The Avengers (AKA Avengers Assemble)
Dir: Joss Whedon
2012
****
Joss Whedon's long time coming Avengers film was as impressive as the build up promised. I honestly thought they were setting themselves up for failure but hiring Joss Whedon was the best decision they could have made. The set up in the previous Marvel films was clever, I'm sure they would have done things a little differently if they were to do it again but it worked, right from Iron Man popping up in The Incredible Hulk and Nick Fury appearing in Iron Man back in 2008 (in what are now signature end of credits rituals), to the inclusion of characters and props in the Captain America and Thor films. Joss Whedon knows his comics and he adds depth to the characters, keeps with the original comics and injects just enough of the right humour to make the film work well. Everyone gets their fair share too, including Hawkeye and Black Widow who could have been side-lined (although I would love to see them in their own film together). They also got the Avenging part right, indeed, how could they be avengers without having something to avenge. This move was spot on. The first super-superhero movie and proof that it can be done and done well. It is the age of the superhero movie, I do fear for the little indie films but when Super-movies are this good, long may they reign.