I can sum this review up with one word: a-frackin-mazing.
The Avengers lives up to all the months of hype. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. It’s funny. It provides deep development for the characters. It’s something you don’t see much: an action movie that makes you really think about who the heroes really are inside. In other words, it’s a true Joss Whedon project.
Thor is calmer and more thoughtful but you can still see the brash and impulsive youngster underneath. Steve Rogers is still lost in the modern world, but is finding his purpose. Tony Stark is more grounded because of his relationship with Pepper, but still as smart assy and brilliant as ever. Bruce Banner is a charming, if scruffy, wonder who accepts who he is and can be. Clint Barton is sarcastic and confident in his skills. Natasha Romanoff is intuitive, and gentle yet oh so deadly. Agent Coulson is decisive, smart, quippy, and totally fanboy over Captain America. Loki is the most nuanced villain I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie (and is brilliantly played by Tom Hiddleston).
There is a lot of Whedonesque humor here some of which has adult undertones. That part will go right over the heads of kids under 10 or so if the ~7 year old who was sitting next to me is any indication.
My recommendation is go see The Avengers as soon as you can but be prepared for a packed theater. It’s already broken the opening weekend records before Sunday was even half over. I plan on seeing it again in theaters.
Even at 2 hours 22 minutes the movie feels short and leaves you wanting more.
I'm not sure I could pick a favorite Avenger. They are all so good. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner surprised me. I haven't liked the Hulk in anything else and enjoyed him here.
I am, of course, still Team Loki.
The only negative (non-spoiler) part had nothing to do with the actual movie. It involved the theater experience. I went to the first Sunday (non 3D) showing and the theater was packed. Sitting next to me was a young boy who was probably about 7 or 8. He jerked and fidgeted for the entire movie and each time he did so it caused my seat to move. He also kicked and elbowed me several times. He shouted the names of the heroes the first time each came on the screen. He also talked and asked questions quite a bit. One of the adults who was part of his party (not sure if it was his father or not) told him to stop talking a couple of times, but other than that ignored him. The height of this distraction came during one of the fight scenes when he turned to me and said, "All the other things you laughed at weren't' funny, but this was." I find it hard to really get into a movie with things like this going on around me. I also think if a kid doesn't have the ability to sit through previews you shouldn't bring him/her to a movie that is this long.
More in depth comments to come that will include a spoiler "click to highlight" section.
Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)
