Analyzing AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON: Character-By-Character
Marvel's biggest superhero team returned with a vengeance this weekend, and most fans and critics have been fairly impressed with what they've seen. But how did the individual characters fare? Hit the jump to check out Minty's thoughts on the movie's key players...
By Minty -
May 03, 2015 10:05 AM EST
Three years on after smashing box office records and making critical waves, Marvel's premiere superhero team are back for another round of ass-kicking and name-taking - with more than a few cheeky one-liners thrown in for good measure. Much has been said about Age Of Ultron already, and while the reviews haven't been universally outstanding, most fans and critics came out pretty satisfied in the end.
As with all large ensemble pieces, there were a few misses - and a couple of show-stealers as well. But which characters stole the show and which ones got the short end of the stick? Read on and check out my thoughts on all the big players...
Iron Man
“This is the end of the path I started us on.” – Tony Stark
With such a jam-packed ensemble, the sequel could never afford to be the "Tony Stark show" its predecessor was accused of being by some. In order to phase in new characters and flesh out the older ones, something had to give. Tony's ego was still the biggest thing in the room, but the Avengers now felt like more of a team. A shining example of this was the movie's fantastic opening sequence, which showcased the group's hilarious dynamic, buoyed by Tony's light-hearted jokes and wit. Iron Man got to be the class clown, and Cap was the leader - just like it should be.
Where Iron Man was less effective was as part of the main story. Whedon's script clearly tried to pair Ultron and Stark together - as if they were two peas in a pod. In the end it diminished both characters, and Ultron's rage felt too focused on Tony (along with the Twins' too - but more on that later). And while his tension with Cap laid the foundation for a certain Civil War, Stark's conflict with all of his other teammates made him seem far less heroic than he has been in the past. But perhaps that's a good thing...
Grade: B (Good)
Captain America
“Every time someone tries to stop a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.” – Steve Rogers
Along with Hawkeye, Cap was somewhat overlooked in The Avengers, with more charismatic players like Stark and Thor stealing his spotlight. That was never the case here. Coming off the back of Phase 2's strongest solo movie, Steve Rogers was poised for a starring turn in Age Of Ultron, and while he may not have possessed the necessary screen time or 'star billing', Chris Evans knocked it out of the park. This was Cap's team - and everyone else was just along for the ride.
Evans has arguably become the unsung hero of the MCU, turning in great performance after great performance to little recognition. While the general audience fell in love with Thor's arms and Tony's ego, Steve Rogers quietly and efficiently became the real hero of the Marvel universe, and it showed in Age Of Ultron. Able to play his part in the team's gentle banter and ribbing (often at his expense) and yet still step up and lead them into battle, Cap was the perfect leader. And what about that speech in the finale? He may be a seventy year-old virgin, but the man certainly knows how to turn a phrase.
Grade: A (Outstanding)
Thor
“This could have been avoided if you hadn’t played with something you don’t understand…” – Thor
Age Of Ultron marked the God Of Thunder's first onscreen appearance without the benefit (or detriment) of his half brother's support act. For the most part, this helped him integrate with the team a lot more. Thor's arrogance and other-worldly charm helped nail a lot of the movie's funnier moments, working well alongside the equally egotistic Tony Stark and the more mild-mannered Cap. The MCU's 'Big Three' have never worked better together.
A few have called his Infinity Stone side-plot into question, but I found it gave the Norse God something else to do while the others lingered on Hawkeye's farm - and kept the plot flowing. It was a little rushed, but proved to be vital in sowing the seeds for Phase 3. My one criticism would be his heavy involvement in the Vision storyline. It felt a little tacked on, but was, again, necessary in keeping the story moving. I also would have loved to have seen a real Thor vs Ultron battle at the end. That could have been one for the ages.
Grade: B (Good)
Black Widow
“Am I always picking up after you boys?” – Natasha Romanoff
Scarlett Johansson has had a tendency to change things up with each portrayal of Natasha Romanoff. In the past she has bounced from beguiling femme fatale (Iron Man 2), to a more vulnerable assassin with plenty of regrets (The Avengers) - before finally nailing it as a total badass last year (The Winter Soldier). This inconsistency has helped to reinforce the unpredictability of Widow's character in the minds of the audience, but it has also made some of her actions feel out of character - especially in the case of Age Of Ultron.
In The Winter Solider, Johansson's Black Widow was cold, confident and deadly, proving that she could not only hold her own next to a hero like Cap, but also steal the show from him too. She only showed flashes of that Widow here, and was, instead, largely constrained to a heavy-handed romantic sub-plot. I'm a sucker for a good love story, but Banner/Natasha represented the weakest part of this film, and (more unforgivably) marginalised the franchise's best heroine with a clichéd 'love interest' role. She was on top form in the highway chase though.
Grade: C+ (Okay)
The Hulk
“I can’t have this, any of this. There is no place on Earth I can go where I’m not a monster.” – Bruce Banner
We got Hulk vs Hulkbuster! That was what we all paid to see. The actual depiction of the fight may have bothered a few though, with Stark appearing to overpower the rage-induced Green Goliath. As with the one-on-ones in The Avengers, Whedon appeared to leave the conclusion up for debate. Who knows? Would Stark have held out had Banner stayed mad for just a few more minutes? My guess is no - but the beauty of Whedon's approach is you get to choose. As always, Hulk brought the fury in the fight scenes. It was his alter-ego that had a more troublesome time...
