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.

Not much more can be said about this movie than has already been said about it. The movie is a comic book come to life, perhaps the first of its kind. Marvel has spent the past 4 years developling their Cinematic Universe, resulting in this masterpiece that recently even came under fire from Christopher Nolan's cinematographer (not understanding all that, but it was disregarded). What started as mentions of SHIELD and Captain America's shield in Iron Man in 2008, culminated in a cameo appearance by Nick Fury who actually name-drops The Avengers. Now, in 2012, we get a team up picture featuring the solo characters from their own franchises: Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America.One liberty taken for this movie was character development, but remember, Marvel developed these characters over the course of 4 years, giving the main characters their own movies to develop character and give the origin stories required to explain who everyone was. That said, it is strongly recommended that you watch Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger before you sit down to enjoy this movie. It will help with your understanding of why the characters are where they are and why they are doing what they are doing. What results is a witty, action packed movie that fully entertains the entire time. There are moments that can be nitpicked, such as Thor's appearance, which negates the finale to his own film, and no mention whatsoever of the other hero, War Machine, who was introduced and used by the US government in Iron Man 2 during an alien attack of New York, but those are moments that do not ruin the movie completely. Memorable scenes you will walk away with are the Hulk's handling of Loki, the team coming together culminating in Captain America's marching orders to each person, and a couple more, now tradmark, post-credits scenes.Of course we were bound to get a mega combo pack, something that came in the form of a Blu-Ray 3D/Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital/Soundtrack (and also a regular combo pack and single DVD and Blu-Ray releases), maybe the first of its kind to have so much together at once. The special features are actually not as great as you would think or hope, although there is a commentary by writer/director, Joss Whedon. There is no 'Making Of' feature, outside of a couple short moments discussing the actors and the formation of the team through the course of the 4 year period developing the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A Marvel One-Shot short film, Item 47, is present, featuring characters from the movie, and set within the MCU, and it does not disappoint. Also featured are some deleted scenes that, for example, shed light on Captain America's acclamation into present day society. However, it was briefly mentioned before the release that there may be a Director's Cut of the film, with as much as 30-40 minutes of deleted scenes added in to the movie, but sadly, this is no where to be seen on this giant release. Does this mean Marvel will double-dip with a further release in the future? The answer is probably a resounding yes, which is unfortunate for people who bought this thinking it would be the ultimate release. But, this movie has made loads of money, both from its release in theaters and from the home release, so it goes to stand that it would make even more with a further release of all-new material at some point in the future. Other highlights include a digital copy (which is curiously not present on either the other Blu-Ray packs or solo Blu-Ray or DVD releases) and the soundtrack download, a cool code that allows you to get the entire soundtrack from online, for free. This combo is packed to the gill with stuff, just not everything that could have been, or that was even discussed before the final release.That all said, definitely get a combo pack to enjoy the film in either all its Blu-Ray glory, as this movie is fantastic seen on 1080p and with a full audio surround sound transfer. Despite the shortcomings of the home release, get this movie and share with friends and family, whether they've seen it already or not (and chances are they have seen it), this will only get better with age. And we'll all be in line again waiting for Marvel to show else they have their sleeve, from a further release of The Avengers on Blu-Ray, all the way to Phase 2 beginning with Iron Man 3 in 2013.