Avengers: Age of Ultron Review (No Spoilers)

As the sequel to the biggest superhero movie of all time, Marvel's The Avengers, Age of Ultron has been one of the most hyped movies of 2015. Of course, a lot of hype tends to ruin movies, as film makers often collapse under the pressure and expectations are too high for the film to realistically overcome. The first Avengers was able to avoid that trap, being not only a blockbuster success, but a clever, funny, action packed gem of a movie. So the million dollar question is, did lightning strike twice?

To be straightforward, yes. Yes it did. And as I'm writing this, I'm hearing a huge sigh of relief from fans everywhere. Yes, Age of Ultron managed to provide an equally funny, even more action packed follow up to one of the greatest acts in cinematic history. So just to ease the worry gnawing at all of your hearts, yes, Age of Ultron is a great movie and a must see summer event. So without delving into anything but the major premise of the movie, I'll give you my two cents about the movie. 

From the very beginning, the movie jumps right into the thick of the action, as the Avengers, all assembled, wage a small war in the country of Sovokia. After a fast paced action scene, the film quickly transitions into the main plot. Tony Stark attempts to create a peacekeeping program Ultron, that goes awry in a classic Frankenstein manner. Ultron turns against his creator and embarks on a quest to wipe humans from the face of the Earth. Along the way, he meets twins Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch who have their own score to settle with the Avengers. 

The movie doesn't have a clean, easy to follow plot. The first few scenes are rather rushed and awkwardly transitioned, without a real sense of flow. Thankfully, Ultron is introduced quickly into the film and the movie takes off, pulling the viewer on a roller coaster ride. It manages to find itself and despite it being stuffed to the brim with plot points, director Joss Whedon manages to pull off a juggling act without letting any of the balls drop. 

And like the previous Avengers movie, Age of Ultron is loud. It is jam packed with memorable action scene after action scene and the result is a visual treat. There is a greater abundance of the noisy chaos in the films running time, and yet the movie still feels deeper and quieter than the first Avengers. This may be due to the excellent character work. The first Avengers worked so well because it had so many well loved characters sharing the same screen and that sort of crossover just blew the audience's mind. Age of Ultron goes even further, highlighting the distinctness of each and every one of their characters. There's a lot of characters in need of further development and somehow Age of Ultron manages to give every single one of the heroes the proper justice they deserve. Even Hawkeye, the weakest character of the first film, breaks out as a standout cast member. 

                                 

Of course, a superhero movie is only as good as it's villain. And Ultron is perhaps my favorite Marvel villain yet. He deviates quite a bit from the Ultron of the comics, but it works. Ultron is not only menacing, but he has actual anguish and motive. His voice, delivered magically by James Spader,is creepy and charismatic at the same time. And yet despite being the big bad scary villain, he brings out some thought provoking questions about the value of humanity and he is what makes the movie far more 3 dimensional than it's predecessor. Despite being a robot, rather than devolving into a Terminator - esque villain, he is one of the most human, unique antagonists I've ever seen in a superhero movie. 

                             

In typical Avengers fashion, there is a massive climax scene. The stakes are high and everything becomes chaos. Yet there are new variations to the formula final action scene that keeps this engaging. It echoes the Battle of New York from the first film, but it's also darker, more personal, and has a few twists to cap off such a gigantic film 

                                  

Avengers: Age of Ultron can be likened to a feast. Lots of food, many courses and helpings, and a wide variety. Sometimes, you just have so much, it gives you a stomachache, but it's all so good, you just keep going. Age of Ultron despite the noisy action, never loses sight of the humanity of the heroes, the villain, and the innocents they are fighting to save. It has some beautiful themes throughout and it is just really delightful film.  Watch it in 3D, because you're only making the experience even better for yourself. The summer movie season has kicked off with a bang and in case you're worrying that there's no other superhero movies to look forward to this year, look no further. Marvel's Ant Man will be releasing in July and while the very name 'Ant Man' sounds stupid, Marvel proved once again that they are capable of making miracles happen. I'm excited to see what they are ready to offer next time and I'm sure I won't be disappointed.