With THE AVENGERS, Joss Whedon had the massive challenge to bring together characters from four different films, keep their voices intact and build them into a team.  He did it well and truly established the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This time he had to bring the team back together after another series of individual films and introduce new heroes and villains into the mix.  It's a difficult task and a real juggling act to give so many characters their due and Whedon once again does it well as both Screenwriter and Director.  AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is hugely entertaining and it's so dense in a great way that I already need to see it again.

 

The opening is a big action sequence and honestly things are happening so fast, that it was really too fast.  The pace was dizzying and I wish it had been throttled back a bit.  Having said that, it is full of fun gags and establishes a great rapport between the Avengers.  And when faced by new characters, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, I love the use of the term, "We have an enhanced in the field."

 

Scarlet Witch is played by the lovely Elizabeth Olsen and she really brings something new to the MCU.  While I grew up reading Marvel Comics, before this movie I couldn't easily articulate what her powers are.  But now I can.  They are devastating and they shake the Avengers up in a way that brute force can't.  I love that she's part of the MCU.

 

Because of a weird rights issue, Quicksilver is a character shared both by the MCU and by Fox's X-MEN franchise.  In the comics, he is a mutant, the son of Magneto, and he eventually joins the Avengers.  But now legally, Fox can't refer to the Avengers and the MCU can't refer to him as a mutant or the son of Magneto.  I know, it's strange.  The character was introduced in last year's X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST with a bravura, scene stealing kitchen sequence where he dispatched some guards at the Pentagon.  The MCU take on the character is different and more in line with the comics.  He is an angry young man and while there is no one sequence that competes with that memorable one, his powers are depicted well and there are some nice gags.  I wasn't thrilled that Kick-Ass himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson was playing the role, but he does a capable job and I liked the character.

 

Ultron is well played by James Spader and his trademark weirdness comes through and works for the character.  He is a capable villain, though for me not a scene stealing one like Loki or the Red Skull.  Conceptually it would seem that Ultron is unstoppable as an A.I. that doesn't have to stay in one form and can exist essentially anywhere in the virtual world.  Unfortunately that concept is not as well executed and a lot of focus is put on where he is physically.  It's a tough idea to pin down and in some ways here it is a fumble.  He should be a far more terrifying and unstoppable villain than he ultimately is.

 

Paul Bettany as the Vision is a revelation though.  This character has mostly been kept hidden by the marketing and allows the audience to discover him through his creation.  It's beautifully handled and the character is an amazing addition to the MCU.  Wow!

 

Captain America has settled into his leadership role well and I love when he takes command of the team.  Chris Evans has brought the star spangled soldier to life in such a wonderful way in picture after picture now and is the team's moral compass.

 

Robert Downey Jr. continues to kill it as Tony Stark and Stark makes some really interesting choices here.  Some go horribly wrong and some payoff as he could never have predicted.  His relationship in the lab with Banner is a highlight.

 

Chris Hemsworth is always engaging as Thor and has plenty of great moments here.  Unfortunately though it seems like half of his screen time is preoccupied with setting up his next solo film.

 

Mark Ruffalo's portrayal of both Bruce Banner and Hulk is strong and I like that there are now protocols like Code Green and Veronica.  His relationship as both Banner and Hulk with Black Widow is one of the picture's highlights.  But while Hulk stole the show in the climax of AVENGERS, he doesn't have nearly that same "Hulk smash" impact in this climax.  The Hulk highlight is when he goes up against Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor.  That's one of the picture's best action sequences and a disturbing one because the Hulk is possessed and while Iron Man wants to get them out of the city, Hulk just wants to smash.

 

Scarlett Johansson was never the right choice for Black Widow, but she settled into the role with a real naturalism in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and continues that here.  Her tragic back story is dealt with here and it is handled well.  And as I mentioned above, her relationship with Banner and Hulk is a highlight.

 

Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye got the short end of the stick in THE AVENGERS since he spent half the picture possessed by Loki.  Whedon makes up for it here by giving him a lot of screen time and allowing us to get to know Clint Barton in a very personal way.  Renner is a great actor and it's good  to see him with more material.  His mid battle speech to Scarlet Witch is a definite highlight.

 

There are a number of familiar characters who are back in AGE OF ULTRON.  They are a welcome sight and all have their moments to shine - Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Don Cheadle as Rhodey/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon and Stellan Skarsgard as Erik Selvig.

 

Marvel has released far too many clips from AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, but thankfully they have kept a ton of secrets.  There are great cameos and surprises.  If you think you have seen it all, don't worry.

 

We’ve all seen the party sequence where the Avengers try to lift Thor's hammer Mjolnir.  It's still funny and it pays off in a really great and surprising way.  

 

I love the Wakanda sequence and the idea that the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.  For those of you who don't know, the Black Panther is from Wakanda and the plan is to introduce him in next year's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR before his solo film in 2017.  This does become a problem with the narrative though as screen time is spent setting up CIVIL WAR and THOR: RAGNAROK.  It distracts from the main story of the Avengers finding and stopping Ultron.  The picture moves and has a great pace, but because of this setup, it's a sloppy narrative.

 

A big concern based on the trailers and preview clips is that the climax of AGE OF ULTRON would mirror the climax of THE AVENGERS.  Instead of the Chitauri's alien army, the team would face an army of Ultron's.  That is the case, but thankfully this time it's not a case of defeat the brain and the soldiers fall.  This time, Ultron is every robot meaning that if one escapes, then Ultron escapes and can rebuild.  The problem is that while the main Ultron robot is incredibly powerful, the rest seem to be made of paper mache.  Black Widow and Hawkeye seem to be able to tear them apart just as easily as Thor or Hulk.  And that makes the villain so much less threatening.  Imagine an army of 20 powerful Ultron's instead of innumerable weak ones.  It would make for a real challenge and a far more compelling climax.  

 

While there is lots of destruction in this picture and quite frankly it's become tired to see cities destroyed, one of my favorite things about this one is that the Avengers go to great lengths to evacuate cities before a battle and continually take care to save civilians during the battles.  It is not just a throwaway line here or there, the Avengers are very aware of collateral damage and put themselves at risk even to save just one life.  

 

Having grown up reading Marvel Comics, I have the benefit of tons of superhero knowledge.  AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON covers a lot of ground and introduces new characters and powers and deals with A.I. and other scientific things.  It moves at a near relentless pace, though it does occasionally slow down for a quiet moment.  So it is dense and complicated.  All of the information is there, but it may take more than one viewing for it all to make sense.  Because of my Marvel knowledge, I was able to pick up on things quickly, but it was interesting to speak to my friend afterward who only knows the Marvel films on a basic level and to fill in the gaps that he didn't pick up on.  From my perspective, Joss Whedon has done a remarkable job of keeping all the plates spinning and honoring all the characters that he got to play with this time around.  It's disappointing to know that he won't be back because he really knows how to handle this material.

 

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is spectacular entertainment.  It falls victim to the need to make everything bigger and louder at times, but also spends a lot of time on character and decision making.  It has its flaws, but I will be back in the theater on Friday to see it again.  And probably again after that in the coming weeks.  I am still thrilled by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and can't wait for this summer's ANT-MAN and next year's CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR.  Make mine Marvel!