. I felt frigid during certain scenes with him because of how chilling his character was portrayed. All around this film itself is just perfect. The only flaw i saw was the 3D was nothing special so if you cannot decide, go with the 2D because the 3D is not worth the extra cash, but otherwise the actual film itself is perfect.The Avengers is not just a film, it's a cinematic event, and you will love it from the very beginning all the way until the classic end of the credits scene. I cannot wait to watch this film again. Whether you are a superhero fan or not you have to love this film, and if you are a superhero fan like myself, get ready to experience the best 2 and a half hours of film ever made. If i could give this more than a 10 i would! You must see this movie now!… Expand

Good stuff. Joss Whedon likes and understands these characters as well as what audiences enjoy. You get what you want plus a little more. Hulk steals the show...then smashes it to bits. Great flicks for fans and non-fans alike. A great pay off to for all of the build up films. Can't wait to see more from this bunch...but Whedon needs to stay around...his spirit makes this thing work. Great start to the summer.… Expand

How can people say terrible things about this movie? I know there are flaws in the film. But most of the problems are created by hipsters of critics who want to seem cool but instead, end up looking like **** who don't even know what the f*ck they're talking about. The film is an exciting roller coaster ride from start to finish. And when there isn't action going on, there is either great humor or fantastically done character development. There is no reason you shouldn't be going to see this movie. And anyone who sees Battleship instead of this, is dead to me.… Expand

To put it simply, YES! I would have sat through five more movies like â

I think that the movie was a bit slow at first but then picked up a bit near the end. I did not enjoy the movie as much as everyone told me I would. I thought it was very okay compared to the other superhero movies. Some of the jokes they made were funny, but others were very lame. I just think that they may have relied a little too much on the effects rather than the story. I did not feel attached to any of the characters. Perhaps the only character I felt was the most fun to watch was Bruce Banner who played the Hulk. They are all amazing superheroes individually, but I did not feel the chemistry between them as a team.… Expand

I have not been this entertained by a film in quite some time. Whedon didn't make a film, but conducted a symphony of entertainment. Action, humor, banter, dialogue, all worked in seamless harmony. Unaccustomed to such a level of entertainment, I was mesmerized. If time flies when having fun, this movie was exactly that. 2hrs 45mins flew by, with every second as welcome as the first.

An example of how you do a big budget, blockbuster film in the best possible way. From start to finish, The Avengers is entertainment perfection and the best film Marvel has ever put out yet. Director and writer Joss Whedon implements his trademark humour and cinematography to make the film not just funny, but also tightly paced and action packed. I'm impressed that Whedon could handle this many characters at once, especially heroes but it isn't surprising because he's done it before. While Tony Stark/Iron Man have slightly more screen time and has the most jokes and one liners, not one character is wasted or slandered and the main ensemble cast play each other extremely well and every single one of them gets a shining moment thanks to a very well written script and steady pacing. Mark Ruffalo is the best Hulk ever and I'm surprised that they didn't over sexualised Black Widow in contrast to what the trailers show but now that I think about it, it's Joss Whedon, whom you should know created Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I cannot rave this film enough and I've already seen it twice in the cinema. It is the blockbuster film of the year. It is so entertaining and so much fun to watch and it is a shining example of how a big budget blockbuster film should entertain a general audience. I've seen it both in 3D and 2D but I recommend it in 2D… Expand

I give this film 9/10. I'm dropping 1 point because they didn't exactly follow the original "The Ulitmates" story line, but came pretty damned close.

The film reflects Joss Whedons Humour with lots of nice humorous, but not out of place , quirky little moments. His wit is still very apparent from his Buffy/Angel/Firefly days. If it wasn't him who wrote the relevant scenes, it's someone trying to be like him !

The script and banter between everyone is snappy and everyone is already familiar with their roles so it's straight into the action. Everyone acted well and everyone took it seriously, but not TOO seriously.

I'm not giving away anymore plot than I already have in my opening statement, if you're familiar with the first 13 issue run of " The Ultimates" then you know roughly what's going on in the film. I should add here that you really end up hating Loki, again, what a great actor.

The films sounds amazing and looks even better, there is not a dull moment and I was thoroughly absorbed throughout. Lets have another one soon please.

And how about a Black Widow/Hawkeye spy/assassin flick in the mean time, they were both great characters incredibly well played by their respective actors.

Everyone already knows how good the actors that play Cap. America, Iron Man and Thor are, but those two mentioned above, and the chap that played the Hulk were also wonderful. As were the rest of the cast.

In order here's what I'd like to see next in the movies:-

New Iron Man, then a new Hulk, New Thor, New Cap. America, A Black Widow & Hawkeye spy story, with lots of Nick Fury in this one, THEN the second Avengers film. Then start the cycle again adding in a few other Avengers as time goes on. With the list above, and a film a year, that's a five year movie arc before it all starts again.

Now go and do it please people.

The Avengers, a solid nine out of ten. Go see it and enjoy.… Expand

This movie has flow, comedy and good character development. It is what you hope for when you go to see the movies. I don't make sweeping generalizations without substance unless I feel certain, this movie is brilliant.

Just go see it.
It's worth the 10 I'm giving it.

Joss Whedon a thespian of the TV world directs his first big budget studio backed super hero movie bringing together some of the most iconic Super Heroes of the Marvel Comics universe. In my personal opinion the movie falls short of the promise it held with the recently successful Iron-Man, Thor and Captain America who all come together as The Avengers a special task force

The Avengers is a musical arrangement that hits every note on pitch with all the class and excitement you'd expect with Tony Stark in the mix. Joss Whedon takes the helm and crafts a masterpiece. The characters are great, the script is amazing, the comedy is always perfect, and the action is breathtaking! You won't find a better superhero movie or a comic adaptation. The Avengers sets the bar high, and will be one of the main reasons 2012's summer movie release list will be memorable.… Expand

My wife and I were trying not to get too excited for this movie. These mash-up movies always a huge risk. And in this case it was a HUGE success. They did a great job of giving everyone a proper place in the movie without giving everyone powers to match one another necessarily. Also compared to other Marvel movies in the past, like X-Men where they decided Wolverine needed act as leader all the time, it was nice to see that they used characters like Captain America to give orders and stay level headed while Iron Man was able to go off crazy and do his thing. The jokes hit perfect, the timing and action was spot-on. The only thing that could ever be said was that the plot wasn't too overall complicated and was fairly straightforward along the way, but I don't feel it detracts from the movie at all, as anything more complex would have made the whole thing feel convoluted with so many characters struggling to work together.… Expand

The Avengers is middling at best. It is incredibly cliched, predictable and shallow. Character development is nil, as well as tension or suspense. Cheesy one liners and attempts at humor further sink The Avengers. The only redeeming quality of the movie was Loki, the main villain.

