Have you ever wondered what would happen if Thor fought Iron Man? How Joss Whedon would do directing a superhero movie? Whether a superhero crossover could work as a blockbuster? Well, you get to discover the answers for yourself in “The Avengers.” The mega superhero movie kicks off the summer season with lots of action, lots of superheroes and some semblance of plot.

“The Avengers” is a massive crossover between several Marvel superheroes. Most of them have also starred or appeared in other recent Marvel movies, including “Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America.” As much as it seems like a massive marketing ploy, I do appreciate the sense of continuity across the movies, and the film is at its best when it lets the characters banter and fight. Characters who have met in past movies remember each other, and there is little shuffling in terms of the casting. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Clark Gregg are all back as Tony Stark (Iron Man), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Thor, Nick Fury, Pepper Potts and Phil Coulson, respectively. New additions to the group include troubled doctor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders).

In “The Avengers,” Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s banished and disgraced brother, gets his hands on the Tesseract (last seen in “Captain America”), a blue, glowing cube of power that Loki uses to wreak havoc on earth. Nick Fury recruits the Avengers to stop him, and action ensues.

I enjoyed how the movie capitalized on the ensemble cast, not falling victim to the one-hero ploy to carry the movie, nor turning to a boy-buddy dynamic to sustain the tension. Everyone had something to do, some role to play, and there really wasn’t a main character who dominated as the main “hero” the whole time. Even characters I thought would be slid aside, like the Hulk and Black Widow, all had their own storylines and pivotal plot moments. Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was fantastic as usual, tossing out some of the best lines in the movie. Hiddleston also captured Loki and is a step up above the typical comic book movie villain. He’s the perpetual underdog and you want to sympathize with him, but just can’t quite bring yourself to his level.

But even with all the witty quips and balanced characters, the first half of the movie fails to establish a consistent tone. It seems to fluctuate between extremely serious and slightly humorous. It also feels convoluted, with an excessive amount of comic-book science that would have been more entertaining had it taken itself less seriously. The movie got on a much better footing when the Avengers banded together and started fighting the common enemy.

Overall, it’s a fun summer movie. “The Avengers” isn’t going to be remembered as one of the great superhero movies of the decade, but it’s a decent action film. Don’t forget to stay for the credits. There’s a mid-credit scene that you don’t want to miss and another post credit scene that’s more of an Easter egg. 

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Thor fought Iron Man? How Joss Whedon would do directing a superhero movie? Whether a superhero crossover could work as a blockbuster? Well, you get to discover the answers for yourself in “The Avengers.” The mega superhero movie kicks off the summer season with lots of action, lots of superheroes and some semblance of plot.

“The Avengers” is a massive crossover between several Marvel superheroes. Most of them have also starred or appeared in other recent Marvel movies, including “Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America.” As much as it seems like a massive marketing ploy, I do appreciate the sense of continuity across the movies, and the film is at its best when it lets the characters banter and fight. Characters who have met in past movies remember each other, and there is little shuffling in terms of the casting. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Clark Gregg are all back as Tony Stark (Iron Man), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Thor, Nick Fury, Pepper Potts and Phil Coulson, respectively. New additions to the group include troubled doctor Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders).

In “The Avengers,” Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s banished and disgraced brother, gets his hands on the Tesseract (last seen in “Captain America”), a blue, glowing cube of power that Loki uses to wreak havoc on earth. Nick Fury recruits the Avengers to stop him, and action ensues.

I enjoyed how the movie capitalized on the ensemble cast, not falling victim to the one-hero ploy to carry the movie, nor turning to a boy-buddy dynamic to sustain the tension. Everyone had something to do, some role to play, and there really wasn’t a main character who dominated as the main “hero” the whole time. Even characters I thought would be slid aside, like the Hulk and Black Widow, all had their own storylines and pivotal plot moments. Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was fantastic as usual, tossing out some of the best lines in the movie. Hiddleston also captured Loki and is a step up above the typical comic book movie villain. He’s the perpetual underdog and you want to sympathize with him, but just can’t quite bring yourself to his level.

But even with all the witty quips and balanced characters, the first half of the movie fails to establish a consistent tone. It seems to fluctuate between extremely serious and slightly humorous. It also feels convoluted, with an excessive amount of comic-book science that would have been more entertaining had it taken itself less seriously. The movie got on a much better footing when the Avengers banded together and started fighting the common enemy.

Overall, it’s a fun summer movie. “The Avengers” isn’t going to be remembered as one of the great superhero movies of the decade, but it’s a decent action film. Don’t forget to stay for the credits. There’s a mid-credit scene that you don’t want to miss and another post credit scene that’s more of an Easter egg.