THE AVENGERS
> Rated PG-13
> Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson
> Directed by Joss Whedon
Cookies? [SPOILERS]: Yes, there are two cookies in the credits. The first comes early on in the credits and reveals the villain that will be in the sequel. The second cookie is found at the very end of the credits and it is pretty damn funny. Nothing like watching the Avengers eat a fast food meal in a destroyed diner, not talking, and just chomping away.
Verdict: PHENOMENAL
Ok, so we all expected this movie to be good. It was a given. Any one who has been following the Marvel movies (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America…) has also been highly anticipating this one.
Here’s the thing. It’s even better than we had hoped.
To put it simply, The Avengers is phenomenal. It is exciting, entertaining, humorous, impressive, exhilarating, and more. Everything is done top notch here.
To pinpoint some of the positives, let’s first look at the acting. The cast is full of stars, all of whom do great. But some surprises include Cobie Smulders’ (How I Met Your Mother) performance as Agent Maria Hill (Fury’s right hand woman). Not only does she do a great job in her role, but she also shows her ability to do action extremely well. I could easily see her becoming the next Angelina Jolie or Milla Jovovich down the road. Maybe a role as a Bond girl? Another character surprise comes from Scarlett’s performance as Black Widow. She shows a lot more vulnerability in this movie, despite still kicking mucho ass. There are scenes where you see her guard down, which was interesting. There is also some dynamic between her and Hawkeye that isn’t quite explained other than they’ve saved each other in some mission or another. You can’t help but watch the two of them go back and forth, and think “we need a movie exploring these two together”.
To no surprise, the action is great. It’s all very intense, crazy, and destructive. The special effects are superb, and there’s even this giant ass alien species during the finale that looks like something out of the Gears of War franchise.
It’s hard to write a review without wanting to rehash all the most memorable moments, ruining the discovery for those who have not yet seen the movie. So let me just say that there are tons of scenes that you will want to replay again and again. The few laughs thrown in are hilarious, and fit perfectly in the middle of action.
This movie is a must-see and a must-own (upon release). And chances are, you’ll go to the theatres more than once to see this one.
– By Nathaniel Lay
