Avengers: Age of Ultron Review
Aaron Tefel
Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is an action packed summer blockbuster extravaganza that is not to be missed.
Sequel to 2012’s smash-hit Marvel’s The Avengers, which still currently holds the spot of being the third highest grossing movie of all time with a worldwide box office total of $1.518 billion, Age of Ultron dials up everything to 11. With exciting action sequences, top-notch visual effects, and a new villain in tow; Age of Ultron is both a worthy sequel to its predecessor and a great way to kick off the 2015 summer movie season.
The movie immediately kicks off with a sequence that is sure to remind fans that they are watching “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” go to work on the bad guys. Between trying to fight off the omnipresent Hydra threat and still find time to protect the entire world, it seems The Avengers can’t catch a break. With the emergence of a new villain named Ultron (voiced by James Spader), who is hell-bent on purifying the Earth by bringing about human extinction, the team is put to the ultimate test once again to save the world from Ultron and his army of robots.
In terms of villains, Ultron is a worthy foe for the team. Besides his underlying rage and hatred for all things human; Ultron has a surprisingly sarcastic side to him. Some of the one-liners this character spouts seem to come extremely from left field at times, especially since the character is typically portrayed in the comics as very serious. However, in the end this personality makes sense in the film and ultimately works. The mix between fervent rage and occasional comic word-play really shows how the character relates to his creator Tony Stark, who has definitely displayed tongue-in-cheek qualities since the first Iron Man film back in 2008.
Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed the first Avengers film back in 2012, is back at the helm of this picture. He really made sure in this film to showcase the team as not just being heroes on American soil, but one that has a global presence. The film was shot in a variety of locations ranging from South Africa to South Korea, where in the film the audience gets to see more of the global reception The Avengers receive from civilians in response to their actions and the repercussions that come about from them.
Besides the original team of Avengers returning from the first film, three new characters are introduced in this film in the form of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and The Vision (Paul Bettany). Scarlet Witch and The Vision particularly stand out in this film due to their unique powers and significance to the overall plot of the story.
The film does more right than wrong in the long run, but there are a few hiccups along the way that take away from the movie.
One in particular is a new romance sub-plot between Black Widow and the Bruce Banner/Hulk character. It feels unnecessary and at times definitely feels a little manufactured. Considering the fact that there have been no hints or build up between these characters in the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe films that would point to a potential romance, its inclusion in this film definitely feels odd.
The film also does feel a bit rushed at times in terms of pacing and story. If a little more time was given to the story to have some breathing room it would have allowed for certain plot points to have a stronger resonance. One in particular that stands out is a segment in the second half of the movie, where Thor has to leave the ensemble and go rogue for a little bit to sort things out for Asgard’s future. In the end, if these scenes were further built upon they might have been more important. However, the way they are in the film seem to be a little needless given the fact that these scenes don’t really add much to the plot other than being set-up for future Marvel movies.
Overall, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a satisfying sequel and one that is sure to please both die-hard comic-book fans and casual viewers alike.
Verdict: 3.5 out of 4 stars or B+
