Hard-core fans and newcomers of the Avengers fandom packed the seats of the Maui Mall Megaplex in a full house on Friday, May 4, 2012, for the new Marvel Studios film The Avengers.

The Avengers finally brings together everyone’s favorite superheroes into one action-packed film. When the world is threatened by the evil and powerful Loki, Nick Fury of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (or S.H.I.E.L.D.) assembles a team of powerful superheroes to stop him.

Without its team of amazing actors, The Avengers definitely would not have been such a hit. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) create the strongest acting superhero filmdom has ever seen. Their interactions are comical and fascinating.

Tom Hiddleston, who plays the antagonist in the story (Loki), makes for a fine villain. His enthusiasm for playing the character is clear throughout the movie, and there could not have been a better choice in casting.

Scarlett Johansson also joins the team as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff. Although we do not know much about her character’s story (except from what we know in Iron Man 2), she is a nice addition. Her character is instantly likeable, and you can tell Johansson had fun with Natasha, especially being the only woman on the Avengers team.

The actors were fantastic, but the script also deserves a special round of applause. The humor in this film is absolutely brilliant. Every scene had a clever comment or line thrown out, which left the audience slapping their knees and doubled over in laughter. For an action-adventure film, comedy was definitely a strong suit.

The Avengers was released in both 2D and 3D, but 3D might not be the best choice for watching. Because there are a lot of special effects, the 3D makes certain scenes less realistic and amateurish. The special effects were still well done, but I think they would look better in two dimensions. Although a fun and thrilling experience, 3D may not be worth the extra fee.

Another misfire for the film (at least for me) was the character Loki. We all know he is the bad guy and that he wants to rule and take over humanity… but he does nothing. After the movie Thor, we all expected Loki to be unmercifully evil, but he just wasn’t. He fought and created a few explosions here and there, but he barely does much for a villain. Hiddleston was great in portraying Loki, but the actual character could have used some work.

All in all, The Avengers was worth the wait. The acting was entertaining, the script was fabulous, and I enjoyed the fact that you could follow the story without too much backstory from each character. I’m sure this is not the last we have seen of the Avengers, but for now I give the team three and a half stars out of five. If you plan to see The Avengers, I suggest you watch it without the 3D and stay until the very end of the movie (hint, hint).

The Avengers is now playing in 2D and 3D at the Maui Mall Megaplex.