Review: The Avengers: Age of Ultron

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates Ultron, an A.I. peace-keeping program to protect the Earth from huge threats so that eventually the Avengers can all retire. It’ll basically be like a suit of armour covering the globe for protection. However, when all of the Avengers (Thor, Captain America, Stark/Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Bruce Banner/The Hulk- all played by you know who by now) and some of their friends gather to celebrate a successful mission (which was to grab Loki’s sceptre from…a guy played by Thomas Kretschmann), something goes awry with Ultron, which was created via whatever special powers lived inside the sceptre. Ultron (voiced by James Spader) emerges from the digital world into a robotic form, and misunderstands Stark’s directive to achieve peace…by obliterating those believed to be causing the Earth the most harm. That is, humans. Now it’s up to the Avengers to put a stop to Ultron. Meanwhile, two mutant beings (Yeah, fuck 20^th Century Fox, I’ll call ‘em mutants!) who were created from the sceptre, twins Pietro and Wanda, AKA Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) are lurking about.

 

Although it was never boring, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first film, mostly because I wasn’t a fan of most of the previous films containing the characters who make up the title Superhero team. So it all kinda washed over me, and left me the moment it was all over. Obviously, most of you out there liked those films and made “The Avengers” a ginormous hit, I get that, I’m just not really a fan. And yet, this 2015 sequel from writer-director Joss Whedon (creator of TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” who I still haven’t forgiven for killing off Tara, damn it!) managed to work quite well for me. I’m as surprised as you, or perhaps I shouldn’t be. Given I also think “Thor: The Dark World” and particularly “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” are superior sequels, perhaps I’m just predisposed to liking Marvel sequels or something. Even “Iron Man 2” was a bit less sucky than the first one (“Iron Man 3” not so much, though). Whatever the reason is, I had fun with this one.

 

Some of the same problems I’ve had with previous Marvel films are here, but less so. I still feel like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is a bad “SNL” sketch about Vikings, I just can’t take his cardboard cut-out performance remotely seriously. He’s almost insulting, actually. The film is also clearly overpopulated. The central group of characters aren’t the problem so much, it’s the unnecessary array of cameos by minor/supporting players from previous films: You’ll catch glimpses of Cobie Smulders (“The Avengers”), Anthony Mackie (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”), Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”, “Iron Man 3”), Hayley Atwell (the “Captain America” films), Stellan Skarsgaard (“Thor”), Idris Elba (“Thor”, “Thor: The Dark World”), etc. Given that we’re also introduced to new characters (including Julie Delpy having a cameo for fuck knows what reason), and a couple of ringers from the “X-Men” franchise somewhat rewritten here, that’s probably too many characters for one film to deal with. It’s not a fatal flaw or anything, nor as problematic as last time, but it is a bit frustrating.

 

I have to say, early on I just wasn’t getting into this. An early battle seemed like a video game and didn’t draw me into the action at all, not helped by Robert Downey Jr.’s irritatingly flippant interpretation of Tony Stark, nor the cardboard cut-out, borderline parody ‘action star’ performances by Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson. Stark is still a smug schmuck, and Downey looked suicidally bored in the early stages of this. I’d probably be bored too, if I was in a film with Thomas Kretschmann playing a villain, usually a sure sign you’re in an inferior product. However, Chris Evans has surprisingly grown into the role of Captain OK-USA, and gets the seriousness/humour balance just right. Mind you, everyntime he uses his ‘serious’ voice I have this compulsive need to remark ‘It’s a banana split’. Oh shut up, you remember “Not Another Teen Movie”, don’t act like I’m the only one thinking it. It’s not like I’m thinking about Chris Evans’ junk, OK? Let’s not make it weird or anything. But after 12 minutes the title appears and I found myself wondering what the hell I just watched. There is literally no context for the opening action whatsoever, no explanation.

 

Things do pick up significantly, however. Tony Stark and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner have a fascinating discussion about geopolitics and weaponry, peace through war and that kind of thing. It’s interesting and weighty stuff, but without too much of the ‘real world’ seeping through that it actually takes you out of the comic book world like the first “Iron Man” film did to me. I hated that damn thing, but here the geopolitics worked for me (as they did in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) partly because they keep things rather generalised. The Banner/Hulk/Stark/Iron Man relationship is much more interesting than in the first one. Here, when Banner turns into the Hulk, Stark has to suit up to stop Hulk from causing too much damage. Talk about tough love! And yet, Banner is the one wary of Stark’s weapons development. It’s almost like they are each other’s conscience or something. Also, after that opening scene, Downey’s snarky humour for Tony Stark is much more organic-seeming in this one. It’s not just Robert Downey Jr. being too cool for the room and ruining superhero gravitas.

