Back in 2012 when the first Avengers movie made its long awaited appearance on theater screens across the world, the film was hailed for its stellar accomplishment; bringing a comic book nerd’s dreams to life by featuring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk together in the same movie.
Four years later, the magic of seeing my favorite heroes together on screen was just as thrilling with Age of Ultron as it was back in 2012; even with a couple of newcomers added to the mix.
Director Joss Whedon is able to recapture the witty and entertaining dialogue between the heroes, and shows again why he’s the master of banter. One scene involving Thor’s hammer is was one of the more enjoyable dialogue-driven scenes in the movie.
Each actor perfectly portrays his or her hero. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark once again steals the show with Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth flexing their muscles as Captain America and Thor.
The biggest surprise for me was Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. In the first original, Renner’s Hawkeye got the short end of the stick since he was Locki’s personal puppet for half the movie. This time around, the character is fleshed out and has more to work with.
Age of Ultron is able to take full advantage of not having to waste time with a back-story, as the first 10 minutes of the movie get right to the action, which is top notch and continues the fun tradition Marvel has established. There are plenty of “jaw-dropping” and applause-worthy moments, along with a lot of teaming-up between Captain America’s Shield and Thor’s hammer.
The highlight of the action for me was the big battle between Tony Stark’s “Hulkbuster” suit and The Hulk. That scene alone is worth the price of admission, and is cluttered with incredible action sequences.
The newest additions to the team include Elizabeth Olson as Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver. While they are vastly overshadowed by the star-power of the other heroes, they are still enjoyable additions, even if I preferred Quicksilver’s portrayal in Days of Futures Past. My favorite new inductee was The Vision played by Paul Bettany. Vision instills a sleek confidence which was missing from the gritty group of heroes, and his introduction opens the door for future events in the Marvel universe.
The introduction of new heroes, however, adds to an already clustered ensemble. While Whedon does the best he can and is mostly successful, the crowded-ness does take away from other parts of the movie.
For example, James Spader’s Ultron is not given an rigorous back story, as his origin feels rushed. With a stronger back story, Ultron could have been a much more compelling villain. However, once Ultron establishes himself as the “bad guy,” Spader excels at conveying Ultron’s intentions and detest towards mankind’s current state.
Hulk, smash?
My biggest gripe with the movie was the random romance between Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. The reason’s for their interest in each other makes sense, but the relationship is totally out of left field and feels unnecessary, especially for a film that is tasked with balancing so many story-lines at once.
Also, some scenes involving Scarlet Witch and members of the Avengers seemed a bit out of place, and detracted from momentum in certain junctures of the movie.
Overall, Age of Ultron is as much fun as its predecessor. Whedon succeeds yet again at meshing these larger than life personalities, while giving each the appropriate amount of screen time. The action is breathtaking and rekindles the magic of the first one. Not once did I think, “oh, I’ve seen this before. Despite a rushed origin story for Ultron, and a shoe-horned romance between Johansson and Ruffalo, I never felt bored while watching this movie.
5/5 Just-as-ripe-as-the-last apples
You Like Them Apples 