The Avengers (2012)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, & Mark Ruffalo

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In the decade it's taken to bring everything together, we've continually been promised that the Avengers would be the superhero movie to change all superhero movies and it's a damn good thing, because I really hate superhero movies. Three things made this film standout and shine over the many, many superhero films that have been released. The most obvious thing is the huge, superstar, cast. Not only is it incredibly difficult to bring a cast like this together, but to get them to work together, without getting in each others way must have been nearly impossible. Second, even though the film involves superheroes and outer space, it seems somewhat realistic to us. These heroes have families, personalities, feelings, people get hurt, and some people even die, letting us see the human side of these characters. Finally, the Direction of Joss Whedon brings it all together. Whedon has always had this unique ability to put his own style on spin on things, at first it seems strange, but ultimately we come to love it. He is such an underrated Director, who brings so much to everything he's a part of, and it's great to see him get to do a huge project like this. The Avengers was special, not only because it took a decade to make, but because if you saw all the individual movies first, like I did, you feel a connection to these guys, it's almost like you know them personally and you expect them to act in certain ways when they all come together. The individual films really built up the excitement and helped the Avengers to become a billion dollar earner at the box office. From the performances to the special effects this was once exciting, terrific movie, and may be as close to perfect as a superhero movie will ever get.