Transcript:
I used to read a lot of superhero comics as a kid but kinda grew tired of them in my teens. Since their renaissance in the early 2000s I've loved superhero films, and have really enjoyed a lot of the MCU films including the first Avengers movie, which I'd give an 8/10.
In Age of Ultron Tony Stark and Bruce Banner attempt to create a peacekeeping AI called Ultron which they hope will enable them to quit their day jobs. Ultron, rather obviously, doesn't quite work as expected and decides the best way to ensure peace on earth is to actually destroy humanity itself at which point it's up to the Avengers to stop him.
The film delivers pretty much everything you would want from it. The characters trade witty banter, the action is plentiful and well staged, the actors are as charismatic as always and the CGI and special effects are incredible. So what makes Age of Ultron stand out? We get two new interesting characters (no, not those two).
In Age of Ultron Tony Stark and Bruce Banner attempt to create a peacekeeping AI called Ultron which they hope will enable them to quit their day jobs. Ultron, rather obviously, doesn't quite work as expected and decides the best way to ensure peace on earth is to actually destroy humanity itself at which point it's up to the Avengers to stop him.
The film delivers pretty much everything you would want from it. The characters trade witty banter, the action is plentiful and well staged, the actors are as charismatic as always and the CGI and special effects are incredible. So what makes Age of Ultron stand out? We get two new interesting characters (no, not those two).
The titular Ultron (played by James Spader) and The Vision (Paul Bettany). Ultron is a complicated villain who is amusing, hurt, scary and understandable all at once. The Vision, on the other hand, brings some interesting weight and mystery to the series, almost serving as the MCU's Dr. Manhattan.
The film is also shot and set in a much wider world than last time. We visit England, South Korea and the fictional countries of Sovakia in Eastern Europe and Wakanda in Africa which serve to give the film a much more varied, global feel. Visually the film feels like a step-up also. The cinematography better blends the visual contradiction of war with the colourful neon of the superhero and there are some show-stopping, splash-page-que shots interspersed throughout.
As with the films preceding it there an attempt to inject some dramatic depth to the characters and here both Hawkeye and Black Widow are decently fleshed out. And there are real world musing to be had at the expense of themes such as pre-emptive military technologies and humanity's self-destructive behaviour in general. If I had one major complaint about the first Avengers film it would be that it slumped in the middle and dragged the pacing down.
The film is also shot and set in a much wider world than last time. We visit England, South Korea and the fictional countries of Sovakia in Eastern Europe and Wakanda in Africa which serve to give the film a much more varied, global feel. Visually the film feels like a step-up also. The cinematography better blends the visual contradiction of war with the colourful neon of the superhero and there are some show-stopping, splash-page-que shots interspersed throughout.
As with the films preceding it there an attempt to inject some dramatic depth to the characters and here both Hawkeye and Black Widow are decently fleshed out. And there are real world musing to be had at the expense of themes such as pre-emptive military technologies and humanity's self-destructive behaviour in general. If I had one major complaint about the first Avengers film it would be that it slumped in the middle and dragged the pacing down.
In Age of Ultron, however, the opposite happens; this film feels rushed. Like, really rushed. The story outline I gave at the beginning of this video only scratches the surface of the multitude of subplots and wider franchise concerns at play here and it makes the film feel way overstuffed. As a result the editing takes a beating and is far too tight and fast - meaning that some things don't seem to make sense and emotional moments don't quite hit you as hard as they should.
Likewise the two new additions to the team; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are decent but the film doesn't really seem to have time for them. The film also suffers from the same problems that plague most other MCU films. Representation of anyone other than straight white muscly dudes is poor and the value of human life is low although this entry does show some progression in this area.
Likewise the two new additions to the team; Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are decent but the film doesn't really seem to have time for them. The film also suffers from the same problems that plague most other MCU films. Representation of anyone other than straight white muscly dudes is poor and the value of human life is low although this entry does show some progression in this area.
There is a lack of credible threat to our heroes; the stakes always feel low because you know that main characters cannot be killed. If they were the studio couldn't make more films, and thus money, out of them further down the line. The now widely remarked upon token ending (sky battle over city) is also present and although the action scenes are enjoyable and have some really fun moments they can also be uninventive and overbearing.
There is the issue of bubble bursting at play here too. When the Avengers was released it felt incredible – years of cinematic ground work had been laid leading up to this unprecedented moment; a superhero team-up movie. Not only did it happen but it worked, brilliantly. and Age of Ultron can't help but feel like a slight step down after that.
In the face of all these issues I still couldn't help but really enjoy Age of Ultron. I'm going give it a 7/10 and I'm sure if you've enjoyed other MCU films you're gonna like this one too.
If you've seen the film please comment and let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
There is the issue of bubble bursting at play here too. When the Avengers was released it felt incredible – years of cinematic ground work had been laid leading up to this unprecedented moment; a superhero team-up movie. Not only did it happen but it worked, brilliantly. and Age of Ultron can't help but feel like a slight step down after that.
In the face of all these issues I still couldn't help but really enjoy Age of Ultron. I'm going give it a 7/10 and I'm sure if you've enjoyed other MCU films you're gonna like this one too.
If you've seen the film please comment and let me know what you thought of it and feel free to subscribe for more reviews coming soon.
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