OK for kids 13+
Heroes work together in explosive comic book adventure.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Avengers is a highly anticipated superhero adventure in which many of Marvel's major superheroes -- including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) -- come together to battle an otherworldly enemy in a war to the end. From the first scene on, there's virtually nonstop comic book mayhem, including advanced weapons, epic-scale battle scenes, and thousands of casualties. Some of the fights are deeply personal as relatives face off, and some people do die, including characters the audience will care about. The heroes sometimes discuss their motivations for fighting crime, and the discussions can be intense, though it also leads to a good deal of camaraderie and cooperation. Expect some swearing ("ass," "son of a bitch," etc.), plenty of snarky quips from Iron Man, an off-hand joke about adoption that could upset some families, and intense 3-D action.
- Families can talk about The Avengers' violence. How does the fact that much of it is larger than life affect its impact? How is it different watching invading aliens get hurt than human characters?
- How does this film compare to other superhero stories? Do you prefer hero movies with just one star, or do you think this collaboration style is better?
- Are the Avengers role models? Are some of them "worthier" than others? Why or why not?
- Why is Loki so bent on dominating the world? Who is he trying to impress? Is this all just a family feud?
The good stuff
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Messages: It's clear: Teamwork matters. The Avengers are best when they're working toward the same goal instead of letting others tear them apart. And the movie makes it very clear that you can step up and be a hero no matter what mistakes you might have made in the past. That said, not everyone in the "good guys" camp is always entirely on the up and up, and the heroes do have their share of conflicts before they come together.
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Role models: Though they have their quirks and frailties, ultimately the Avengers work to overcome their individual challenges so they can accomplish their greater mission. They're not always successful, but when it counts, they come through. Within the group, there are many brands of heroism -- Steve Rogers (Captain America) is always upstanding and squeaky clean; Tony Stark (Iron Man) is snarky and selfish until matters come to a head; Bruce Banner (Hulk) fights his inner demons by trying to help others and avoiding conflict; Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Clint Barton (Hawkeye) have very checkered pasts but do the right thing when it matters; and Thor tends to act first and ask questions later but has a strong sense of honor and duty. Although Loki is Thor's brother, he shows no loyalty to him; Thor doesn't feel the same way.
What to watch for
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Violence: Hugely explosive, destructive mayhem throughout most of the movie. There's not much in the way of gore/blood, but cars are flung from overpasses, a giant monster tosses people around like rag dolls, entire armies are decimated by lasers, massive explosions and mega aliens destroy buildings, etc. Casualties aren't lingered on, but they're presumably in the thousands; use of nuclear weapons is discussed. In one startling scene, an important supporting character is killed; other characters are injured. Lots of weapons (guns, hammers, shields, arrows, hands, bombs, and more) and fighting. The bad-guy aliens are pretty creepy looking.
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Sex: Some flirty banter and form-fitting outfits. Bruce Banner is briefly shown naked, but no sensitive body parts are shown, and it's not sexual in any way.
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Language: A few uses of words including "ass," "hell, "damn," "bastard," "oh my God," and "son of a bitch."
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Consumerism: Signage for Acura, Citibank, and other brands can be seen. The entire film promotes the Marvel universe, so expect plenty of cross-promotion and marketing tie-ins.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some champagne toasts. One character mixes a drink for himself. A very brief reference to "weed."
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Hulk Smashed by hiaatus7
Let me begin by saying that I am not a big super-hero person. I grew up overseas where the caped crusader, the spider freak, and angry green man did not exist. Going into this movie I expected to hear a lot of cheesy lines, cliche fighting sequences, and a mediocre story.
I found none of these to be true.
This movie was fantastic from beginning to end. From Tony Starks' witty jokes, to Hulks' socially awkward charm, everything was perfect. The action sequences were packed with things that you would only think of if you were trying to come up with something epic.
Overall, this movie just leaves you with a "Glad-I-Saw-that-movie" Feeling.
I think this movie is a HULK SMASHING SUCCESS. But all I could chose was "Must Go!"
