The Plot:
When an incredible extraterrestrial energy source called the Tesseract is stolen from the authorities, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles the most powerful beings on earth to retrieve it.
The thief, Loki (Tom Hiddelston), is the conniving brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) one of Earth’s protectors. Yet, as Loki’s plan begins to take shape, Tony Stark – Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner – The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rogers – Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor and Natasha Romanoff – Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) cannot seem to agree on anything – Loki’s motives or plan, their own motives or plan.
As egos clash and Nick Fury’s ultimate goal is questioned, each hero must look for common ground in order to defeat the ever-plotting Loki or Earth will soon become enslaved.

Kent’s Take:
Using five previous films to set up this film, “The Avengers” has finally arrived. The Avengers see the Tesseract as an endless energy source while Loki sees it as a source of boundless power.
While the Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor films fleshed out the characters and their costumes, no one was quite sure how these super heroes and their super egos would work on screen together. Watching each of these powerful beings work with and against one another is both astounding and wildly entertaining. The special effects used here are eye-popping and spectacular, but what distinguishes these effects even more is the creativity behind them. The battles shown and technology used in the film are very obviously tailored to each hero and the technology seems far-fetched, but I promise you, we will eventually begin to see some of the computer software and hardware in our world.
It’s obvious that comic book fans developed this film, for the care to detail and evident knowledge of the material shine through. It is also easy to detect skilled writing, for this complex story is layered with subtext and setups and yet is simple to follow. Themes of self-sacrifice, brotherly love, vengeance and teamwork fill the action gaps to form a plot worthy of these super beings.
The laughs throughout are perfect for entertaining young and old, and hard-core and casual fans will be thrilled with the non-stop action and well represented characters.
“The Avengers” pulls the best of five films together to produce a balanced, well-acted, beautifully written actioner that is the cinematic equivalent to the Tesseract’s endless energy. Welcome to 2012’s first blockbuster.

Read more reviews by Kent and Carol at: http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/SiteElist-1924.113117-Reelworld.html