Exceeds Expectations

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2013)

The Avengers has gotten a lot of praise, much of which it rightly deserves, but the plot is somewhat uninspired. It's your classic comic- book movie formula with an evil villain who wants to take over the Earth and a team of superheroes is the only thing that stands in his way. But that isn't really what the film is about anyway. The presence of the evil villain merely serves as a means to an end; in this case the end being the assembly of the Avengers, an event the previous films have all been leaving up to. And while the plot is predictable and could have been a lot more innovative, the way the characters are brought together is handled masterfully.
This brings me to the actors, and the cast in the Avengers is superb. Uniting the cast of all the independent previous films, with the exception of Edward Norton who was sadly unable to reprise his role from the Incredible Hulk (2008), the Avengers consists of an all star cast whose performances are definitely largely the reason why this film is so good.
The main reason, however, for the Avengers being the success that it is is the director. Joss Whedon was the perfect choice for this film for one reason above all others; he has the talent to create a fantastic on- screen chemistry between characters with very different lifestyles. While seeing Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) having an argument is a terrific crossover moment on its own, Whedon's sense for chemistry really makes scenes such as this stand out where others might fail to do so.
Combining this with fast paced, intense action scenes with amazing special effects makes for a visual thrill ride, however Whedon also never forgets what the film is really about; these superheroes from across space and time coming together to fight a common enemy.
The result: a well balanced, well paced blockbuster that also has a lot of heart. And for me this more than makes up for the superficial plot, especially considering the amount of work, time and money Marvel has invested in these films, making sure everything ties in and adds up, all leading up to this.
When it first came out, a lot of people were afraid that the Avengers could not live up to the expectations raised by the other films. In my opinion, not only does it live up to the expectations, it exceeds them.
You won't be disappointed by this film, however I strongly recommend you watch the other films first to really be able to appreciate the masterpiece that the entire series is.