Literally a block-buster

Rating: 7/10 (26 July 2014)

It's yet another glossy Marvel fantasy which seems to divide opinion – so I think it's one of best average films I've ever seen. It's entertaining, noisy, violent, and you just know who's going to win; mind you, New York was left in ruins yet again. The Marvel plot should run that New Yorker's should just leave everything as it is to save time for the next alien foul-up. Can the producers re-use any of the cgi cartoon conflagration scenes to pad out the next movie?
Bad god Loki forcibly gathers a force around him in order to take over Earth and get one over his brother the good god Thor. Meanwhile in the growing chaos Samuel L. Jackson is responsible for assembling a force of superheroes to save the planet: Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Thor and eventually Hawkeye. It's a shame Capt. America didn't get his moments readjusting to life in the 21st century, I. Man's slappable whimsicality was reduced, Hulk sure had some fun in his far too brief meeting with Loki, Johansson looked just as serious and good with her kit on. Personally there could have been more room for character interpolations and plot and less building-crunching battle at the end, but I suppose that's what appeals more to the kids. But I must admit that in the thick of it I was wondering where was Popeye and could he have polished the baddies all off a little quicker than this lot. And fancy a future US government signing off the building of a mammoth flying aircraft carrier – with teleportation maybe just around the corner the whole concept of travel – and battle – will be altered. I came away almost impressed at the style over substance brazenness of the film itself but very impressed with Tom Hiddleston's smooth performance as Loki; maybe an Eton education helps perfect acting with a cold heartless demeanour.
I loved the after-credit ending section tying back in to the plot, and although if stripped of the cgi it's pretty simple fare I enjoyed it. Not a bad nor a great film - even if compared to Battleship; but it's barmy and just lively and fast enough to suspend belief for two hours. And it does what it says it's going to do on the shield.