Writer/Director Joss Whedon has once again created a story where audiences can sit back and be entertained. Age of Ultron takes a darker tone than the first Avengers, but is still able to hold on to Whedon's witty dialogue. Humor abounds in this one, cutting through some of the heavier elements in the movie. At times, however, this humor almost felt inappropriate, like it took the audience out of the scene. While I didn't find that overly distracting, I did feel it was noticeable.
Once again, the actors really brought their comic book counterparts to full life on screen. The big three of Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man (Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey, Jr., respectively), while compelling as usual, almost took a back seat in this one to the second tiered characters. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk shone as a conflicted monster with as heart, dealing with the consequences of actions beyond his control. Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, was allowed to be himself this time around and was rewarded with several great, quiet character moments. James Spader really reveled in his role as Ultron, and Paul Bettany brought an understated grace to his messiah-like Vision.
Really, though, this was Black Widow's movie. For some reason--and I have to assume at this point it is legal because the demand is certainly there--Marvel absolutely refuses to give us a true Black Widow movie. As compensation, we get Age of Ultron, where we finally get a glimpse into what makes Scarlett Johansson's character tick. She has the clearest, most satisfying arc of anyone in the film and is, by far, the most interesting person on screen. Unfortunately, it really left one desperate for a stand-alone film which will probably never come to fruition.
Bold was the word of the day when it came to the action. Cars (and motorcycles) were flying all over the place, cities were leveled, trucks were being chased, you name it, it pretty much was there. If you bought tickets to see big explosions and epic battles, you did not leave unsatisfied.
Alright, so now I want to get into what I thought was the weakest part of the film: the story which, for me, felt a bit off. Now, taken out of the context of everything that came before it, I say truly that I enjoyed it; I left satisfied with the story Joss Whedon had just told. But one thing really stuck in my craw: this same thing had just happened! The general plot was, "let's build a machine to protect the world. What could go wrong?" which was the same plot as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Having said that, I didn't feel like Cap's initial reaction to Ultron made sense and I don't think Tony Stark would have attempted what he did in a world where the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. was so prominently covered in te news. It felt like The Winter Soldier was basically ignored in an effort to tell this story the way Whedon/Marvel wanted to.
Age of Ultron is clearly a bridge to get to The Infinity War and it did that job well. It also did a great job setting up Phase Three, and the search for new heroes. Although, what I left most excited for was Captain America: Civil War. There was a great deal of unresolved tension left in the air that just ended up being glossed over in an attempt to cleanly wrap up the movie and I can't wait to see it explode.
Overall, as a movie goer,I left Avengers: Age of Ultron content with what I saw. It was a great deal of fun with lots of fantastic character moments where great actors could shine. If you like what they are doing with the MCU, go check it out.
I wish, wish, WISH we could see the Avengers in Walt Disney World or Disneyland, but unfortunately, Universal owns the theme park rights to those characters for some huge amount of time. In spite of that, people are clamoring for the two companies to figure out a way for Disney to get those rights back or at least share them with Universal. If it were me and I could wave a magic wand and settle this in a way where everyone gets what they want, I would give Universal the rights to the comic book characters and give Disney the rights to only the film versions. That way everyone gets their cape and can eat it, too.
Alright, so in that fantasy world I just created, I think Age of Ultron, and the MCU for that matter, offers a huge amount of possibilities. Ideally, Disney would build a "Marvel-land" in one of its parks where you could have several different attractions. The first idea from Age of Ultron that really sticks in my head is a simulator ride where the guests are in a quinjet-type vehicle chasing and fighting Ultron as he attempts to destroy the world. Lots of action and lots of fun!
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