Avengers: Age of Ultron Movie Review

"Yes. But a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It's a privilege to be among them."
-The Vision

The day had finally arrived for my most anticipated film of the summer; Avengers: Age of Ultron. The sequel to the 3rd highest grossing film of all time and a film that changed comic book movies forever. There is no arguing the success, critical acclaim, and fan adoration that the Avengers film from 2012 received and this left some pretty big shoes to fill. Often times we see sequels fall short of the magic that their predecessor was able to capture and I can say that this film fell into the same trap. Now don't take that as me not loving this film, because I can tell you that I adored it from start to finish. That being said, and as hard as it is for me to do, I took a step back and really picked the film apart to expose it's strengths and weaknesses. The film is once again directed by Joss Whedon who directed the first one and brings back the ensemble cast from the first film with a few new faces added to the mix. It was a fun ride and got me only more excited for what Marvel has in store in the next few years.

So for any of you who have been living under a rock for the past few months and haven't caught a couple of trailers for this movie, here is the basic rundown. This takes place a few years after the first film when the Avengers came to together to stop an alien invasion led by Loki, brother of Thor. The aftermath of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is also prevalent as S.H.I.E.L.D collapsed and Hydra emerged once again. Hydra being the rouge Nazi science division that has lived on under the radar since the second world war. We find our heroes at the start of the film mid-mission, fighting Hydra agents in attempt to acquire Loki's staff that was lost after the battle of New York. Without getting into too much detail, the staff is a powerful weapon and Hydra had began human experiments that were wielding dangerous results. Enter Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins orphaned at an early age who volunteered for Hydras experiments and survived with enhanced abilities. As Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) puts it, "He's fast and she's weird." The Avengers cross paths with the twins at the start of the film, but more on them later. Tony Stark played by the now iconic Robert Downey Jr., has an idea that will eliminate the need to even have an Avengers team in the first place. A world peace keeping program run by artificial intelligence of his creation. Together he and Bruce Banner aka The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, attempt to create said program but fall extremely short. A program is born but with a genocidal glitch that does not bode well for the Avengers or humanity itself and it's name is Ultron. This new threat pushes the limits of Earth's mightiest heroes and takes us on an adventure we won't likely forget soon.

Like I said, Whedon did a fantastic job with the first film and the pressure was really on to make a worthy sequel. All things being equal, I do think it was a good sequel, but it just ran into some obstacles it couldn't quite get over. The magic of the first film was without a doubt giving all these characters a reason to come together and fight. Seeing them all together on screen for the first time right before the epic battle of New York is something that can never quite be replicated, but Whedon tried his best to give us something great. The fact that he had to juggle so many different characters and give them all important parts to play is such a daunting task, and I give him props for giving us a finished product that did not fall apart, even if it was bursting at the seams. Some Avengers got more development than others but I can honestly say that no one in particular got the short end of the stick. It is known among the fan base that Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, was cheated out of his role in the first film as he was mind controlled by Loki for about two thirds of the film. Whedon's guilty conscience on the matter was very evident in this film as Hawkeye played a very important role and his character was given a great arc. I think after this movie people are going to actually remember him and he quite possibly may no longer be the least favorite Avenger! I think Renner did a fantastic job as Hawkeye and really grounded the movie for me, being one of the only humans among Gods. Whedon was able to connect Barton with the audience in what I think was a meaningful way.

Another element that stood out for me in this film was the Romanoff /Banner romantic arc. One of the most genuine scenes in this movie amidst all the death and destruction, was a sincere and raw scene between Romanoff and Banner. These two characters, along with Hawkeye, are characters we have seen the least of as they don't have their solo movies like the other Avengers on the team. Whedon made it a point to develop them further and give us a reason to really care about them. Without saying too much, Bruce and Natasha share a moment and it gives the audience a chance to catch their breath from the fast pace of this film. It's a tender moment that gives us a glimpse into the heart of both these struggling characters and makes their stories that much more relatable. But while we're on the subject of pace, I feel like the film was poorly paced, for a lack of a better word. I just felt that at times the film jumped from one scene to another, without completely developing the previous idea. Whedon's draft of the film after filming was almost three and half hours, and it was cut down to two hours and twenty-one minutes. This leads me to believe that there might have been some stuff cut out that could have possibly helped the film flow a bit better, but I digress.

