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MARVEL'S THE AVENGERSMovie Reviews
Action adventure about super heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow, who join forces to save the world. Cast:Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul BettanyDirector:Joss WhedonRelease Date:May 4, 2012DVD Release:September 25, 2012From:Walt Disney PicturesRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 22 minIn 3D
Marvel's The Avengers played to very good reviews. • Eric Eisenberg wrote for Cinema Blend, "What Joss Whedon and Marvel have created here is not just extraordinary, but one of the most entertaining and satisfying comic book movies yet." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "...there's great entertainment here — big bold, action-filled silliness... This is a comic book movie done right." More Reviews Below...
Marvel's The Avengers Positive Reviews (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...inspired.... weaves its narrative threads into a vibrant display of effects wizardry with characters to love and wit to spare."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 05/03/12
Richard Corliss, Time: EXCELLENT "...a slam-bang convention of superheroes... doesn't aim for transcendence, only for the juggler's skill of keeping the balls smoothly airborne, and in 3-D too... it succeeds."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,565 words, 04/27/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...moves with an infectious energy... The dialogue sparkles as brightly as the special effects; these people may be wearing ridiculous costumes but they're well fleshed-out underneath."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 913 words, 04/26/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...brings it on all fronts.... Whedon gives all of them souls and ensures everyone delivers at least one killer blow and one killer zinger."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 126 words, 05/03/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...has it all.... the most exultantly good-humored, head-on, rousing series of traps and escapes since Spielberg was a pup.... all your senses will be blown."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 04/27/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "Whedon weaves a story that allows each of the heroes to do what they do best... audiences get enough of each to feel satisfied, but not sated."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 05/04/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...done well by Joss Whedon, with style and energy. It provides its fans with exactly what they desire. Whether it is exactly what they deserve is arguable."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 733 words, 05/03/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a quote from a 20-somethingish guy: 'Without telling you anything, it was the single most enjoyable two-and-a-half-hours I've ever spent in a movie theater ever ever ever.' "(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,009 words, 05/01/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...not without its pleasures... [but] its failures are significant and dispiriting. The light, amusing bits cannot overcome the grinding, hectic emptiness..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,020 words, 05/04/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a rocket-powered boost to the tops of mounts Olympus, Rushmore and Sinai.... these flicks don't get any better than this.... makes superhero movies new again..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 05/04/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Joss Whedon's got an innate gift for bringing stories like this to life with the energy and intelligence that should be popular entertainment's birthright but rarely is."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 896 words, 05/03/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. What it expertly is, is whelming.... at heart super-'Friends,' a surprisingly witty comedy with a comic book wrapped around it."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 05/04/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...more solid and satisfying than terrific... essentially an extended action sequence interrupted by an extended soul-search in the middle."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 05/03/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a splashy, flashy, pass-the-popcorn extravaganza.... a movie that knows and deeply loves its audience, but it's funny, smart and good-natured enough to please the rest of us, too."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 05/02/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...done well by Joss Whedon, with style and energy. It provides its fans with exactly what they desire. Whether it is exactly what they deserve is arguable."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 733 words, 05/03/12
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Every time the movie hints at something rich and evocative, Whedon undercuts it with a punchline... crippled by his short-term need to please the crowd."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 902 words, 05/02/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...guaranteed to pass muster with the Comic-Con cognoscenti, without forsaking regular popcorn munchers who just hope to see the planet get saved..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 05/03/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "The eyes are often delighted, the senses are consistently engaged/assaulted and the funny bone is occasionally tickled, but our emotions emerge wholly unscathed."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 05/03/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...quite simply, an epic win.... tremendous fun, sprinting through its gargantuan adventure on a mixture of adrenaline, glee and wise-assery."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 05/03/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "The performances are so well-pitched, meshing with such vividness and ease, that it's tempting to overpraise the good but not great movie that surrounds them."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 920 words, 05/04/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...just a pumped-up take on a tradition that harks back to 'Godzilla,' and harks back, of course, to the Marvel comics from which all these heroes originally sprang."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 05/04/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...crackling good entertainment... stylish, intelligent and, one hopes, influential on the next generation of superhero movies; it should leave a lasting legacy."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 873 words, 05/04/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the real hero here is Joss Whedon, who directs the film with a fanboy's enthusiasm and a thorough knowledge of the genre.... truly super."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 05/03/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's the craftspeople you want to hug.... You don't need to be a 'comic-book person' to find the set pieces exhilarating.... I'll remember the rush. I don't need anything else."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,162 words, 05/03/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the kind of rally fans have been dreaming about since Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury showed up, uncredited, in the first 'Iron Man,' to start putting this team together."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 05/03/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the mother of all big-budget comic adaptations... pops with a knowing, loving, Whedon-world jokiness that keeps everything barreling along."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 419 words, 05/04/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...comes tantalizingly close to reaching the level of the very best comic book films of the current generation.... But that it might have been better can't be denied..