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Marvel avengers assemble ****

Directed by Joss Whedon. Starring Robert Downey Jr, Jeremy Rayner, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansen, Chris Helmsworth, Samuel L Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgård and Gwyneth Partlow. Action adventure. 2012, US, 144 mins, Cert 12A.

UK release date 26th April 2012.

I generally approach the big summer tent pole movies with a dash of trepidation. I’ve attended many such screenings in the past and ended up being let down. I have never been a big reader of Marvel comics, and, if the truth be known, perhaps with the exception of the IRON MAN films, been a fan of the Marvel Studios output. Therefor, I had little expectations of what to expect unlike the row of Marvel fan boys who were sitting behind me. They spent the time before the screening started excitedly chatting about what they expected to see over the coming two hours.

When the earth is threatened and the secret energy source, the Cosmic Cube is stolen by Loki, (Tom Hiddleston) reprising his role from THOR (2011), director of the international peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) needs to do something fast. Along with his long-time collaborator, Agent Colston (Clark Gregg), their solution is to assemble the ultimate dream team of Super Heroes. As it turns out, that’s the easy part. What proves more difficult is getting them to work for and not against each other.

Over the years Marvel have bit by bit introduced their stable of Super Heros to cinema audiences, so because no deep character development and back stories are required the film can get straight down to business. All the regulars are here. Robert Downey Jr - Iron Man, Jeremy Rayner – Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo – The Hulk, Chris Evans – Capt. America, Scarlet Johansen - Black Widow, Chris Helmsworth-Thor and even Stellan Skarsgård and Gwyneth Partlow reprise their roles from past films.

So, getting down to the nitty-gritty. What was the film like and did I enjoy it? Well, the film was pretty darn good and I enjoyed it immensely. Why? Joss Whedon. Acting both as screenwriter and director he has by making the characters interact in a way together that we haven’t seen in previous Marvel movies, pulled off the trick of by what on the face of it is a silly movie full of silly people in silly costumes, delivered a satisfying and thoroughly entertaining film with well staged action. Everybody gets their time and the character’s personalities have made the jump from the various other films. In fact, the Hulk is developed beyond the last film showing a slightly different side of its character. It is obvious that Whedon cares about his material and this seems to have rubbed off on the acting talent, who have all stepped up their performances a notch from the normal super hero movie.

I saw the 2-D version, which works absolutely fine, so I would question why the film needs to be in 3-D other than to increase the films box office take with the premium charged on tickets for 3D films.

It’s not perfect by any means, but as summer tent poles go, MARVELS AVENGERS ASSEMBLE is almost up there with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and that’s not what I expected to be writing when I sat down to watch the film.

Ian Rattray.

GORE ON THE SCREEN
REVIEWS BY FANS FOR FANS
5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH