Was this follow-up to Marvel’s 2012 smash hit The Avengers well worth the anticipation, or is it an overhyped waste of potential not worth seeing? Let’s find out in my critique of:
With Avengers: Infinity War having finally been released in theaters now's as good of a time as any to take a look at the last time Earth's Mightiest Heroes came together (not counting Captain America: Civil War in this case) on the big screen! Back in 2015, when I finally saw Avengers: Age of Ultron after months of waiting, I came out of the theater especially entertained, as this movie, like its predecessor, is filled with captivating action sequences, excellent performances from the incredibly talented cast, and smart comedy that is impeccably woven into this already enthralling superhero extravaganza. With all that said, let’s dive deeper into what makes Avengers: Age of Ultron undeniably worth popping into your DVD or Blu-Ray player!
Story/Writing: Avengers: Age of Ultron takes place after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. After securing Loki’s scepter during a raid on an eastern Europe HYDRA base, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, (Robert Downey Jr.) creates the self-learning artificial intelligence Ultron (James Spader). The idea behind Ultron is that he’ll lead Stark’s Iron Legion in ensuring worldwide peace by quelling various threats across the globe, so the Avengers don’t have to risk their lives in mission after mission. However, upon downloading info on every known war brutality in human history, Ultron concludes that humanity itself is responsible for the world’s problems, so he decides that, in order to bring peace to the world, humanity must be eradicated! This new threat leads the Avengers to have to once more join forces to stop Ultron from carrying out his terrible plans for humanity, but not without internal struggles in each member of the team. Can the Avengers successfully work together to stop Ultron and save Earth from a mass extinction, or will the genocidal artificial intelligence succeed in achieving his delusional interpretation of “saving the world”? While this plot sounds like merely a rehash of the first Avengers’ story, there are several new elements that make this storyline work for this film. For example, when the movie starts, it’s somewhat clear that the Avengers have been on many missions together, and have thus grown in their comradery, as witnessed during the team’s opening raid on HYDRA leader Baron von Strucker’s (Thomas Kretschmann) European base. With this having been established, the creation of Ultron, along with disturbing (at least for the Avengers) hallucinations courtesy of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) tests the superhero team’s unity, which works rather well for this film’s plot. In addition, new characters such as Quicksilver (Aaron-Taylor Johnson), Scarlet Witch, the Vision (Paul Bettany) and Ultron himself add a lot to the further world-building of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU for short) that Age of Ultron is trying to accomplish. Lastly, the inclusion of Ultron as the film’s main antagonist was a very wise choice on director Joss Whedon’s part, as the rogue A.I. (short for artificial intelligence) raised the stakes for the Avengers in terms of the former’s scheme. While Loki (the first Avengers movie’s villain) simply wanted to conquer the world with his alien army, Ultron wants to exterminate all of humanity to bring “peace” to the world, making the latter that much larger of a threat for our heroes. However, the plot configuration of this marvel of 2015 (pun intended) isn’t without its flaws. For example, the Maximoff twins (Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch) could’ve had a lot more screen time devoted to their character growth to make them more engaging as characters, but, on a positive note, I should be grateful that viewers were shown why the Maximoffs initially join Ultron as well as (SPOILERS) why they turn on the robotic maniac laterin the film (END SPOILERS). Furthermore, the subplot regarding Ultron trying to gain a new body for himself could’ve been further explained in its relevance to the villainous A.I.’s main objective, though this subplot did set the stage for one of the film’s many entertaining action sequences. Finally, the blooming romance between Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) could’ve been given more development, and (though this is my opinion) the ending of this subplot was somewhat depressing, though the reason for this conclusion is rather well-justified. On a more positive note, the screen time that is given for the growth of Bruce and Natasha’s relationship is executed competently, thanks to some decent writing and reputable acting from both Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson as the above-mentioned heroes, respectively. Despite these story-related shortcomings, Joss Whedon and the other crew members behind the general storyline of Avengers: Age of Ultron nonetheless manage to pull off a respectable job with the final narrative, crafting a much more complex plot than that of the first Avengers, while still finding ways to make the story enjoyable for longtime MCU fans!
