With the recent release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, everyone seems to be flocking to silver screens around the nation to catch this two-and-a-half hour roller-coaster of an action movie. But is it worth your hard earned time and money invested for the trip to the theater?
Age of Ultron comes as another capstone piece to the now 7-year-old Marvel cinematic empire. It brings together several different movie series into one culminating onslaught of action, wit, special effects, and superheroes.
Joss Whedon returns as director to deliver, and I am shocked to say this, a sequel just as good, if not better, as it’s original. Once again, Whedon seems to have found the perfect concoction of his talents to mix great comedy and a little depth with the action, effects, and explosions tantamount to a summer action blockbuster.
If you’ve seen the first Avengers movie, then you already expect to laugh quite often in this new installment, and it does not disappoint. From small chuckles and subtle moments the comedic points take you to where you cannot understand what is being said next due to the whole theater erupting into a roaring laughter. Which may get slightly annoying, but never actually takes anything away from the movie.
One of the main complaints most movie-goers will have is also my biggest downfall in the movie. Just like the first Avengers, you can feel a little strained as the movie attempts to highlight and showcase 6 “star roles” with Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, the Hulk, and the Black Widow. There are also numerous other heroes and villains that require just as much attention to character development such as Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Ultron, and the Vision.
This also pushes the movie to become a little disjointed at times. Hiccups in story and points where a certain character is all but forgotten for a little time causes a kind of stress on the narrative.
Even a two-and-a-half hour movie does not seem to have enough time for all of these great personalities to fit. Yet, somehow, Whedon does somewhat succeed in delivering great defining moments to each of these characters which delve deep into their personality and tell you something meaningful. There just isn’t enough time to properly explore all these moments. The good news is that rumors speculate this is already being addressed somewhat as the next Avengers movie will most likely be split into two full length films.
The movie does still manage a deeper meaning that viewers can sink their teeth into as Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Steve Rogers (Captain America) provide a very thick tension through an underlying social commentary on conflict.
Captain America embodies a sense of social openness, an ideal of transparency where everyone knows what going on and decisions are group made.
Iron Man characterizes a sense of realism and bleakness as he realizes group decisions require time and debate. He sees the need to act quickly before his enemies can gather power.
Another character moment comes through Natasha Romanov (Black Widow). Many may say this movie weakens the Widow as she gets involved with a romantic story and reveals a major shortcoming to her femininity, but I disagree.
I applaud Director Whedon for facing a real issue to women today and portraying just how strong a woman can be through all her pain as she faces down the Hulk himself. It truly becomes a testament to the idea of “strength within vulnerability.”
The Avengers: Age of Ultron still delivers fast action and all the thrills of a summer blockbuster packaged with a splash of comedy and intensity from the supporting genres that Director Whedon has so expertly hybridized. Stunning special effects bring the already superb performance by James Spader as Ultron to a true highlight of the story. From maniacal rhetoric to the angry screams of disapproval with his creator, the teamwork of Spader and the effects team have made, already, one of my favorite villains in movies without ever putting the actor’s face on screen.
Through the hiccups and complaints, I still give Age of Ultron 5 stars. Which is not to say it’s perfectly flawless, but rather that it is a spectacular movie, far more than worth the price of admission. More importantly, it is a movie definitely worth getting out of the house now to watch it on the big screen, instead of renting or buying it later, to watch in your living room.
Rest assured, however, this movie will definitely finds its way into my collection the very day it releases on Blu-Ray.