Manfred ThamMovie review: Avengers: Age of Ultron
With 3 official trailers and numerous featurettes and move clips, Marvel Studios released so many Avengers: Age of Ultron teasers that fans were way past the bursting point. However, concerns arose that with so much of it already ‘leaked’, will the actual movie hold no surprises or satisfaction? Are the Avengers being over-marketed?
Avengers: Age of Ultron continues where the previous The Avengers left off. A leading Hydra researcher, Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), has obtained Loki’s Scepter. Therefore the Avengers assault his secret research base in Eastern Europe, Sovokia, to relieve the researcher of his prize.
However, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), whom Scepter research granted telepathic powers, infiltrates Iron Man/Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) mind when he retrieves the Scepter from a secret lab (within the secret base, behind a secret door). She disrupts Tony Stark’s psyche, a move that slowly pulls the Avengers apart over the course of the film.
To ensure global peace, Iron Man decides to use the Scepter’s power to create an AI [Artificial Intelligence] to control his Iron Legion protocol, which is designed to safeguard the world. But instead, he creates a malevolent entity, Ultron (James Spader), who tries to achieve peace by eliminating humanity.
The previous cast of the Avengers team returns in full force, retaining all their character traits (and humour). Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) join the new super-powered antagonist twins, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
With great budget (an estimated USD $250 million), comes great visuals and Age of Ultron is a well-polished, CGI-enhanced blockbuster spectacular. The designs for Iron Man’s new suit (and his Hulk-Buster suit) are top-notch as are Ultron’s various bodies. However, the backdrops are not as breath-taking as we had hoped, with the exception of the stunning scenes in fictional Sovokia.
The fight scenes also lack a certain grandeur and gravitas that make them feel underwhelming. Perhaps it’s the awkward rotating shots in large battles or the constant shot switching between heroes that gives you little time to appreciate each member’s combat prowess.
Typical of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (and Marvel Studios’ marketing), you’d need to have watched the prequel and each Avenger’s character film(s) to understand the context for Age of Ultron. Familiarity with Marvel’s universe will enhance your experience or you may be lost at certain portions such as the introduction of the “Mind Stone” or who The Vision (Paul Bettany), the character created, is.
But what Age of Ultron excelled in is creating depth for each character and highlighting the team’s dynamics. When Ultron instructs Scarlet Witch to pervade the Avengers’ minds and fill them with their darkest fears, the audience is presented with the emotional motives of each Avenger (and the previously unknown backstory for Black Widow). Definitely the most enjoyable part of the movie for us.
The relatively brief scenes bare the raw insecurities of each Avenger and add context to all their actions and mannerisms within the team. It’s more than an action flick with super-powered bad-asses pummelling enemies into oblivion; it is a surprisingly human film about individuals who, due to their abilities, are saddled with enormous responsibilities.
Age of Ultron is less than amazing in some aspects but exceptional in many others. Marvel may have oversold the action’s pizzazz but there is plenty left in the film to surprise and please. Its surprising depth and gripping story-telling leaves you craving for the next instalment. And let’s not forget the trademark gallows humour and poignant one-liners!
As the sequel to The Avengers and the prequel to the announced Infinity Wars series, Avengers: Age of Ultron is more than worth the watch – even if we’re disgruntled that we’ve been coerced again into watching everything Marvel Studios creates.
[xrr rating=4.5/5 display_as=textstars label=”Our Rating:”]
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Information:
Release Date: Apr 23
Runtime: 141 minutes
Language: English
Censorship Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Superhero
Director: Joss Whedon
Main Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans,Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Photos courtesy of Disney