The Avengers is not as good as The Dark Knight, I'm just going to say that from the off, the storyline is escapism and it has some genuinely funny moments in it, but it doesn't have the deep characters or visual spectacle. Joss Whedon's script keeps the film going, and lets be honest, this film could have been a train wreck. What makes The Avengers tick is the relationships that each of the characters have with one another. This is where the film really takes flight, when all the characters are in a pressure cooker together, it gives the film weight and suspense especially with Mark Ruffalo's Hulk. Joss Whedon should be given a lot of credit for crafting such a cohesive and well thought out script.

The film script is what keeps it above board, visuals have never been Joss Whedon's strong suit, but I did notice a wink to his first feature film Serenity in a zoom shot near the finale. The film doesn't look bad by any means it just has the same sheen that the other Marvel films seem to sport, but it had to be this way to fit all the heroes together. But lack of visual flair is sometimes what makes me dislike these movies, they look too clean and have a sheen that makes it look too cartoony for my personal taste. The Xmen films and Burton and Nolan's Batman films seem to not have these "sheens" to them, which make them visually more appealing to me.

I've also never been a fan of 3D even when it works superbly like in Avatar, its just a gimmick to make more money most of the time. So I'd recommend watching Avengers in 2D, as it doesn't add anything to the film being in that third dimension.

Its very difficult to score this film as it is by and large a fantastic superhero film, thats enjoyable from beginning to end. Is it as all engrossing and goose-bump inducing as The Dark Knight, well no. Is it better than Spiderman, well yes, but I was never a fan of Sam Raimi's Spiderman anyway. Is it better than Thor, enjoyment wise its about the same. With no back stories to get through in The Avengers the time certainly flies by, it is great summer film. Is it anything more than that, sorry Joss, no its not.… Expand

Joss Whedon's widely influenced summer spectacular offers 130 minutes of popcorn-friendly fun, yet fails to deliver anything more than run-of-the-mill escapist entertainment. Tom Hiddleston is superb as Shakespearian villain Loki and Mark Ruffallo gives The Hulk some heart, yet the film's character development is minimal, its plot slow and formulaic, and its screenplay drizzled in gooey one-liners and excessive fanboy cream. Things pick up a little during the final act, but even a swooping, snarling Manhattan sky-battle isn't enough to save The Avengers from feeling bloated and underwhelming.… Expand

The Avengers is one of the greatest movies I have ever gone to see.If you like action films with no romance this is the film for you as there are no soppy love scenes which every action movie fan hates. Plus there are some humorous parts for people who like some comedy in a movie. Overall all the actor's and actresses played their role perfectly.I strongly recommend you see this film.

I finally saw Avengers the other night. I was expecting so much more from Joss Whedon. Where were the deep conflicted characters and the witty dialogue that I'm used to from Firefly and Buffy? This movie was too much like Transformers. It was way too heavy on action and special effects, with little to no character development. Also, I just can't get past how cheesy the costumes were, especially the villain's. I mean what was with those ridiculous horns?? I fell asleep about 6 times during the movie and kept waking myself up because I was waiting for it to get good. It just never happened. With all the amazing writers out there struggling for work why are we having to put up with this crap on the silver screen?… Expand

This film is about a group if heroes, each with their own hubris, and how they must learn to work together for the greater good. With plenty of action, humor and story, this movie delivers at every turn. Director Joss Whedon knows how to build, challenge and sustain a team driven story. From his experience with Buffy to Firefly and Dollhouse, he has learned how to develop an ensemble cast and provide each character with enough screen time to not just have time to develop their character, but to have a sense of balance as a whole. Each character proves to be an essential part of the greater whole. And that is where this movie shines. No one is left out and everyone is used in a manner that pushes the story and development forward with no real lag in the narrative. My only concern, with a movie this grand and epic, is how Marvel is going to top, or even match this film. If they can, then the next Marvel movie will be nothing short of astonishing. Bottom line this is the best superhero Team Movie made to date.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Avengers is perhaps one of the most anticipated superhero movies ever made. It has been in production since Iron Man (2008). Each one of the Avengers has had a great first movie. Now after four years of build up the Avengers movie is finally here and being a fan of the previous films, except for Iron Man 2 (2010), I decided to go and see it. While the Avengers is fast, fun, and exciting some unnecessarily long action scenes prevent the movie from being great.

The movie opens up with Loki, the villain from Thor (2011), coming to earth and stealing the Tesaracht, brainwashing some guys including Mr. arrow shooter. Afterwards, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) decides that in order to stop Lokiâ… Expand

A well-crafted film that superbly handles playing with four leading heroes. The movie has great sequences of action and the special effects are top-notch. However, it is the character interaction that really shines through, and makes the ultimate assembly worthwhile.

I am quite possibly one of the biggest batman fans on the planet and i still looked forward to this more than the dark knight rises. Marvel movies dont have quite the in depth story telling that dc comic book movies have, but i would rather watch this again then sit through the dark knight returns. The effects were amazing and even with so many characters everyone gets enough screen time to make the movie feel really balanced. I saw this with 6 other ppl and all of us walked out extremely happy. I would highly recommend this as a great start to the summer movie season. 2012 is looking to be one of the best years for movies in a long time… Expand

Just saw this movie and I was really impressed. The only down side was that you didn't see much of the Hulk until later on in the movie, but besides that Tony Stark was awesome and Hawkeye was bad ass. The Avengers is surprisingly really good, nest to X Men: First Class as the best Marvel movie in recent years.

Fan Boys (and Girls) unite, our time has arrived!! Not one but 6 Super Heroes in one movie. What chance does the evil Loki have against these guys (and girl)?

