I’m going to skip the usual foreplay because if you’re reading this, then you already know who The Avengers are and what this movie means, not only in terms of comics and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe but also what this movie means in terms of box office. This movie will make bank and that’s because you will go watch it.

Of course you will, it’s the god damn AVENGERS. So where do I even begin with my review of this 141 minute goliath? How best to express my experience of this cinematic colossus? Simple.

This was probably the most fun I’ve had at a movie in my 27 years of living on this Earth. That isn’t hyperbole, that’s how I feel right now. I’m still not done comprehending what I just watched but it is the culmination of 7 years and 11 movies worth of build-up and it lives up to every bit of hype you might imagine for that.

I’m going to avoid MAJOR spoilers for my American friends, since we in the UK had the good fortune to receive this movie a full week before them so here goes:

You know all those cool snow battle scenes in the trailers? The ones you’d assume are from the climax or, at the very least, the second act. Nope, that’s your first ten minutes. Yeah, let that sink in. It came as a real surprise to me and my friend when right off the bat, we get to see what the Avengers do best and it’s amazing to see. This is a team that hasn’t spent the last three years sitting on their hands, they’ve been busy going on raids against HYDRA and the team’s banter and cohesion as a unit is just glorious to behold.

On the acting front, all the actors are on their toppest of top forms. I could not think of a single line or performance that let me down or held up to (and sometimes surpassed) my expectations. Some stuff bears mentioning specifically though:

James Spader takes on the momentous task of taking Ultron and making him… Real. And I was very surprised by his portrayal. I’ve never had a definitive voice or speech mannerism for Ultron but Spader makes the character glow with charm, wit, intelligence and, most of all, menace. He does a fantastic job of portraying what is, essentially, a gestalt entity but also give it a unique voice all its own.

The Maximoff twins are pretty likeable, even as the antagonists for the early part of the movie. The elephant in the room is obviously whether or not this Quicksilver is better than X-Men: Days of Future Past’s version. Short answer; no. Long answer; Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a far more mature and damaged Pietro and is not predisposed towards shenanigans but he can be a joker, balancing both attitudes pretty well but he’s not the impish trickster that Evan Peters portrayed and actually comes off better for it in some scenes. Scarlet Witch is perfectly fine, Elizabeth Olsen puts in a pitch-perfect portrayal of the hex-wielding Avenger. She really earns her stripes.

And finally, Paul Bettany as The Vision. Our JARVIS turned Synthezoid Avenger makes for a nice counterpoint to Spader’s Ultron, which is obviously the intention but it’s so much better than I thought. I also adore the way Vision proves his intentions to the team. It’s a fantastic little moment.

There’s also a TON of other performances that are great but SPOILERS so I’ll just leave them for you to see for yourself…

The Hulk vs. Hulkbuster scene is just as awe-inspiring as you’d expect and even finds time to throw in some witty one-liners (from Stark, natch). It’s a knockout brawl through a city and I had a smile through the entire thing.

There’s plenty of surprises to be seen, and some fantastic foreshadowing to future movies. I caught references to at least three, not counting the mid-credits scene. I’ve had it confirmed that there’s no post-credits so there’s nothing to stop you leaving after the mid-credits scene.

If there’s anything negative thing to say, there’s one thing that NEEDED to happen in this movie and Whedon knew that, only to purposely leave you blue-balled; but it’s masterfully done so I can’t stay mad because it made me laugh.

Overall, my opinion doesn’t matter because you’re going to go see the movie. Of course you are, it’s The Avengers but more-so and I can guarantee that you will leave the theatre thoroughly satisfied.

– Needs More Baby Oil

Here is our antagonist in his birthing chamber, so to speak. The Winter Soldier’s beginnings are very similar to Captain America’s. They’re a kind of Yin and Yang to each other. You know, if the Yin was red, white, and blue while the Yang was just plain red.

Plus, the guy you see in the picture is Winter Soldier’s creator Ed Brubaker in a nice little cameo.

– But Who Will Be In The Post Credits Sequence?!

I really like the decision to have The Winter Soldier attack Nick Fury. Up to now Fury has been a near perfect, untouchable figure. To have him made vulnerable and seemingly (if the next shot of him unconscious in a hospital is anything to go by) taken out of the picture it leaves Cap in charge of his own actions. It will require Cap to step-up and become the leader/hero we know him to be.

But Nick is just one piece of a really great ensemble cast of heroes in what is technically supposed to be a solo movie.

– She’s Called Black Widow But I Don’t Think She Was Married

I know she technically had the wrist shooters in previous movies but I’m still excited that they’re being used in the cool way they’re being shown here.

Grapple-hooking as she jumps off a bridge from a flaming car and then walking away like a boss? That’s what I’m talking about.

– I Believe He Can Fly

I mentioned previously my love of Falcon. We see lots more of him in this trailer and it’s good to know that while he will be assuming the side-kick role he’ll still be getting plenty of action of his own.

I really hope he comes out of this movie as a break-out star.

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Overall: I didn’t think it was possible but I think this trailer has actually made me more excited for the film. I’m gonna put my neck on the line now and say that I think it will be the best Marvel movie yet. If this footage is anything to go by, I’m not worried about being wrong.

