Avengers front Pic

IRON Man is back – and this time, he’s brought a few friends.

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble is the most hotly-anticipated comic book film adaptation this side of Batman.

The endlessly charismatic Robert Downey Jr returns as the man in the heavy metal, joined by Scarlett Johansson who plays Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth as The Incredible Hulk and Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

The superhero super-group are out to save the world from destruction from an extra-terrestrial threat.

A truly blockbuster effort, the film sees Nick Fury (played by Samuel L Jackson) assemble his S.H.I.E.L.D. team, known as The Avengers, to deal with alien army the Chitauri, and its leader Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston).

The action races from one explosive turn to the next, focusing on each hero in turn as they combine to beat the evil threat before it is too late.

Although there are plenty of enormous action sequences, the film also fleshes out its characters well, lending them believable back-stories and witty banter, helping them feel like humans rather than simply comic book caricatures.

Marvel’s Avengers Assemble is the first must-see title of 2012 and could end up being one of the best superhero films ever.