For most of the 140 plus minutes it looks like Loki will win the day and subjugate Earth to his rule. But never fear! As Iron Man warns Loki: "You may have an army but we have a Hulk." The story is interesting even for an old timer who missed out on these comic books! The action is first rate and the dialogue is crisp and often hilarious. The real question to be answered at the end of this movie is: "How many spin off movies will be created by this box office bonanza" There is already talk of Black Widow and Nick Fury origins films and both Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 are in the works. The sooner the better! I'm not getting any younger and the more of these Super Hero films I can see, the longer I intend to stick around. If I outlast Loki then Marvel will just have to find another first rate villain or two.… Expand

"The Avengers" (2012) is the newest film from Marvel Studios / Disney Studios with the classic superheroes, directed by Joss Whedon (from TV series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") and starring multiple characters from other movies, together, for the first time: Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).

The film follows the ending hook given after the credits of "Thor" in 2011 (just a note, there is also one in this movie, but before the credits, for a sequence of Avengers), with the cube Tesseract of "Captain America" â… Expand

Great movie well written well directed and had some really cool scenes the characters where coordinated really well and the action was amazing I would certainly see this movie again in theatres

The special effects were great and the action was great, but The Avengers was lacking in other areas. The story was ridiculous and not engaging whatsoever and the jokes just weren't very funny at all. God, Robert Downey Jr. annoyed me so much!

Probably much more enjoyable on the big screen -- and I'm sure it would have been more enjoyable for a comic book aficionado. But its appearance on some of the critics' "best" lists made me curious. Campy costumes and a primary-colored plot (to the extent that there was one) made it fun in spots, but for me could not make up for the cheesy dialogue and silly story. Robert Downey Jr. had most of the best lines and wittily made good use of them; his performance definitely was the highlight.… Expand

This is one of the best action films than ever seen in my life. Every hero work together. God job director I give you a 10. Work hard and you will be the best director ever, maybe and make and other sequel but much better.

Move over Spiderman 2, Dark Knight and X-men:First Class. This movie us literally the best thing I've seen so far this year. I loved every second of it. The film is very well paced and the script is super sharp and humorous. it also makes references to previous movies. I congratulate Mark Ruffalo for getting the character of Bruce Banner right after Edward Norton and Eric Bana didn't quite get it. As for the rest of the heroes, they've improved so much after their previous films, Captain Americas fight scenes weren't as boring as last years efforts. Like the Directors of the individual films. Joss Whedon has done a superb job at directing this, he really deserves an Oscar for this. Overall I thought the movie was brilliant and I look forward to a sequel in the next three to four years. Not gonna spoil the end credits scene but it's epic! A fantastic film and a must watch!… Expand

Personally I really enjoyed iit. The reason why I do not rely on critic reviews (69 out 100 please). Because they are just personal opinions like my own. The movie was very entertaining. I do agree about one thing though this was the best depiction of the Hulk since the TV series.

Typical pro military movie with the most outrageous waste of money possible - a flying aircraft carrier. It doesn't even make sense...what's the point?

This movie is OK. good action but it miss something to merge all parts in one big thing. the solo movie of the heroes was better for me at least. The movie is a bit to long by the end. $6 is good investment for 2 hours of action movie

While this isn't a perfect movie, as far as the recent action focused superhero movies go it is the best of the bunch. Action, humor and small spots of drama come together with bits of fan service to make an enjoyable experience for long time fans of the comics and new viewers alike. Some of the dialogue and story feels rushed in places and you can tell some things were glossed over to provide a smooth continuity but, at least with me, there weren't any large questions unanswered or things left hanging. In fact my biggest complaint would be that I had to see it in 3D because there was no other option, and as with every other 3D movie its too hard to see clearly when there's fact paced action going on or when there are close ups that take up a majority of the screen.… Expand

The perfect superhero movie. Joss Whedon brings together this cast of completely different personalities together to make a perfect dysfunctional functioning team that can really throw down. The action was exciting and fresh and the comedy was earned. The movie's plot was well put together and wasn't some obvious thing, as believed by many critics. The movie had a strong, dramatic overtone that really grounded everything in the real world, even though it was all pretty fantastic. Overall, this is probably the most fun you'll have at the theater all year.… Expand

I guess you can't please all of the people all of the time. With many reviewers complaining that this was a brainless action flick, and others complaining that there wasn't enough action, I thought this movie absolutely nailed the sweet-spot between the two, with some of the best action and biggest effect sequences of any comic-movie yet, and great dialogue in between.

The first half of the movie's pretty slow, understandable when you consider all the characters that needed to be introduced/re-introduced. Black Widow got a great introduction, there were some cool moments with S.H.I.E.L.D and some minor scraps between the heroes themselves which were great fun, but the bulk of the action was saved for the big-scale Manhattan battle at the end. With all the actors slipping effortlessly back into their roles (except for Mark Ruffallo's Hulk, more on that later) there's plenty of room for banter between the heroes, which provide some of the biggest fun in the movie. It's hard to pick out one "main" character as they all get an equal share in the proceedings, exactly as it should be. RDJ shines once again as Tony Stark/Ironman, his trademark wit and cool oozing from every pore, Chris Hemsworth's Thor bringing his big Asgardian personallity to the party, all the S.H.I.E.L.D members suitably official and millitaristic. Evan's Steve Rogers/Captain America is the fish-out-of-water in this new time-period, but steps up to the role of team leader in time for the finale. Then there's the Hulk.

Now, I should preface this by saying how much I LOVED Ed Norton's Hulk film. After the godawful Ang Lee effort a few years before, the Incredible Hulk was everything a Hulk movie should be, and I was a little devastated when I heard Norton wasn't reprising his role for the Avengers. It turns out, I needn't have worried. Ruffallo, in his biggest role yet, shines as the self-depricating Banner, and the Hulk himself has some of the most crowd-pleasing, punch-the-air moments in the whole movie. Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki, the films antagonist and does a great job once more. He has some great one-on-one moments with most of the heroes, most notably with Stark and of course his brother Thor, but the best by far is his short-lived encounter with the Hulk, a scene which WILL make you laugh, HARD. Now, I could complain that the overarching plot was a little basic as some reviews have, but to be honest I thought the plot was exactly what it needed to be. There's an alien invasion coming, we need to gather Earths mightiest heroes to defend it. That's about the long and short of it and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. There were simply too many characters for anything more complicated than that to work effectively in the first Avengers movie. Perhaps in future sequels something a little more substantial would work, with all the characters now established as well as their roles within the team, but this was perfect for a first outing.