Hello and welcome back to DOOM!’s exploration of the Comic Book film genre hosted by Aaron Poole and JJ Hawkins. This month we We take a look at Tim Story’s Fantastic Four. I think we all agree that this film got a few things wrong, but upon further notice, is it THAT bad? Did they get anything right? Well, yes and no, truth be told. While the casting of the “Four” is half perfect, the other half is…well listen in to get our full opinions…

Look at them just stand there! Wow! they sure can stand!

Damn, they said I would come out as Jeff Goldblum!

Make no mistake, this guy is half of the reasons you watch this film. He ain’t Captain America, yet, but he steals this picture.

Since Aaron was unfamiliar with this image, I thought I would put it here for all of you. Mmmm…pizza.

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I’ve made no secret up to this point that I have loved every moment of the Captain America trailers we’ve been getting from Marvel. The tone, the images, the dialogue, it has all been getting me as giddy as a school girl in anticipation for the film’s release.

Well, as if they knew I was feeling a little jaded by recent movies, a second full length trailer was released last night and to quote JJ Hawkins “I need a cigarette”.

Have a gander at the trailer below and then join me in my celebrations.

– Oh No He Didn’t!

Not much you can say other than…

… of course he jumps on it!

There are a lot of great lines in the first half of this trailer outlining the attitude of Steve Rogers but this one action sums it up pretty darn well.

– I Don’t Know Much, But I Know I Love You…

I haven’t seen any of Haley Atwell’s previous films. I don’t know what kind of actress she is. But if she isn’t actually in love with Chris Evans in real life, then she is damn good at her job because there is nothing but sex in her eyes every time she looks at him in these trailers.

Luckily, it appears that her character will also be a bit of a bad ass in the film too so I’m glad to see that “swooning woman” is not her only job title. I think Peggy Carter is going to be a big hit.

– Original Shield!

Oh yeah, and jumping through some sort of FIRE MOUNTAIN!

– Ominous

I won’t deal with spoilers but long time fans of the comic will know what this thing is.

We know what it is. We know why it’s there and we know who will be involved. And I can’t friggin’ wait.

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As a writer, I know I’m supposed to remain disconnected and unbiased about what I’m writing. As a blogger, I say screw that… this is going to be awesome!

Ahem. Or, you know, something more professional to that effect.

During the Super Bowl we were treated to a jam packed 30-second TV trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger. It was the only footage we had seen of the film and in my review of said trailer I screamed with delight about how they got the tone and the message right.

Well, the full two and a half minute trailer has been released and I couldn’t resist revisiting, with hope in my heart that Marvel’s production company keeps up their fine tradition of releasing great trailers for good films.

And while a lot of the same footage appears again, this allows us to take a much deeper look into what we might be getting in July.

Lets talk about this a little.

– “When Captain America throws his mighty shield…”

I can’t decide if this is incredibly corny or a nice touch.

Cool: It’s scrawny-Rogers standing up for himself against a big bully. He’s using his wits, his moxy. He’s using a make shift shield
Lame: It’s all a little bit too on-the-nose. Especially as you know you’re going to see him with the real one very soon.

– Oh hai, Bucky!

I like that they’ve changed Bucky’s story a little bit. In the comics he’s a teenager who Rogers takes under his wing. And while many young men fought in WWII, it’s nice that they made him a little older.

It appears that he takes scrawny-Rogers under his wing too which will be a nice relationship turn-around when he later becomes Cap.

– Iron Dad

Did you ever wonder how Captain America’s shield ended up in Tony’s garage?

Stark Senior ladies and gentlemen. Not only a nice touch but also good casting too as this guy is oozing Robert Downey Junior’s bravado.

– The Lord Alps Those Who Alps Themselves

There are a couple of scenery moments, especially at the start of this trailer, that make this movie look a little bit like Sky Captain. And I’m not cool with that. However, there are other moments like this…

That look gosh darn pretty. On a side note, I absolutely adore how precisely they’ve gotten the look of Dum Dum Duggan. He can spot him merely by his silhouette.

– What is this, The Lord Of The Rings?

One thing that really bugged me about this trailer was the almost fit-enducing flashes to black. The scenes appeared and disappeared so fast that it started to freak out my eyes. I understand that Marvel will want to limit the amount of footage we see before the film releases but this…

…does not makes for good viewing. Either show me something or make the trailer shorter. Just a suggestion.

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Will I see this opening day? Yes. Am I super excited? Yes. Will I buy all the merchandise to go along with the film? Probably.

So I’m maybe a little too biased to give you some clear thoughts about the quality of this trailer. However, let us know what you think in the comments box below!

JJ and his amazing friend Jason brodcast from the 1940’s to bring you this episode. It’s just the bee’s knees, mister. So hook your iPod up to your favorite jalopy and take your best girl for a ride up to lookout point. The chums also look at what’s coming to the picture show as they talk of that new Thor trailer. JJ admits a fascination with actors who can transform their bodies to fit a role, ponder the unspoken applications of Aquaman’s powers, and how he could make a fortune in Japan. Plus, the two wonder what ever became of hair…you know, THAT hair?

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