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 999 words, 05/04/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is it especially good, because, well, it doesn't have any stretch of the imagination."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 369 words, 05/04/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...as brawny and lamebrainy as any comic book movie deserves to be, capped by a 40-minute assault pummeling senses as few action sequences ever have."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 05/03/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there's great entertainment here -- big bold, action-filled silliness with just enough human spirit to sell itself. This is a comic book movie done right."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 552 words, 05/04/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...drowns in the details.... a long, talky, clunky movie that culminates with a huge action sequence. From Joss Whedon, you expected more than spectacle."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 988 words, 05/04/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Every time the movie hints at something rich and evocative, Whedon undercuts it with a punchline... crippled by his short-term need to please the crowd."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 902 words, 05/02/12
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: OUTSTANDING(cg) "What Joss Whedon and Marvel have created here is not just extraordinary, but one of the most entertaining and satisfying comic book movies yet."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 04/20/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the feeble 9/11 allusions and generic paranoid conspiracies go nowhere.... rallying the troops with blood-stained collectible trading cards doesn't cut it."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 466 words, 05/03/12
Keith Phipps, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a heartfelt, exciting, and thematically resonant piece of big-screen mythmaking likely to please superhero geeks and general audiences alike."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,324 words, 05/02/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: MODERATE(cg) "The Harry Dean Stanton scene shows why you've been thinking that Whedon is the best and only person to make 'The Avengers.' The rest of the movie is less convincing."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 934 words, 05/03/12
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an oversized, self-aware picture designed mostly for effect: That of reliving the experience of a movie you've seen before and just can't get enough of."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,523 words, 05/01/12
Jaime N. Christley, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Whedon's instincts to complicate, to mix it up, to vary the texture with half-seen moments, are fundamentally at odds with the blockbuster enterprise..."(See all of Jaime N. Christley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 05/01/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...quite simply, an epic win.... tremendous fun, sprinting through its gargantuan adventure on a mixture of adrenaline, glee and wise-assery."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 309 words, 05/03/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...unifies wildly diverse plot threads, acting styles, and action scenes better than anyone could have expected.... thrilling..."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 800 words, 05/02/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...something magical happens, and it becomes so exciting and so involving that you never want it to end... This is pure nonsense in the best sense..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,123 words, 04/26/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...a slow start, a single star performance by Robert Downey, Jr., surrounded by indifferent acting and an onslaught of computer effects..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 929 words, 05/04/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...not without its pleasures... [but] its failures are significant and dispiriting. The light, amusing bits cannot overcome the grinding, hectic emptiness..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,020 words, 05/04/12
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "If you are not a Marvel fan, then watching 'The Avengers' will feel like being mugged by a gang of rowdy sociopaths with high muscle tone."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 808 words, 05/07/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: GOOD "...enjoyably zingy... a caped-crusader movie can aspire to greater things. But nobody says it has to, and Joss Whedon just wants 'The Avengers' to be fun. Which it is."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 05/03/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Joss Whedon's got an innate gift for bringing stories like this to life with the energy and intelligence that should be popular entertainment's birthright but rarely is."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 896 words, 05/03/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: FAIR "...a diminished film despite its huge scale, and kind of a bore... the pretense of mythic grandeur can't stand up to the fundamental teenage-boy, men-in-tights silliness..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,655 words, 05/01/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...buoyant, witty and robustly entertaining superhero smash-up is escapism of a sophisticated order... deftly blends comedy, tension and on-the-fly character recaps..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,362 words, 04/19/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Joss Whedon pulls off a stunning feat in bringing balance to this superhuman circus... the film gives every single one of the superstar characters his or her due."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,305 words, 04/19/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "Joss Whedon's got an innate gift for bringing stories like this to life with the energy and intelligence that should be popular entertainment's birthright but rarely is."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 896 words, 05/03/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...highly enjoyable... a calculated package that combines heroism and humor, action set pieces and joy, and occasionally even some witty bits and smart one-liners."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 04/20/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...not without its pleasures... [but] its failures are significant and dispiriting. The light, amusing bits cannot overcome the grinding, hectic emptiness..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,020 words, 05/04/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...a slow start, a single star performance by Robert Downey, Jr., surrounded by indifferent acting and an onslaught of computer effects..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 929 words, 05/04/12
18.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Marvel's The Avengers's reviews are separated by an average 18.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Marvel's The Avengers (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Marvel's The Avengers's reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 42,522 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 818 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 64.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Marvel's The Avengers's reviews on average broke 64.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Marvel's The Avengers's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Marvel's The Avengers (52 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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