All of this led to a finale which was just awesome. You know that battle in Manhattan you've seen in all the trailers? That goes on for half an hour. For the majority of that half-hour, I practically couldn't stop smiling. I seriously dig superheroes, and for me, it was like christmas seeing them all work together against the alien threat. There's a moment where all the heroes are gathered and Cap gives the team their orders, including a particullarly crowd-pleasing order to the Hulk, before they all spread out and do their thing. It was seriously cool.

Speaking of Cap, I have to bring up my only real criticism with the movie, and that's Cap's new costume. It just looks cheap, to be honest. Why they re-designed it at all, I don't know. In the Captain America movie, they managed to make the costume look right without it looking too silly, but this new incarnation just didn't work for me. Other than that, the movie was great. Great fun, great actoin, great humour, great dialogue. If you like action movies, you gotta see this. If you like superheroes, you absolutely must see this. Twice. I've only seen it once, and writing this review's made me wanna go watch it again, so it looks like I'm off to the cinema this afternoon. Enjoy!… Expand

Where's the story? Lots of punches but nothing to make me interested in the characters or the plot - what plot? What does it say about us that this movie has been so popular? I followed MC's recommendation and was sorely disappointed. The bits of humor and Robert Downey were the only bright spots in a really boring movie. Loki's horns looked ridiculous.

Possibly the best superhero movie ever. I've never seen an audience so engrossed in a film. Whedon's script and direction are perfect. This works on every level. Can't wait to see it again.

This movie was extremely fun to watch and also had a good plot. It was fun to see all the different guys come together. The humor was pretty damn good for an action movie. It was also cool seeing Captain America (Chris Evans) because he grew up in my hometown. This is a movie I would watch again.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is perfect, but I want to be very clear about what I mean about that. I'm not saying that everyone should think this movie is perfect, or even that everyone should like it. Nor do I think that it being perfect makes it better than other movies I think are less perfect. All I'm saying is that The Avengers, and Joss Whedon handled what they were working with flawlessly in my mind. So I want to talk about a few things that I think Joss Whedon handled perfectly.

Joss Whedon made a movie that blended well with all the universes he had been given by the other marvel movies (Iron Man, Captain America, etc). Specifiaclly he didn't try to get more out of it then he could. All of the superhero prequel movies before this weren't built as entertaining but not all together thought provoking endevours. So going into an ansamble piece like this helmed by a new director, there's a huge risk of the new piece clashing in tone with the seperate prequel pieces. So while Joss Whedon might have been able to make an elaborate dark Avengers Movie, similar to The Watchmen or The Dark Knight, he couldn't do that without conflicting with the universe of movies he was suppose to be working in.

A second thing Joss Whedon handled well was character development, or rather lack therof (in a good way). There was no "team building" emotional lessons or character changes throughout the movie, and I think that's a good thing. I was worried coming into this that we'd see the Avengers unable to function at all with eachother and then they'd grow to love each other and no longer fight. This worried me because this type of thing is so poorly handled normally. In the Avengers Tony Stark is the same narcasystic playfull jackass the character was known for. So certainly there are team conflictions with that personality, mostly Captain America whose much more straight forward, but these don't get in the way of the simple fact that these people are already superhero's. Despite how they feel about eachother each of them (sans HULK) is genuinley interested in helping the weak. The best example of this is about halfway through the movie Captain America and Stark are arguing and Cap is Saying "put on the suit", taunting him to get this argument to come to blows to settle it. And all of the sudden in the middle of this an explosion errupts and the Avengers' ship is under attack, and without missing a step Captain America says to a recovering Stark "Okay seriously put on the suit" as they race off to combat the threat. To me this very clearly showed that Joss Whedon understood the characters he was working with, and how to aproach them. In Iron Man (one) we see Tony Stark learn through his traumatic experience that there are things more important than himself. He saw that despite himself he needed to save those in harm's way. So I feel like it would have felt insulting to come to this movie and Stark had to learn those feelings all over again because he was to busy arguing with Captain American and let that get in the way of being a hero, but that's not how the movie handled it thankfully. As coy and sarcastic and antiauthoritarian as Stark is, he's still a superhero. So it would have seemed weird if he let a petty argument prevent him from saving someone. And Joss Whedon showed that perfectly. Yeah Stark and Captain were being petty and going after eachother but the moment people were in danger all of that got put on hold and they functioned together perfectly. And thats how it should be. They're both Superhero's there's only so much you can show of them not being able to function together before it becomes illogical.

I had a lot more to talk about like Whedon's use of dichotomy, and the need for the massive battle at the end of the movie, but I'm running short on characters so I'll just pick one last thing. Whedon's Avengers captured the Hulk better than any modern attempt to date. In both the Eric Bana and Edward Norton movies I feel like the Hulk was poorley displayed to capture it's meaning. (Though I think Edward Norton was amazing in the movie) But in the first two Hulk movies of this millenia, what the Hulk is was poorly captured. In both movies what's shown is a Dr. Banner being hunted by the military and the Hulk responding and destroying them. So the feeling of uncontrolled rage never translated because despite the chaos the Hulk was still targeting people trying to kill him. And that made the climax of those movies less meaningful. But in this movie the first time we see the Hulk he's rampaging after a frail girl (okay black Widow, but in comparison) who has no intention to harm him. So the feeling of uncontrolled rage translates to the watcher really well. And at the end of the movie when the Hulk displays somewhat controlled Rage, in a 'these guys are beating up the guys i'm beating up, well i won't go after them then', the contrast seemed more meaningful.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It accomplishes what a typical summer action film does: action. I can't really complain about this film because action is what I expected over story. But if there's one thing I'm just tired of at this point it's this: aliens. Aliens, aliens, aliens. I just think it's just so cliche that this is the plot point that we've been buttered up for after all these years with disappointing films like Iron Man 2 and Captain America. They should have just made this film from the beginning. The climatic battle felt more like Transformers 3. The whole premise felt like a Transformers movie. I mean, we have the Tesseract, a small cube-like thing that has energy to open portals and/or is a beacon of immense energy (sound familiar?), that's not very explained in the movie, or why the alien dudes want it. Albeit that moving action shot where it got all the Avengers doing their thing beating **** up simultaneously was great. And there's the gags like Hulk not being able to pick up Thor's hammer, Thor telling everyone Loki was adopted, the shield employee playing games when he's supposed to be working, etc. But Agent Coulson's scenes were by far the best. It was really petty of Nick Fury to use him to guilt the Avengers to work together while shying away from the fact that he was planning on building weapons of mass destruction out of the Tasseract.

