[b]Avengers Assemble (2012) - Joss Whedon[/b]

A really enjoyable action romp. Whedon has delivered one of those rare beasts; a good superhero film. And one which eschews the sometimes po-faced seriousness of the Nolan Batman films that will appeal to all ages. The costumes are bright, the villain is scenery-chewingly good and things get smashed. A lot. And sometimes by the Hulk. A smart script with likeable characters and unlike TDK it is very well paced; there's no Ferry scene to drag the film down.

As with most ensemble casts it's difficult to ensure all the characters get their due (especially with obsessive comic book fans) but Whedon does an admirable job. It helps that he can call upon the natural charisma of RDJ as the self confessed 'smartest man in the...well world' Tony Stark who is just effortless here but the rest of the Avengers feel substantial enough. There is a predictable heroes-get-into-fight-due-to-misunderstanding which is a nice nod to how that always seems to happens in the comic books. Hiddleston as Loki is a really great pantomime villain, smirking and haughty; his subjugation speech in Germany was a nice touch as was the Hannibal Lector-esque interrogation scene and he carried off the role with relish. I did quite like him in Thor and while he does seem a slightly different character in this film (I can't quite reconcile the god of Mischief as being basically a willing puppet for another race) he's always an engaging presence on screen. Plus he does share one of the funniest scenes in the film with one particular Avenger. It'll be mentioned a lot but The Hulk really does steal quite a few scenes, even if the trailer spoiled a particularly good moment :shakey: . The CGI used for him and how he fits into the film is worked really well, banishing memories of the previous incarnations (which were not entirely terrible).

The film is surprisingly funny. Whedon's script packs in visual gags as well as some well realised interplay between the Avengers themselves. I perhaps didn't find it as satisfying as Whedon's deconstruction/reconstruction of the genre in CITW but it's a film with relatively few faults and succeeds in what it's set out to do. There were a few moments that didn't quite ring true for me but they were very minor. It's a simple enough story but most importantly for the film, it's fun.

Props for Whedon to smuggling in "You mewling quim!" :doffs cap:

Watched this in 3D and to be honest I can't imagine it was any better than the 2D version; it was a post conversion process but even if it wasn't I doubt I would care much for it. 3D as it currently stands is a disappointing experience considering the colour issue as well as the glasses. I'd recommend watching it in iMax or a good large screen over the 3D.

[b]8/10[/b]