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May 22, 2018gord_ma rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Or the one with Galaga.  Well, this was it. Four-years in the making, five movies under the belt, and five-years before DC/Warner Bros. could produce their own superhero team film, Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige released [The Avengers], the mega blockbuster that changed superheroes, forever.  It is not hyperbole that many comics and film fans have said that we now live in the post-Avengers world. This film changed the public’s expectation of what a superhero film could and should be: amazing effects, fantastically polished, an incredible spectacle, invincible at the box office, mightily scored, and sensationally witty. There’s even an interesting villain! [The Avengers] remains excellent superhero-driven escapism. It was like the [Seven Samurai], but with a much happier ending in the immediate sense….  If you have been following the story, so far, Nick Fury, the director of the SHIELD spy agency, had spent the past few years on the search for unique, superpowered individuals to join a global peacekeeping initiative named, “the Avengers.” After the appearance of the Tesseract, a mysterious energy source, that could power weapons of awesome might and solve the world’s energy issues, Fury’s superiors order him to shelve the Avengers idea. That is, until Loki, the extraterrestrial God of Mischief, raided the SHIELD base were the Tesseract was guarded and stole it. Thus began a global search for the Tesseract, before Loki’s plan to rule the Earth with it could unfold. And to stop Loki, Fury has assembled the Earth’s mightiest heroes: the invincible Iron Man, the incredible Hulk, the mighty thunder god Thor, supersoldier Captain America, super spy Black Widow, and master marksman Hawkeye.  [The Avengers] is a grand, thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. Alan Silvestri returns to the MCU not only with pieces from [Captain America: The First Avenger] but also the now memorable theme for The Avengers. The CGI and sfx were both top notch. The cast is experienced and is strong, especially Robert Downey, Jr.—who stole every scene. Mark Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton as Bruce Banner / the Hulk, and, as third time’s the charm, his is now considered the best live portrayal of that character. The writing and direction, by Joss Whedon (known for Buffy, Angel, and Firefly), was very good, and he sure does have a talent for dialogue. However, I have always found the conversation between the Black Widow and Loki to be weird and unconvincing. The writing, direction, and acting for specifically the end of that scene just weren’t there. And thus, Whedon’s direction was very good but not perfect.  Moreover, the resting position of the Avengers after Thor struck Captain America’s shield with Mjolnir is incorrect, very incorrect.  But do not let these minor issues deter you from watching this most awesome of films.   ***** / *****   MCU Introductions: Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Jenny Agutter as Councilor Hawley, Alexis Denisof as the Other, and Damion Poitier as Thanos.   Things being Repeated: * “Stand down.” * Shield throw, ineffective. * “We have a Hulk.”   Marvel Moments:  #29 – Punching bags  #30 – The Helicarrier  #31 – “There are always men like you.”  #32 – “Not today!”  #33 – “Shoot to thrill”  #34 – “Tourist.”  #35 – “Ant, boot.”  #36 – “He’s adopted.”  #37 – Galaga  #38 – Thor and the Hulk  #39 – “Target angry, target angry!”  #40 – “Got a suit?”  #41 – “We have a Hulk.”  #42 – “Performance issues”  #43 – The Incident  #44 – “Puny god.”