Silent J’s review published on Letterboxd:
Every decade has one phenomenal, possibly even perfect film that not only changes the game for film in that generation but is able to withstand the test of time and be remembered for generations to come. The 70's had The Godfather. The 80's had Back to the Future. The 90's had Pulp Fiction. The 2000's had The Dark Knight (or Lord of the Rings; that's kinda debatable). I'm certain that this generation, at least thus far, has The Avengers.
Where do I start? I guess I have to start with the acting. The entire cast brings their A-Game and no one dissapoints. Robert Downey Jr once again slips into the character he was born to play. He not only brings back that cockiness, narcissiticness, eccentric, and ego-centric attitude from previous films as well as adding more layers to Tony Stark that provides more depth to him. Just as no one else can play Iron Man like Downey, I don't think anyone can play Thor like Chris Hemsworth who just owns the role. Chris Evans proves again why he deserves to wear the Captain America mantle. He exudes exactly what a hero should be. I was skeptical about Mark Ruffalo being Bruce Banner but now I see why he was cast. Ruffalo in real life seems like a pretty mellow, nice guy. Just the slightest angry outburst from him would be a shock and probably means that shit has hit the fan. That pretty much describes the character of Banner and for that Ruffalo was perfect for the part. Renner and Johansson are'nt given enough credit as they should, but are both really great, especially Johansson. She may have been casted just to appease fanboys, but she proves here why she deserves the role and why her acting ability should'nt be taken for granted. So many amazing supporting turns, especially from the perfectly cast Samuel L. Jackson to the perfectly badass Clark Gregg, but if there was one standout in this film, it's Tom Hiddleson. He flat out steals the show. He's a perfect villain; the guy you love to hate and hate to love, especially for something he does in the film I refuse to spoil. From top to bottom, especially within the team, the characters mesh perfectly well with one another.
I knew Joss Whedon could be able to pull off directing and writing this film. After all, he did make one of my favorite sci-fi films, Serenity. However, I did'nt know he would do such a phenomenal job. He perfectly balances explosive action with complex human drama as well as plenty of hilarious moments. If my mouth was'nt wide open in amazement one minute, I'd be laughing my ass off the next. Whedon perfectly gives each character a voice and something you'd expect them to say, do, and feel. He creates both fun action and great character development that adds to the human drama. Technically, this is outstanding. Mind blowing special effects brings everything to life, especially The Hulk who looks more real here than he's ever been. It was amazing to finally see The Hulk be The Hulk; to finally see Hulk Smash. I know I've been saying amazing a lot but that's what this film is: amazing, incredible, astonishing.
I can't remember the last time I had so much fun with a film in the theater. It was an absolute blast. Everything was just perfect. I already love this film and I already want to see this again. This is the absolute best superhero film ever made and so far, for me, the absolute best film of 2012. It is just marvelous.