Marvel's: The Avengers

....And what fun it is.*Spoilers Ahead*Marvel's "The Avengers" is an expertly-crafted movie that makes 2 1/2 hours fly by like....well....I don't really know...SOMETHING FAST. My thoughts on seeing this movie--the first time (yes, you WILL go to see this more than once)--were: "This was just as good as 'The Dark Knight'....how is THAT even possible?" Well...consider first that Marvel has always had the best storylines, and the know-how to mix all of their characters' comic books together into one, all-encompassing storyline. Then, consider they decided to apply said formula to their movies. Third, they went out and expertly casted the parts.How could this NOT be good?Who else but Robert Downey, Jr could be a multi-billionaire, techno-wizard, armor-wearing snark-artist? Acts like he doesn't care, but is willing to sacrifice his life to save New York.Chris Evans is Captain America. A 1940s guy living in the present day....brings "a little old-fashioned" to the role and shows old-fashionedness isn't cheesy, it just depends on how it is presented. It is presented very well, with Evans being the heart and soul (not to mention team leader) of The Avengers--by the way: love the shot, at the movie's end, of him on his motorcycle riding off into the sunset.Mark Ruffalo, (great casting here; now I feel the Hulk movie franchise finally has hope) channels Bill Bixby in his performance (good idea!) but adds a "Hulk-sized" portion of world-weariness to his character...his over-the-shoulder "I'm always angry" is one of my favorite moments in an entire movie of favorite moments. And....The Hulk gets two more "Hulk-sized" moments that totally bring the house down.Oh, nice touch having Lou Ferrigno voice the Hulk.Chris Hemsworth as Thor is the only character in the movie whom I feel was under-utilized. No fault of the actor's; he does a great job with what he is given....and DOES have his moments ("He's adopted")....I just felt they didn't give him as much as they did the other three leads.Rounding out The Avengers are Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner as the assassin/couple: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Hawkeye. Ms. Johansson is a master interrogator (albeit by making use of quite unorthodox means). Hawkeye is the steely-cool expert marksman--I had my doubts as to how an archer could work in such a high-energy movie. It works.The Avengers are put together by SHIELD: Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (need I say more?); Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson, and very funny in the role); Colbie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill--doesn't get nearly enough screen time) and Stellan Starsgard.Loki is portrayed by Tom Hiddleston; whom, for a character thinking of himself as a god, brings some amusing vunerability to the character: His embarrassment at being unable to kill/brainwash Tony Stark: "This usually works."; or, "If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."I was initially skeptical about this movie. I didn't think Loki was the best choice for a screen villain. Er, was I wrong....this tale of an immortal/meglomaniac/demigod/god-wannabe who enlists an alien race to help him conquer Earth (Question: if Loki *really* was a god, why would he need alien help?) made for some great popcorn, big-tent, summer viewing.....My other initial fear was that this wasn't going to be "The Avengers" as much as it would be "Iron Man and Friends".Thankfully, I was wrong again.To sum up: The Avengers is cinematic excellence. Many have complained about it being too long--and, the first 20 minutes or so setting up the story *do* take a moment....but once "Marvel's The Avengers" splashes across the screen: The movie takes off and never looks back. It is packed with great moments and memorable lines/one-liners. The action sequences are the best I've ever seen and it all looks real. Seems I read somewhere online the battle in New York would have done (in reality) 39 billion dollars' worth of damage. You WILL believe it.Oh, one last thing: sit through ALL of the credits.Thank you, Joss Whedon and co.Please go all-out on the blu-ray release. Please.QuotesNatasha: "I'd sit this one out, Cap."Captain America: "I don't see how I can."Natasha: "These guys (Thor and Loki) come from legend. They're basically gods."Cap: "There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he isn't dressed like that."Cap: "Dr. Banner, now might be a good time for you to get angry."Dr. Banner: "That's my secret, Captain." (looks back over his shoulder at Cap) "I'm always angry."Loki: (embarrassed) "This usually works."Tony Stark: "Well, you know, performance issues...""The Avengers"PG-13 for language (non-harsh) and violence; no gore or sex to be found, parents.Marvel Studios in association with Paramount PicturesDirected by Joss Whedon**********UPDATE: Oct. 2, 2012**********Ok, the Blu-Ray/DVD has finally arrived, here is what you get:DISC 1*Blu-Ray Feature Film in 3D (3D viewing requires Blu-Ray 3D player, 3D capable display and 3D glassesDISC 2*Blu-Ray Feature Film*An original SHORT: "Item 47". I won't give the story away, but it could have been called, "Fun at the gas pump".*FEATURETTE: "A Visual Journey". Documentary about the film's look, ranging from the set-building and visual effects all the way through to the film's cinematography, too.*Marvel's First Ever Gag Reel: The outtakes are presented are entertaining enough, but the whole featurette is barely five minutes long. I wish it were a half-hour in length--at the least.