But then we had the long, LONG attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters where nothing was at stake. Loki got himself caught for reasons and nothing seemed to materialize from that. The Avengers all **** at each other as to how to handle the situation and then suddenly liking each other once some **** goes down. The Hulk acting like a lumbering ape, dragging his knuckles, who thought that would be a good idea? And finally setting up the Tasseract at Stark Tower to open a portal for the Decepticons to invade Earth. Something like that hasn't happened in a film recently, right? But again this movie was about gags and action and fanservice, so I cannot really complain about it. I got what I expected and it filled some time up in my night.… Expand

The Avengers is shockingly phony, corny and cheesy. The movie is extremely clumsy with too many characters with all their personal backgrounds. The story and movie completely fall apart wth the lack of chemistry between any of the superheros. An action spectacle wth very little to show for.

This film was great - it had fantastic visuals, nice characters, breathtaking fights and kept me interested all the time. I consider it a great success :) There were also genuine comedic moments, when the entire cinema laughed. I enjoyed it very, very much and this is what is all about.

Wow was I wrong!!! Very good movie!!!!!!!!! Great action all the way through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was also full of numerous funny moments. Go see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Marvel film yet? Maybe not. Best Joss Whedon film? Nope, Serenity's smarter and darker, and the Whedon co-written The Cabin In The Woods is more ambitious. But what makes The Avengers so impressive is how it manages to stick to a classic comicbook/action formula, yet somehow feel utterly fresh and distinct. Be it the script, the settings, or the combination of so many superheroes sharing screen space - all freed from an origins story arc or sequel expectations - it just feels--- new, and gleefully satisfying. The characters are bold, yet feel human. And the action is spectacular but never dehumanising (we don't *need* to see civilians being killed during the major set-pieces).

It also absolutely nails a universal audience appeal. Marvel nerds (of which I'm one) can obviously love it, but I've not heard a packed cinema laugh so hard a film for a long time. You really don't need to be a fan to appreciate some of the dialogue or the standout visual gags. Whedon never patronises the audience, giving his characters room to breathe every now and then. But crucially he never forgets why you've paid for a ticket and are sitting in front of that screen: you're there, above all else, to be entertained - and gorram it, he delivers...… Expand

A very risky movie to make considering the abundance of heroes. It could have used more information about the army of other-worldly creatures so willing to invade another planet. Looking forward to the inevitable sequel.

In the context of the debate over the A.O. Scott review of this film, clearly comic book movies can be done extremely well and are worth of the highest praise. The best in the genre include Batman Begins, Dark Knight, and the original Iron Man. All are highly entertaining and evocative films. What strikes me about The Avengers, now a couple of hours after seeing it, is that the personalities of each of the superheroes truly come out over the course of the film, which is essential in elevating them above plastic or wooden action figures, and I didn't think it would be possible, despite Whedon's involvement. Even Scarlett J's Black Widow is terrific - and I'm very much not a fan of her other work. Beyond the strong personalities, there are actually some truly funny laugh lines in the movie, which isn't always the case in this genre. The "big" action sequences toward the end of the film are better than your average comic book movie money scenes - and they're certain better than anything in the Transformers films - but I still found myself getting a little bored amidst the mayhem. Finally, its great seeing Cobie Smulders as Sam Jackson's right hand woman in the command center. She's got a future in action films if she wants it.… Expand

The special effects alone are not enough to make a good movie, but apparently not many people understand it. Often boring, rarely funny and exciting. Only look if you love Marvel.

The Avengers is about exactly what I expected it to be. A very well done superhero movie. It's by no means going to be nominated for any awards, but it was the perfect Friday night guilty pleasure. I went to see it with my 10 year old son. Even though I read the comics, and he didn't, he knew more about the characters than I did. I blame video games.

Probably one of the worst movies i have ever seen. Only Tony Stark and Bruce Banner seemed developed. The storyline was dull and boring. The finale took forever. The "come together" moment was completely terrible. Hawkeye barely got any screen time. Unoriginal storyline creates a power rangers for adults. Mindless action that had no meaning makes this one of the worst Marvel movies of all time. The only good parts about this were the special effects (which had no meaning because of the terrible script, unoriginal storyline, and mediocre acting) and the only developed character, the Hulk. If you want a real movie, skip "Marvel's The Avengers".… Expand

A perfectly average superhero movie...

I didn't see this for a while and some friends hyped it up as the best thing ever. I was pretty disappointed to begin with, because at the start there are some problems with the main characters. With having so many it was bound to happen... but still, it just doesn't feel right and I can't put my finger on it. Having said that, later on it gets better... much better. The characters find their niches and they come to life. I was just hoping they'd be a bit more interesting beforehand. They contrast nicely and work better than in their own films at times. There are some great action sequences and some memorable moments and it's all very fun. It's just not very complicated at all. I was expecting more a X-Men First Class or Watchmen vibe to it. (I know that was a silly idea now)

The problem is that you'd expect a film like this to blow you away and really immerse you, but honestly I turned it off halfway through and came back to it. Where as with First Class I watched it start to finish and then went back to some scenes again because it was soooo bad-ass. It takes a while to get going and then never really goes anywhere *that* interesting once it does. This is probably because the whole point of the film was to bring the avengers together and set them up for a sequel. If that's it then fair play, good film, point made. But First Class did that AND gave the guys something pretty interesting to do and also make some bold claims about sociology. ( I do love and highly recommend that film)

