"The Avengers" - Childhood Dreams Come True

******POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!*******
"The Avengers". Possibly one of the most hyped movies of the year. It certainly has a lot to live up to. I'm very pleased to say that it more than lives up to ALL the hype and I can quite honestly say that "The Avengers" is the best comic book movie ever made.
Let me start off by saying that the visuals are some of the best that I have ever seen in a movie before. WETA Digital and ILM teamed up with several smaller studios to create some of the most realistic graphics ever seen. The Hulk and Iron Man are supreme graphical standouts. All throughout the movie, you truly cannot tell that they aren't actual beings on the screen. The level of detail is just that spectacular.
Of course, you can have the best SFX in the world, but it won't mean anything if you don't have a plot and dialogue to match. Rest assured, "The Avengers" is no slouch in either department. The plot, while not incredibly deep and complex, works greatly within the movie and is more than strong enough to carry the film through from beginning to end, as well as doing a great job of setting up Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and did an EXCELLENT job of introducing the cosmic elements of the constantly expanding movie universe, which will play a HUGE part in Phase 2, along with mysticism and magic.
The dialogue all throughout the movie, particularly between the members of the team, is masterfully done. Every exchange, from the banter to the full-blown arguments, is done to perfection and showcase the personality of each team member with absolutely no faults in their portrayals. It must also be noted that the film is absolutely hilarious throughout the entirety of its run time. As serious as the movie takes itself, they always find time to throw in a joke or a wisecrack, with the best moments being when the various team members egg each other on, such as Tony Stark constantly attempting to get Bruce Banner angry enough to change into the Incredible Hulk.
The acting was superb and each actor truly shows why they were cast for their various roles. There is no bad performance in the movie and you could tell that each actor was throwing everything that they had into their role. The standout performance, however, was given by newcomer Mark Ruffalo, taking over for Edward Norton as Bruce Banner AND the Hulk. His portrayal of Banner was incredible and invoked strong images of Bill Bixby's Banner.
The action was spectacular and definitely is among the best action I've ever seen in a film, even beating out the likes of "Transformers". The final battle, in particular, is done to perfection and is a dream-come-true for every comic book fan. One scene in particular was fantastic and will stay with you long after the movie is over (those who have already seen it know the scene that I'm referring to).
All-in-all, the movie is nothing short of perfect. It is every comic book fans' dream. Even if you're not a hardcore fan, the movie will still be extremely entertaining and anyone who doesn't watch the movie is doing themselves a HUGE disservice. 5/5