My second viewing of Avengers: Age of Ultron took place last Sunday. After the tumultuous Thursday (described in detail in Episode I), I needed to toss out the remnants of bad experience, and go in with as much of a fresh mind as I could muster. In my case, that's best achieved with a Coke in hand and family/friends next to me. No 3D probably helped.
After recovering Loki's scepter from the HYDRA research base in Sokovia, the Avengers - Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) return to their New York headquarters to celebrate. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner determine they can fuse the scepter's power with Stark's security program, Jarvis, to create a global peacekeeping project called Ultron, an AI that could mobilize and command Stark's army of robotic suits in the event of another alien attack. When Ultron (James Spader) is activated, he decides (in typical sci-fi fashion) that humanity is the problem and needs to be eliminated; it's now up to the Avengers to take Ultron down and save the world.
My feelings here are complicated, in the same way after I saw Iron Man 3. I felt the hype, rushed to the theater opening weekend (in a top hat and suit, I might add), and enjoyed the experience; but on the drive home, I found myself addressing inconsistencies and flaws. Once the hype died down, I could step back and realize that the movie didn't work as well. But while I utterly dislike Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron is fun!
There are gems here, some which are executed even better than in the original. We get to explore characterization for lesser-focused characters, such as Black Widow and Hawkeye. Hawkeye actually becomes the runaway performance here; from a stoic crony-turned-friend in the last film, the character's come into his own, as a sarcastic every-man who, with talk of aliens, gauntlets, and robots, is in over his head, but dutifully continues to fight for the greater good, no matter the odds. Renner gives the character showmanship, but balances this with an earnest folksiness that's endearing.
Look at this gif. Let it sink into your mind. The child in me roared with joy. I've been waiting to see Iron Man's Hulkbuster for years, and the bout (as opposed to last Saturday) didn't disappoint. The stakes are high, with each hero dishing as many hits as he takes. Infrastructure is crushed, buildings are wrecked, and Tony's one-liners, juxtaposed against such visceral imagery work their magic here. There's a playfulness to this fight and the action in general that elevates it past the usual apocalypse porn. The fight is a consequence of the story, rather than bloodlust.
Speaking of bloodlust, let's talk about Man of Steel. One of that film's greater faults was the wanton destruction of Metropolis, where Superman's defense ended up in obliteration and the death of millions. I'm sad to call it refreshing whenever Age of Ultron places an importance not only on defeating Ultron, but the manner in which the Avengers do it. Captain America makes it clear: the Avengers defend and protect. He refuses to accept any civilian casualty, and as the leader, holds the rest of the group to this higher standard. This isn't always the most tactical decision, sure; but if heroes are to portray humanity's courage and nobility, should we not expect anything less?
So where does Age of Ultron falter? Sloppy writing. Plot points are brought up, but never fully explained; characterizations are either underwritten (Black Widow), grossly ill-developed (Tony Stark), or confusing in tone (Ultron); information is stuffed in to further the universe's overarching story, regardless of whether it's paced well. Throughout the movie, I get an overwhelmed feeling, as if writer/director Joss Whedon was butting heads with Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige as to what needs to be placed in the movie and how much time each element should receive.
The first Avengers was the payoff to a sprawling cinematic project. In the years preceding Iron Man, where the third installments of the X-Men and Spider-Man series were criticized as bloated messes, the idea of a cinematic universe that could tie together a plethora of characters from different films was insane, impossible to pull off with different writers, directors, and studio executives all influencing the creative process. However, as the MCU grew, offering nuggets of information through post-credits scenes and many Phil Coulson/Nick Fury cameos, the idea became less and less far-fetched until finally, at the end of Captain America, we got a teaser trailer for the first Avengers.
The rest is history: the movie became, domestically, the third highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusting for inflation), lauded by critics and audiences, and the only film at the time that seemingly could contend with The Dark Knight for best comic book movie (I personally put my money on Avengers, but that discussion can take place on another post). The biggest risks earn the biggest rewards, so it only makes sense that Marvel Studios' experiment paid off, and paid off handsomely.
