Wednesday 6 May 2015

Film Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015).



“I know you're good people. I know you mean well. But you just didn't think it through. There is only one path to peace... your extinction”. This is what the Avengers face this time round in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. It is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and the eleventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Marvel Studios. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the technological and villainous enemy Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans of human extinction, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Claudia Kim, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. The cast gave mighty performances and all of them vastly improved their roles from the previous film and other Marvel films. I love the developments of the characters, especially with Renner, Ruffalo and Johansson. It was great to see Hawkeye have a bigger role than the last film, as well as seeing an unexpected but interesting romance between Hulk and Black. Widow. But the one character who stole the show was none other than Ultron. Spader was Joss Whedon's first and only choice for the role of Ultron, because of his "hypnotic voice that can be eerily calm and compelling while also being very human and humorous". On James Spader's first day on set, the cast was so impressed by his performance that they applauded and cheered for him after his first take. For this film, not once does Spader overtly ask for the audience's sympathy and horror, but through a disciplined, suggestive performance he dominates the film. Also, kudos to Bettany, as Vision, who was electrifying. Kim as Dr. Helen Cho and Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, even though it is considered a cameo.

In conclusion, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a spectacular piece of work that carries the Marvel tradition forward. Breathtaking in scope, the film also shows the birth of Ultron, brilliantly portrayed by James Spader, as he is on a mission to destroy the Avengers and be “the peace of our time”. Director Joss Whedon imaginative supervision of the Marvel Cinematic Universe gives this second part of the Avengers series a truly epic dimension, adding a mature, philosophical aspect to the nonstop barrage of brilliant special effects. However, it is not as well structured as the first film, it is easy to say that this is not better than the first film. But it has the single greatest villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a real coup de cinéma. Even though it suffers only from the familiarity with the effects generated in the original and imitated too much by others. However, it is a worthy sequel to the first film, equal in both technical mastery and characterization.

Simon says Avengers: Age of Ultron receives:



Also, see my reviews for Much Ado About Nothing and Guardians of the Galaxy.

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