2015 | Dir. Joss Whedon | 142 Minutes
"Every time someone tries to win a war before it
starts, innocent people die. Every time."
The Avengers successfully retrieve Loki's Scepter from Hydra
but Tony Stark is psychically coerced into using the power hidden within it to
complete Ultron, a sentient computer program designed to protect the Earth from
alien threats. Ruthless and unstable, Ultron decides the only way to
protect the Earth is to create an extinction-level event to destroy the Avengers
and rebuild humankind in his own image. With assistance from Pietro and Wanda
Maximoff, siblings who had lost their parents to Stark weapons, Ultron sows
seeds of discord among the Avengers.
A thoroughly humorous and action-packed ride, director Joss
Whedon once again delivers an authentic comic book event film to the silver screen
with all of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in that style of storytelling. Thrilling as it is for fans of the genre,
Avengers: Age of Ultron is in many ways less satisfying than the first Avengers film, introducing several new story threads only marginally related to the main plot that are
left unresolved by the time the end credits roll. The running time is
slightly shorter than its predecessor but the narrative is much busier. It
seems Marvel Studios has no interest in seamlessly weaving these elements into
the picture to set up their next slate of films, despite potentially alienating
the uninitiated.
Significantly upping the ante, the sprawling action
sequences are ripped straight from the pages of the Marvel Comics that inspired
this film. The picture opens with the team raiding an enemy base, featuring
an digitally augmented extended tracking shot zipping from hero to hero as they
demonstrate their respective talents taking down their enemies, leading to a
slow-motion splash-page-style frame. Leading up to the film's midpoint, a
psychically-manipulated Hulk rampaging through the streets of Johannesburg
throws down with Iron Man equipped with "Veronica," a towering suit
of armor that Stark and Banner designed as a contingency for such a situation.
Another highlight is a kinetic battle in Seoul between Captain America and
Ultron that quickly becomes a test of the heroism and the ultimate turning point and for
Ultron's vengeful erstwhile allies Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. The final act of
the film takes place in the fictional Eastern European country of Sokovia,
where the Avengers and their new allies mount a rescue mission to lead the
civilian population to safety while they battle Ultron and his massive
self-replicated army as he enacts his diabolical plan.
Whedon's greatest strength is in his ability to humanize
mythic characters using quieter moments, and while those are few and far
in-between in this picture, several characters that were underdeveloped in
previous films finally get their due. Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton is fully
fleshed-out, incredibly likable and relatable as the comical voice of
incredulous reason playing one of the two non-super-powered Avengers in the
film. Adding extra depth to his character, Barton is revealed to be a family
man when the Avengers seek refuge at his off-the-grid home and meet his wife
played by Linda Cardellini in a affably natural performance. To further develop
Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff, the filmmakers work in a touching romantic
subplot between the two damaged souls, allowing Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett
Johansson to inject a bit of pathos into their performances. Much of the film
is driven by the irresponsible actions of Tony Stark when his personal demons
resurface as a result of Wanda Maximoff's physic tampering, continuing and escalating
a character flaw explored in Iron Man 3, and Robert Downey Jr. continues to
excel in projecting Stark's obsession with protecting his world by any means
possible through ill-advised technological experimentation with unpredictable
results. Chris Evans' Steve Rogers runs perfect counterpoint to Stark, once
again playing the unambiguous inspirational moral center of the team, his
resolve so prominent that his aversion to foul language provides an amusing
running gag. Thor is undoubtedly the least complex lead character in this film
but Chris Hemsworth visibly has a lot of fun with the material, from an cute
bit between him and Stark comparing the accomplishments of their respective
girlfriends to the film's best recurring joke centered around what makes a
person worthy to wield his hammer Mjolnir, although he provides enough gravitas
to a side plot providing exposition for the Infinity Stones.
Supporting cast returning from previous Marvel Studios films
are also allotted various brief moments to shine. Don Cheadle sees a decent
amount of action as Rhodey, battling as War Machine with a selection of great
lines. Cobie Smulders returns as Maria Hill, perfectly fitting in with the
Avengers, now working for Stark. Hill's real boss Nick Fury is once again portrayed
by Samuel L. Jackson in a small but essential part of the film. Anthony Mackie
turns in a brief cameo as Sam Wilson, providing an update for where his
character has been since the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Stellan Skarsgård
appears as Erik Selvig in a similar limited role while Hayley Atwell and Idris
Elba appear in hallucinations as Peggy Carter and Heimdall respectively. Thomas
Kretschmann gets the short end of the stick, appearing briefly once again as
Hydra villain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker only to be murdered off screen.
The already large ensemble is joined by several exciting
additions. James Spader brings an eerie irrational humanity to Ultron, spouting
some of the best quips of the picture while playing up his distaste for his
creator and executing an convoluted evil plot straight out of an old-fashioned James Bond films. Elizabeth Olsen is perfectly cast as the psychic witch Wanda
Maximoff, menacing and slightly mischievous but with an undeniable
vulnerability. Wanda's arrogant speedster brother Pietro is played by Aaron
Taylor-Johnson with gusto, blending deep-seated anger and comical sarcasm. Paul
Bettany, whose role as Stark's computer system JARVIS receives a significant
promotion when JARVIS becomes the super-powerful android called the Vision,
delivers a mesmerizing and authoritative performance with a layer of innocence.
Claudia Kim is great in a small supporting part as geneticist Helen Cho.
Veteran motion-capture and character actor Andy Serkis appears very briefly in
a memorable scene as criminal arms dealer Ulysses Klaue. Acclaimed
French-American actress Julie Delpy turns makes a cameo appearance as Natasha
Romanoff's black ops spy instructor in a hallucination.
When placed in the unenviable position of having to craft an
equal or better follow up to The Avengers, Whedon succeeds in many ways despite
a few inevitable shortcomings. Avengers: Age of Ultron is a film intended for
the die-hard fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it is practically for
them only. For the casual viewer or the average film buff, the picture is a
jumbled convoluted mash of seemingly incomprehensible references to prior
events, confusing sci-fi fantasy jargon, and over-the-top action. Meanwhile,
the true believers delight in recognizing the continuing plot threads of
Marvel Studios' shared universe, savoring every moment spent with their
favorite costumed champions, and openly welcoming the new additions to the
growing roster of Earth's mightiest heroes.
MID-CREDITS STINGER
Thanos equips a golden gauntlet, vowing to collect the
Infinity Stones himself, implying that others in his employ have failed
him.
STAN LEE CAMEO
Stan the Man plays a World War II vet at the Avengers Tower
party who scoffs at Thor's Asgardian liquor only to completely succumb to it.
FRAGMENTS
- Bryan Tyler and Danny Elfman's musical score makes heavy
use of the Avengers and Captain America motifs written by Alan Silvestri heard
in the first Avengers film, as well as Tyler's themes from Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World
- Thor's subplot involving the Infinity Stones reveals that
he is aware of the four that have been seen in the MCU films up to this point,
and that the yellow stone under the Vision's protection is the Mind Stone
- Irish actress Kerry Condon, who played Octavia of the Julii on HBO's Rome
and Mike Ehrmantraut's daughter-in-law Stacey on Better
Call Saul, provides the voice of Stark's new operating system FRIDAY
- Aaron Himelstein returns as the communication officer on
board Nick Fury's helicarrier, last seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
threatened at gunpoint by Brock Rumlow to launch the Project Insight
helicarriers