Mark Ruffalo is intensely likeable as Bruce Banner - and that never stopped here. Whether's he's overwhelmed with guilt or flirting with Natasha Tony, he always retains that lovable dorkiness that made him such a hit in The Avengers. Where Banner suffers is not in his portrayal but in his storyline. Like Widow, he suffers from a poorly-handled romance, which could have been great (with better set-up). His decision to simply disappear to Fiji was slightly anti-climatic. After all, there's a whole Galaxy out there to hide in...
Grade: C+ (Okay)
Hawkeye
“If you step out that door, you’re an Avenger.” – Clint Barton
Hawkeye sucks! Not anymore. Jeremy Renner absolutely killed it this time out! Who could have imagined what a little less mind-control and a little more screen-time could do for a character? Talk of Clint Barton getting a meatier role this time around proved to be 100% true, as Hawkeye stole the spotlight from his more powerful (and useful) teammates. Whether it was via his sharp, self-referential humour, or his unparalleled courage, it was almost impossible not to be entertained by Barton.
The game-changer was obviously the family reveal. Like Coulson's death in The Avengers, Clint's 'safe house' was Joss Whedon's biggest masterstroke in the sequel. It not only added a welcome change of pace to an otherwise very frenetic film, but it also gave the audience a real reason to care for Hawkeye. Throw in his teammates' surprise and awkward adjustment to their new surroundings, along with Nat's heart-warming friendship with Barton's children, and it's clear that Hawkeye represented the heart and soul of this film. And that was truly wonderful to see.
Grade: A- (Excellent)
Quicksilver
“You didn’t see that coming…” – Pietro Maximoff
I guess we did see that coming. At times, Quicksilver never felt like anything more than a throwaway character - and that's not really anyone's fault. Despite Whedon's best intentions, the villain-turned-hero just didn't receive enough screen time for his death to resonate with viewers. Don't get me wrong, when he was onscreen he was very impressive, and his super speed made for some great visuals. There just wasn't enough of him to begin with. I have to admit, I did still feel a small gut-punch after his final words to Hawkeye. My friends didn't. They called me a wuss.
Grade: B- (Solid)
Scarlet Witch
“Ultron can’t see the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that from?” – Wanda Maximoff
Like her brother, Wanda's powers were translated to the screen very well. This was an even greater achievement given the initial ambiguity about Scarlet Witch's abilities in the first place. Probability manipulation? Good luck with that! The mind control element was overused but necessary for the story, while her motivation for hating Stark (and turning on Ultron) felt a little cliché. Wanda stepped up in the final fight though, teaming up with Hawkeye particularly well - and promising some exciting things for the future too.
Grade: B- (Solid)
Ultron
“Everyone creates the thing they dread.” – Ultron
Is it possible to love a performance but still feel a little underwhelmed by a character? If so, that's how I feel about James Spader's Ultron. In terms of sheer gravitas, Spader absolutely nailed it, with his hypnotic voice and insatiable monologues - I personally could not have asked for any more. No scene highlighted this more than his conversation with the Twins in the church - he was cold, calculating, and yet almost regal in conveying his hatred for The Avengers. He was everything that first teaser trailer promised he would be.
Where Ultron started to slip was through his link to Tony Stark - and his tendency to then channel his maker in some of his dialogue. While the arrogance and sarcasm helped endear him to the audience, his propensity to crack a joke or get over-emotional felt a little over-the-top. I've always been a fan of the light-hearted tone of Marvel's movies, but it can at times undermine certain characters - particularly their villains. It would have also been exciting to see him take out one of the Avengers himself - delivering the killer blow for dramatic effect.
Grade: B- (Solid)
Vision
“Human beings are fearful and in need of protection. But then, that fear can inspire them to do great things.” – Vision
Whedon's Ace-In-The-Hole may have taken his time to arrive onscreen, but when he did he was magnificent. From the moment he emerged from the capsule, it was clear he offered something very different to the 'crash-and-bang' approach of his fellow teammates. He was graceful, thoughtful - almost beautiful in his appearance. The team-up with Thor seemed odd at first, but it ultimately yielded great results, while his final conversation with Ultron was one of the best scenes of the entire movie. And how great was it to see Paul Bettany onscreen for the first time in the MCU? Fantastic actor.
Grade: B+ (Great)
Well, there you have it: my take on the big players in the MCU's latest smash-hit. I'd add that, while I may have appeared to give this lot a hard time, I actually thoroughly enjoyed the movie - and count it as another hit in a long line of successes for Marvel Studios. Here's hoping that Phase 3 will continue to deliver - starting with the much-anctipated Civil War in only a year's time!
As always, these are just my opinions. I'd love to hear what you had to say about the film. Who was your favourite character? Did any disappoint you? Hit the big red thumb below if you enjoyed the read, and let me know your thoughts below!
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