The Avengers (2012)

I was lucky enough to be included in the group to see the advanced screening in Melbourne on the 15th of April, 2012. And, firstly, I need to say a big thank-you to Disney and Marvel Studios.

Now, the film... how can I even begin to explain how I feel about this film? It is, as the title of this review says a 'comic book triumph'. I went into the film with very, very high expectations and I was not disappointed.

Seeing Joss Whedon's direction and envisioning of the film come to life on the big screen is perfect. The script is amazingly detailed and laced with sharp wit a humor. The special effects are literally mind-blowing and the action scenes are both hard-hitting and beautifully choreographed.

While all of these things (script, action, special effects and so on and so forth) are important... it's no good having them spot on if you don't have a cast that just isn't right. But fortunately, for fans and for the actors involved, Whedon's cast not only work brilliantly together but are perfectly comfortable wailing on each other and threatening each other all day and night.

The actors' performances in "Marvel's The Avengers" are simply captivating and there are many instances where we get a glimpse further into their characters pasts and innermost feelings. Robert Downey Jr. will have you in stitches. Scarlett Johansson will have you staring in disbelief as she winds her way through sticky situations. And Tom Hiddleston will have you simply shaking in your seat with fear.

All in all, Marvel's The Avengers is a visual delight and I cannot wait to see it again, and again, and again. Marvel fans will not be disappointed, and something tells me that most of you will agree with me wholeheartedly.

The Avengers, assembled and awe-inspiring. Ten out of ten.

Fmovies: I'm sorry to say The Avengers isn't a good movie; it's a GREAT MOVIE!!!! It's not only the best team superhero movie ever made, but it may just be the best comic book adaption made period! The Avengers is the culmination of what began in Iron Man; and continued through The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America. It was only a few years ago that my son and I had just finished watching Iron Man and as the credits were ending, Samuel L. Jackson appeared on screen as Nick Fury and spoke to Tony Stark about joining Avengers InitiativeÂ…in that short scene, the framework for potentially the greatest comic book movie of all-time had begun! Director Joss Whedon, most known for the T.V. series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, takes the foundation that was built in the prior films and brings together the greatest team of superheroes in film history, The Avengers: Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) as "assembled" by Nick Fury. Whedon's scripts usually include clever banter, gripping action sequences and an air of mystery and The Avengers is no different. Whedon has an utter love for comic books, and it is proudly put on display in The Avengers. The cast does a great job of bringing these iconic characters to life, beginning with Robert Downey Jr. Unlike Iron Man 2, in which Downey seemed to skate through scene after scene, Downey plays Stark almost effortlessly, delivering his lines with relative ease allowing his charisma, charm and smugness to shine through; Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark! Chris Evans' solidifies himself in the role of Captain America. He was very good in his solo film, but truly owns the role standing alongside Iron Man and Thor. Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian god Thor has some incredible battle scenes and indirectly provides one of the film's most funny moments. After being seriously underutilized in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow is provided a back-story, which helps in developing the character and provides an opportunity to prove she is much more than just a pretty face; she's as dangerous psychologically as she is physically. I could envision myself enjoying a beat-down at the hands (and feet) of Black Widow. The character I was most concerned about being given little story and the least amount of screen time was Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye; happily, he's not left by the wayside and does a more than admirable job of developing the character. Hawkeye stands alongside Robin Hood and Katniss Everdene (The Hunger Games) as the best archers to grace the silver screen. I'd like to see more of him in a film of his own. Mark Ruffalo, the most recent choice to play Hulk, is far better suited to the role than Eric Bana (The Hulk) and Ed Norton Jr (The Incredible Hulk). Ruffalo looks more the part of the nerdy scientist Banner and plays the part without looking angry in every scene. In The Avengers, the Hulk is at his most impressive, both in his on-screen transformation and the violence he displays when the opportunity calls for him to "hulk out". If any character appeared to stand out a little bit more than the others, for me it was the Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is finally more than just the guy making surprise appearances. Fury is finally able to stretch his legs some, and Jackson slides quite easily into the rol

