Avengers Assemble

It wasn't until the final credits started rolling that I realized that many people's dreams had just come true. For the viewers who sensed from the end of the first Iron Man that this superhero gathering would be epic to the top floor of Stark Tower. For Joss, who had been smiling under his (fully geeky) beard for so long until he brought us the essence of himself. And last but not least, to all the Whedon fans who supported the creator as an unrivaled storyteller for many years. And then, in one of the most-watched movies of recent years, he proved them absolutely right. The Avengers have Stark's audacity, Cap's courage, Thor's rudeness, and Hulk's titanic power. And they mix everything into a cocktail that is almost impossible to drink in one go. Trying to catch all the quotes, breathtaking action scenes, or meticulously crafted details was simply impossible. It wasn't until the second viewing that I realized that Whedon thoroughly played with his Marvel toy and then lent it to us, ordinary mortals. The fact that he created a perfectly cinematic comic book, nurturing it minute by minute like a mirror of the genre, is another matter. (08/05/2012)

The Avengers are getting better. The disappointment of the movie theatre is slowly but surely fading thanks to the DVD, and the only problems I really have are with the character of Hawkeye (or rather, his wooden performance) and the fact that the film wants to be endlessly breathtaking at times while making fun of itself, which is a strange game I haven't yet bought into. (14/05/2012)

Next to Batman and Watchmen, probably the best comic book adaptation. A film full of fun, thrilling action, wit, polished dialogues, self-reflection, and a fantastic cast; everything a first-class blockbuster should have, and with an incredibly precise tuning of the individual ingredients. The last time something similarly perfect within its genre was seen in cinemas was 1996 when Ronald Emmerich directed Independence Day. (15/05/2012)

During one month, I witnessed that the cinema still has something to amaze with. The film "Prci, prci, prcičky: Školní sraz" completely knocked me out, and now "Avengers". Well, to tell the truth, I enjoyed "Prcičky" even more and I left with a feeling that I usually don't have in the cinema. But the impressions from "Avengers" are very similar. I went to the Czech premiere with subtitles a bit reserved because I was afraid that it would just be a big hype, but the rest would be disappointing. I didn't have to worry. Joss Whedon, the screenwriter, director, but also a comic book creator and especially a comic book enthusiast, probably created his best work. His TV productions are literally cult classics ("Buffy" or "Firefly"), but it will probably be the comic book that he will always be remembered for. He was offered to make a film about the Avengers, the team of the greatest Marvel superheroes, and that's exactly what he did. A great film about great heroes. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/05/avengers-co-dodat.html (17/02/2013)

I went to the 9:30 pm screening, after a very physically exhausting day, and I told myself that if this film manages to entertain me enough to keep me awake, I will give it five stars, and here they are. Now seriously: Avengers is a perfect blockbuster with great sense of humour, incredible chemistry between the characters and amazing action. If you are not looking for the brooding of Batman or the ambition of the Wachowskis (or anything “more”), and you only want good fun at the cinema, you can’t do better than this, it has no competition among the light summer blockbusters. And I’m saying this as someone who didn’t like too much the previous Marvel films and is also not a member of Whedon’s fan club. But there’s one little quibble: Next to the other superheroes, Black Widow and Hawkeye look so out of place and meek. And it’s also weird to see Auntie Robin in SHIELD’s control centre. Hulk/Banner rulez. (09/05/2012)