[Review] Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Sameul L. Jackson, James Spader, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evens, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Cobie Smulders

director: Joss Whedon

Here we all are, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world! So stand and fight! – Nick Fury

The big question on everyone’s lips is if Joss Whedon delivered a sequel worthy of the first Avengers movie. The first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure gathered the group of Earth mightiest heroes. It all felt into place and everybody gazed into what Phase Two would bring. Avengers: Age of Ultron is indeed the Godfather 2 of the franchise like Whedon said back in the early days of script treatment. It tears the team apart and sets the stage for the two big events to follow: Civil War and Infinity War. It’s a bold move to attempt to catch thunder again and avoid using the same pattern that made Avengers (2012) a crowd darling and a box-office smash hit. With a darker tone and a glimpse set on both past and future, Avengers: Age of Ultron will split the fans between declaring it the best movie so far of MCU or dreaming of the early days when the Avengers were getting to know each other. Either way, this is the best way Marvel could move forward and prepare for what is yet to come.

“We create our own demons”, Tony Stark said it in Iron Man 3 and it foreshadowed the events of Age of Ultron; what happened after the battle of New York demonstrated that Kevin Feige and Marvel know very well the ropes of the Three Phases of MCU and aren’t afraid to gamble and change the game. Iron Man 3 remembered the fans that our heroes past will catch up on them. Thor: The Dark World showcased on deceit and trickery, nothing is what it seems to be, HYDRA was alive and well in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and because everything is connected through this movie and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we learned about the experiments done underground and covered up and about the gifted ones. In true space-opera style “Guardians of the Galaxy” made a case and point in recalling the menace of Thanos who showed up in the end-credits of “Avengers”. Everything is truly connected with Marvel movieverse.

Fast-forward to Age of Ultron, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Hulk (Mark Ruffallo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are operating as a solo team and try to get Loki’s staff, residing in Sovokia, Baron’s Stucker HQ. In every MCU movie, we have two villains, a main one and a secondary, sidelines one. Here Stucker (Thomas Kretschmann) plays second fiddle to the main bad-guy/robot and his handy work resides in experimenting with “The Miracles” also known as Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnsson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). The dynamic duo is a force to be reckoned with, managing in the early stages of the movie to create the cracks which will split the Avengers.

If there was a plan with Phase Two,  I can say, that plan was to tear apart what was put together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), a character who embodies the genuine idealist masked under the facade of a snarky, down to earth, bad-ass spy. Yes, Fury is just like Coulson only with extended survivor skills minus T.A.H.I.T.I. Fury had faith, just like Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in the group of misfits, of freaks and colorful monsters everyone resented. Here is the silver lining in a rather gloomy movie. There’s still hope and faith is strong in those who never give up.

Now, we all know Tony Stark through three Iron Man movies and one Avengers event, wants his legacy to be more than the blood and destruction he left in his days as The Merchant of Death. Apart from Black Widow, who’s dark past finally catches up on her, Stark is the character who wasn’t the perfect hero material, in fact, he made a delightful villain if it weren’t for his Ten Rings meet and greet. Ever since he escaped the cave in which he was supposed to die, he tried to make up for his vain lifestyle and wash the blood off his hands. It’s the fear, the element capable of destroying Earth’s Mightiest heroes. It’s from Tony fear and genuine, naive wish to protect mankind that Ultron (James Spader) is born. A “child” resenting his father – oh how one of the main core themes of the MCU is brought back into full swing aka daddy issues – and in a twisted way wants to bring peace by killing the humans.

We create own demons is in fact MCU’s and Joss Whedon take on Frankenstein’s monster. Each of the Avengers’ past made way for destruction. As a team – as put by Banner in the first Avengers – they are a time bomb. The time bomb began to kick.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a full scale demonstration of bringing in a ton of actors and figuring out how to make their characters work in a story meant to be focused on Ultron fighting the Avengers. Stellan Skarsgård is back  as Doctor Selvig, Andy Serkis’ cameo sets the stage for “Black Panther”, Colbie Smulders dwells on resignation and new found goal with Maria Hill, Don Cheadle (still a far cry from the suave nuances of Terence Howard) tries to work as best buddy to Tony, Anthony Mackie is there to reminds us there is an untied knot with Bucky Burnes and Paul Bettany finally does more than two hours of voice recording as J.A.R.V.I.S. The striking antithesis between Vision and Ultron is in fact the split personality of one Tony Stark.

Joss Whedon’s script gives room and lines for all the characters. Jeremy Renner had some issues with the fact that in the first Avengers he had to spend a great deal of time being Loki’s minion. Now, he actually has some of the best lines in the movie and is the center of some interesting revelations. Clint Barton is a character with a past, a present and a future and not just an agent. Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widows is paired with Mark Ruffollo’s Bruce Banner in a tragic love-story not meant to be – another one of Whedon’s  signature moves in story telling. The two are quirky, fun and give some heartfelt scenes, it’s a Beauty and the Best tale and there is no happy ending. The seeds of Civil War are well placed ever since Tony looked square in the eyes Steve Rogers and replied to the ”take away the suit and what are you” with the crowd pleasing and Hall of Fame worthy snarky line ” billionaire, genius, philanthropist”. Civil War is closer than ever with the two acting as the leaders of the team, also there’s a small matter of actually sharing with the team but we all know that from Tony’s file and recommendation courtesy of Natasha Romanov from Iron Man 2. Robert Downey Jr. is so comfortable with the role that he no longer needs to act, he embodies the character the moment he shows up on screen. Age of Ultron makes good work of giving lines and screen time to the whole gang and damn it, that’s not easy. From Chris Evens finally coming to terms with Captain America’s role in this brave new world, to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor getting a peep into what Ragnarok will bring and (re)assuming the mantle of royal duties.

The newcommers, Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson work well as the Maximoff siblings and showcasing their talents, anger and fear without being too much in your face. Johnson’s Quicksilver is not a copy of Days of Future Past character, with witty lines and a charismatic presence, a perfect balance with Olsen’s telekinetic “miracle”. The two actors have worked before and make a good duo on screen.

We all gasped and applauded when we’ve learned James Spader will take the role of Ultron and indeed he makes a splendid foil for our heroes. Marvel has had a love and hate relationship with the villains in their movie, their motivation and presentation making them at times cartoonish and not convinving. With Josh Brolin’s Thanos getting ready for center stage and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki being a fan favorite, Spader had the task to produce a worthy villain for the Avengers. At times, Ultron’s motivation tends to lose its magnitude but Spader snarky lines and full-time dark, menacing diva mode is delicious and puts Ultron in the race for the best MCU villain. A Frankenstein like creature born from his ”father’s” wish for a better world. The strings have been cut but truth be told, there were no strings and only a broken dream ignited from fear.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is dark and we will have to wait to see the team back together – if they will be – in the same formula as it was in 2012. Those were the golden days when we all stood in awe wonder and watched as the unlikely group of heroes, this band of misfit brothers and one sister stood side by side and if they couldn’t save the world, they vowed to avenge it. Joss Whedon broke our hearts and tore our dreams to ribbons and he did it perfectly. Here is what you will possibly feel when you will watch Avengers: Age of Ultron: excitement, sadness, loss, heartbreak, fear and in the end, what will remain will be faith. Like in the myths of old and the stories we grew up with, good will prevail through hardships and great deeds. Like the heroes of Ancient Greece, the Avengers are our Hercules, our Jason, our misfits. We live through these tales because we have faith. We hope for a better world.

Edge and Back: 9.5/10