5
TOP NOTCH !!! by cyndshaw
OMG ! My 15 year old and I went to one of the midnight shows. I'm 60 years old and I had a blast! My husband was a true comic book geek and he had been talking about this movie since he attended Comic-Con. He passed away last year. He would have loved it. I heard him in my ear the entire time I was watching. Go see it. It was a great ride.
5
Avengers is Awesome! by AINZZ2001
I have to admit, I expected Avengers to be good considering how word of mouth kept saying it was. But, after seeing it, I would say it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. Joss Whedon did so well, they had better give him the keys to this franchise and let him do them all. There is no other director that I think could have pulled off having so many headliner actors in one movie and not have it fall apart. Every character shared the screen so well it was shocking. Robert Downy Jr. had his best performance as Iron Man. The thing that stood out the most to me and the one thing I was worried about was Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. No worries any more. He did the best job as Bruce Banner, compared to even Bill Bixby. Too many things to say about it, but if you like action, sci-fi, comic books or all three and you haven't seen this movie, get off your butt and go. Worth every cent and every minute. I'm not sure anything this year will top it, but we'll find that out July 20th.
5
Melted my eyeballs and brain... by asameshimae
Saw this at the midnight showing with an ultra-enthusiastic audience and it was the best 2.5 hours of viewing pleasure I've had in a long time. Great casting, great direction and amazing dialog. It's great when you can tell a filmmaker loves what they're working on. Whedon and the cast respect the material and because of that, they are able to bring a depth to these larger than life characters without it becoming a joke.
Stay till the end. Seriously. Like the end-end. You will be rewarded. Trust me.
5
I Can't believe it was THAT good! by jimmywfarrell
This movie was highly anticipated and did not disappoint on any level. They did such a wonderful job developing the characters in the previous films that they could really press the gas in this film! The script was very well written, and they did a wonderful job tying up loose ends. Honestly, the biggest surprise of the film was The Hulk! I won't say why though because you need to go see it. I can't believe it was THAT good!
5
The Avengers: Some Assembly Required, but Better Than Ikea. by phantomhotte2
Understatement of the year: BEST MOVIE EVER! The acting was as good as can be expected from an action film, but so much better. All the actors truly embodied their characters with sincerity; even Loki (main protagonist) has completely understandable motivations. The writing, by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon was a superb combination of four already existing story lines from four different writers; a truly seamless integration. This is just another in a growing line of well created/written/directed Comic Book action films, which most are present in this film. There is a long set up for all the characters in the beginning, which some may find boring, but it works for semi-novices to the genre and universe and for super fans who can't get enough. This is a film for most ages; there is violence, sensuality, and character death, which may not be suitable for all, but it is a PG-13, so nothing overly awful. Be warned: there are TWO extra scenes after each of the end credits. 3D is not necessary.
5
Avengers well worth the wait by Robert_Martinez68
I had been waiting for The Avengers for some time. I expected this movie to be good, but was pleasantly surprised it when it exceeded those expectations. Robert Downey Jr. by far stole the show with the one liners, and being so likable. The story was good, action was amazing and special effects WOW. Planning to see this movie again. A must see!
5
Wow! Great Action and Humor! by agentsmed
Took my 11 yr daughter to the midnight showing - we both loved it. Theater filled with teens and adults. Lots of cheering and clapping. Great humor, amazing action. By far the best Marvel show yet. Will see it again this weekend. It will leave you wanting more. Stay until the end of the credits to get the standard teaser of the next show.
5
Best. Superhero. Movie. Ever! by fylicia.marie
RUN, don't walk to see this amazing movie. Everything about it was great. Cast, storyline, acting, effects (you typically can't get everything right in a movie, but in this one THEY DID!). It had every single thing I want to see in my superhero movies: conflict, ACTION, humor, subtext and kick-butt effects. I saw the 12:01 a.m. show and I'm going to see it again when I wake up later on today!
BEST. SUPERHERO. MOVIE. EVER!
5
10 Stars Baby!!! by donnaj
I loved, loved, loved this movie. Joss Whedon does some amazing things in this film. The fact that he was able to give everyone enough screen time was awesome. And, make sure you stay until after the credits are over! There is a very funny scene with our heroes sitting in a restaurant.