Mr. Nolan, is that a gauntlet on the floor? Brother, I am more giddy than my giddy aunt. I saw the midnight showing of the AVENGERS last night and, at the end, my face hurt from grinning so big. I am so wired I can't form a coherent thought, and so here, instead, is a salvo of stream-of-consciousness impressions, in whatever order.

Mark Ruffalo is simply terrific as the Hulk's alter (and calmer) ego. I actually prefer his interpretation of Dr. Banner over Bana's and Norton's. Ruffalo steers away from the deadening angst that made me fidget in earlier Hulk pictures. He finds a balance. This Banner exhibits a dry sense of humor but exudes this quirky, low simmer edginess. And I love Ruffalo's interactions with Downey, Jr., two swaggerful eggheads matching their test tubes against each other and applying big words. I like that there's respect between their two characters. There's an intriguing twist involving Banner's relationship with the Hulk, of which I won't say more. The Hulk - and this seems to be a unanimous impression - hijacks the movie.

Comic book geeks like me have recently been dogging Marvel's latest company crossover event, AVENGERS VS. X-MEN. And, yet, this film demonstrates that, sometimes, there's nothing more exhilarating than eyeballing an epic hero vs. hero scrap. Mjolnir, meet the Hulk's face. Have you ever wondered what happens should Thor's enchanted hammer go up against Captain America's indestructible shield?

The plot revolves around the far-ranging machinations of Loki, Asgardian god of mischief. Those who've read the AVENGERS' origin in the comic books should note a smidgen of familiarity, but only a smidgen. The Tesseract artifact plays a part. The bad guys Loki recruits as an invasion force aren't Skrulls. Not exactly. Certainly they pose an extinction level threat, alarming enough that some assembly becomes required.

Captain America is well utilized here, although I'm hating his awkward modern-day costume. I vastly prefered his more practical WWII outfit.

You and me, let's kowtow to Joss Whedon. His storytelling has big scope; it has grandeur. He orchestrates a sprawling, high-profiled cast and just about gets away with not slighting anyone. He does rely some on your familiarity with the character development sunk into the prior films. He manages to tie in various plot threads from previous Marvel pictures. Although Stark, Cap, and Banner get the lion's share of the spotlight, Whedon devotes time and space to side characters like the slinky but lethal spy, the Black Widow, and the likable, unobstrusive Agent Coulson. If you assume the Black Widow's defining action moment surfaces in that early interrogation scene, you'd be all kinds of not right. Scarlett Johansson ticks off Whedon's Buffy box, not only in things assskickery but also in terms of strong character beats (the Widow's dialogue with Loki happens to be an acting showcase). She's so much more here than when she was showcased in IRON MAN 2. But if I could pick out two people who may have been underused, they would have to be Maria Hill and Hawkeye. I do feel that Cobie Smulders was wasted.

I love that, like in the comics, Thor never gives up on his half-brother.

The first half hour is essentially a slow burn set-up that may or may not keep you engaged. And at times Whedon does sacrifice narrative for those wild action sequences, and that's okay, because Whedon treats us to a series of marvelous cape-on-cape violence (in true Marvel fashion, these heroes harbor instant grudges against each other). But all those violent "misunderstandings" merely whet your appetite. Joss doesn't disappoint. The extended climactic combat sequence - as the Avengers hold the line against a horde of grotesque invaders from deep space - is off the charts and immensely gratifying. I'm reminded of the 1990s X-Men cartoon in which the camera would often track the X-Men in frenzied action, as they hurtle in and out of the picture, occasionally mingling with each other only to break off again into individual skirmishes. I was mesmerized by Whedon's sweeping, organic approach to the battle scenes.

No surprise, there are heaps of whip smart one-liners, plenty of them generated by a smirky Robert Downey, Jr. - and yet even Chris Hemsworth's regal thunder god elicits chuckles. No contest, though, the brutalizing Hulk - rendered to savage life in astonishing CG - captures two of the film's biggest laughs.

For pure escapism and sheer fanfare and fan service beyond expectation, THE AVENGERS is the best superhero movie I have ever seen. I have to see it again. But you, you make sure to stick around for the embedded scene during the post-credits and then for the post-credit scene. You may wet your pants.

Hours and hours later, I'm still big grinning. Joss Whedon actually pulled it off.

DC Comics, whatchugonnado?

What I have is the Blu-Ray 2-disc edition. I must say I'm digging the crystal clear, hi-res video quality of the blu-ray disc. We've probably all gotten spoiled by the extras on the Lord of the Rings packages, so the following bonus stuff probably won't overwhelm anyone:

- Audio Commentary by director Joss Whedon
- "Marvel One-Shot: Item 47" - A short film in which we learn what happens to the one piece of alien tech not collected by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the aftermath of the New York battle (00:11:20 minutes)
- "The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen Experience" - use your iPad, iPhone or laptop to access the S.H.I.E.L.D. data base to immerse yourself in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dive into the Avengers Comic Book History, and much more
- Gag Reel, which is hilarious (00:04:04 minutes)
- Deleted/Extended Scenes (totaling 00:14:58 minutes):
* Alternate Opening - Maria Hill being interrogation by the World Security Council (you could see why Whedon scrapped this)
* Extended Scene - "Loki & Barton Strategize"
* "Steve Rogers - Man Out of Time" - This is the best deleted scene of the lot as it explores Steve Rogers' ties to his past in clearer detail; it also features another cameo by Stan Lee and that waitress
* "Nick Fury & World Security Council"
* "Extended Viaduct Fight" - Raw footage of Black Widow and Hawkeye battling Chitauri aliens
* "Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council"
* Extended Scene - "Banner and Security Guard" - Banner gets a pep talk and a motorcycle
* Alternate Ending - Maria Hill still being interrogated by the World Security Council
- 2 Featurettes:
* "A Visual Journey" (00:06:26 minutes)
* "Assembling the Ultimate Team" - Whedon and cast members talk up each other (00:08:06 minutes)
- Soundgarden Music Video - "Live to Rise"
- There's also a code provided which when entered on AvengersAssembleOffer.com allows access to a Free Digital Comic Book Offer and a Free Marvel Poster Offer

And if you intend to pick up the basic Avengers DVD, you'll be treated to only these following Special Features:

- Audio Commentary by Joss Whedon
- "Assembling the Ultimate Team" featurette

Some info on what's included in the Phase One: Avengers Assembled 10-disc, 6-film super-set (which may or may not come in an officially issued S.H.I.E.L.D. briefcase):

* Marvel's The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
* Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
* Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
* Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray)
* The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray)
* Iron Man (Blu-ray)
* Bonus Disc - "The Phase One Archives" (Blu-ray)
* Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite movies and I highly recommend it as a Blu-ray purchase for any action and/or hero fan. The problem is that this 4 disc set is nothing but a sham, and on multiple levels:

Digital Copy:
First, the only supported tablet is the Ipad, so for all of us Android tablet users, don't dream about taking the movie with you on the go through legitimate means.
In fact, even if you choose the WMP version which can only be seen on your computer, you might face difficulties. My Laptop apparently needed a security update (which I couldn't get no matter how much I tried), in spite of the fact that it's running on the latest version.

Digital Music Download:
Why not simply include the music within the set in MP3 files? Here's why. Although you've already paid a higher price for a set that should provide the soundtrack, they feel that you still haven't actually paid enough. After giving my authentication code online, I was asked for personal contact info. WTH!?!? I have enough spam mail as it is! I decided to give it a shot and give my email address, at risk of getting flooded by unwanted ads.
What message did I get upon punching in my zip code? "Not available in some regions". Never mind that I purchased it at a local retail store.

This set (I assume) should only be sought out by those who actually have a full 3d home theater set. Even then, I fell as though everything listed after DVD in features is false advertising.

I bought the set yesterday, and today I'm going back to my local retail store to get my money back and get the simple, Blu-ray set.

Update:
Retailer won't accept opened movie.

Someone commented that I shouldn't whine over a product that costs $19.99 or technology that doesn't work.

It wasn't $19.99, it was $29.99. And it works just fine if you torrent a ripped file.

