Far from perfect, but the perfect start to a blockbuster summer.

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2012)

Guaranteed to be one of the biggest films of the year, is "The Avengers" going to be one of the best? Well, no, probably not. But with the biggest opening weekend in North American history, I am sure no one cares.
After years of Marvel entries, introducing us to the upgraded versions of the likes of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and (in an unfortunate turn) the Hulk, it was all culminating to this: The Avengers...where all these guys come together, along with Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye (who?).
With such a long wait, was the anticipation worth it? Well, sure...I think so! Not being a huge comic geek, I thought the film was thoroughly entertaining. It was fast-paced, action-packed and the writing was good, punchy and terribly funny. To be honest, there could not have been a better choice of film to officially kick-off the 2012 mindless blockbuster season! But is the film itself perfect? No. Far from it. There are lulls in the action that could have been slightly edited. There are jumps in the story that may not be noticed by a fan of the comics that are in the know but leave non-fans scratching their heads a little. And most importantly, there are scenes where the special effects are (ack!) off, and the use of CGI is really noticeable. Really noticeable In a film like "The Avengers," and their $220 million budget, the effects should be absolutely flawless, and the end result here is far from the truth.
And the Hulk being 100% CGI is only part of the problem.
With a film of this calibre, the one thing that should be absolutely perfect is the special effects.
So yes, Robert Downey Jr. does as good a job as ever, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans are just as expected (although we were robbed of at least one shirtless scene each), Jackson is slightly less intimidating than Fury actually should be, Scarlett Johansson is pretty, Jeremy Renner was alright as whoever Hawkeye is while Mark Ruffalo was surprisingly great as Dr. Banner. Really noteworthy? HIMYM's Cobie Smulders and the return of Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson.
And yes, Joss Whedon was certainly the man to helm this film, and there is no doubt that I will be first in line for the two eventual sequels.
But no, the film is not perfect. If I had a word of advice for the next instalment: the CGI should be flawless and if you're going to release it in 3D, make the 3D pop, or don't bother doing it at all.
But, again, yes, overall, "The Avengers" kick starts the summer in grand style. But there is no doubt that I am still looking more forward to "Prometheus" and "Dark Knight Rises," both of which, I have a feeling, will be much higher quality films. But neither will be nearly this much fun.