The Avengers ****

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg
Director: Joss Whedon
Running Length: 2:22
MPAA Classification: PG-13

After years of build up, The Avengers delivers what was hinted at a few years ago in the post credit scene of Iron Man.  Of course, since Iron Man, we were treated to Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger; all of which only served to build the excitement and expectations that The Avengers would be forced to deliver upon.

The good news is that The Avengers does deliver, and then some.  The story revolves around Iron Man (Downey), the Hulk (Ruffalo), Thor (Hemsworth), Captain America (Evans), Black Wido (Johansson), Hawkeye (Renner), and Nick Fury (Jackson) banding together to stop Loki (Hiddleston) and his alien army from taking over the world.  Honestly though, the joy is in just seeing all of these heroes together finally.  Director Joss Whedon has crafted a story that is action packed and at times very funny.  He was a great choice for director, as he clearly understands the characters and the Marvel Universe in general.

All of the heroes are given pretty much equal time, so fans of individual heroes won't feel cheated.  What is interesting is that Mark Ruffalo, despite being new to the Avengers movie world, somewhat steals the show, both as Bruce Banner and the Hulk.  The Avengers is the best Hulk movie yet, surpassing both Eric Bana and Edward Norton's efforts.

Marvel has done something pretty impressive here.  Their long range plan has totally paid off, leaving DC in the dust.  Next up is the second phase of their Avengers plan, which will include Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2, and will culminate in Avengers 2 in a few years.  I, for one, cannot wait.

Jumper **1/2
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Michael Rooker, AnnaSophia Robb, Max Thieriot
Director: Doug Liman
Running Length: 1:28
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Nerdy high schooler David Rice (Thieriot) really likes Millie (Robb). One day, when trying to give her a gift, the local bully intervenes and tosses the gift into a frozen river. When attempting to recover the gift, David falls through and is trapped. At least, he is until he teleports into the middle of the Ann Arbor library. Everyone believes him to be dead, and he sees it as a chance to start over. He hones his skills as well. To get some money, he robs a bank, and that is when NSA agent Roland (Jackson) notices him. Roland doesn’t like “jumpers.” As an adult, David (Christensen) lives a good life. He returns home to see Millie (Bilson), and she notices that something is different about him. He also finds out he is not alone. There are other “jumpers” that are being hunted by “paladins” whose only desire is to kill them. When Roland finds David, David is in for the fight of his life, because Roland is out for blood.

“Jumper” is an interesting idea that is poorly executed. Christensen has proven himself to be a wooden actor, and this is no exception. He is a poor choice for David. The action and the effects are top notch. The origin story is well told, and I’m not a fan of origin stories. The powers and the war between jumpers and paladins is left vague enough to make you want more. The biggest problem with the movie (aside from Christensen’s acting) is the fact that the movie doesn’t end so much as it just stops. The last five minutes leave a nasty taste in your mouth as David confronts one of the bad guys and is given a head start. He decides to take a leisurely direction even though he is still the hunted. Clearly, “Jumper” is set up for a sequel, but when that sequel is not a given, a movie needs to provide some closure. This is one to wait for on DVD.