"If we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it."

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2015)

In five years, we saw the coming of Iron Man, a talented engineer who built a powerful exosuit; the Hulk, a scientist whose rage can cause him to explode into a beast of furious strength; Thor, a god-like extraterrestrial who can summon storms; Captain America, a supersoldier from the past. Combined with the tough and skilled agents of SHIELD, all these heroes would join forces to defend Earth against threats that couldn't otherwise be faced.
From the start, Marvel's Avengers jumps right into the universe it set up in all previous films, and it wastes no time in jumping into the action. Loki's arrival immediately brings peril and destruction, causing the heroes to assemble and clash in big, explosive brawls. It all builds up to a massive half-hour climax, where everybody contributes to the fight. The action is often jaw-dropping, as heroes fly all over the city and wrestle with huge waves of extraterrestrials. The heroics are as epic as they come. But even when there's no fighting, the movie remains effortlessly entertaining, thanks to its endearing combination of thrills, humor, and personality.
The story could be described as the same thing Seven Samurai was: the simple tale of heroes defending a place. In this film, the heroes are a mis-matched family, where some characters connect and others butt heads. The volatile concoction of personalities is what makes the team so special; each character is given a chance to shine, and together they form a uniquely dysfunctional dynamic that makes their dialogue sharp, their drama tense, and their teamwork compelling. It even goes so far as pumping newfound color and life into characters that existed in previous films, but never had a chance to shine until now (particularly Loki, whose devilish mischief steals the show often; Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Agent Coulson stand out much better in this film as well).
The film looks spectacular, with quality photography and editing. There are a lot of unusual camera angles in this movie, and I think it looks awesome. Other shots are crafted in very dynamic ways that not only show off the action, but the characters in evoking ways. Acting is a joy to watch from the whole cast; Robert Downey Jr is as enjoyable as ever as Tony Stark, while Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans provide decently commanding performances. Mark Ruffalo is probably the most pleasant surprise from the cast, who provides a balanced and compelling portrayal of Bruce Banner. Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg are all fun to watch, and Tom Hiddleston nails it as a bad guy we love to hate. Writing is quite sharp and precise, for great effect. This production uses great-looking sets, props, costumes, locales, and special effects. Alan Silvestri's music score is appropriately heroic and catchy.
Avengers comes close to being the end-all-be-all superhero film: one epic experience that brings together multiple heroes for one grand fight, in a manner that feels so naturally entertaining and harmonic.
5/5 (Entertainment: Perfect | Content: Very Good | Film: Perfect)