Avengers: Age of Ultron - A MARVEL of a Movie!

Avengers: Age of Ultron movie review

I started to become a fan of the superhero film genre ever since I watched The Incredible Hulk on the big screen, which persuaded me to go see later superhero movies at the cinema. At first, I thought that those kind of movies were just a form of mindless escapism, but then I realized that they were more than that. They're exploring the superheroes' backgrounds through dramatic storytelling and action-packed sequences, and that is what I like the most about Marvel movies. So now, I would be giving out about my thoughts on 'Age of Ultron'.

To begin, I was simply astonishined of how the sequel managed to recapture the magic and excitement when Earth's Mightiest Heroes were assembled onscreen for the first time, especially when they appeared in each others' films in the last couple of years. Still, as far as sequels go, -- not traditionally Marvel Studios' strongest entries until Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- Avengers: Age of Ultron is a solid and entertaining followup.

It's ironic because Disney bought Marvel! (if you know what I mean)

It's a small miracle that Age of Ultron doesn't collapse under its own weight.  But ultimately the film's laden with numerous moving parts, some of which call attention to its story mechanics and forced elements.

While 'Age of Ultron' is often comedic with Ultron having his fair share of laughs, the story has an ominous core. This stems from what Scarlet Witch shows most of the superheroes: ''visions'' which simultaneously travel back to the heroes' backstories, from Black Widow's Salt-like past and Captain America's further establishment as a man out of time, while also foreshadowing events for Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase 3 films. These revelations begin to show the cracks within the ranks of the team, but it's ultimately the actions of Stark that causes most of the bad blood between team members.
 

My reaction to the Bruce/Natasha romantic subplot

Yes, Natasha now has an interest for Banner, a romance which seems to come completely out of the blue given the aloof nature of her character and her past closeness to both Cap and Hawkeye. We're supposed to believe that they each see themselves as cold-blood assassins so that's the basis for their bond, but the whole star-crossed lovers angle just feels forced.

The widening gap between Cap and Stark seems to set up the main element for Captain America: Civil War and we also get a sense of which Avengers will be on which side of that looming battle.

An epic brofist...of SCIENCE!

The Avenger's new additions, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and the Vision, all get their moments to shine in the spotlight. Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver is definitely a secondary character, but his and his sister Wanda's past drives their evolution from antagonists to Avengers. Olsen makes the most of what she can with Scarlet Witch, a role that doesn't really allow her to show much range until the homestretch.

OK, enough about our heroes. What about the titular villain?  As portrayed by Spader, Ultron is as brilliant as his egotistical co-inventor Stark. He's more a doppleganger to Tony -- one wants to destroy humanity, the other wants to save it -- than the Pinocchio to his Geppetto despite what the film's use of that classic Disney song would have you think. Spader's Ultron owns the screen whenever he's on it. Loki may be the most charismatic MCU villain and the Winter Soldier the most physically intimidating, but Ultron offers a perfect cocktail of the former's charm and the latter's aggression.

Ultimately, Avengers: Age of Ultron can't recapture the charm and majesty of seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled for the first time. That said, it's still a lot of fun and offers plenty of great action and character moments. Although the movie wasn't as thrilling as the first installment, I would still rate this movie an 8/10!

I literally cheered when I saw this!