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Film Title: The Avengers : Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Volumes 3 & 4

 Best for ages: 6 & Up

Show Website:   Click Here

Year Released: 2011

Rated: TV-Y7(US)

The Review

    It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Marvel Superheroes.  I have been since I was kid, and now my four-year-old daughter is into them. I remember riding my bike six miles into the next town twice a month to go to the comic book store and spend my money on as many comic books as I could buy. I was a big fan of Batman, Wolverine, the Punisher, the X-Men, the Hulk and many others. The funny thing was, outside the Hulk, I was not a big fan of Iron Man, Captain America or Thor. The Avengers did not appeal to me as much as the X-men did. Then I grew out of comic books for a while, in fact for most of my adult life. However, I would go see any live-action films that came out in theaters, and if a old cartoon was on the TV, I would watch it. Then Marvel and the Cartoon Network put The Super Hero Squad show on the air. My daughter, then two-and-a-half, loved the show. This led to me get addicted to it, and I began revisiting the superhero genre. Then Disney bought Marvel, and began to produce a series of cartoon around some of the Marvel characters. With the success of the Iron Man films, and the many other superhero films to follow this year, Disney saw it fit to make their first Marvel cartoon, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

   If you're unfamiliar with The Avengers, let me familiarize you with it. In 2012 you will understand what I’m talking about, as they just finished up shooting a live action blockbuster set to be released on May 4th 2012. It is expected to be the biggest superhero film ever made. The Avengers is a team of super heroes that consist of Marvel’s top heroes such as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Antman, Wasp, and Black Panther.  The cartoon is based on the original comic book series and each episode consists of stories adapted from the comic books which were first issued in 1963. The series premiered on DisneyXD in September of 2010 and now the first thirteen episodes are available on DVD for the first time ever in a two volume set.

     The Avengers was formed by Iron Man, Antman, Thor, Wasp and the Hulk. When Hydra, a criminal group of villains lead by Baron Zemo, Baron Von Strucker and The Grim Reaper breaks free of a S.H.I.E.L.D prison facility, they begin to free all the world's villains. Unable to fight these villains alone, Iron Man begins to recruit his friends, Antman, Wasp and Thor. They meet up with The Hulk and then free Captain America from a frozen grave in the North Pole. Hawkeye and the Black Panther soon join the team when things begin to get out of hand and the first Avengers team assembles as one to fight the villains that threaten the Earth.

    Volumes 3 & 4 consist of two separate discs which can both be purchased separately. Volume 3, Iron Man Unleashed consists of six episodes Masters of Evil, 459, The Man Who Stole Tomorrow, Come the Conqueror, The Kang Dynasty and Widow's Sting with the bonus feature titled Avengers Unmasked: Master of Evil, an animated in-episode comic book experience loaded with fun facts on the Avengers and the villains they face. Volume 4: Thor's Last Stand consists of seven episodes and is the Disc the completes season one of The Avengers. The Episodes on this disc are, The Casket of Ancient Winters, Hail Hydra!, Ultron-5, The Ultron Imperative, This Hostage Earth, The Fall of Asgard and A Day Like No Other. As with disc three, there is a bonus feature titled Avengers Unmasked: Hail Hydra! which is also a animated in-episode comic book experience loaded with fun facts on the Avengers and the villains they face.

   Overall, as a parent, I would have to say that this series is best suited for kids over the age of seven. It is a cartoon that does have its fair share of violence and some scary looking villains. It is a cartoon that is aimed at boys. However, my four-year-old daughter loves it and I love it, and we watch it together all the time. For the last three weeks, she has been asking me when the Avengers discs were coming. I’m happy that they are here now for us to enjoy.

The Avengers is a great comic book series. The cartoon may have it fair share of violence and situations that may appeal more to adults, however the overall idea behind the cartoon is to show that teamwork can always get the job done, and by working together you can defeat the greatest of evils no matter how big or small you are.

BUY THIS MOVIE.