The Avengers

Wow. If anybody has been reading these reviews there is one thing they should be absolutely certain of... I was really excited for this movie! I've been anticipating the Avengers team-up film since Nick Fury uttered those fateful words during the post-credits scene of Iron Man... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." After four years and five movies, it's finally here. The good news is, it's completely worth the wait! In what was possibly the best move Marvel made since casting Robert Downey, Jr as Iron Man/Tony Stark, they selected TV show-runner Joss Whedon to helm the massive undertaking that is The Avengers. Only somebody with the foreknowledge of balancing large casts, expertise in the mythos of the comic book characters, and the ability to tie together complicated story-lines would be able to meld this film into the outstanding work that it is.

The story jumps right into the action, with the arrival of Loki, Thor's tortured and wayward brother (adopted, of course), who returns to Earth to seek vengeance for the injustice he was subjected to in Thor's stand-alone film. He was not allowed to rule Asgard, so he's made a pact with a dangerous alien race that will give him the fire-power to conquer this world. Thankfully, Nick Fury has other plans and begins assembling an all-star team to combat this impending extermination order. The director of SHIELD gathers Steve Rodgers/Captain America, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Thor himself. However, first he must try to get them to put aside their differences and answer the call to defend Earth from it's almost certain destruction. Or, at least, to avenge it.

This movie has a fairly complicated narrative, but each character has his/her moment to shine and show us that they deserve to be counted as an Avenger. The action is tremendous, the humor hilarious, and the character moments surprisingly meaningful. I went into this film knowing I was going to enjoy it. There was no way to have this much talent and not make a good movie with it. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was just how much I would like it. I'll tell you: not only is this my favorite movie of the year (as of the time of this post), but I have seen it 3 times in theaters! This movie is a spectacle in the best sense of the word. I know that probably everyone has seen this movie by now (and if you haven't, shame on you!), but I whole-heartedly recommend this movie to almost anyone! My parents and I went to see this recently, and they both loved it too! There's a reason this movie has made almost $1.5 BILLION throughout the world. I love this film, and give it a solid four-stars.

THE AVENGERS is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.