Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

        We’re near the end of Phase 2. It started off rocky, but it settled with the success of Cap’s second adventure and the guardians patrolling the galaxy. It’s obvious to have the Avengers team up once more to conclude the phase, albeit not being the last one. This one was going to be different since it was going to involve new characters and a new threat. Going into it, I was hyped of course. This one is regarded as the weakest entry, but throughout the years it’s been garnering a second opinion. 

1. Tony’s Nightmare

        Immediately picking up from The Winter Soldier, we see that the Avengers are attacking a Hydra fortress in Sokovia. In it, is where the scepter that Loki was wielding in the first film. From there, the moment when we see that one shot of the individual members take on the soldiers and then have them bunch together is just iconic. This one is more banter heavy since they have now grown as a team. One thing that must be stressed is the chemistry to sell the believability.

        Yes, the movie is loaded with quips that can be annoying to some, but I think it just sells the dynamic that these characters have. Inevitably, we see that new “enhanced” characters come in to slow down the team. Before I go further, I must bring up the inclusion of the twins, Pietro and Wanda. This was the rare moment where one of them was featured in two different movies. One for an X-Men film and in this movie since it had to feature them since they were future members of the team in the comics. 

        More so that it was at this point where the franchise had people who had “gifts” instead of building a suit, subject to experimentation or a God. Of course, they couldn’t use the term Mutant since 20th Century Fox were making the X-Men films back then. To me, I think it was the first instance of Marvel Studios trying to skirt the rules by having some of their heroes show up without stating that they were a mutant. There was even supposed to be an Inhuman movie, but that was canned and relegated to a tv miniseries. Which was really bad and made terrible use of the IMAX cameras it purportedly used. 

        With that, Tony finds the Hydra armament including the scepter. He gets mind controlled by Wanda, showing him a vision where the Avengers are dead, and another invasion takes place. This prompts Stark to upgrade his Iron Legion with a new A.I. that just so happens to be in the Scepter’s infinity stone. From there, we see Tony and Bruce create the new A.I. and it predictably goes wrong. 

        So that’s one plot thread, to me the movie was way too loaded with storylines and the inevitable world building. To me, what didn’t work was that there wasn’t a simple buildup of the threat. With what made the first Avengers work was that everything was slowly planted so that it could all pay off with the team up. With this one, there were loose ends where the plot details wouldn’t come up until the mid-credit’s scene. What would have worked was to simply put in the seeds for the rise of Ultron. 

        I might as well talk about him since he’s in the subtitle of the film. As I mentioned before, he was created as an A.I. replacement for Jarvis. So much so that he attacks the first A.I. and constructs his own body and hijacks the Iron Legion to attack the Avengers. His face when he gets upgraded takes a while to get used to. One thing that is very noticeable is that Ultron copies his mannerisms like Stark. So much so, that he makes jokes in a particular situation but is cold in his overall demeaner. 

        It contrasts the trailers that were released, he was supposed to be threatening to the extent that he was a seemingly formidable foe for the team. And since the twins were in cahoots with him, it would be an even more daunting task to stop him. With how he’s presented, yes he’s an intimidating threat, but it’s the Stark-ness of his personality that robs him of being a legit threat. And it can be frustrating since he’s cold in some areas but just having the quips makes him comedic when he does something horrific. 

        I think the biggest problem aside from the villain was that the film is slightly unfocused with what it’s trying to go for. For one thing, since this is a sequel, it’s supposed to be dark. Not in a depressing Batman way, but one where the team is left in a bad place. Albeit there’s hope that everything will be fixed. I did not see that here, for one thing we do see where the heroes lose badly against Ultron and the twins by having almost the whole team being brainwashed with visions of their past and futures.

        And in the ensuing scene where the team lays low in Hawkeye’s barn. To me, that scene saves the film since it’s the one moment where the film can breathe, and the characters can express their frustration. None other than Steve and Tony, arguing about how Tony can create something that can end the team. It’s a continuation between the two where they just can’t see eye to eye and they more or less put up with each other. Inevitably, it all boils over in the next phase.

        Lastly, aside from the twins introduction, i'd say that I love the moments when we get to see the Vision. Vision was supposed to be Ultron's new body until the Avengers stole and tried to destroyed it. When it wakes up with Jarvis' A.I., it's sentient and proceeds to be the calmest of all of them. Paul Bettany captures Vision by being the wisest one to ground the team without acting hasty. He has the best moments, especially in the last moment when he's talking to an Ultron drone. 

2. Complicated Legacy

        With the complaints that I mentioned, one would think that this movie is the worst thing I’ve seen from Marvel. The truth is I’m sort of conflicted with the film. In one level, I think it was good entry while stating that it’s not as good as the first one. Due in part that it didn’t have a good build up but having it be necessary than natural team up. So that’s one angle that I have with the film. 

        Perusing the internet, I was surprised at how many people liked the film years after the fact. And for one thing they do have a point where in hindsight that it was an effective film where it laid down everything going into the 3rd phase of the MCU. Such as having Wanda be the catalyst of the splintering of the team and Banner leaving the team via their Quinjet as the Hulk. Those would get expanded on in the future films. 

        In some ways yes, I’ll attest that it has aged well since it practically contributed to phase 3’s story elements that would all converge in the inevitable films. I think that the film is indicative of just being sandwiched between three great Avengers films. Ones where it changed comic book films and the pop culture landscape. This one didn’t since it didn’t have the same appeal but be a middle chapter where it teased the real threat. More than anything this film is just okay with what it wanted to accomplish. 

        One more thing, this is would be the last Avengers film that Joss Whedon would helm. It was revealed that he had a difficult time shooting the film. Due to it being more larger scope wise and having to juggle with an even bigger roster, he felt the heat to deliver a good product. Years would pass where it was revealed that he would be accused of having a toxic work environment. It’s apparent in the studio cut of 2017’s Justice League, which I talked about if you want to know more about that. 

3. Overall

        Avengers: Age of Ultron is the weakest of the Avengers with good reason. It does boast the groundwork for the next phase, but it’s hold back from not being as good as the first one.