1

It just has to be 'The Avengers' at number one, huh? 'Spider-Man 2' feels more complete and 'Iron Man 3' is a flawless machine of a movie, but those films don't have Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and Hulk all standing side by side, defending New York from an alien invasion. 'The Avengers' may get a clunky start, but once all of our heroes are on board the SHIELD helicarrier working to take down the villainous Loki, the film simply radiates joy, feeling less like a product manufactured by a movie studio for mass consumption and more like the first time a comic book movie has captured the childlike glee of its source material. 'The Avengers' is a little shaggy and it takes a little too long to get where its going (even writer/director Joss Whedon would probably agree), but the destination isn't just worth it -- it's like finding the Holy Grail. This film has no right to exist and these characters have no right to be on the same team, so the end result isn't just joyous…it's miraculous.