Seeing. Still working on believing.

I was 12 years old in the summer of 1992. I remember being consumed with one idea: The Dream Team. All of my favorite basketball players were coming together to form the most legendary team ever assembled. They were going to crush the competition. They all had had separate moments of glory, and there was talk that there were too many egos to pull it off. Somehow, it worked, and I reveled in the excitement and drama of seeing these legends on the court at the same time. Twenty years later, it happened again.

Doc... I think now is the perfect time for you to get angry.

The Avengers is probably the closest thing comic book fans will get to utter cinematic perfection. I don't think the movie is flawless, however, but the fact that it actually happened and is damn near excellent is truly remarkable. The last half an hour of this film is an orgy of super hero mayhem. This would have been a page turner on paper, but put to film? Insanity.

Before I ramble on about the awesomeness, I just want to mention my only real problem with the flick: the beginning. I legitimately enjoy all the actors and in theory could listen to them talk about whatever for hours. This theory seemed to actually be tested as this movie seems to have a rather slow buildup to the chaotic climax. It was not a dealbreaker by any means, but I found myself growing impatient waiting for the ass-kicking to begin. Yes, there are some minor skirmishes sprinkled here and there, but none long enough to satiate my bloodlust.

Sorry, but I had to. Let me get right to the breakdown. Here are the Yays and Boos, Larry-Bird-is-pretty-much-Captain-America style. Oh, and watch out for some spoilage.