The Avengers

It’s really exciting to see the whole Marvel/Avengers plan come together. Since the first Iron Man, there was talk that this would happen, and I almost didn’t believe it. Could they really get everybody? Well, they didn’t get EVERYBODY. There’s no Ant Man… YET! Robert Downey is the glue that holds it all together, his heroics mashed with signature Joss Whedon zingers make for great tension and release. But the Hulk moments are the best. When you don’t have to “develop” the Hulk’s character, fill him with angst and regrets, feed Edward Norton’s ego; when the agenda is for the Hulk to SMASH, it’s primal joy. With a project this huge and with this much going for it, it would be hard to fuck up. There are still flaws. The secret hideout of the Avengers seems startlingly impractical, and the villain Loki’s vague plan to destroy the world seems a little Saturday morning cartoony. Also, Sam Jackson seems exceptionally tired. It’s probably exhausting trying to keep up with superheroes all day. But the rest of the cast is perfect. Their camaraderie is like jazz, and it’s impossible NOT to fantasize about sequels. Also, the traditional Avengers post-credit gag is hysterical. Don’t miss it.