Hey gang, Valkor here. Seven years ago, Marvel kicked off what
would be the start of a huge risk in films with Iron Man that
would soon expand into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The
success of that one film kicked off multiple one shots leading
up to The
Avengers and boy did it pay off! Sooner after more films followed
and more are on the way, all running along with a hit TV series.
Well the Avengers have assembled once again to save the world
from a threat most dire. Check it out its Marvels Avengers: Age
of Ultron and its spectacular!
In Age of Ultron, after an attack on Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) base in an attempt to retrieve Loki’s scepter, Tony Stark (Robert Downey jr.), uses additional findings and incorporates them into his Ultron peacekeeping program. Unfortunately the program takes on a life all its own and Ultron (voiced by James Spader) not only becomes self-aware, he also seemingly gets rid of J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Bettany), and creates a massive robot army in an attempt to destroy all mankind. But he’ll have to contend with the Avengers – Iron Man, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), and the incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). During their mission they’ll also face off against two new “enhanced” characters – The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen – Oldboy) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Other highlights include:
- The Hulkbuster vs Hulk scene is explained (because I wondered from the trailer why they were fighting) and is probably the best scene in the movie
- Vision is created and is one of the best characters in the film… even though his duration on screen is short, it's still very important.
- An Avenger will die (and most of you guys already know who it is)
- Nick Fury and the Helicarrier are back, but is he back in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. and will that be revealed in future episodes of the TV series?
- The core Avengers still don’t know about Coulson and won’t know until Infinity Wars.
- We delve deeper into the life of Hawkeye and see a budding relationship between Bruce Banner and Black Widow.
- At the end of the film a new team is formed lead by Captain America.
What Marvel has created with their cinematic universe is to truly bring the comics to life; with the bright, shiny costumes, over the top action and loads of fun, this is how it should be – it’s how it should always be and I wouldn’t want it any other way! And that's exactly what Age of Ultron brings to the cinematic table - everything about the comics, brought to life. Make mine Marvel? Fuck yea!
The Good:
Age of Ultron is the perfect follow-up to the first Avengers film, bumping up the action and eyecandy and doubling up on the fun. First, let’s talk about that action though, because it’s inspiration is drawn directly from the comics. The fight scenes, especially the ending, were fast, furious and had loads of cool moments; so much so that you can’t take your eyes off the screen! A prime example is the Hulk vs. Hulkbuster fight, which is insane and so intense! But on top of the cool action bits, the characters pull off some impressive and jawdropping combos; I loved seeing Cap mix it up with Thor, either with the hammer slam or when Thor bats Cap’s shield into a row of Ultron bots. I can’t wait for the home release so I can watch it over and over! But ultimately everyone gets in on the action – everyone! And that’s what you gotta love about the Avengers films – everyone gets equal time and no one really outshines the other… except maybe Vision, who has a short screen time, yet he’s just so cool and voiced well by Paul Bettany! Another impressive moment is the budding relationship between Natasha and Bruce; I get why those two caught feelings and it was cool as it played out. Though it was disheartening, it did seem appropriate how it ended. Hopefully we’ll see how they’re “relationship” plays out in future films. James Spader as the voice of Ultron was a solid casting choice and he really brings the character to new life; I was expecting something more maniacal like a Cobra Commander-type voice, but Spader’s smooth vocals works ever so well with the destructive robot. However, the acting all-around was great, playful and so much fun. It’s a nice balance of humor mixed in with the drama creating one hell of an entertaining piece that makes the 2 hour plus runtime scream by. In short, as much as I enjoyed the first Avengers film, I enjoyed Age of Ultron even more!
The Bad:
My only real gripe with the film was the twins – Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch; their appearance in this film was played up big time prior to the film's release, but their on-screen presence was minor, though their roles were still pretty important. I guess that’s all part of creating that balance as something’s gotta give for the sake of the story. Maybe we’ll see more when we get the home release in the form of deleted scenes.
The Ugly:
N/A
Avengers: Age of Ultron is still riding high in the theaters and if you haven’t seen it yet then catch it before it leaves the big screen because it’s totally worth checking out. Easily one of the best films of the year; my expectations were already high for this film and Age of Ultron went above and beyond giving the film a solid 5 out of TOV 5 stars.
