It's an unlikely movie, but they pulled it off

Rating: 7/10 (6 May 2015)

Tying all of the various Marvel movie threads together is a tall order, and "The Avengers" does a pretty fine job of that. Chief among the movie's strengths is that everyone who headlined their own movies gets some time in the sun, and that's . . . well, that's just impressive. And despite the dull NYC "big finale", there was some exciting Summer spectacle herein (mostly in the fight scenes). But my favorite parts were during the quieter moments, when all the noise and CGI were dialed down. The movie works best when it's a bunch of competing heroes thrown together in a room. When the egos and styles clash, Whedon's rhythms and sense of humor blossom.
But it does its job admirably, and lends itself to serious popcorn-munching.
7/10