Review of The Avengers

Being a huge Joss Whedon fan, I went into this knowing I’d like it, even though I hadn’t watched any of the individual superhero’s films. I couldn’t have been more right. I am so happy that the executives at these studios finally bet big on Whedon to carry their well-defined troupe of characters, and that it is paying off. There is nothing Joss handles better than witty, good-hearted bands of misfits, and he makes this a popcorn flick worth the cash. But the real star of this movie is the only actor that wasn’t involved in any of the previous movies: Mark Ruffalo. He excells as Bruce Banner, playing his reserved self so perfectly that we almost forget what monster lives inside him. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of action movies in general, but this one is worth the money to see it on the big screen. No self-affirming speeches, no lofty ideas, no endless plotting—just a straight-up good time.