Avengers: Age of Ultron
It’s been two weeks since Avengers: Age of Ultron dropped in movie theaters. In that time, AOU has grossed $1 billion worldwide, fans and critics have criticized Disney/Marvel’s treatment of Black Widow (not to mention her lack of merchandise), and everyone from Leonard Maltin to the dude who reviews flicks for the Winnipeg Free Press. has weighed in with their thoughts an opinions (Our fellow nerds at All Comics Considered also spoke at great length about AOU.)
Cultural impact aside for the moment, AOU is still a movie, and as Nerds with Opinions (trademark pending), we have a solemn duty to provide said opinions about said movie. Since most of us saw the film opening weekend, we opened up this review to the panel, giving the crew a chance to let their voices be heard.
Tim’s thoughts: I’ll be quoting from this movie for days. Joss Whedon knows how to turn a phrase and how to make a scene fun. The movie demands a re-watch, if for no other reason than because I couldn’t catch everything over the laughter of my fellow movie-goers.
Lots to love about AOU. It’s got Whedon’s perfect mix of quiet moments and impressive set pieces. The characters continue to grow in interesting ways (shout out to Hawkeye, who gets the most character development this time around, as well as the best one-liners). Even as the movie introduces one new Big Bad (Ultron), three new characters (Vision, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) and features cameos from superheroes across the MCU, it doesn’t feel clunky, nor does any character ever feel short-shifted by lack of screen time. Whedon gives all characters their due, and pushes the MCU toward Phase III, setting up both Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
I have one issue with the movie and it’s nitpicky. I’m getting robot fatigue. Between fighting the Chitauri in the last Avengers movie and battling Ultron’s Mimi-Me’s this time around, I’m a little done watching the Avengers fight nameless hordes. I’m looking forward to seeing the Avengers fight someone, anyone who bleeds in Phase III. That said, the robots didn’t detract from a ridiculously scary villain; James Spader as Ultron was inspired casting as his voice alone makes Ultron a scary dude.
Megan’s thoughts: I’m still very torn about this movie and it’s been over a week since I saw it, and read all the internet fallout that happens from a comic-book movie. So while trying to separate the movie from Twitter, here’s what is going through my mind: Joss Whedon and the MCU team successfully pulled off a comic-book movie. They made a man in a flying suit and a Thunder God look like the norm, while still keeping the suspension of disbelief and introducing a robot man who shoots lasers from the magic gem in his head. If I weren’t saying “um, actually”‘ internally every time I saw Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye’s family (?!!), I probably would have high-fived everyone in that room when I left the movie theater!
Ultron was scary as fuck, but not as scary is the inevitable Whedon killing whomever has the most to lose (I was losing my mind when he was talking to Scarlet Witch in the bunker with the “when you leave this place you are an Avenger” speech, because I thought for sure he was done for). Whedon still managed to rip out our little hearts, just not where you expected it (if one ever can). Vision looks amazing, and honestly, it gives me hope to see how someone so comic-book like can fit in with figures I see in reality. Maybe Thanos might not look like an Adventure Time character next to 3d-animated flying Thunder Gods?
tl;drs
Quick summary: Picking up after events of the previous MCU movies and TV shows, the Avengers are dealing with all manner of problems, both personal and professional. In his quest for peace, Iron Man creates Ultron, believing like every mad scientist before him that his creation will be used for good. Predictably his good intentions go to shit, and the team of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye must deal with the fallout.
Too many writers? Writers? No; this is Joss’s baby. Too many executives dictating how the movie propels the MCU forward? Certainly.
Recommended if you like: AOU follows the Marvel formula: lighthearted and exciting. By now you know if their breezy superhero movies are your cup of tea or not.
Better than I expected? Whedon turns the quippage up to 11, with quotable one-liners aplenty.
Worse than I hoped? The fan fallout from this movie is disheartening. Were our expectations set too high? AOU has its flaws, but given the number of characters, sequences, and plot points Whedon had to juggle, the result could have been a lot worse.
Verdict: AOU succeeds both as a summer blockbuster and a solid entry in the MCU. Highly re-watchable.
Related Reading: Mark Ruffalo’s recent AMA, where he addresses the lack of Black Widow merch, and talks about the Twitter shitstorm directed at Joss Whedon.
