The Avengers movie

[gordonblu]

I just saw the film(it pays to be best friends with the local theater manager ), and all I can say is WHOO! If you like Whedon witticism, Kick-@$$ action, insightful character beats, clever story telling, and wonderful performances, you won't be disappointed. I know DKR and Spidey-boot haven't even come out yet, but I think I've already seen the best CBM of the year already.

[riddler]

Saw this as well, going to be awfully tough to top. Great action and was funny in a good way without spoofing itself like batman and robin.

It felt like a comic coming off the page.

[The Dark Knight]

I have finally seen the movie. It was enjoyable but not without its issues.

[BatmAngelus]

^ I agree with that assessment.  The big draw for me was simply seeing these heroes onscreen together and interacting.  For that, it didn't disappoint.

For continuity's sake, I still kinda wish Norton continued as Banner (or Ruffalo had played Banner in The Incredible Hulk) since everyone else was here.  But I loved how Tony Stark and Banner got along, as well as the banter with Tony and Cap and Thor.  The humor was well done overall.  I thought Black Widow got much better treatment here than in Iron Man 2 and Loki was twice as threatening as he was in Thor (though I thought his motivations in the previous movie were stronger).

I also kind of wish that some of the solo movies lined up a little better with this one.  Iron Man 2's ending made a big deal out of Tony just being a consultant for the group and Thor's ending cut him off from Earth, but both of these elements are only addressed in a couple lines and voila, Tony/Iron Man and Thor are in the Avengers anyway.  I fault the previous movies more than Avengers on this, though, since I always thought it was odd to end them in a way that'd make it more complicated for the heroes to join the Avengers. Whedon probably made the right call of addressing it briefly, but not making a huge deal out of it in an already packed movie.

[The Dark Knight]

The soundtrack was completely forgettable IMO.
As soon as Loki is captured things slow down a little bit. But we do get some character development.
As time goes on Loki fades away a bit, and only serves as the butt of jokes. There isn't a real intimate finale with him.
The conclusion of the big final fight is quite anti-climatic for my tastes.

But as I said, it's a fun movie. I honestly don't know how one couldn't enjoy it. The plot isn't exactly elabotate, but then again, this is about the action and the characters having their trademark hero moments. It really is a comic book come alive here, and it does have a certain degree of charm, heart and wit. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

[johnnygobbs]

Saw it tonight.  It was awesome.  I thought The Dark Knight Returns would rule this Summer, possibly followed by Spiderman, but I now think they're both going to have to do a lot to top this.  Arguably the best Marvel movie thus far (just ahead of Howard the Duck... ), and certainly the best of the Avengers franchise.

[The Joker]

Having seen the previous Marvel films that eventually led up to this, I found The Avengers pretty enjoyable for the most part.
It's incredibly action packed thru and thru, but manages to incorporate enough dramatic beats that draws the viewer in rather than relying completely on the spectacle of it all.

The Whedon Witticisms were duly noted.   

[Gotham Knight]

I was blown away. I loved everybody, sometimes better than in their own movies hash tag Captain America. Loki is the man. Still enthralled with that spear pimp slap.

[The Dark Knight]

I loved everybody, sometimes better than in their own movies hash tag Captain America.

Captain America was one of my favourites. I adored his bravery and courage in the fight sequences. Giving his speech to Loki about the last time he saw a man asking people to kneel was Hitler was quite spine tingling. And him giving orders in the final fight like the military man he is.

[Silver Nemesis]

I don't really like Chris Evans as an actor, but I do like the way Captain America is portrayed in these films. He's unapologetically patriotic and straight laced. A good old-fashioned hero in an age of antiheroes. I find that quite refreshing.

The Hulk was the real star for me. The 'ragdoll' scene with him and Loki has to be one of my favourite scenes from any comic book movie ever. And maybe it's just me, but I thought Ruffalo's voice sounded very similar to Bill Bixby's. It was nice that they got Ferrigno to voice the Hulk too.

I agree with what others have said about it having its flaws (unconvincing CGI, action scenes that go on too long, etc). But then so does every super hero film. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. In my opinion it's the first really successful ensemble superhero film (the X-Men films don't feel like super hero movies to me). I generally dislike Joss Whedon, but he did a great job on this.

It's the first time anyone's managed to create a live-action world that I could believe was populated by many superheroes and not just one; and in which any character or thing from the comics could potentially be incorporated in future sequels. DC has a long way to go before they have anything even close to that. They may have had the superior animated universe, but when it comes to live action, Marvel is winning by a long stretch.