All in all it's alright. If you are going to see it, you've probably seen it by now. If not, catch it on Sky Movies in a few months or something when you're bored because it's not that special. On the other hand if you fancy a very good superhero-group origin film, with some top acting, interesting characters and a bit more depth... watch X-Men First Class.… Expand

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

I don't get all the hoopla over this film. In the end, it was yet another superhero movie with the same predictable storyline. It does have great special effects, good action (although a very shaky camera during the action sequences), and good 3D. They were smart to feature Iron Man more than the others as he is by far the most interesting of the Super Heroes. I have to say though, that it gets old that these heroes keep getting beaten to a pulp, then they get up without a scratch on them like a cartoon character. Ridiculous. I also thought that the Hulk was not supposed to be lucid when he was in his hulk state, yet at the end of the film he is calm and even says a few words while being a Hulk. I did look at my watch a couple of times and for me the 2 1/2 hours was excessive, but it was just good, not great.… Expand

This was such a risky movie, so many ways for this to fail given the premise. Instead we all came away satisfied and surprised at how good this movie actually was.

I finally got to see this in theaters.....IT WAS F*CKING AWESOME! I am a huge fan of the Avengers, when I first heard their making a movie, I was psyched yet a little worried. I went to my movie theater, and it was PACT, it was crowded with a line from the entrance to the parking lot. It was hard for me to see it b/c it's always sold out. Well, I finally got to see it, and it was so cool I'm definitely gonna see it again. The action scenes are incredible and was fantastic to see my favorite superhero's teaming up all in 1 movie. I don't care if people criticize this saying it's a kids movie, which it's obviously not. I'm surprised about the humor to this film, it actually had pretty funny scenes. The casting was incredible, the action scenes are unbelievable, pretty much everything about this movie was great. People who hate this movie are living under a rock or one of those people that love to nitpick and rant about stupid sh*t that nobody cares about. I know it's based on people's opinion, but seriously, how can you hate this movie when theirs nothing wrong with it? This is an awesome movie, I would like to say that this hits my Top Favorite Movies of All Time. BEST MOVIE OF 2012!… Expand

As a director and co-screenwriter, Joss Whedon is no stranger to mixing and matching genres, and 'Avengers' is no different; while it has one of the most engaging, well-written, and slickly paced screenplays ever known to Marvel-based films, met with spectacular action sequences, shot at scrolling multi-dimensional angles--the non-stop action foregrounded from the mesmerizing setpieces and cinematography--too, is the suprisingly clean wit that brings relief at the most opportune times; both when the action subsides and drowsiness kicks in, and when the overstimulation of explosions, sound effects, and "Hulk-fists" flood the senses. However, notwithstanding its keen eye for diversity, and its frequent reminder to the audience that its characters are, real people with real lows and highs, and even larger hearts, albeit shown tacitly, 'Avengers' is, proudly so, a mind-vacationing summer caper; one that just happens to be much more tolerable, thanks to its ensemble cast's performances and the aforementioned flair. Assuming the form, though, of the genre, the film is host to, well...problems. Further, it tries arduously to make the viewer unaware of its issues, usually of continuity, masking them up, both literally and figuratively, but fanboys and casual moviegoers alike, will be far too engaged. Nonetheless, if one doesn't think too hard, 'Avengers' is an elite, alpha-male, man-amongst-boys spectacle that can't be missed. Put differently, it more than marginally exceeds its hyped expectations. More specifically, though, the pairing of the script with each of the "heroes" is a delight in itself; each brings something a bit different to the table, and each delivers in their role. First and foremost, is Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. Downey benefits, arguably the most from the quick-punching dialogue, as he wears his arrogant, billionaire-playboy-braggart aura so balanced that, when on-screen, he is all the audience can look at; his performance plays out like he was born to play the character, "Shakespearan-bearded," and all. One can't leave the theaters without Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow on their mind. As the tantalizingly tempestuous scarlet-beauty, she moves the screen with her walk, her talk, and her kick-ass, which apparently all can be done in one scene; think interrogation becomes interrogator. Next, is the unexpectantlyn refreshing Mark Ruffalo who plays the night-and-day role of anxiously cool Bruce Banner and the robustly stalwart and indomitable Hulk. Aside from his own contribution as Banner--which he does wonderfully--is the remarkable semblance his CGI'd-Hulk draws to the original, Lou Ferrigno (the "hulking" homo erectus with a thick, bushy, black-and-gray brow as well as the same touch of humanoid sense of self). Chris Evans' 'Captain' is also commendable, although, Evans himself, looks a good 15 pounds slimmer. He steps up to the role, but his same massive physique displayed in his own self-titled journey, is greatly reduced, which in turn, subtracts from his physical prowess. In addition, Hemsworth's Thor looks and acts just as formulated--his Aryan, golden-locks and azure eyes, bulbous shoulders and arms and the same misplaced naivete and ignorance--fits Whedon's mold. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, is no exception. While not as charismatic as the others, his "Shaft"-like spin, stern, in-your-face, and collectedly in control, is also apt the ensemble. And, although Renner's Hawkeye/Barton adds some action-filler, he doesn't quite offer anything much other than a few bicep flashes and stray arrows; such arrows that never seem to run-out. But, that is only one, very minor, continuity issue found among the many others. At the same time, however, special mention goes to Tom Hiddleson's Loki. Now, here is a villain who is so unpredictably nefarious, that almost an entire film is centered around him, but it works. I thoroughly enjoyed Hiddleson as Loki in "Thor," probably even more so than Thor himself, and again, he delivers with such darkly crafted charisma and snakily twisted facial expressions that is almost as fun to root for him as it is against him. So, yes, each character contributes. But, I have to ask, what's up with Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson. Not quite sure if Whedon is pointing to a, let's say, "fruity" demographic or what; his role is not really necessary, and only kills extra time and strong moments. As a whole, though, 'Avengers' packs an astounding beginning, a slow, estrogenic drama-anticlimax, followed by a resonantly solid close that does an incredible job at finishing on a high note; a ringing conclusion that acts as the world's best eraser--it wipes the distractingly uninvolved middle right from the minds of its audience--and re-draws a picture worth looking at: a superior, Marvel-action-flick-masterpiece. Sadly for Whedon, not all are as easily manipulated.… Expand

Exciting, incredibly well written, and hilarious, The Avengers is Marvel's best film. The action is incredibly thrilling, the humor unmatched in a blockbuster, and the performances fantastic. This is the best way to start off the Summer movie season.

