So you produced one of the biggest films of all time. A film so big that it broke every conceivable record there was to break, earned over $1 and half billion worldwide, and suddenly made that guy who created Buffy a relevant name again. So where do you go from there, especially when the studio you work for, Marvel, have become almost a law unto themselves? You go bigger, darker, and explodier, but does that make a better film?
Avengers Age Of Ultron is the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a franchise so big a powerful it has topped Bond, Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars in earnings and all the the span of seven years. Coming off the success of the first film that truly felt like a comic book come to life and in the aftermath of the brilliant Captain America The Winter Soldier we find the Avengers in a world without S.H.I.E.L.D. and with an ever increasing need to be everywhere and save everybody. Billionaire, playboy and let’s face it, narcissistic sociopath Tony Stark awakens a long dormant project that was intended to save the world, but unfortunately creates an eight foot tall robot with the voice of James Spader and a severe Pinocchio-complex who has decided to destroy the world because, well the script demanded it.
So let’s start off with the good: One of my favourite things about the film is how much time is devoted to Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. His absence from Phase 2 and limited runtime in the first Avengers is more than made up for in Age of Ultron, sure he’s just a guy with a bow and arrow amongst Gods, super-soldiers and roided-up rage monsters, but he’s still a bad-ass. The reveal of Paul Bettany’s Vision is a thing of beauty, it’s eerie and hypnotic at the same time. The other great thing about this film is that it’s funny, really really funny. That’s not really been highlighted in the promotion of the film but the quips come thick and fast consistently throughout. There are some jokes might go over people’s head, for example, Tony Stark makes references to a playwright born in the 1800’s, but the majority of jokes do hit. The film is filled with “Whedonisms” and depending on whether that’s your thing you will either be in nerd-heaven, or groaning and rolling your eyes more than once.
The film is structured fairly well, but when compared to the first Avengers movie, or The Winter Soldier, there are one or two scenes that feel a little sluggish. Then there are some points throughout the film where it feels like we’ve missed a chunk of the film, like there are one or two scenes where you stop and think, did I miss something? This might have been to cut down the runtime but it’s only a little jarring. However Whedon has done a great job of balancing such a large story with so many characters. One character in particular, Ultron, is good thanks to James Spader’s buttery delivery, but I honestly don’t feel he’s great as a villain, especially when compared to the likes of Loki.
The climax of the film does suffer from the usual issues that have plagued Marvel movies for a while now, and that is the fact that there is no real drama or peril with the characters, mostly because we know they all have at least three more films in their contracts, but also they swat the supposedly highly dangerous Ultronbots away like small rabid chihuahuas and throw quips at each other like this is just another random Tuesday. Sure a character dies, but it lacks impact due to the character that bites the big one. Even though it sounds like I’m complaining a lot, the film more than makes up for any of these short comings with some amazing action sequences and just jaw-dropping moments. If you think the trailer spoiled all the action from the Hulkbuster fight, trust me, you haven’t seen half of it. There’s some surprise cameos, the return of fan-favourite Marvel “things” (to say anymore would be spoiling it) and the set up for the future Marvel movies gave me chills in the best way possible.
Overall, this is just a fun film that will entertain the general audience but really satisfy the comic fans with lots of great moments. The Russo Brothers shall be helming the next set of Avengers films and to be honest, I’m looking forward to that, but if this is going to be Whedon’s last Avengers film, then he’s going out on a high note.
Avengers Age of Ultron gets Four out of Five Hulkbusting fingers to the face!
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