Cast: Unlike the first Avengers, which had standout performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston, the cast of Age of Ultron gives performances that I find to be rather equal. However, that doesn’t mean that the cast does a bad job, as each actor and actress work admirably with what material they’re given for their characters. I would include more cast members, but Age of Ultron’s cast is already so large that we’d be here all day if I did, so I’m narrowing down the most notable actors from the returning cast while also covering the 4 major new characters (along with their portrayers, of course). Firstly, Robert Downey Jr. shines yet again as Tony Stark/Iron Man, as Downey once again captures the likable wittiness of the Armored Avenger while still infusing a sense of selflessness regarding trying to protect the world from malevolent threats (which, in turn, leads to Stark’s misguided attempt at ensuring world peace via the creation of Ultron). On another note, Jeremy Renner also gives a notable performance as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, since Renner skillfully balances the two sides of Hawkeye: (SPOILERS) A loving, caring, husband and father (END SPOILERS) as well as a loyal Avengers team member, despite being one of 2 Avengers (alongside Black Widow) without any actual superpowers. Renner’s portrayal of the incredibly skilled archer helps make Hawkeye’s role in Avengers: Age of Ultron a much-needed improvement over his comparatively small role in the first film. Not only are the cast members great on their own, but they also share incredible chemistry with one another. A major example of this would have to be between Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. as Steve Rogers/Captain America and Tony Stark/Iron Man, respectively. This chemistry between Downey and Evans is what allows their characters’ interactions to feel so natural, yet quite compelling, as best visualized in the middle of the movie when Stark and Rogers discuss their conflicting ideologies (a major factor in the plot of Captain America: Civil War) regarding protecting the earth in the wake of the chaos that Ultron has recently wrought among the Avengers. As for the new cast members, Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen are rather respectable in their portrayals of the super-powered siblings Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, respectively. It doesn’t hurt either that Johnson & Olsen are friends in real life, which makes their interactions on-screen seem that much more convincing, and a huge step up from their lackluster roles in 2014’s Godzilla. Finally, special props should be given to James Spader as the titular villain, Ultron. While Spader is no Heath Ledger, the star of The Blacklist TV show was a sound casting choice (at least from my perspective), which can best be shown in how almost every time Ultron was present on-screen, I was rather enthralled by the A.I.’s presence, as well as whatever lines Ultron might utter. This just goes to show how committed Spader was to his role, how talented he is as an actor, as well as how compelling Spader managed to make Ultron as both a character and an antagonist. While some viewers may complain that Ultron became evil too quickly, they should consider that the A.I., as mentioned earlier, diddownload a significant amount of data on many of the world’s most infamous war atrocities, shocking & angering the newly created artificial intelligence over the sheer barbarism of these acts. This reinforces why Ultron believes humanity is guilty of the world’s current troubles, which helps explain his desire to eradicate mankind. In addition, while viewers may criticize Ultron for being too humorous, there are two factors moviegoers should take into account when making this argument. Firstly, it’s most likely that Ultron’s mannerisms as seen in the movie derive from him trying to mock Tony Stark (Ultron’s creator) by replicating the Avenger’s behaviors. Secondly, while Ultron may indeed have moments that could remind one of Iron Man/ Tony Stark’s conduct, viewers shouldconsider that Ultron does possess a fair balance of serious and light-hearted moments, which serve to make the rogue A.I. much more unique than previous MCU villains (Malekith the Accursed, Ronan the Accuser, etc.). In general, while his performance is nothing Oscar-worthy, Spader’s role as Ultron is right up there with Tom Hiddleston as Loki in how enjoyable and yet incredibly convincing the malevolent artificial intelligence is in Age of Ultron! With the great contributions of the above-mentioned actors and actresses, bolstered by the likes of Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Paul Bettany (JARVIS/the Vision), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson/Falcon), Andy Serkis (Ulysses Klaue) Don Cheadle (James Rhodes/War Machine), and many more, Avengers: Age of Ultron is yet again proof that the filmmakers at Marvel Studios know how to assemble an incredibly talented cast!
