Marvel's broken souls save the day

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2012)

First off, let me spell out that yes, I am a Marvel fan, but I fall more into... category X. I've read maybe 10 Avengers books ever (most of which were the Ultimates) so I went into this less a 'fanboy' and more someone who loves movies, and has like many been wildly intrigued by this new attempt at cinematic world building that truly HASN'T been done before, not a franchise, a whole WORLD, that never has to be rebooted because once established, the stories that can be told within this, let's face it, wildly profitable world are near limitless in variations past typical sequels. Something happened at the end of Iron Man, at the time it seemed to many like a really fun aside, but many took it as a promise. A promise to fans and film-goers alike that marvel was greasing the wheels for something really special, and come hell or high water, they were going to find a way to make the impossible happen.
Well, earlier tonight, I witnessed the impossible.
I could go through and list my favorite scenes, but you don't really need to hear that from me. You need to see this for yourself. This isn't a film to be experienced secondhand and be spoiled inside and out. This is an experience. Like all new things there are some birthing pains, namely tying four film histories together and unifying them into one cohesive plot within the first 20 minutes is a task I don't envy anybody, and considering how much screen time is required to solidify these characters as individuals, and then a team, there's not much room for the villains. Not Loki mind you, I think minute for minute he may get more screen time than anybody (And that's NOT a bad thing) but his army are little more than alien stormtroopers, and just as effective, but you know what, it wasn't their movie. This was a movie about men and women who are their own worst enemies more often than not, fragments that come together to form a whole. That's what this whole adventure is really about, coming together... assembling, if you will. I can say with no shortage of giddy enthusiasm that everyone succeeded. The filmmakers succeeded in bringing us these stories, we succeeded in supporting them, and together, we got one cool f****** movie out of it, and after this weekend alone and the contracts already secured for all the players, the surefire promise of more to come.