"THE AVENGERS" - MOVIE REVIEW

Still from The Avengers

Marvel's The Avengers carries the weight of the World - both literally and figuratively - but does it meet the demands of Moviegoers and Comic Fans alike? You bet. Director/Writer Joss Whedon (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) knows exactly what Fans of the Genre want and delivers item-by-item like a Grocery Checklist.  It's funny, it's intense, it's thrilling and every bit a masterfully-interwoven Spectacle.

The $220-million Blockbuster via Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) brings together Superheroes Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).  These Superheroes are united by one great Cause to save the Earth from Thor's Brother, the ruthless Supervillain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his catastrophic Army, in his quest for endless Power and Domination.

The problem with Films boasting All-Star Casts is that Story Lines and Character Development often are skimpy, but impressively Whedon manages to tell each Superhero's Story clearly and concisely, with our attentions focused always on the Mission at-hand.  Anyone walking into Marvel's The Avengers without a clue would be able to enjoy the Film sans confusion amidst all the Sci-Fi jargon.  The beauty is that you don't need to see it in 3-D necessarily to enjoy it - it stands on its own in 2-D glory.  My only concern though is that v. integral The Hulk's Story Line is given the least detail here and perhaps more could have been done to build-up the excitement for his awaited massive transformation.

MARK RUFFALO & COBIE SMULDERS TO APPEAR AT CANADIAN PREMIERE OF "THE AVENGERS"

Mark Ruffalo at TIFF 2007

In case you missed it, you can catch all the excitement from the World Premiere of The Avengers last week in Los Angeles' El Capitan Theatre! Gracing the Red Carpet were the likes of: Robert Downey Jr (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Joss Whedon (Director).  

And if this weren't exciting enough, Toronto will be hosting the Canadian Premiere of The Avengers on Monday, April 30, 2012 at Scotiabank Theatre with none other than Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo and Canadian Actress Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) scheduled to make an appearance!  This will be gracious Ruffalo's first visit to the City since TIFF 2008 when he was promoting The Brothers Bloom and Blindness.  This is just what the City needs and we'll be there!

Enjoy The Avengers World Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals below:

The Avengers opens in theatres May 4, 2012.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W. | Video credit: Marvel)

DIRECTOR DREW GODDARD IN TORONTO FOR "THE CABIN IN THE WOODS"

Drew Goddard in Toronto - March 2012 with Richard Crouse, Mr. Will-W. & Fans

NOTE: This Post containts Spoilers. After several delays, mostly at the corporate level, Sci-Fi/Comedy/Horror The Cabin in the Woods finally will get a release after switching hands from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over to Lionsgate Films (Alliance Films in Canada).  First-time Director Drew Goddard known mostly for his writing in acclaimed Feature Cloverfield and also TV Series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias and Lost, flew-in to Toronto to do a Press Day for the Film - co-written by Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Roseanne).  The Duo had prior collaborated on Buffy.

A humble Goddard admitted before a crowd which gave him a standing ovation tonight at Scotiabank Theatre he felt at many moments that others working on The Cabin in the Woods would clue-in and realize that he didn't belong, speaking on his inexperience as a Director.  He also expresses much pride in having worked with a brilliant Cast which includes Richard Jenkins, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Whitford and more.  He admits to being rather starstruck in securing Sigourney Weaver to do a brief appearance also.  Weaver apparently approached had Whedon and Goddard for an Autograph on her copy of the Script, which the Director still to this day doesn't believe had happened, being a huge Ghostbusters Fan himself.

In tonight's Q&A moderated by Film Critic Richard Crouse, we learned that some positives did come out of the many delays surrounding the release of The Cabin in the Woods, which was filmed in Vancouver back in 2009.  "I mean Thor (Hemsworth) is in our Movie and it weirdly makes his death look way better!", Goddard jokes.  "This is actually the best thing that could have happened".  No more Spoilers though, unfortunately.

Following the Screening, Goddard took his time greeting Fans, signing Buffy Memorabilia and Posters.  He was pleased that I enjoyed an uncomfortable scene involving a Wolf head and a passionate kiss.  Yes, it's that kind of a Movie!

Watch a Clip of the Q&A below: