The "A" In 'Avengers' Means A+

      [Spoiler Free Review] Hulk, Smash! There's a movie out now, I saw it Saturday, whats the name of it again? Ohh yeah, Marvel's The Avengers. And there's something that that movie was, gosh I've forgot! NO, I remember, it was the best cinematic experience I have ever had at the theater and it was the best film I have seen. I am not saying this because the hype is in the exosphere for this right now and because it seems to be every other person's favorite movie too; it is my true honest opinion.

     The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, finds Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and SHIELD coming together to fend off Loki and the Chitauri, who are after the "tesseract", a complex cube capable of many dangerous things. The film is 2 hours and 22 minutes, but it is paced beautifully; every scene has drama or humor to keep you invested. The film start with a quick intro that basically explains the tesseract and we are then taken to SHIELD. We do not see all of the heroes come at once, each has his or her own introduction scene, and they are all well crafted.

     Each character has a purpose in the movie and a special skill, no one is wasted. When bringing together a group of people who don't know each other, ie. Real World, Big Brother, or an Olympic team, there is bound to be conflict and tension; Whedon utilizes this perfectly and the characters give off perfect chemistry. Tony and Steve, Iron Man and Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, Tony and Bruce, Tony and Loki, Thor and Loki, Loki and everyone, Bruce and Natasha, the team and Nick Fury; its incredibly done.

     The acting from all the stars was also superb. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki were brilliant, but everyone brought their A game. You may see one character more than the other in the marketing, but in the movie they all have surprisingly equal amounts of screen time and no one is under used. For example in the trailers it looks like all Black Widow does is roadhouse everyone and shoot 9mm's, but shes is really given some unexpected tasks and action scenes; true for all of the characters, even Loki and the SHIELD characters.

     Another huge part of the movie was the humor. At times I did not know what genre of movie I was watching; action/adventure or comedy? The Avengers provided some of the loudest and longest laughs I have heard since 21 Jump Street from March and The Hangover Part II from last May; yes, I said the Hangover; I rolled out of my seat once or twice. Each character had at least one funny quip. There were plenty of quips, one-liners, witty banter, and physical comedy, and yet it's able to keep a serious tone when the chaos is amuck. This is the first movie I have ever attended, and I've attended 11 this year, where people were leaning forward in there seats staring at the screen; the action, especially the climax is superb in the "whats gonna happen next!?"

     Joss Whedon's directing and writing was top bar; from the cinematography to the special effects, the production team was stellar. Well paced, well acted, well scripted, well directed, well filmed, well edited, this movie just needs to change it's title to "Marvels Well", because well, it a pleasing experience. Whether you see the film in IMAX, conventional, 3D, or 2D, you are in for a thrill ride; just ask the the moviegoers that have already gone twice- or more, in the films 5 days in North America so far. I saw the film in conventional 2D and I plan on seeing it again, its worth it.

     My final grade for Marvel's Avengers is A+; it is now my favorite movie of all time and the most thrilling 2 plus hours I have spent in a theater seat. The Avengers also does a good job at appealing beyond the comic book crowd; males and females, teens and seniors; everyone will eventually understand the movie and characters and hopefully enjoy them. After the films all time monumental opening in America and across the world, stellar reviews, user ratings, and word of mouth, its going to be in theaters for longggg time, and I personally believe it will end up #2 or #3 all time in America, behind Avatar and maybe Titanic. If you haven't gone, go, if you have gone, go again, this is a true blockbuster experience and its worth the ticket. A+. Stay tuned for the mid and after credits for surprise scenes!