Having some most of the separate character movies leading up to The Avengers, and the varied quality of them , I wasn't sure what to expect. Iron Man was, of course, the strongest and Downey,Jr does not disappoint in this movie. He also gets the funniest lines. I was surprised that I believed Scarlett Johanson as a superhero. There was some complexity and emotional depth to Black Widow. I enjoyed all the characters, even Thor who is likable but I think the weakest written. Loki was an fantastic villain and not a one-dimensional bad guy. The action was fast paced and exciting. My 15 year old daughter and I went to see it together and we were both glad we spent the money!