Avengers Age of Ultron uses recycled but effective material

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Director: Joss Whedon

Writers: Joss Whedon, Stan Lee (comic book)

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo

Synopsis: When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Avengers: Age of Ultron has been everywhere and now it’s finally here. While it’s lost its “first time” appeal being the second film reuniting the team, it’s still expected to be bigger at the box office than the first Avengers. But despite having the hype, does it meet the same quality standards?

It’s a tricky question in regards to the “same quality” because while Age of Ultron does meet the same quality standards as the first film, it doesn’t exceed them. We all know these characters already so there is nothing new there except for a few introductions of tertiary characters. The plot to save the world from annihilation is also the same just a different method of destruction and a different origin story for the villain. So why should you watch this film? Well I’ll tell you why. There may be many similar elements but if something isn’t broken why fix it? Avengers: Age of Ultron falls right in line with the elements of a sequel…bigger budget and bigger presentations. Explosions and battles are bigger, set locations are more plentiful, and the amount of content is filled to the top.

The chemistry between Black Widow and the Hulk is a mystery.

Things pick up a bit abruptly this time around and the action is immediately in your face. The entire team is already assembled and they’re world renowned as an unstoppable force. The Tony Stark snark is still there but it’s also spread to a few other team members including Captain America and even Thor. I didn’t mind the abrupt start because most successful sequels start the same way. What I did not like though was the relationship between Black Widow and the Hulk/Bruce Banner. The abrupt start also created an abrupt relationship which had no backstory which led to weak chemistry. We’ve seen Black Widow get “flirty” with a few Avengers but with this being her first actual relationship, they could have spent a little more time to develop the chemistry between her and Banner.

The rest of the team just generates fun. They’ve learned to work together better as a team and the amount of combo moves between Thor’s hammer (Mjolnir) and Cap’s shield are proof of that. As far as the newcomers are concerned, villains and heroes alike, they are perfectly balanced within the film. Everyone shares screen time well and they all do their parts to progress the story. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver introduce a new dynamic to the group with their powers and their constant struggle between collaborating with Ultron and the Avengers adds to the story. Ultron on the other hand is a bit of a mess as far as a villain goes. His logic and reasoning as a villain with superior intellect doesn’t make any sense at times. There are many human-like traits that James Spader adds to the character and while I enjoy his vocal performance, for me it didn’t present the persona of an A.I. entity. And for the final new character, the film saves the best for last. The Vision truly owns his name as he is a vision and the turning point of the film. Coming to save the day like Superman, The Vision is an extremely powerful creation that is the only formidable opponent to Ultron. At one point I thought the color schema was going to seem silly but it’s like they ripped the character straight from the comics and brought him to life.

The Vision is like Superman coming to save the day.

As a fan of Marvel films, I definitely enjoyed Avengers: Age of Ultron and I think many movie-goers will be entertained by the film’s presentation. But if you are a hardcore cinephile looking to be cinematically stimulated, then you might see past the light show and consider this film to be simplistic and lacking. The best way to view this film is to turn your mind of and revel in its glory. Have fun with it as you would with any blockbuster, and take the film for what it is, an action-packed extravaganza.