- Film Review
- Reviewed By Jeremy Aspinall
-
5 out of 5
The storyline that's underpinned Marvel Comics adaptations since Iron Man (2008) reaches big-screen fruition with this hugely entertaining superhero epic from writer/director Joss Whedon. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr, at his quipping best), Thor, Captain America and the Hulk (motion-captured for the first time, with Mark Ruffalo debuting confidently as alter ego Bruce Banner) are brought together in a cosmos-spanning adventure. With the characters' origins already explained in their own films, Whedon immediately unleashes the action as rogue Asgardian god Loki (played with serpentine glee by Tom Hiddleston) infiltrates spy agency Shield to steal an all-powerful gizmo to help an alien race invade Earth. It's then up to Shield boss Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) to mobilise his bickering team of heroes to save the world. They brawl, they bond and then, boy, do they kick some alien butt in a city-wrecking slugfest that puts Michael Bay's bombastic Transformers trilogy in the shade. The action is everything you would expect from "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" and fans will be in hog heaven as Thor goes toe-to-toe with Iron Man and Hulk, and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow gives as good as she gets. So far, so comic book, but what raises this escapade above the merely awesome is a script brimming with the snappy, laugh-out-loud banter and moments that were a staple of Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. There's also great chemistry between the principals, who all get their moment in the sun. Never mind changing the title from The Avengers to Avengers Assemble, this could easily be renamed Avengers Rock!.
Plot Summary
A mystical artefact is stolen from a top-secret military base, and used to bring about an alien invasion. Spymaster Nick Fury brings together a team of superheroes, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk, to defend Earth from the impending attack. Action adventure uniting the Marvel comic-book characters, starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L Jackson.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Tony Stark / Iron Man
- Robert Downey Jr
- Nick Fury
- Samuel L Jackson
- Bruce Banner / Hulk
- Mark Ruffalo
- Steve Rogers / Captain America
- Chris Evans
- Thor
- Chris Hemsworth
- Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
- Scarlett Johansson
- Clint Barton / Hawkeye
- Jeremy Renner
- Loki
- Tom Hiddleston
- Agent Phil Coulson
- Clark Gregg
- Maria Hill
- Cobie Smulders
- Jarvis
- Paul Bettany
- Council member
- Jenny Agutter
- Pepper Potts
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Professor Erik Selvig
- Stellan Skarsgård
- The Incredible Hulk
- Lou Ferrigno
- The Other
- Alexis Denisof
- Security guard
- Harry Dean Stanton
- Council member
- Powers Boothe
- Stan Lee
- Stan Lee
- Georgi Luchkov
- Jerzy Skolimowski
- Agent Jasper Sitwell
- Maximiliano Hernandez
Crew
- Director
- Joss Whedon
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