The Avengers

3 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

The line was long, and our trio had to split up to find seats once we entered the theater. I ended up sitting next to a man and his daughter, and the little one couldn't have been more than four or five. "How is she going to sit through 142 minutes of this without being annoying?" I asked myself (not out loud, of course).

She was nothing short of charming, and her occasional cheers - along with those from the rest of the audience - really added to the experience. So did the guy in the ripped plaid shirt and purple sweats we saw milling around before the line started to move, although it took me a moment to realize his outfit was an homage to The Hulk.

Speaking of the green guy, he was clearly the audience favorite. Mark Ruffalo, whom I've loved ever since You Can Count on Me, has that kind of quiet humility that made Bill Bixby's Bruce Banner such an endearing character. I'd have to say my favorite in this outing, though, is Chris Evans as Captain America. If I were ever in a jam, I'd want his intelligence, bravery and loyalty in my corner (he's very dog like).

Although I prefer the story lines in the individual superhero films (Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor were reviewed on this blog in 2011), this group effort is a pretty good way to kick off the summer viewing season.

Bonus Bones: 0
No super dogs, villainous or heroic.