Avengers did what I previously thought was impossible… it Leonidas-kicked Iron Man 1 off its throne and now reigns on my all-time favorite comic inspired movie. Nolan has a tough act to follow. The gauntlet has been dropped. I attribute this remarkable feat to Joss Whedon’s screenplay and the cast for the most part.  I will not spoil the film and simply state what I enjoyed in a vague manner.

What I loved:

1. The cast embodied the characters that I grew up reading, especially Downey and Pines
2. The incorporation elements of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s version of Avengers (in my opinion at least) in the film
3. The revelation of the Other’s Master
4. The Other’s design and connection of the comic version of Fantastic Four
5. The nod to the classic Thor and Hulk relationship
6. Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson
7. Tom Hiddleston captured all the resentment, sense of entitlement and bitterness that represents Marvel’s iteration of Loki
8. The more humane and decent version of Ultimate Nick Fury (he’s a rotten & ruthless so & so on Millar’s book)

Minor quibbles:

1. The Black Widow’s lack of a Russian Accent (but it didn’t take away from Scarlett’s performance
2. The lack of a Loki betrayal, he’s the god of evil after all