Not being into the Marvel world, I didn’t think I was the right person to review The Avengers.  Having looked at how negative most of the major reviews are, I think I am.  The ones who were disappointed in the movie seem to have been fans with high expectations.  Going with no expectations, I enjoyed myself.

We start with a marvelous running battle scene.  I hadn’t a clue as to what was going on and it didn’t matter.  I was busy trying to identify the team (Yes, I’ve seen Thor and the first Avengers so I sort of know the characters).  Mostly I was enjoying the sense of them being a team, working together with lots of kidding and banter while fighting for their lives.

The jokes make an enormous difference.  So what if not all of them are funny!  They are there to show the basic affection they have for each other.  There’s a wonderful scene after the battle when they’re all sitting around with their allies and friends just relaxing.

About then, the Ultron plot finally begins.  Yes, this is a flaw in the movie. It should have begun sooner.  Tony decides to bring about world peace by creating Ultron.  The others warn him not to do it, that it’s a bad idea, but he plunges ahead and the inevitable happens.  The moment Ultron comes to life, it’s the age of Ultron.  Its idea of world peace is to start by wiping out the human race.  After all, without people, there will be no more wars – Right?  At least I think that’s the plotline. 

The rest of the movie is one long battle, Avengers against Ultron.  All the battles are extremely well done, but what I liked was the interplay that continues among the Avengers. We learn more about each one.  An improbable romance develops.  We find out Hawkeye has a life separate from the battle.

Two super talented twins, Red Witch and Quicksilver appear.  They are a great addition for we don’t know what role they will play.  Will they use their superpowers for good or evil?  Or will they simply stay neutral?

The battles get bigger and more desperate until you have an entire city being lifted high in the air by Ultron.  However, many subplots, backstories and battles later, the war is over.

It’s a fun movie, worth watching.

Reviewed by Marian Powell