Unless you’ve been frozen in ice for the past seventy years like Captain America, you have surely seen, or at least heard of, “Marvel’s The Avengers.” According to BoxOffice.com, the cinematic blockbuster took in $775.4 million worldwide as of May 10, less than a week after the film’s release.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon (“Toy Story,” “Serenity”), “The Avengers” begins with the introduction of Loki, an evil wannabe king from the mythical land of Asgard, and the ultimate bad guy. Within the first five minutes, Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, quickly wreaks havoc by stealing the Tesseract (a shiny blue cube with unlimited power), brainwashing two good guys with his magical scepter, and causing a satisfactory amount of explosions and car crashes.  Even before the title sequence, the plotline is in place; everyone basically spends the rest of the movie fighting over possession of the Tesseract.

The Avengers is a group of six charismatic and vastly different superheroes, brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D., a secret military agency specializing in the destruction of villains. Their powers range from superhuman strength conjured in a science lab to precise skill and talent with a bow and arrow. Consisting of Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and Hawkeye, each hero has a history contributing to their present-day disposition.

This movie may be the product of Stan Lee’s ingenious comics, but the magic of Hollywood truly captures its essence. Each actor brings something unique to the table, namely Scarlett Johansson’s jaded yet kickass portrayal of the Black Widow. By far, the most captivating member of The Avengers is Bruce Banner/The Hulk, brilliantly but unexpectedly portrayed by Mark Ruffalo. Banner spends the majority of the film as himself, referring to his alter ego as “the other guy.” The eventual debut of the big, green monster is highly anticipated by the other heroes and the audience alike. When The Hulk finally shows himself, he does not disappoint.

Along with the superheroes we have all come to know, “The Avengers” follows the tradition of many other Marvel movies: a special scene shown after the credits. For those who have not yet seen the movie, wait till the end, and I mean the very end, of the credits for two vastly different but equally satisfactory scenes. Diehard fans of old Stan Lee comics will be especially pleased with the first scene, as Whedon seems to be hinting at a storyline for “The Avengers 2.”

Whedon’s directorial skills are prevalent throughout the film, as demonstrated by intricate camera angles and the cast’s undeniable chemistry. Seeing everything in 3D added to the film’s extraordinary graphics. It’s worth the extra few bucks to experience the terrifying sensation of The Hulk running headfirst towards the audience.

Along with fantastic special effects and theatrical stunts, Whedon’s tongue-in-cheek script kept the audience’s attention. Robert Downey Jr.’s quick-mouthed lines as Tony Stark lightened any serious moments and added necessary humor to otherwise tense heroes. The heroes’ pasts are skillfully told through flashback and dialogue, so keeping up with “The Avengers” is no challenge if the previous Marvel’s movies haven’t been seen. Although Whedon’s script was cleverly written, the movie was also filled with cheesy one-liners expected from superheroes. Mostly delivered by Captain America (Chris Evans), the cringe-worthy lines somehow fit into place and kept the audience satisfied.

Despite some predictable dialogue, Whedon wrote a film both men and women can enjoy. Be warned ladies: this is not a movie with a romantic chase or sexual tension between unexpected characters. “The Avengers” is every bit an action flick as the trailers would have you believe, yet an average fan can enjoy the movie just as much as (if not more than) the crazed comic book fanatics that plagued the theater. Filled with action, deception, revenge, comedy and even some touching emotional moments, there is no question as to the success of “The Avengers.”