#29-34 Films Watched in 2012: 

 Iron Man (2008) ★★★★☆ | The Incredible Hulk (2009) ★☆☆☆☆ | Iron Man 2 (2010) ★★★☆☆ | Thor (2011) ★★★☆☆ | Captain America (2011) ★★★☆☆

The Avengers (2012) | ★★★★★

A cosmic threat to the planet brings together Earth’s mightiest heroes, who, though sometimes unwilling, work together to save it.

I can’t even form cohesive sentences about how incredible an effort this film is. There is absolutely no way it should work. A movie of this scope, uniting 4 franchises, should fall under its own weight and fail to bridge the gap in tone; it should come across as contrived and unbelievable, the sheer number of characters involved should spread the story thin and make it feel weak and jumpy. It does not. In every way it should fail, The Avengers succeeds brilliantly and results in one of the most genuinely exhilarating, guiltlessly enjoyable movie experiences I can remember. See it, then see it again.

(Brilliantly) Directed by: Joss Whedon
(Well) Written by: Zak Penn & Joss Whedon
(Ably) Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner & Tom Hiddleston