The Avengers come together in a good way

I love May. It's the beginning of blockbuster movie time. Which will make the biggest impression this summer?

In my family, The Avengers has been high on our summer list. The only concern, would too much superhero makes for a terrible movie?

I'm delighted that it meshed well, and the fun zingers and pop culture references kept coming. My grade: A-

So what brings these superheroes together? Loki (Tom Hiddleston). The adopted brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) transports to Earth to collect the terreract, a powerful energy source introduced in Captain America, to open a gateway to Earth for the ultimate alien takeover. Loki takes two key SHIELD players, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and scientist Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) from the Thor movie, and turns them to his cause with the touch of his magical staff.

That's when super-secret government agency SHIELD calls in superheroes Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and the Hulk (now Mark Ruffalo). Some come reluctantly, questioning SHIELD's motives beyond containing bad boy Loki. The boys have their own ego conflicts, but in the end come together to save the day.

It takes time to play out, but the nearly 2 1/2 hour film moves quickly. You don't notice how much time passes because action and quick-witted lines keep you entertained. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.

Things to know if you take young kids:

-Not surprising: Lots of destruction via explosions, lasers, guns and superhero/villain brute strength. Bodies get tossed around aplenty, and there's lots of casualties, including one likeable character.

-Some characters drink alcohol, and one character asks another if he takes weed to stay calm.

-Mild sexual innuendo between characters.

-Near nudity (except for a strategically placed building block) of one character after a certain transformation.

-Mild language. I don't recall any of the big bad words.

Things to talk about with kids if you go:

-How does ego affect teamwork?

-Do you think having done some not so nice things in your past makes it impossible to really be a good guy?

-Why do you think there is so much violence in comic book stories?

-Would you stand up to a power play as the one older man did when Loki was exhibiting his domination?

The Avengers was a great kick off to summer fun at the movies. Other summer movies that we can't wait to see: Snow White and the Huntsman, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Brave, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises.

Bring on summer!