The Avengers is a
movie that I, along with millions of superhero fans, have been waiting for.
Waiting anxiously ever since that teaser with Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man
in 2008. But really, we’ve been waiting our whole lives for this.
I am happy to report that The Avengers makes it worth the wait. And a big part of the reason
is that they let Joss Whedon (He of Buffy and Firefly) take the reigns. This guy knows how to deliver amazing
moments, witty banter and great
characters. He does all of that here. The Avengers is a wild and fun ride with
lots of laughs along the way. Best of all, it delivers a lot of things we geeks
have always wanted to see on the big screen.
Remember the TV movie
The
Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), where The Hulk meets Thor? I remember it
and also I recall I was quite disappointed. Well, thanks to
The Avengers, I finally got to see The Hulk and
Thor together in action,
done right… squaring off against each other and fighting side by
side. It was awesome.
One of the great things about The Avengers is that it gives
each member their own moments and plays to each one's strength. For instance,
Tony Stark/Iron Man, wonderfully played by Robert Downey, Jr., gets both great
moments in the suit, but also delivers a ton of laughs. But he does not
dominate the film nor does he turn it into a flat out comedy.
A few things that impressed me about this movie.
1.
Black Widow and Hawkeye: I wondered how they
would integrate two non-super powered people into the mix with the other heavy
weights. They do a great job… especially Scarlett Johansson, who brings a lot
more to the table than just her good looks.
2.
Loki: He’s a great bad guy. He oozes with ego
and contempt and he chews up scenery. He’s a big part of the movie and you are
never bored when he is on screen. And he is able to pull off that goofy, horned
helmet. Impressive.
3.
The Hulk: This is the biggest thing… not just
literally. To me, this was the best rendition of The Hulk yet. They nailed both
Banner and the Green Guy better than any live action outing previously. And I
include the TV show. The TV show was fun, but I was always frustrated that he
never fought any super human foes. I hated the first Hulk movie but liked the
second, but I did not think Eric Bana nor Edward Norton really captured Bruce
Banner properly, but Mark Ruffalo certainly did this time out. And The Hulk gets to be heroic while also being menacing. He by far
steals this movie.
I could go on and on about this film, but the bottom line is
this…. a crowd full of people in the sold out theater were cheering and
laughing throughout the whole thing. The
Avengers is a really good movie that entertains you like few others do. I
would put it up there with the best superhero movies of all time. This movie
gives you your favorite superheroes fighting together against a formidable foe and
it delivers a few of the best moments in the genre’s history. It's all the stuff we've been waiting for, finally, on the big screen.
Sure, you may find a thing or two you don’t like about the
film… that’s natural. Let’s remember though, a lot of past superhero movies considered
classics eventually show some flaws, but we still love them. I am telling you, the last hour of this movie will blow
you away and elevates the film into that legendary status.
I can’t wait to see it again and I look forward to the
Director’s Cut on Blu-Ray someday. Excelsior!
Note: Stay until the very end of the credits! There are not one, but two extra scenes worth sticking around for.
On behalf of The Monster Men I would like to express our
sorrow and sympathy to the victims and families in Colorado. It’s hard to find
words at a time like this so I am posting this image that I borrowed from the
Batman on Film page in honor of all of those affected by this tragedy. 
