The Avengers

Welcome to the next generation of action blockbuster. Joss Wheldon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity) has knocked it out of the park. The concept itself needs no introduction; The world is endangered by a deity from another realm and a team of superheroes unite to fight him, however you'll want a Clockwork Orangesque eye-opening device to keep up with the details. 

Loki, God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) arrives and proceeds to lay waste to the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, a mistake since its leader Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is on a first name basis with every Marvel superhero in the neighbourhood.  Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are subsequently located, squabble and unite in the face of global destruction.

The Avengers is a concept could have easily headed south. It owes a debt of gratitude to Wheldon's lifelong love of the comic series. It is his awareness in the philosophy of the flawed and humanistic traits of a superhero that prevent the satirical failings of past interpretations.  The humour is rich, frequent and above all, genuine. It balances these elements with the brand of action that overwhelms the need to draw breath in parts while remaining faithful to character development and story advancement. The film is set to draw a broad audience but never seem to pander to the lowest common denominator. Perhaps The Avengers can save the world in more ways than one.