You'll already know if you want to see this movie, and if you already know you want to see this movie, you'll more than likely love this movie. Most of the negative critic reviews seem to come from film critics who've let their personal preferences get in the way of doing their job properly. Joss Whedon and his stellar cast have done the near impossible and created an ensemble superhero movie that is fast and funny, as reliant on its whip smart dialogue as its staggering set pieces. To me, it genuinely feels like the modern equivalent of Star Wars or Indiana Jones - a proper event movie that is more than the sum of its (admittedly not entirely flawless) parts. Most of all, unlike its alternatively dour and ridiculous DC counterparts, The Avengers is fun - if you let yourself, there's no reason for you not to enjoy it from start to finish.… Expand

I didn't go in expecting anything amazing, but hearing that Joss Whedon had both written AND directed it really got me excited (I had though he was only writing the script). This isn't a thinking man's movie, or an emotional roller coaster, it's an incredibly fun and solid action film. Where Michael Bay consistently gets it wrong, Joss Whedon has gotten it right: Build up a good little story, but nothing too complicated. Build up some genuinely likeable and fleshed out characters, but nothing too complex or distracting. Mix in equal parts humour and brilliant action, and voila, you have a recipe for the perfect summer flick. This is by far one of the best of the light-hearted super hero movies. I'd put it right up there with the first Iron Man and the original Superman. Go see it (and Cabin In The Woods!).… Expand

Wow. Just plain wow. I had obviously high expectations, and even those were blown away. Joss Whedon shows yet again why he is one of the best writer/directors in Hollywood. Making every character interesting and entertaining is a tough task, but Joss does it with ease.

Best hero movie of all time, hands down! Very funny, the action looked amazing and the characters are all lovable. All of them. Even the Hulk.... (maybe, specially him)

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

This is one of the most overrated movies I've seen this year. A weak and predictable plot masked by tons of action and great special effects. Limited character development also made it difficult to be invested in any of the characters. A waste of a good cast.

This was a great movie

is one of the best films of 2012 so far, and it all of it because the director could make the six Avengers have their momtentosspecias loki and even the villain had his moment of great importance. tava wonderful cast, this excellent Scarlet, she could not understand the game of seduction that has black widow, Mark did not seem to have been the first hulk movie it being, 'cause he got to understand the anger that has Hulk, Chris Evans played my favorite character and in my opinion it all amazing in this role, Robert again with his amazing power to interpret anything, Chris Hemsworth had a very difficult to interpret the god of lightning and did a beautiful job… Expand

I just finished watching the midnight showing and I want to say that this movie is in my top three. It is definitely the best Marvel film yet. All of the characters get equal time on-screen and none are down played. The best parts about this movie were the action, hilarious comedy and of course, the Hulk.

Marvel had their work cut out for them with this film and they delivered in a spectacular fashion! It was not going to be easy to create this super hero squad and throw it up on the big screen. But they pulled it off! All of the cast was great with a surprising performance from Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. In fact Joss Whedon managed to make me a Hulk fan after this movie. This movie is nothing short of a blockbuster and a hell of ride! A must see for this summer!… Expand

An amazing balancing act of chaos, explosions, big heroes, big actors, and good humor all done very well. I am very impressed that everything was done so well yet so balanced and entertaining. This sets a new standard for multi cast action films. Take note transformers.

Like all good superhero movies, its a slow buildup to great action. Unlike bad superhero movies, its incredibly well-acted without being too dark or too whimsical.

The best movie this year by far, and perhaps the best superhero movie of all time. The sheer awesomeness of The Avengers cannot be explained with words. It was completely amazing.

This movie is yet another example of sloppy script writing covered up by special effects, a few good action scene moments and some good gags. I don't know if it's coming from studio involvement but overall the movie is filled with scenes that could have been simplified or written differently but instead were used to shoe horn in a cool special effect or line of dialogue. I walked out of the movie liking it but you couldn't pay me to sit through it again and I'm someone who likes the characters. As a whole you know movies are getting bad when a 80's action movie has a more solid script than the Avengers. If you like seeing people punch things though and cars explode with the occasional funny gag you will probably love this movie, if you want a movie that is more than that stay home.… Expand

Please answer this question: "What was the plot of this film?" If you can't sum it up in three sentences, please review the legitimacy of this film. When I watched it, I thought with dull sensations, 'Man, this is entertaining, this is cool. Hey, look, the Hulk is about to turn....into the Hulk!" But that was it. I'm no 'hipster' as the 'cinema-jew' says would only trash on the film. I'm a rational human being. Seriously, what is the film's plot!!!! Alien-warriors from a parallel universe team up with a demi-god who's supposed to be swirling in a blackhole, bent on conquering earth FOR NO APPARENT REASON?!?!?!?! What? This plot seems created by a toddler. It makes no sense. There are so many plot-holes (Ex: Why did Iron Man attack Thor when he knows about the Avengers in the first place? And why did Thor ever get the ability to beam down back to Earth?!?!?!) that it makes me feel stupid from watching it. The characters work well together and I enjoyed the comedic elements of the film, only because I felt they were making fun of their selves. This is the bane of American stupidity. And it's grossing millions!… Expand

This movie is funny, it has great action scenes, it's just a great movie. Way better than I expected it to be. The characters play well off each other and seem to be cast perfectly. I would definitely go see it again.

