Spoiler Free Plot Synopsis:
Earth’s mightiest heroes unite for the first time to battle a threat not only from Asgard, but from another galaxy as well. When we last saw the building blocks for the Avengers, we knew Loki was going to be a major force. Loki seeks the power of the cosmic cube to open a gateway for the Chitauri/Skrulls in order to enslave mankind. The only thing standing in his way are Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, a/k/a The Avengers.
Kick Ass Moments:
There were so many awesome moments in this movie, so if you haven’t seen it yet these may be considered spoilers.
Poster/Trailer Credit: Trailer Addict
My Take:
Like many comic fans, I was worried that such a large ensemble cast would hinder the quality of the movie. Not only were my worries baseless, but actually proven wrong by both the great work by the cast but also director Joss Whedon. Joss Whedon delivered what in this moment can be considered the gold standard for Marvel films going forward. Whedon provided an incredible amount of fan service and also delivered the perfect mix of action and amazing dialogue. Robert Downey Jr. to me seemed destined to steal the movie right out from under his castmates, but instead he allowed cast members’ performances be strengthened by his involvement. A great example of this was the lab exchange between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, which gave audiences a better understanding of the battle within Banner to contain the Hulk. This moment also allowed us to see that Mark Ruffalo has the tools to hang with the big boys. To some degree, I feel Marvel realized that micromanaging a director would do more harm than good and Whedon ran with the ball accordingly. Now some of you may think that this film couldn’t have been perfect considering the liberties taken with certain elements established in other films, but those imperfections were trivial at best. Things like how Thor got back to Earth or how Loki came to meet the Chitauri/Skrulls could have been fleshed out a bit, but again, not terrible things. On the acting front I really felt Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner were going to end up on the short end of the stick scene-wise but again there roles just worked. Captain America did seem to get lost in the shuffle during some moments, but he got right back in the mix ASAP. In the end, Marvel delivered an experience that supersedes all the seperate Avenger-member films and prepares comic fans and moviegoers for something huge that will most likely be established in the second wave of Avengers solo films.
Recommendation:
My wife and I dropped the $40 for 3D IMAX and it was well worth it. As a comic fan, you owe it to yourself to experience this film on the big screen the way its meant to be. No torrent, bootleg or other inferior method of movie acquisition will deliver an experience quite like this. It’s been said that the summer movie season begins with Memorial Day weekend. I think it is is safe to say that the 2012 summer movie season began May 4th. I recommend arriving early to your showings so you can see the trailers for the Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man and of course, The Hobbit. Lastly, I don’t need to tell you to stay after the all of the credits right?
1st Impression: The Amazing Spider-Man [Theatrical Trailer]
First Look: Ultimate Spider-Man & The Hulk
First Look: Captain America vs. Wolverine in AvX #3