On to the big baddy himself, Ultron. What a fantastic villain. I absolutely adored him on so many levels. Ultron was voiced by James Spader who's voice was literally perfect for this role. Both menacing and soft all at once, Spader knocked it out of the park along with the motion capture that made the performance even that more believable. The best villain is one who truly believes what he is doing is right, and that is Ultron in a nutshell. I will say though that he is very different from what I thought he'd be coming into this film but that's a good thing. His emotions and mannerisms where just so human and Ultron was visually stunning. He had a dominating presence which was accompanied by being over eight feet tall and having an intimidating voice. It was very obvious that he was cut out of the Tony Stark cloth but it enraged him to acknowledge it. He had great banter with some of the characters and was just as witty as Tony himself. The difference was that he was hell bent on saving the human race, even if that meant killing every single one on Earth. Marvel is known for having great heroes, but not so great villains. Arguably the only great, memorable villain up until now has been Loki, but I almost don't feel like counting him as a complete villain as he has some redeemable qualities and has done good under certain circumstances. Also aside from Wilson Fisk from the very recent Daredevil series on Netflix who I think was phenomenal villain. Nonetheless, Ultron brings change. He is evil from start to finish and is hell bent on the Avenger's destruction, and the audience just eats it up the whole way.

I'd also like to draw attention to a brand new character that was born in Avengers: Age of Ultron and his name is The Vision. Ultron constantly evolves throughout the film, trying to find a stronger from to take as he goes. But he had a plan to create a body that would be virtually unstoppable. With some Avenger's intervention this did not go exactly according to plan, and something pure was born in it's place. The Vision is a humanoid played by Paul Bettany, who actually has been the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Iron Man's helpful A.I. since the first Iron Man film. He is undoubtedly one of the best parts of this film and will be a treat to watch on screen for comic fans and causal fans alike. He comes to life before our eyes and is thrust into this battle with Ultron where he plays a key role in the endgame, and for what's to come in the future of the MCU. Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Iron Man all get their time to shine in both action sequences and dramatic sequences that help progress the plot. Between all our classic Avengers, the much appreciated addition of the Maximoff twins, and the birth of The Vision there is not much breathing room but honestly I was okay with it. We even get to see familiar faces from the MCU like Eric Selvig, Nick Fury, Heimdall, Falcon, and War Machine to name a few. I did not at any point feel like it was too much though, as a matter of fact I sometimes found myself wanting more. Especially in the musical department. One of the best parts from the first film was the epic music and the Avengers theme song, which I felt was very much lacking in this film.

Now to wrap this up in a nice bow I will say that Avengers: Age of Ultron is a must-see, especially in the movie theater! Don't wait until it is out on Blu-ray because it just won't be the same. Whedon brings back all the characters we've grown to love and brings them all together once again. While the story may lack in some areas it exceeds in others. Some of the more under-developed characters were given the spotlight and were able to shine. Our heavy hitters continued trucking on and gave us more of a reason to continue being fans. At the end of the day, this is still a Marvel movie despite how dark some of the trailers seemed to be. Ultron is a great villain that Whedon and Spader brought to life before our very eyes. But along with being a maniac he was funny and the film didn't lack in the humor department, as we've grown to love Marvel films and their distinct light-hearted humor. The action scenes were jaw-dropping and the Hulk/Hulkbuster fight did not disappoint one bit. It may not be on par with the first Avengers film or even Captain America: Winter Soldier, but it is a solid film that continues to keep the standard for Marvel movies relatively high. It really felt like a big midpoint for the MCU and strongly alluded to the conflicts that are to come. It's a summer block buster for sure, with heart and great characters. The chemistry between the cast really shows, but unfortunately so does the fatigue that Whedon had throughout the movie-making process. Whedon had his hand with Earth's mightiest heroes, and while they were fun and memorable, I am so ready for the Russo brothers to take on Captain America: Civil War and both Avengers: Infinity War films. I give Avengers: Age of Ultron a 8.5 out of 10.