I just watched a bunch of middle-aged men in armors and capes blowing up shit in 3D IMAX, and I had a blast. My review of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Avengers film was the defining, most enjoyable movie event of this past decade. Joss Whedon took a superhero franchise and made a film every comic book fan could cheer. It was big, loud, rambunctious fun, featuring some of the best action we’ve seen on the big screen, and witty writing.
In Age of Ultron, we see more of that.
Whedon repeats some of the tropes, hence losing some of the originality that made the first film such a joyous experience. One-liners fly thick and fast here too, and Hulk arrives at opportune moments again. And Nick Fury is still around for a pep talk.
For those who take comfort in the familiar, Age of Ultron is a hoot. For those looking for newness, there might be some disappointment. Yet, here’s the thing: Age of Ultron, with all its clichés, is a riot. The franchise is meant to be an orgy of superheroes, and if these were porn films, Part One was X, and this one’s double XX.
The film begins with a jaw-dropping action scene, putting the Avengers into the thick of things straightaway. Between the big bang of the first sequence and the grand finale, the film works in fits and starts, coming to life one moment, and dipping the next.
The first part was consistently awesome, and while Age of Ultron isn’t as steady, it retains most of that awesomeness.
Hawkeye sums up the film in a single sentence: “We are flying on land, fighting robots, and I have a bow and arrow. Nothing makes sense.” That’s Age of Ultron. Senseless mostly, but darn good fun. I’m going with 3.5/5.