This kind of movie is for the young at heart and mind. Not that there's anything wrong with that-been there done that-it's just such a repetitive genre. Invincible people beat up on invincible people. No-one gets hurt- major damage to buildings though-and then they do it again. Hulk gets the best scenes and Iron Man gets the best lines. In the end after 1/3 of greater New York City is demolished Mayor Bloomberg (or whoever in the future where Aircraft carriers fly) asks for Stimulus money from.......Odin?… Expand

At the core of a great film is an even greater story. At the core of every great story are even greater characters, chemistry and a strong foundation of source material. The Avengers have been around since the early 60s, and the characters even far beyond that. Personally, in the midst of my parents divorcing, I decided to take a second chance on comic books after dipping my toe into Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew in March, 1982 while living in Broken Arrow, OK during one of my many, many trips to QuikTrip to either buy ice cream, donuts or penny candy while playing Ms. Pac-Man. It wasn't a wonder why I became fat around this time. Fast forward 2 years to May, 1984, when I purchased Avengers (Vol 1) number 243, mostly due to my being intrigued with Captain America. I instantly fell in love with comics, and needed them to help me cope with the massive changes going on around me at the time. My heart was broken when the first Avengers cartoon series in 1999-2000 was an embarrassment. Just a pathetic series. However, when the X-Men movies did well and other titles like Daredevil, Elektra and Fantastic Four started to be released, I was excited to eventually see, at least, Captain America, Iron Man, etc. on the big screen. Never did I think a studio would be ambitious enough to attempt The Avengers as a whole.

Over the past few months, I've seen some of the most uninteresting trailers for The Avengers. I have been so worried thinking that the movie I've waited 28 years for was going to be an absolute disaster. Trailer after trailer, it didn't look any better. Did Joss royally screw this thing up???

Well, I saw it opening night, tonight. The trailers show the tiniest fraction of what happens in this absolute masterpiece. Sure, it's action-packed. It's expected to be. Sure it's got funny moments. It's expected to, especially with Robert Downey, Jr. as a leading man. What Joss Whedon did was take the greatest care of characters since Nolan's Batman series. The interaction between the characters, the way they deal with their own personal concerns and flaws, and how they come together as a team is so perfectly executed it nearly brought tears to my eyes. To most people it might be looked at as an enjoyable popcorn film; a great kickoff to the summer movie season. To me, a die-hard, multi-decade fanatic of this comic, these films, these characters and the integrity of keeping them authentic was paramount and, honestly, impossible to achieve, in my eyes. Joss proved me oh-so-wrong. When I began seeing the very nigh praise, the 93% on Rottentomatoes, etc. my low expectations became super high expectations. How often are expectations like that ever met? Well, I can at least say they weren't met. They were left in the dust, exceeded beyond anything my fanboy mind could have conjured. Bless Marvel, Whedon and these actors for treating multiple generations of fans to a perfect example of how it can be done right. Sure, Nolan has become the gold standard, but Whedon showed everyone that Marvel can do it too. My only regret is that Edward Norton couldn't reprise his role as Bruce Banner. Of the 3 Bruce's, he was the best. Mark Ruffalo was the worst. I like him as an actor and he had some of the mannerisms, but Edward captured the intellectual, frightened and loner aspect of Bruce Banner perfectly. Hulk, however, stole the show. Without spoiling some of the key aspects of the movie, I will just say that Joss' inclusion of Hulk in the manner in which he was was the cherry on top of this perfect sundae. While I can't imagine them topping this one, I've been so strongly surprised, I would never say never. The setup at the end of The Avengers has me so excited about where these movies will continue to go. I even guessed the surprise ending way early in the movie, but that was a product of my pure geekiness made happy by clearly other geeky people who wrote the film. Bring it on, Marvel. Excelsior! Nuff Said!!… Expand

My most honest opinion as a Marvel fan: this movie is an absolute piece of garbage and overrated as hell. It's just as dumb and moronic as Bay's Transformers by only focusing on big budget special effects and random silly jokes. I give it a 2/10 because Mark Ruffalo was the only good thing about this film otherwise it would have been a 0/10.

It's good for little kids but those 3D animated movies have much more depth than The Avengers. This movie could lower theirs and your IQ.… Expand

This was the worst movie I have seen this year. I generally do not like comic book super hero films but this one really was dreadful. The plot was stupid, the acting was stupid, the aliens were stupid, the street scenes were stupid, and I was stupid for going. Captain America, give me a break! Why did Ruffalo and Renner appear in this piece of garbage? This is what audience crave? Thor and his hammer! God, I was sick to my stomach.… Expand

Taken on its own, it's a great action movie with laugh-out-loud comedy and fine character beats. But you HAVE to factor in the "degree of difficulty" of what Joss Whedon has accomplished. By all rights this thing should have been a total mess. All those heroes sharing one movie? Giving them all their proper character moments, action moments, individual plot arcs while simultaneously giving them proper interpersonal chemistry AND developing the Avengers organization WHILE progressing a movie plot. Whedon pulled the sword from the stone and somehow makes it all work. Much as I love Nolan I have to admit he could not have done this. This took all of Whedon's career of creating great "family" dynamics show after show in his TV series. It took real genius to pull off this movie, and the reviewers who can't see that should pack it in.… Expand

Fantastic. Entertaining from beginning to end (even past the credits). Well written and humourous without going cheesey (like THOR). Scarlett Johansson was super hot.

This movie right here. One of the best experiences I've had in a movie theater. The dialogue was witty and the characters very well-written. Joss Whedon did a phenomenal job. As far as movies go, this was one of the most entertaining movies I have ever seen. Though far more than just action, once it gets going, it is so good. The action-packed final 30 minutes are some of the best sequences I've seen on film. The Avengers, to me, is the new gold standard for comic book movies. It doesn't get much better than this.… Expand

As you can see by the overwhelmingly positive reviews, this movie is hardcore nerd pornography. I now have insight into the fanboy mind: Screen make flashy flashy boom boom I clappy my handsies if u don't like u just a h8r. But the special effects really do give this thing a great-looking outer shell. Kinda reminds me of a pretty Easter egg that you can't wait to open but is disappointingly filled with those black jelly beans everybody hates. I liked Downey Jr. and non-Hulk Ruffalo. Scarlet played a robot with an accent. Captain America dude and Thor just plain can't act. They're so bad, they're almost a parody of themselves. Put them on SNL. They won't have to change a thing. Stereotypical one-dimensional GOOD guy vs. stereotypical one-dimensional EVIL guy + one-liner + insanely long stretch of movie in which nothing at all happens + evil guy beats up good guy for a while + one-liner + good guy shows evil guy what's up = you still go back to your girlfriendless lives, nerds.… Expand