After years of anticipation from the onslaught of Marvel superhero movies since Iron Man, The Avengers finally arrives with a packed punch.

This ambitious project teams up Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America in one epic-sized film, alongside fellow Avengers Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Nick Fury.

The latest installment from Marvel brings loads of action packed into 141 minutes. The action sequences are pretty tight and impressive, especially in the second half of the film when Thor’s brother Loki and the alien force start to creep their way into Earth. My fanboy eyes wept (albeit figuratively) during a long, continuous shot of all six Avengers battling the swarm of intruders.

Fans of the Avengers comic book series will find pleasure not only in the film’s success in capturing the comic’s essence, but also in the various easter eggs throughout the movie. My favorite would have to be the two-word instruction of Captain America to the Hulk during one fight scene. Droves of fanboys around the world will surely go crazy!

The film is peppered with humor, dry wit and sarcasm, mostly coming from Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. But it’s Mark Ruffalo who was a true revelation here: he channels Bruce Banner in a more energetic and welcoming disposition, unlike its prevous actors Eric Bana and Edward Norton. Look out for two scenes where Bruce Banner’s temper is teased, just to try bringing out his giant green side.

Like any superhero movie, The Avengers has some memorable one-liners. Without revealing too much spoilers, just watch out for (1) Tony Stark’s sarcastic praise over Bruce Banner’s work, (2) Iron Man’s plan of attack, and (3) Captain America’s quip about how God dresses.

Writer-Director Joss Whedon masterfully mixes the themes of three earlier Marvel movies: the grandeur of Thor, the heroic pride of Captain America, and the humor and visual spectacle of Iron Man. Each of the six superheroes were given enough space to reveal their personal stories and show off their prowess. Even Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) were put on a spotlight to show what they were capable of.

The Avengers has basically everything that a superhero movie should have: gripping action, perfect comedic timing, and a dash of fan-fave easter eggs. (Speaking of noteworthy easter eggs, stay until after the credits.)

It’s seldom that I become interested in Filipino films, but the premise behind Star Cinema’s latest adult drama “No Other Woman” piqued my curiosity. After all, it stars three ultra-sexy stars of this generation: Cristine Reyes, Derek Ramsay, and Anne Curtis.

The film starts with Anne Curtis emerging from underwater in her bikini. Now THAT’S the way to kickstart a movie about cheating on your spouse! By then, I immediately knew how steamy this movie was going to be. But beyond the superficial, the story cut deep into the intricacies and repercussions of having an extra-marital affair.

[More of the review after the jump!]

Award! The word sounds positive, but it’s actually gay lingo for “embarrassed”. Fortunately, nothing is embarrassing about Jade Castro’s film Zombadings 1: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington.

While the film is disguised as a typical Filipino horror comedy, Zombadings is an effective tongue-in-cheek approach on homosexuality and its various nuances. From its first few scenes of discrimination against the gay community through the eyes of a child (Ay bakla, bakla, bakla…), Zombadings gets in touch with the difficulties of being gay.

Immediately, Remington (played by GMA-7 talent Martin Escudero) grabs our attention, as he is cursed to being gay when he grows up. True enough, Remington slowly morphs from a handsome hunk to an effeminate eve. Escudero effectively portrays the character of Remington with passion, from his scenes of being a siga and tambay to being flamboyant and flashy. The funniest scenes in the film happen when Remington surprisingly discovers his “gayness” — his sudden loss of body hair, his penchant for baby tees, and his acquired gay language.

What do movie critics have to say about Captain America: The First Avenger?

Check these movie reviews:

If you are interested to learn more about Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris, here are some reviews written by prominent film critics in the US.

What do movie critics have to say about X-Men: First Class?

Here is a short review of The Hangover Part II, from ComingSoon.net’s The Weekend Warrior.

Certainly no one can blame Todd Phillips or Warner Bros. for wanting to keep the party going by bringing back the trio of actors who found such a crazy number of fans with their antics in Las Vegas. This time around, we essentially have the same plot as the guys go out for an innocuous night, this time in Thailand where Stu is getting married, and wake up the next day missing someone, in this case Teddy, the 16-year-old brother of Stu’s fiancée.