Creating a sequel to a blockbuster as beloved and successful as The Avengers is a mighty undertaking. One of the reasons the film was such a hit was because of the novelty of seeing these characters brought together for the first time ever on the big screen; something that was long thought to be impossible. But now that audiences have seen the Avengers assemble, the sequel would have to shake things up. Age of Ultron feels like writer/director Joss Whedon is constantly trying to outdo himself. For the most part, he is succeeds. The film is more ambitious, emotional, funnier, and darker than its predecessor. However, it’s also less coherent and streamlined. In trying to juggle so many characters and subplots, the film loses that magic of simplicity that made the first film so appealing. Despite those misgivings, the film manages to still be a fun and engaging superhero epic that serves to kick off the summer movie season and as Whedon’s send-off from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After a successful mission in which the Avengers raid a HYRDA base and take an important item, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) finally crack the code into creating artificial intelligence in the form of the ‘Ultron’ program, which they intend to use to help keep the peace and lighten the burden of the team. Instead, Ultron (James Spader) gains sentience and sets out to eliminate the Avengers and all of mankind. To do this, he enlists of the help of Pietro (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to achieve his goal, which threatens to not just kill the Avengers, but tear them apart from inside.
If The Avengers was about assembly, Avengers: Age of Ultron is about disassembly. The former played on their conflicting personalities while the latter plays on their fears and insecurities. Though Ultron may be the main antagonist of the picture, it’s our heroes who have themselves to fear. How can these people save the world when they can’t even save themselves? The internal struggle of these characters is trying to overcome their mistakes and pain. That is what raises the stakes in this film. The entire world is jeopardy, but it’s also a battle for the Avengers to save their souls.
The film is loaded with terrific action sequences. The Hulk vs Hulkbuster scene is everything you hoped it would be and more. Though there is a lot to take in from the set pieces, they never feel exhausting or overwhelming, despite it being clear Whedon is always trying to top what he accomplish in the first film. Though admittedly, it’s hard to feel sense of danger when you know these characters are going to be back for their individual movies including more Avengers sequels. As usual, each character gets their shining moment. The principal cast has grown into these roles to the point where they could pull them off in their sleep. A most notable improvement is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who after being relegated to Loki’s henchman for most of the first film, gets an integral and dynamic role among the team. Not to mention that he gets some of the best lines in the film. I wouldn’t be surprised if he emerged as fan-favorite after all is said and done.
New additions to the cast vary. Thankfully, Ultron works for the most part and is miles ahead of just about all of the villains in Marvel films so far (which isn’t that hard when you look at how these villains were written). He’s surprisingly more snarky than people would expect an angry, maniacal robot to be. But that imbues the character with a personality that is sorely lacking from the rogue gallery in MCU. However, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch fair less because they initially exist as plot devices than actual characters. Their origin is touched upon but in a very rushed manner. Joss Whedon admitted that the initial cut of the film was much longer and it definitely shows. Even though Ultron works, he would have worked a lot better had more time been spent fleshing out his motivations. The Maximoff twins begin to work as characters as the film progresses, but there were missed opportunities to get audiences behind them early on. The breakout character of the film is hands down the Vision (Paul Bettany). While I won’t spoil his origin here, the film will leave you wanting to see more of especially since he does a fantastic job of making an impact in his first appearance.
Whereas The Avengers worked because it knew what it need to be and ran with its simplistic storyline, Age of Ultron’s is jumbled. A most notable example is when Thor heads off on his own to attend to matters that start troubling him halfway through the film. This subplot goes nowhere and doesn’t even fit within context of the film. Thor is the character who feels the most left out here because his personal journey has no business being in the film and is just there to set up for Thor: Ragnarok, a film that doesn’t even exist. Whedon seems focused on what’s happening right now while Marvel is more concerned with the future. These two different agendas are constantly clashing throughout the film and never mesh together coherently.
Nevertheless, Marvel’s obligations to tease future films never stop Whedon from trying to aim higher. Though he doesn’t always succeed, whether it’s because of rushed character development, a scattered narrative, or studio interference, those inconveniences never get in the way of Whedon making a summer blockbuster in every sense of the term. It remains to be seen if Marvel will ever find someone who can write and understand these characters like he does. Whatever may come, Avengers: Age of Ultron starts off the summer with a bang and leaves me both excited and worried for the future the MCU.
Final Rating: 8 out of 10