Grade: B-

Though it’s not officially summer yet, the summer blockbuster season officially began on May 4th with the release of “The Avengers” (the American release, I should say: the film has already grossed over $250,000,000 overseas). “But,” you ask, “do we really need any more comic-book superhero movies?” No, but as a long as we’re forced to have them, “The Avengers” is a more than respectable entry in the genre.

The plot of the movie may be summed up as follows: The good guys possess a Really Powerful Thing that they plan to do good things with. But a bad guy steals the Really Powerful Thing, intending to do bad things with it. But what if the good guys planned to use the Really Powerful Thing for some not so good purposes? Who cares? It’s an opportunity for well-meaning freaks in colorful costumes to kick serious ass, which is what summer blockbuster season is all about.

“The Avengers” takes a while to find its legs. The obligatory assembling-of-the-team scenes that dominate the first quarter of the film add nothing to the grammar of superhero storytelling, leaving the viewer with that yeah-yeah-let’s-get-to-the-action feeling. As for the team itself, here’s the rundown, in case you didn’t know already: there’s Captain America (still the lamest superhero ever), Thor (who said Nordic mythology was dead?), the Hulk, a figure who remains American pop culture’s nearest understanding of the Freudian id (all rage and no sex), and Iron Man (even when phoning it in, Robert Downey Jr. gives an irresistible performance). It takes a while for the team to gel, and the gelling process provides some of the best scenes in the movie: each character becomes more vividly defined as he (and it’s typically a “he,” isn’t it?) asserts his individuality vis-à-vis the others, until all hope seems lost in a sea of competing egos and irreconcilable differences. But they put their differences aside, of course, and unite for a final showdown that is worthy of the superhero-movie hall-of-fame. The Hulk is given instructions that even he can understand (“Hulk, smash!”), and the gang goes on its merry way of saving the world by destroying midtown Manhattan (O Manhattan, how many times must you suffer so that the rest of us can live in peace?).

The best thing about “The Avengers” is that it gets better as it goes along, drawing you in until you can’t help but voice a hearty “Hell, yes!” as our heroes accomplish the inevitable task of winning. The film also gets funnier as it goes along, with most of the humor centering around the psychotic but lovable Hulk. Much fun is had while everyone nervously anticipates Bruce Banner’s transformation into a larger, more unruly form. I myself was in danger of enlarging at the sight of Scarlett Johansson, who is several hundred kinds of hot with her red hair and tight-fitting black outfit. Interestingly, her perfectly applied makeup never smudges, no matter how many times she gets hit in the face (though in a gesture towards realism, she is occasionally seen with an utterly phony-looking—and utterly adorable—streak of blood running from the top of her forehead). Johansson is also surrounded by a gorgeous assortment of man-candy (Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth), making the movie fun to look at for everyone. Samuel L. Jackson even wears an eye patch, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Let me reiterate: I’m saying that, for its genre, “The Avengers” is good film. If it sounds like I’m not taking the movie very seriously, that’s because the movie doesn’t ask to be taken seriously. As with most superhero movies, the optimal frame of mind for viewing “The Avengers” is best achieved by doing a whip-it once every ten minutes. But since I’ve never been able to sneak more than eight cans of whipped cream into a movie theater, I must admit that I did wish I were elsewhere at times. That said, “The Avengers” is good fun, and I won’t be surprised if it proves to be one of the best superhero movies of the year. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Thor’s hammer struck Captain America’s shield, “The Avengers” will answer that question. If you have deeper questions, leave them at home and enjoy the show.