The Avengers: review 4/5 stars (No Spoilers)

The Avengers
Studio: Marvel Studios/Paramount
Rating:PG-13
Runtime: 142 minutes
Staring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johnansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson
Review: 4/5 stars

When marketing the next "blockbuster" many times studios misuse the term "epic" by using it to describe contemporary action/adventure films that are simply the latest summer releases filled with tons of explosions, special effects and as of late - in your face 3D graphics. 

Loud, large and for the masses is not your traditional definition of epic but is  rather defined as "pertaining to a long poetic composition centered upon a hero, in which a series of great events is narrated in elevated style." --- Homer's "Iliad" is an epic poem and Marvel's "The Avengers" is an epic film.

Director and screenwriter Joss Wheddon acknowledhes how truly epic the film is when in an interview with IGN he states "What Marvel has done (with the Avengers) is unprecedented."

Since releasing the hugely successful  "Iron Man" movie in 2007, Marvel has followed their comic book "crossover" model by creating a universe in which characters from separate movies often interact. While on paper (literally) it often made sense for Iron Man to show up in a Incredible Hulk comic. However, usually due to licensing issues, the concept rarely took place in a big budget Hollywood productions.

By choosing Joss Wheddon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cabin In the Woods) as screenwriter and director of The Avengers, Executive producer Jon Farveau who directed both Iron Man films along with everybody at Marvel Studios have continued their streak of producing successful films based off of Marvel comic book characters. Wheddon like Farveau is a man accutely aware of both his subject matter and it’s fans, plus the general entertainment needs of those not so devoted to the comic book subculture;  two of the basic three audiences that are anxiously awaiting Marvel Comics longtime epic in the making, The Avengers.

That third audience is comprised of fans who at this point, have most likely drank the Marvel Kool-Aid, which up to this point has been served in delicious small servings in the form of the five movies leading up to the Avengers. They now want a full glass.

As a long time Marvel comic book devotee who knows each characters back story and the lore and mythos of the "worlds mightiest heroes" I'm one of the ones who has been chomping at the bit since The Avengers film was first announced. I'm also a discriminating film critic and I'm glad to say that The Avengers fulfills everyone's expectations from the word go.

Within minutes of the film's opening the action is in full swing and rarely lets up throughout the 2 hour 22 minute running time.

Serious Marvel fans like me, will finally have answers to the obscure hints and references that were scattered  throughout the Iron Man, Captain America and Thor films to which classic Marvel characters and objects come into play in this superhero ensemble.

Brief flashbacks at strategic intervals help viewers re-familiarize themselves with characters introduced in one or more of the five preceding films and help tie together plot points that led up to this movie.

I won't spoil anything for those who  haven't already learned all the secrets the film holds but I will say that as in the original comic book iteration, Loki, Thor's quasi-brother, is the meglomaniac villan that brings the team together.

Played by Tom Hiddleston again,  Loki is now on Earth and has stolen a super powerful weapon and teamed up with an army of aliens and in an attempt to rule mankind.

Of course this doesn't sit well with General Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) the head of S.H.E.I.L.D. and he assembles the heroes he's been collecting over the course of events into a superteam to respond to the threat.

With the film being a collective effort, like the team it's named for, no one star gets more face time than any other, more or less. However Samuel L. Jackson's Jeremy Rener's and Scarlett Johansson's characters (Nick Fury, Hawkeye and the Black Widow respectively) are more involved in the plot than they were earlier in the franchise. Noticeably missing are both of Iron Man's sidekicks James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine and Happy Hogan. This is curious since both characters were featured so significantly on both Iron Man solo movies but to be fair, neither character was involved with the formation of the Avengers in the comic book canon.

One of my few criticisms about the film is the fact that rather than being shot in 3D, the effects were added in post production, which I have yet to see an instance where that's a good idea.  Also, in an attempt to capture the framed feel of a comic book the cinematics rely on  some odd camera angels and extreme closeups that tend to be distracting. 

Overall though, the special effects are outstanding. The computer rendering of the famous massive S.H.E.I.L.D. helicarrier is impresively realistic. At times the 3D effect really does work, like with the technology surrounding Iron Man. The truly noteworthy special effects belong to the team that brought this version of the Hulk to the screen. Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island), who is seamlessly replacing Edward Norton as the Dr. Bruce Banner, is the first actor to play both sides of the beast on screen. This is accomplished by utilizing virtual-camera-motion-capture technology like what brought such realism to King Kong, Gollum (Lord of the Rings) and Cesar the chimp(Rise of the Planet of the Apes).

The highly anticipated final chapter in Christopher Nolans Batman trilogy comes later this year will most likely be the other film that redefines what epic means to Hollywood. Until then, The Avengers has written the first entry in what looks to be a pretty good year for both comic book fans and movie fans.