 

I’d like to say that Scarlett Johansson eventually won me over here too, but I’m afraid that by and large, she can’t convince in acting roles. I liked her in “Under the Skin”, but elsewhere she has failed to disappear or convince in anything. Here she’s just play acting and posing, as though she modelled her performance on Sigourney in the TV show within the movie “Galaxy Quest”, and didn’t realise it was a parody. As much as there’s way too many people here given way too little to do, at least Don Cheadle is enjoying himself for his few fleeting moments, as is Stan Lee in his requisite cameo. Funny stuff. Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is easily the heart of “The Avengers”. Sure, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye is the most recognisably ‘human’ of the bunch, but Banner is the most sympathetic, albeit a bit low-key. He’s an inspired choice for the part, and has a nervous/worried, awkward acting style that really fits the role of a scientist plagued by his inability to control the demon within. Hell, even Hemsworth’s Thor manages to be palatable for some of the film in scenes where they are wearing civilian clothing and Hemsworth drops the “SNL” D&D parody act. It was a great decision to allow the characters to be seen outside of their superhero costumes, it humanises them in a somewhat subtle, small way. Thor looks idiotic whenever he’s in his cosplay gear. I mean, his hammer is his super-weapon, so why the need for the clothing? Armour, to an extent yes (and he’s the only ‘god’ among the crew), but he just looks so silly. It’s a shame Hulk looks really rubbery in this, but hey, at least rubbery is better than looking like a computer image that isn’t really there interacting with the live actors, so that’s a slight improvement I guess. Also, despite all the cameos and the fact that Hawkeye is yet again turning up in a superhero movie that barely has room for him, the film manages all of its moving parts/characters much better than the first film. Given we also get cameo players and newbies, that’s quite an achievement. Yes, it’s still an issue, and that’s why I mentioned it earlier, but one can’t deny that the situation has improved this time out. I do still wish that Renner’s Hawkeye were given more to do, as in this film we even find out he has a family and wife played by the seemingly ageless Linda Cardellini. He’s definitely the most relatable of “The Avengers”, and I could’ve used a lot more of him, and a lot less Thor. Still, at least that family angle makes him stand out a bit this time out.

 

I was far less enamoured with Aaron Taylor-Johnson-Rodham-Clinton-Fortenski (no I won’t stop making that joke!) and Elizabeth Olsen as this film’s version of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. They are characters shared both in this franchise and “X-Men”, and I much prefer the Quicksilver we got in the otherwise awfully confusing “X-Men: Days of Future Past” to this misguided, vengeful Eastern European version. These two just aren’t as much fun, and although Olsen can act, neither of the performers is terribly convincing here. Although they do play a part in the plot, I’d still find a way to excise them, as they don’t really add anything except running time. And at least in the case of Quicksilver, his inclusion ultimately feels pointless.

 

On the plus side are the performances by James Spader and a returning Paul Bettany, albeit mostly voice work (a motion-capture situation for both). At first I wasn’t entirely sold on Ultron as a villain, as it seemed kinda like Johnny Depp in the lame “Transcendence” or “The Lawnmower Man”. However, he ends up a really fun, evil villain. Not only is Spader hilariously droll and smarmy in voicing the part (and very James Spader, who can be brilliant in the right role), he also manages to turn on the serious evil when need be, which is crucial if he’s to be taken seriously as a villain. He’s exactly what you would want from a robotic creation turned evil that has initially been created by one of the world’s biggest smart arse jerks. Hell, he’s more enjoyable than Tony Stark himself. I was nearly rooting for the villain! Just as I was initially sceptical of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki being the central threat in an all-star Marvel film, my fears were proven to be for nought here, as Spader’s Ultron is a big highlight of the film. In a smaller role, Paul Bettany once again plays Jarvis, but this time with a little twist that kinda sorta allows him to appear on screen as well. He’s terrific as always (one of the most underrated actors going around) and this added twist to his character gives him a lot more to do than he has previously in the franchise. On a much smaller note, there’s a really nice, small role for a Seth Effriken-accented Andy Serkis.

 

The opening battle might’ve been unengaging to me, but the action in the latter stages is pretty exciting, and amongst the most destructive I’ve seen since “Man of Steel”. However, I still think Captain America and Hawkeye must’ve been taking a piss break when superpowers were being handed out. Hell, even so far as weaponry goes, I think a shield is seriously lame. It’s a defensive weapon for cryin’ out loud! If I were him, I’d look at Thor and get serious hammer envy.

 

I’m really surprised that the reviews for this have been mixed, because I think it’s not only better than the first film, but easily one of the better Marvel films (probably behind “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”). The same problems are evident as with the first film, but to a lesser degree, and there’s a lot to like about it. The Marvel movies are getting much better at blending real world geopolitics with comic book fantasy, I must say. I liked this one.

 

Rating: B-