After all the films leading to this one we were promised the Avengers on screen and this film gave us that big time. This film sees a group of big personalities having to come together and defeat a mad man and his army from enslaving humanity. One of the most important parts of the build up to this film was Robert Downey jnr's performance as Tony stark/iron man, and he is just as awesome in this film. His character grows in all these films but he is still the narcissist that we love. Also Chris Evans as captain America was really important as he is the leader and comes across as the moral compass of the whole film but he isn't boring which is great for the character. The rest of the performances are great as well, first of all is the recasting of Mark ruffalo as Bruce banner/hulk and he was the biggest surprise in this film. He was great in both roles and the hulk has absolutely never been better then this film. Chris Hemsworth is back as Thor and this guy is absolutely seriously movie star and makes this character a great character full of personality. Scarlett Johansson returns as black widow and she is sexy and tough while also proving that she is also the best female in these superhero films around. Samuel L Jackson is back as Nick fury and he is great as the character and squeezes the most he can out of this great character. The one member of the team that isn't really developed is Hawkeye, he isn't really himself for the most of the movie but even then the last battle he becomes great. What is important in a film like this is having a great villain and Tom hiddlestone as Loki definitely succeeds at that. He is just so fun to watch and you buy that he could pull off all this destruction. Sometimes simplicity is best for a story and this is one of those times, it has happened before that a group of combustible elements have to team up but this film gets the most out of it and adds real drama to the film. The script is the best part of the film and the dialogue between the characters is what makes this film so enjoyable to watch because it makes all the characters feel unique and there own personalities. The style of this film is great, the action is all enjoyable and the film looks great but I have to mention the show stealer that is the incredible hulk. This is the best interpretation of the hulk and he looks better then ever and he is possibly the best character in the film. Overall this is one of my favourite films ever and this is a comic book fans dream.

The Avengers fmovies. LA Review of 'The Avengers' (No spoilers)

I was lucky enough to attend the Marvel screening of 'The Avengers' on Saturday morning in Century City, CA. This was an unusual screening as movies of this caliber are not screened some three weeks before it's release date. Just minutes before the movie started, we were all surprised when writer/director Joss Whedon walked in with Kevin Feige to introduced their little "Justice League" movie. Not only did we all laugh, but some booed. lol. If that wasn't enough of a surprise, the soft spoken Whedon introduced on stage Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson) and Cobie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill). Wow is she stunning in person! The audience gave them all a standing ovation with deafening cheers! (This explained why the secret service like security were searching, wanding everyone. No cameras, cell phones, nothing was allowed in.) What a nice surprise for an early Saturday morning screening.

I've never read comic books. This is a comic book movie. It was made for hardcore fans of comics, and I appreciate the care Joss Whedon gives to this movie. It was very entertaining to see Tony Stark (Iron Man), Thor, Dr. Bruce Banner (Hulk), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Agent Maria Hill, Agent Phil Coulson and Director Nick Fury all interact with one another.

Capt. Steve Rogers was fighting in WWII just yesterday. Having been recently awoken from his frozen sleep, he struggles to fit in our modern world with all this technology around us. The God of Thunder, Thor, is not from this world (realm) and doesn't understand modern technology on Earth as well. Dr. Bruce Banner has been on the run from the government, practicing medicine in third world countries. He hasn't been the Hulk in two years (What's his secret? ;). Tony Stark is still the same, playing with this high tech toys and inventing new technology. So how do you get them all to interact and play well together? Well, Director Joss Whedon is the secret to making it all work.

The highlight of the film for me is how Joss Whedon has all these characters interact. Deep character development was not needed for this film. (That is what the respective movies are for: Thor, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: The First Avenger) He does a great job of not forcing dialogue, and the interaction of the characters is much more organic than I would have ever anticipated. That is where Whedon deserves the most credit. He took what appears to be a very silly premise, with silly looking characters and made it completely work. Seeing as the Avengers comics date back to the 1960s, you can tell he not only did his homework, but he really cares deeply for the material, and his passion definitely shows on- screen.