So what does this history mean for Age of Ultron? Simply put, the hype is its Achilles heel. People were expecting lightning to strike twice, but Avengers and Age of Ultron serve two different purposes. Where the first film proved the MCU was functional, the sequel acts as a bridge, trying to tie up loose ends of the MCU's second phase and tease Phase 3 elements (the likes of which include Black Panther, Captain America 3, and of course, Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1 and 2. Does this leave Age of Ultron a less focused, less satisfying movie than Avengers? Yes. However, does it fail to entertain? Hardly. I'd say go see it, but you probably already have.
Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.
After recovering Loki's scepter from the HYDRA research base in Sokovia, the Avengers - Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) return to their New York headquarters to celebrate. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner determine they can fuse the scepter's power with Stark's security program, Jarvis, to create a global peacekeeping project called Ultron, an AI that could mobilize and command Stark's army of robotic suits in the event of another alien attack. When Ultron (James Spader) is activated, he decides (in typical sci-fi fashion) that humanity is the problem and needs to be eliminated; it's now up to the Avengers to take Ultron down and save the world.My feelings here are complicated, in the same way after I saw Iron Man 3. I felt the hype, rushed to the theater opening weekend (in a top hat and suit, I might add), and enjoyed the experience; but on the drive home, I found myself addressing inconsistencies and flaws. Once the hype died down, I could step back and realize that the movie didn't work as well. But while I utterly dislike Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron is fun!
There are gems here, some which are executed even better than in the original. We get to explore characterization for lesser-focused characters, such as Black Widow and Hawkeye. Hawkeye actually becomes the runaway performance here; from a stoic crony-turned-friend in the last film, the character's come into his own, as a sarcastic every-man who, with talk of aliens, gauntlets, and robots, is in over his head, but dutifully continues to fight for the greater good, no matter the odds. Renner gives the character showmanship, but balances this with an earnest folksiness that's endearing.
Speaking of bloodlust, let's talk about Man of Steel. One of that film's greater faults was the wanton destruction of Metropolis, where Superman's defense ended up in obliteration and the death of millions. I'm sad to call it refreshing whenever Age of Ultron places an importance not only on defeating Ultron, but the manner in which the Avengers do it. Captain America makes it clear: the Avengers defend and protect. He refuses to accept any civilian casualty, and as the leader, holds the rest of the group to this higher standard. This isn't always the most tactical decision, sure; but if heroes are to portray humanity's courage and nobility, should we not expect anything less?
So where does Age of Ultron falter? Sloppy writing. Plot points are brought up, but never fully explained; characterizations are either underwritten (Black Widow), grossly ill-developed (Tony Stark), or confusing in tone (Ultron); information is stuffed in to further the universe's overarching story, regardless of whether it's paced well. Throughout the movie, I get an overwhelmed feeling, as if writer/director Joss Whedon was butting heads with Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige as to what needs to be placed in the movie and how much time each element should receive.
The first Avengers was the payoff to a sprawling cinematic project. In the years preceding Iron Man, where the third installments of the X-Men and Spider-Man series were criticized as bloated messes, the idea of a cinematic universe that could tie together a plethora of characters from different films was insane, impossible to pull off with different writers, directors, and studio executives all influencing the creative process. However, as the MCU grew, offering nuggets of information through post-credits scenes and many Phil Coulson/Nick Fury cameos, the idea became less and less far-fetched until finally, at the end of Captain America, we got a teaser trailer for the first Avengers.
The rest is history: the movie became, domestically, the third highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusting for inflation), lauded by critics and audiences, and the only film at the time that seemingly could contend with The Dark Knight for best comic book movie (I personally put my money on Avengers, but that discussion can take place on another post). The biggest risks earn the biggest rewards, so it only makes sense that Marvel Studios' experiment paid off, and paid off handsomely.
Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.
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