*Deleted Scenes: and, a LOT of them. One very interesting one concerning a present-day Captain America *and* his love interest from "Captain America-The First Avenger". I had heard a rumor these deleted scenes WOULD BE INSERTED SEAMLESSLY into the original movie, giving us a new, special edition version....said rumor was wrong.*Soundgarden Music Video: :Live To Rise".*The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen Experience. This works on your iphone, ipad or laptop. Once enabled, it "breaks you into" S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data base and allows you to explore:1) Marvel's cinematic history2) The comic book history of The Avengers3) Avenger personnel files and originsDISC 3*DVD Feature Film*Audio Commentary (full-length) with director Joss Whedon. I've listened to it--very well done.*Featurette--Assembling The Ultimate Team: the movie casting process, what the actor's bring to their roles, character interactions, etc, etc.DISC 4*Digital Copy (for Mac and PC)*Digital Album1) Soundgarden-Live To Rise2) Shinedown-I'm Alive3) Rise Against-Dirt And Roses4) Papa Roach-Even If I Could5) Black Veil Brides-Unbroken6) Scott Weiland-Breathe7) Redlight King-Comeback8) Bush-Into The Blue9) Evanescence-A New Way To Bleed (Photek Remix)10) Pusher Jones-Count Me Out11) Buckcherry-Wherever I Go12) Five Finger Death Punch-From Out Of Nowhere13) Cherri Bomb-Shake The GroundFINALLY*Technical Specifications:Blu-Ray: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (1.78:1) * Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD MA, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, 7.1 DTS-HDHR French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks * Subtitles: English SDH, French and SpanishDVD: Widescreen (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio * Audio: English, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital Language Tracks * Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish (Applies To Film Content Only)Film's RUN TIME is 143 Minutes (Approx.)Avengers.Marvel.com****ALL SPECS AND RELATED INFO ARE TAKEN FROM THE BLU-RAY/DVD PACKAGING--WHICH FEATURES A NICE (DARE I SAY, "COLLECTIBLE?") HOLOGRAM OF ONE OF THE MOVIE'S (FULL TEAM ASSEMBLED) POSTERS ON THE FRONT.Thank you again for reading.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to see this movie when it was in theaters; so I had to wait until it was released on DVD/Blu-ray to watch it. The wait was agonizing, because everyone kept raving about how great it was. Many people were even saying that it was the greatest superhero movie ever made. Well, I've been a fan of Joss Whedon's work ever since "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; so I knew he had it in him. But the level of fanboy gushing over this movie was so over-the-top that even I was getting a bit skeptical of all the hype. That is until I was able to watch the movie for myself, and see how spectacular it truly was. It's a fun ride from start to finish; but it wasn't until the film's final act -- which I watched with a giddy delight that I don't think I've experienced since childhood -- that I finally became convinced that this might actually be the greatest superhero movie ever made. That climactic battle has to be the most epic thing ever put on film. Joss Whedon really knocked it out of the park with this one.In addition to Whedon's brilliant screenwriting and directing, this movie has an amazing cast, great production values, and the best special effects I've ever seen. I'm still in awe of the Hulk (who totally steals the show, by the way), and am completely dumbfounded by how real they made him look. But all the action and special effects wouldn't be worth all that much if this movie didn't make us care about these characters. And that all comes down to the writing and the acting. As a screenwriter, Joss Whedon is rightly known for his witty dialogue; but he is also a master of characterization. He knows what he needs to do in order to "sell" a character to the audience so that they have a stake in what happens to that character. By the time we get to the epic battle that takes up most of the last act of this movie, we are rooting for the heroes in a way that we never would have had Whedon not spent the previous hour and three quarters building an emotional bond between the audience and these characters. But Whedon can't take all of the credit for this. Much of it must go to the wonderful actors who play these characters. They really sell it. These actors were born to play these parts. I can't even imagine better casting for these roles. Marvel really lucked out by getting the right people to bring these iconic comic book characters to life on the big screen. They ought to be very pleased with the final result.In addition to the movie itself, this DVD/Blu-ray set has a number of special features. I really enjoyed seeing the deleted scenes. The movie works perfectly well without them; but they do add a bit more context to some of the things that happen in the film. There's also an audio commentary by Joss Whedon, a gag reel, a featurette about the making of the movie, another one about the cast, and a music video by Soundgarden. But perhaps the most unusual special feature included on the Blu-ray disc is a short dramatic film that loosely ties in to the plot of the movie. Of course, it's the movie itself, and not the special features, that really matters. And this movie is definitely worth having on DVD/Blu-ray. If you're one of the few people who haven't seen this movie yet, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. It's a whole lot of fun.