The movie is vastly entertaining. The Action scenes are amazing and satisfying. Nobody is short changed when it comes to the fighting or action sequences. I felt as if there was not a single bad performance. A couple of dialogue lines seemed off, but once you remember who the character is, and why they talk the way they do (think of where they come from), it all makes sense. Each respective character is true and honest to itself. Each of the characters brought their personality (from their respective movie) to the table. It is by far the best Marvel movie to date.

So who was my personal favorite character from the movie? Dr. Bruce Banner (played by Mark

'Avengers Assemble' ('The Avengers') is a truly enjoyable superhero film that lives up to its hype and creates a story that allows for four of the greatest superheroes to connect in this mega-blockbuster extravaganza. Joss Whedon has created one of the most action-packed Marvel films to have graced the screen, full of humour, thrills and a great cast of characters, all of which impel this visual effects-driven spectacle. Whilst I had the great opportunity to watch this epic in the cinema in 3D, the film is equally as stunning on an average television set, with the final battle between the Avengers and Loki's army being one of the most spectacular scenes in a superhero movie. An impressive and remarkable fantastical superhero flick from Whedon.

If you're a fan of epic adventure movies, then this is your dream come true. This is the type of film you fantasized about growing up! It really is the ultimate superhero mash-up and it's done perfectly. The makers of this film certainly understand spectacle but they also get the intricacies and depth these type of characters can provide. That right there assures this instant classic will be thought of as the best as well as the biggest film of 2012. The depth of this movie really did surprise me. Even though the high quality of the actors involved and there previous work as these very same characters seemed to indicate otherwise, I was expecting a wild popcorn movie. I was wrong in thinking it was too much to convey in one film. I couldn't be more pleased because they balanced everything masterfully. Sure, there's the popcorn fun we were all expecting but there's also a definite soul to the film and a smart plot as well. It's truly a stupendous movie regardless of genre.

Marvel did it, they pulled off the culmination of a master plan that's been taking shape for years. They deliver a movie the likes of which we've never seen before and as good of a film that's ever been made in its genre.

There's a reason this grand of a movie has never been attempted before now. How do you fully flesh out, care about and establish this vast group and still deliver a fun, crisp and coherent story? It's extremely difficult to navigate that edge-of-your-seat excitement while at the same time caring about each one of the characters and their struggles. One of the most impressive aspects of The Avengers is that they managed to get each hero their time in the spotlight and their own character arc. Every single main lead steps up and is treated with remarkable intelligence and given room to shine.

I loved that the stakes in this film are ridiculously high and the threat so impressive that there really is a need for these diverse characters to come together. That could have been a stumbling block in terms of story but it's treated just right. It's also a great idea that they chose to introduce all the characters to the audience as if you've never seen them before. Sure, the other films set up and give depth to each character but even if you missed their solo films, you'll still know and care about them in this movie.

It's also wonderful that everything is as big as it should be. This truly is the comic book epic of our lifetime (the fanboy version of Gone With The Wind circa 1939 if you will) and it all shows up on screen. Everything looks GREAT and feels epic. The equipment (love that Helicarrier), the relationships, the stars, the characters themselves and the battles are all huge and as fully mesmerizing as they should be. There are scenes that are emotional and there are scenes that are going to make any audience member scream "BADASS!" and mean it.

I'm serious when I say that the big, explosive moments are as grand as they should be but it's the smaller character moments in this film that really take it to another level. At this point, we've all seen how good some CG action can get but grounding it with a great story and with meaningful quieter moments is what makes a movie good. That's the ace up the Avengers sleeve. This is NOT some CGI video game movie. Cut out the action and I'd still want to see this movie. So, it's safe to say that they are replicating the comic book experience on the big screen. Years of