Kid-friendly movie review: The Avengers
- Written by my husband, Mike
Seamlessly blending a host of Marvel’s top superheroes into one movie, The Avengers is an action-packed summer blockbuster. Directed by Joss Whedon (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Serenity fame), The Avengers is a fun ride that does a great job of providing a compelling storyline, tons of action, and some humor to keep things moving at a rapid pace. Fans of superhero movies and action movies will not be disappointed.
The Avengers finds the Earth under threat from Thor’s brother and nemesis Loki – this time Loki is partnered with a mysterious and creepy alien race that is planning an assault on the entire universe with Earth as the starting point. Luckily Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson, reprising his role form previous Marvel films) and the folks at SHIELD are on hand to save the day by getting a small army of superheroes to fight together under the name The Avengers. The team doesn’t get along that great at first, but luckily Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. – funny as ever), The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo in an awesome turn as both Bruce Banner and his mean, green alter-ego The Hulk), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Hawkeye (the always cool Jeremy Renner) are able to put their differences aside to team up and try to stop Loki and his evil plan from destroy our world.
The effects are top-notch and there are a number of extended battle sequences that find the superheroes moving all over the place. Comic fans will also love the sharp and humorous writing that permeates this film. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I look forward to seeing it again.
Is The Avengers appropriate for kids?
Take the PG-13 rating seriously. Sure this is a comic book movie but it is not appropriate for young children for two main reasons.
First, there is a significant amount of violence and fighting. While nothing is particularly gory there are some intense fight sequences and the movie essentially amounts to two-plus hours of fighting.
Second, as hinted at, the movie is long, clocking in at 2:24. Once you factor in previews and sitting through the credits (which you should do, BTW) it’s a long time for young kids to sit in one place.
The Synopsis
Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012.
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How about you? Do you plan to see The Avengers in the theaters?
