The Avengers

Standing in the cinema at 11:30pm, I was briefly unsure if i was in the right cinema. The local comic shop had booked out the cinema, and I couldn't see much of the fanboy hype I'd been expecting. Then Iron Man walked into the room. Then Captain America. I took a closer look at the people around me, and picking up on a dozen Spider-Man t-shirts and just as many Batman shirts, I realised I was in the right place. These were the people I would be watching this movie with, and by the end of the night, I wouldn't of had it any other way. Who else would clap and yell every time Hawkeye shot someone in the face?

If I had to judge this movie based on the reaction of the audience, then this movie would be regarded as an unadulterated success. And (un?)surprisingly it lived up to all the hype. I was worried that it would turn out like Spider-Man 3, and the overload of characters and conflicting personalities would ruin characters and make the story irrelevant. I'm very happy to say, I was wrong. While not necessary, and my friend fared perfectly well without them, watching the preceding Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk films will greatly improve your bearing in this movie. On the flip side, each character is eased naturally and seamlessly into their role, and we get a great hold on who these heroes are and what makes them tick. Iron Man and Cap get the most screen time, yet the first scene with Thor and his two comrades was brilliant, in that it perfectly let us know the stakes that each of them felt were being held. Justice was done to these 3 unique heroes, and there was something for everybody to love in these men. In contrast, Tom Hiddlestone gave us another awesome rendition of Loki, showing us an evolved creature from the one we saw in Thor. Definately a standout performance. Mark Ruffalo also deserves significant praise for bringing us a Bruce Banner who felt familiar and welcome, but for also bringing to the world the best on-screen Hulk ever seen. In this movie, Ruffalo does the Hulk more justice than any of the preceding movies, and outside of the TV show, I challenge you find a Banner of such wit, and a Hulk of such smash. Here's hoping they green-light(see what I did there) another Hulk movie.

Not to be outdone, Scarlett Johansson gave us the Black Widow we waiting for, improving vastly from Iron Man 2, and impressively holding her own amongst the rest of the super-powered cast. Hawkeye was downplayed, but made up for it in Act 3 when he really went all out and gave us the type of ownage that we had been anticipating. Nick Fury was a perfect translation from the Ultimate Imprint Nick Fury, and those of you who are familiar with the character will find plenty to love with Jackson's portrayal, and those of you who only know him from his cameos in the other Marvel films will also agree that he earns his place in the team.

After talking about the characters, I think the action deserves my next bout of praise. While the story is simplistic, it works for the film, and I honestly can't think of anything more I'd want from an Avengers film. The incredible carnage and destruction, large scale battles, sky high stakes and Hulk SMASH were all present and flourishing, and Joss Whedon can go down as not only making a nigh perfect Avengers film, but a visual spectacle of seldom-reached brilliance. Whedon really put his heart and soul into making this movie as perfect as he could, and the Third Act stands as a testament to his talent. In short, the Third Act was pure fanboy hysteria, literally. I was surrounded with screaming fans who were jumping out of their seats every couple of seconds. I have to say, at the peak of the battle, I was a part of that crowd, cheering on Black Widow and Hawkeye, my favourite underdogs(?).

I could go on praising this movie for another couple of pages, but none of the words would do it justice. To comic book fans, anywhere from casual to hardcore, the Avengers is a visceral experience that needs to be seen to be understood. To the average Joe who wants another summer blockbuster, it delivers, and then some. It succeeds on all fronts, and Joss Whedon deserves all due credit, because it becomes clear after watching the movie that without him, it would of been an entirely different creature, and not as good, I daresay. If The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man(here comes the hate) can so much as match The Avengers, then this might be the greatest summer for nerds all over the world. A great way to start some comic book fever, an engrossing way to continue the Marvel film universe, and overall, a great film.

Feedback in the comments would be appreciated, I'm keen to know what you all thought of the film.