Some assembly required.

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2012)

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. -- (C) Marvel
THE AVENGERS is good, not great. The film does its job in entertaining the audience but not much more. It has some great action scenes, some truly funny moments, and some drama, but overall, it cannot be compared to the top superhero films, which includes THE INCREDIBLES, THE DARK KNIGHT, and SPIDER-MAN 2 for me. It's a popcorn flick, and if that's what you're expecting, then you'll be satisfied. As a Joss Whedon fan, I expected much more from the film than it just being entertaining.
I felt the whole dysfunctional family aspect could have been executed better and expanded to be a more significant portion in the film. There was only one scene where the tension between the superheros can be felt, but that's about it. The film also could have used a bit more heart as I felt the whole team working aspect to be lacking in the emotion area. Additionally, the story seems to be overdone by now: Villain wants power and tries to take over the world. Maybe something different would have been more engaging.
However, apart from those flaws, THE AVENGERS is a good film. The key success is due to the superheros themselves and how effectively Whedon manages to balance each of the characters without having one overshadow the other. Out of all of them, the Hulk, played by the talented Mark Ruffalo, is my favorite. He seriously has some of the most memorable moments in the film. Robert Downey Jr. is great as well. As of now, Downey pretty much nails his role as the egotistical yet charming Tony Stark. Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, also gets some great moments in here which is good since she's the standout female character in the film. However, I felt they could have done more with Captain America and Thor. Additionally, although he's utilized better in this film than in THOR, I wanted a different villain than Loki.
Overall, THE AVENGERS is a fun popcorn flick that starts the summer season but not with a big bang as I hoped for. The film could have used a bit more external conflict between the superheros, as well as more emotion. However, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and the 2.5 hour running time really flies past you before you know it. Think of it like a better version of TRANSFORMERS 3.