I'll whine as much as I want over a product whose label reads "watch anywhere, anytime", with pictures of phones and tablets, and doesn't deliver. If I'd known the truth of what was inside, I would have saved 10 dollars by buying the simple set, a lot of time trying to get something to work when it doesn't, and the stress of going back to the store (in vain). I posted this for the benefit of those who might want what I wanted out of the product.

There's a second reason why this whole situation is upsetting to me:
The industry is trying to fight piracy, which I understand and respect. If they would make it easier for people like me to get what we want (instead of difficult or even impossible through legitimate means), I would gladly pay full price for a movie if I can use it for my personal enjoyment in technology that is by no means new. Another user who got to use it on his laptop said that he still needs to use the DVD to authenticate his ownership every time he wants to watch the digital file on his computer, so in essence it's just like popping in the DVD.

This is the 3rd consecutive movie that I buy (and love) with a "digital copy" that is inaccessible.
I don't care if it's $2.00 or $200, don't sell me something that doesn't do what you say it does.

....And what fun it is.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Marvel's "The Avengers" is an expertly-crafted movie that makes 2 1/2 hours fly by like....well....I don't really know...SOMETHING FAST. My thoughts on seeing this movie--the first time (yes, you WILL go to see this more than once)--were: "This was just as good as 'The Dark Knight'....how is THAT even possible?" Well...consider first that Marvel has always had the best storylines, and the know-how to mix all of their characters' comic books together into one, all-encompassing storyline. Then, consider they decided to apply said formula to their movies. Third, they went out and expertly casted the parts.

How could this NOT be good?

Who else but Robert Downey, Jr could be a multi-billionaire, techno-wizard, armor-wearing snark-artist? Acts like he doesn't care, but is willing to sacrifice his life to save New York.

Chris Evans is Captain America. A 1940s guy living in the present day....brings "a little old-fashioned" to the role and shows old-fashionedness isn't cheesy, it just depends on how it is presented. It is presented very well, with Evans being the heart and soul (not to mention team leader) of The Avengers--by the way: love the shot, at the movie's end, of him on his motorcycle riding off into the sunset.

Mark Ruffalo, (great casting here; now I feel the Hulk movie franchise finally has hope) channels Bill Bixby in his performance (good idea!) but adds a "Hulk-sized" portion of world-weariness to his character...his over-the-shoulder "I'm always angry" is one of my favorite moments in an entire movie of favorite moments. And....The Hulk gets two more "Hulk-sized" moments that totally bring the house down.

Oh, nice touch having Lou Ferrigno voice the Hulk.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor is the only character in the movie whom I feel was under-utilized. No fault of the actor's; he does a great job with what he is given....and DOES have his moments ("He's adopted")....I just felt they didn't give him as much as they did the other three leads.

Rounding out The Avengers are Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner as the assassin/couple: Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Hawkeye. Ms. Johansson is a master interrogator (albeit by making use of quite unorthodox means). Hawkeye is the steely-cool expert marksman--I had my doubts as to how an archer could work in such a high-energy movie. It works.

The Avengers are put together by SHIELD: Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (need I say more?); Clark Gregg (Agent Phil Coulson, and very funny in the role); Colbie Smulders (Agent Maria Hill--doesn't get nearly enough screen time) and Stellan Starsgard.

Loki is portrayed by Tom Hiddleston; whom, for a character thinking of himself as a god, brings some amusing vunerability to the character: His embarrassment at being unable to kill/brainwash Tony Stark: "This usually works."; or, "If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

I was initially skeptical about this movie. I didn't think Loki was the best choice for a screen villain. Er, was I wrong....this tale of an immortal/meglomaniac/demigod/god-wannabe who enlists an alien race to help him conquer Earth (Question: if Loki *really* was a god, why would he need alien help?) made for some great popcorn, big-tent, summer viewing.

....My other initial fear was that this wasn't going to be "The Avengers" as much as it would be "Iron Man and Friends".

Thankfully, I was wrong again.