Music: Alan Silvestri, who composed the music for the original Avengers film, was sadly unable to return to compose the score for Age of Ultron, replaced by Brian Tyler (who previously did the score for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3, and Thor: The Dark World) and renowned film composer Danny Elfman (who’d previously done the score for the first 2 Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man movies). Despite these two musicians’ efforts, the final score (apart from certain musical cues and tracks, as well as reprises of Silvestri’s music), in comparison to its predecessor’s soundtrack, is unfortunately somewhat mediocre, as many of the melodies heard throughout the soundtrack (and in effect, the movie) don’t really stand out and, in effect, don’t add as much to the film itself. If you really want to hear an at least memorable superhero movie score, I’d recommend the soundtrack of the first Avengers film or the soundtracks of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
Action/Visual effects: Like the previous MCU films, the set pieces of Age of Ultron are easily one of the best elements the movie has going for it, as this superhero outing’s action scenes are almost on par with those showcased in the first Avengers film. From the Avengers’ incredibly exciting opening raid on the HYDRA base in the fictional European country of Sokovia, to the standout Iron Man (in the Hulkbuster armor) vs. Hulk duel in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a rather engaging battle in Seoul, South Korea, this movie ups the scale (in terms of locations) in its set pieces. However, while Age of Ultron’s action is, for the most part, well-directed and well-executed, it does feel lacking in certain action sequences. For example, the Avengers’ first confrontation with Ultron and the Maximoffs felt 5-10 minutes too short, and the action didn’t feel as evenly paced as the opening battle (in regards to each character getting equal time to shine); furthermore, Iron Man’s duel with Ultron (which unfolded during this confrontation) could’ve had more screen time and also been longer, in part due to how the relationship established between these characters beforehand has the potential to make viewers want to see these two personalities go head-to-head, thus making the onscreen fight potentially underwhelming. In addition, the final battle, while very engaging and well done the way it is, feels rather short (e.g., the Ultron vs. Vision moments and the part where Thor takes on Ultron), especially in comparison to the amazingly satisfying climax of the first Avengers film. Personally, I would’ve been more satisfied if Age of Ultron’s finale was 9/10ths the length of its predecessor’s, but, on a more positive note, the final battle in this movie is quite well-paced, so viewers will likely not notice the time difference until later. Finally, in regard to the action, I do wish that Ultron were stronger in the action scenes he participates in, given how powerful the A.I. is in the comics, but at least he is able to hold his own in the set pieces he’s involved in (in that he doesn’t go down easily). Heck, in the Seoul battle (SPOILERS) Ultron almost defeats Captain America twice; first when he has the Sentinel of Liberty caught in a chokehold, with Cap only being saved by Black Widow’s timely arrival with the WWII hero’s iconic shield, and the second time being when Ultron’s beginning to overwhelm Captain America due to the crammed layout of the train they’re fighting on (with Cap this time being saved by the Maximoff twins, who change sides due to learning of Ultron’s true plans for the world) (END SPOILERS). In general, while some of the set pieces can be somewhat underwhelming, when they’re done right, they’re just as good as the first Avengers’ action sequences! When it comes to the visual effects, for the most part, they’re right up there with the first Avengers’ visuals! From the digital work on the Hulk and Ultron, to the visual realizing of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s powers, the visual effects teams at Industrial Light & Magic, Animal Logic, Double Negative, and the other visual effects studios who contributed to this movie (10 total) made a great contribution to this movie through making the effects on display look fairly real! If there’s one thing I have to criticize about the visuals (and the following is rather nitpicky in nature) I’d have to say that the Ultron Sentries that make up Ultron’s army could’ve used a little more work in terms of their lighting as well as textures, but other than that, the visuals showcased in Avengers: Age of Ultron are, for the most part, quite impressive to look at, and another triumph in visual effects for Marvel!
In general, while its shortcomings regarding it’s writing and action sequences make it inferior to the previous Avengers film, Avengers: Age of Ultron is nonetheless another great outing from Marvel Studios, with a wonderful cast that bounce off each other near perfectly, interesting characters that viewers can get invested in rather easily, and action set pieces that are incredibly entertaining to watch unfold onscreen. If you enjoyed the previous installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll most likely have a great time with this quite enjoyable superhero extravaganza! Score: 8 destroyed Ultron Sentries out of 10
