Written by Adam Mast
Avengers: Age of Ultron (PG-13)
At the risk of upsetting Marvel fans, I’ll just come out and say it: “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is not as good as its predecessor, a movie I still maintain is one of the most entertaining super hero adaptations ever made. Heck, I don’t even think that “Age of Ultron” as a whole is as solid as “The Winter Soldier” or “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Having said that, I still greatly enjoyed this all-star super hero opus. Some of that has to do with a spirited cast, but most of it has to do with Joss Whedon and his ability to inject wit and energy amongst gobs of super hero bravado and Ultron-caused chaos.
I’ll try to avoid getting too spoiler-heavy here, but the short end of it is that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) inadvertently unleash a deadly artificial intelligence in the form of Ultron when setting out to jumpstart what they believe is a peacekeeping program. As it were, newborn Ultron isn’t interested in peace at all, and after having a look at humanity’s rather dark history, he quickly hatches a scheme that involves the annihilation of not only the Avengers but all of mankind.
All of your favorites are back: Iron Man (Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), War Machine (Don Cheadle), etc. Even new faces like Vision (Paul Bettany), Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) are thrown into the mix, and as was the case with the first picture, all are given moments to shine, but for whatever reason, “Age of Ultron” doesn’t quite pack as big a punch as its predecessor.
“Age of Ultron” is huge. There are action sequences galore, including a battle between an enraged Hulk (is there any other kind?) and a Hulkbuster suited Ironman. There’s also an epic final act. Again though, something is missing. It simply doesn’t feel like there’s as much at stake in “Age of Ultron,” even though on paper, there clearly should be.
The stronger stretches in “Age of Ultron” are the smaller, less bombastic stretches. Take for instance a scene where an off-duty Avengers team compete with one another in a valiant effort to move Thor’s hammer. It’s a terrific sequence bristling with humor and cast chemistry.
In another one of the film’s quieter, more effective sequences, an exasperated Avengers crew makes their way to a safe house where we are given insight into one of the team member’s personal life.
“Age of Ultron” even makes time for a love story of “Beauty and the Beast” proportions. And no, it isn’t between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.
As for the crux of the plot, James Spader does mesmerizing vocal work as Ultron and while there’s an interesting idea behind this artificial intelligence, there’s something off in regard to Ultron as a fully realized character. Perhaps it was the rushed nature in which we are witness to his birth in the film. There’s no real build to it.
Whatever the case may be, Ultron simply didn’t come across as an actual threat. Yes, he’s clearly capable of world destruction, but I didn’t fear him in the same way I fear The Terminator or HAL.
The first “Avengers” suffered a bit from a hyper-extended final act, but by the time the shit hits the fan in that picture, I was wholly invested. I was so entertained by the build up—and so smitten with the Avengers as a team—that the excessive nature of the big show down didn’t bother me as much as it might have otherwise. And while excessive, it never felt congested.
“Age of Ultron” by comparison suffers from a few too many characters and subplots. There’s a lot going on here, and the proceedings do tend to get a little clunky. Thankfully though, Whedon’s witty sense of humor and his unlimited energy keep “Age of Ultron” from collapsing under its own weight. Thankfully, this one never slips in to “Amazing Spider-Man 2” terrain.
This is a fun movie with a lively cast and terrific moments throughout, but in the end, the parts are certainly stronger than the whole. Is it worth seeing on the big screen? You bet. As entertaining as parts of “Age of Ultron” were, though, it did a stronger job getting me excited about what’s to come in the next: the Captain America movie.
