The Specialists

My wife and I saw a midnight screening of The Avengers this morning. I was planning on writing a big review, but frankly, nothing I could say would add anything substantial to the tons of hyperbole that have already been lavished on this movie from every corner of the Internet. What I will do is try to allay some of the concerns I’ve heard from people who haven’t seen it yet. (And just so you know, there are NO spoilers here.)

1. The ads all show Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark doing his Tony Stark thing. Is this just another Iron Man sequel with the other characters playing backup? Not at all. It’s true that Tony Stark was prominent in the ads, but that’s hardly surprising. Tony always has great dialogue, and RDJr’s delivery is the best. But all of the characters get time in the spotlight; even the non-super-powered Hawkeye and Black Widow. It’s a very balanced ensemble.

2. The ads show so many cool-looking moments. Have I already seen the best parts of the movie? Not even close! The movie is packed with cool and unexpected moments. There are amazing action sequences, great lines, and truly surprising developments that haven’t been shown in any preview. It’s definitely worth the price of admission (and it’s exactly the kind of movie that benefits from the big screen).

3. This is one of the most anticipated movies ever. Can it really live up to the hype? Astoundingly, yes! I went into this movie with very high expectations, based on how much I liked all the movies leading up to it, and on Joss Whedon’s involvement, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the slightest. It was at least as good as I had hoped it would be.

In short, The Avengers was an incredible movie. Marvel has pulled off something really special here. My only concern is that it’s a hell of a tough act to follow for the inevitable sequels. See it early and see it often!