Is The Avengers the greatest comic book movie ever made? I have no idea because movies still exist & I have not seen every movie that has ever existed or will ever existed. (For me, Bryan Singer’s X-Men has the title, but is not strong in the way that this movie is strong. I think that Magneto’s story is the real heart of the movie–idea of repeated atrocities & how people respond, but Avengers deals better with the challenges of portraying multiple heroes). With that said, I am very glad that I did my Avengers homework by watching the cartoon so I wasn’t too confused by the cast of characters not featured in prior films. Each character gets the right amount of individual time & focus. As an ensemble, no one upstages anyone else. With that said, Robert Downey Jr.’s acting & smoothness of every gesture is so easy & complex simultaneously that I want to rewatch the film for him alone. I am not pro or anti Scarlett Johansson, but I was less than thrilled going in & wanting more going out so bravo to her for overcoming my initial reservations. After 2 previous Hulks, including my highly favored Edward Norton (LOVE), props to Mark Ruffalo for coming into his own. He is the most believable as a scientist. How to improve this movie? Make it longer & include more dialogue so the audience can enjoy more of Whedon’s great writing & timing. For the most part, Whedon played the genre straight. Every character’s individual introductory section has the same feel as their individual movie, but rises to the challenge when each character’s style has to intersect & mesh within the movie. There were numerous Joss touches for Whedonites, but nothing intrusive–only noticeable if you’re a fan. For instance, he makes one character unnoticeable, but ever present so the audience cares about the character & suffers when that character is suddenly killed. Stay until the credits are over. ALL the credits. That means until there is nothing on the screen!