Outstanding Sci-Fi

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2012)

"There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, so when we needed them, they could fight the battles that we never could." Nick Fury
With all the blasts and bullets of The Avengers, there's enough humanity and humor to win over even this jaded film critic. Although I'm tired of American cinema's pervasive graphics and violence, six heroes saving the world from an alien invasion in this outstanding sci-fi are as satisfactorily flawed in character as they are superior in strength.
Director Joss Whedon masterfully balances the egos, not least of which is Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, the S.H.E.I.L.D. leader whose long leather coat is second only to his awkward eye patch. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns from Asgard to fight his half brother, Viking god Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of the lightening and hammer, and five other super heroes for control of earth. Everyone is smart in a way and weak in another. For example, if genius scientist Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) gets angry enough, he becomes a giant green monster, Hulk (and a swell job Ruffalo does at that); Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) with the very metal suit is dangerously loose with his toys and his women. But his banter is first-rate.
Martial-arts maven, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), joins as well as Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), whose archery skill is matched only by Katniss in The Hunger Games. Black Widow and Hawkeye probably were added to the group for sex appeal and comic-book accuracy, They all end up fighting for the freedom Loki denigrates in the beginning of the film. The battle of the box office they already won with almost $200 million in European receipts before opening in the states. Who said crime doesn't pay?
"There is no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top! Maybe your army will come, maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you! Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we'll avenge it." Tony Stark to Loki