To sum up: The Avengers is cinematic excellence. Many have complained about it being too long--and, the first 20 minutes or so setting up the story *do* take a moment....but once "Marvel's The Avengers" splashes across the screen: The movie takes off and never looks back. It is packed with great moments and memorable lines/one-liners. The action sequences are the best I've ever seen and it all looks real. Seems I read somewhere online the battle in New York would have done (in reality) 39 billion dollars' worth of damage. You WILL believe it.

Oh, one last thing: sit through ALL of the credits.

Thank you, Joss Whedon and co.

Please go all-out on the blu-ray release. Please.

Quotes

Natasha: "I'd sit this one out, Cap."
Captain America: "I don't see how I can."
Natasha: "These guys (Thor and Loki) come from legend. They're basically gods."
Cap: "There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he isn't dressed like that."

Cap: "Dr. Banner, now might be a good time for you to get angry."
Dr. Banner: "That's my secret, Captain." (looks back over his shoulder at Cap) "I'm always angry."

Loki: (embarrassed) "This usually works."
Tony Stark: "Well, you know, performance issues..."

"The Avengers"

PG-13 for language (non-harsh) and violence; no gore or sex to be found, parents.

Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures

Directed by Joss Whedon

**********UPDATE: Oct. 2, 2012**********

Ok, the Blu-Ray/DVD has finally arrived, here is what you get:

DISC 1

*Blu-Ray Feature Film in 3D (3D viewing requires Blu-Ray 3D player, 3D capable display and 3D glasses

DISC 2

*Blu-Ray Feature Film

*An original SHORT: "Item 47". I won't give the story away, but it could have been called, "Fun at the gas pump".

*FEATURETTE: "A Visual Journey". Documentary about the film's look, ranging from the set-building and visual effects all the way through to the film's cinematography, too.

*Marvel's First Ever Gag Reel: The outtakes are presented are entertaining enough, but the whole featurette is barely five minutes long. I wish it were a half-hour in length--at the least.

*Deleted Scenes: and, a LOT of them. One very interesting one concerning a present-day Captain America *and* his love interest from "Captain America-The First Avenger". I had heard a rumor these deleted scenes WOULD BE INSERTED SEAMLESSLY into the original movie, giving us a new, special edition version....said rumor was wrong.

*Soundgarden Music Video: :Live To Rise".

*The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen Experience. This works on your iphone, ipad or laptop. Once enabled, it "breaks you into" S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data base and allows you to explore:
1) Marvel's cinematic history
2) The comic book history of The Avengers
3) Avenger personnel files and origins

DISC 3

*DVD Feature Film

*Audio Commentary (full-length) with director Joss Whedon. I've listened to it--very well done.

*Featurette--Assembling The Ultimate Team: the movie casting process, what the actor's bring to their roles, character interactions, etc, etc.

DISC 4

*Digital Copy (for Mac and PC)

*Digital Album

1) Soundgarden-Live To Rise
2) Shinedown-I'm Alive
3) Rise Against-Dirt And Roses
4) Papa Roach-Even If I Could
5) Black Veil Brides-Unbroken
6) Scott Weiland-Breathe
7) Redlight King-Comeback
8) Bush-Into The Blue
9) Evanescence-A New Way To Bleed (Photek Remix)
10) Pusher Jones-Count Me Out
11) Buckcherry-Wherever I Go
12) Five Finger Death Punch-From Out Of Nowhere
13) Cherri Bomb-Shake The Ground

FINALLY

*Technical Specifications:

Blu-Ray: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (1.78:1) * Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD MA, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, 7.1 DTS-HDHR French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks * Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

DVD: Widescreen (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio * Audio: English, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital Language Tracks * Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish (Applies To Film Content Only)

Film's RUN TIME is 143 Minutes (Approx.)

Avengers.Marvel.com

****ALL SPECS AND RELATED INFO ARE TAKEN FROM THE BLU-RAY/DVD PACKAGING--WHICH FEATURES A NICE (DARE I SAY, "COLLECTIBLE?") HOLOGRAM OF ONE OF THE MOVIE'S (FULL TEAM ASSEMBLED) POSTERS ON THE FRONT.

Thank you again for reading.