From Iron Man's arrogance to Thor's booming aggression and Captain America's silent-but-violent muscle power, there are plenty of egos crammed into The Avengers.
It can't have been handling all of those stars - Samuel Jackson, Robert Downey Jr, Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson are just some of the big names on the bill - but director Joss Whedon turns in a remarkably taut, supremely enjoyable and surprisingly funny blockbuster that's ended up being one of the biggest box office success stories of all time.
It helps that in Loki - a deliciously evil and quotable Tom Hiddleston - the superhero ensemble have an enemy worth chasing towards the film's frenzied climax.
But it's an angry green giant that really steals the show.
Mark Ruffalo's take on the Hulk is so good, perfectly straddling a line between brutal muscle and laugh-out-loud funnies, that he reportedly inked a six-movie deal afterwards.
With Whedon's sequel due in 2015, as well as new movies for Thor, Captain America and Iron Man on the way, rest assured we'll be seeing a lot more of The Hulk and his buddies in the coming years.
Extras: The blu-ray comes with a gag reel, deleted scenes and several featurettes.
Stars: 4.5/5
- Herald online