By Robert Yaniz Jr.
For the better part of the last decade, Marvel Studios has been hard at work establishing itself as one of the most recognizable and profitable brands in the business, with a combined worldwide gross of nearly $3 billion for its first 10 films. The 2012 release of The Avengers
– which marked the first major team-up of several individual superhero franchises within what has come to be known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – in particular changed the face of moviemaking both within the superhero/comic book genre and beyond. Because of that film’s success, virtually every major studio is looking to launch their own shared universe franchises, from comic book rival DC’s own superhero mega-franchise to the Universal monster-verse and even a Jump Street/Men in Black crossover (yes, really).
So Avengers: Age of Ultron has a lot more riding on it than your typical sequel. The film is not only the follow-up to a game-changing pioneer in the industry, it is also a vital chapter in the continuing saga of the MCU and a testament to Marvel’s continuing relevance and storytelling prowess with its rising competition. With the entire cast back onboard and writer/director Joss Whedon in place, there’s no way the film could fail. Right? Right?
For the three of you who have somehow escaped the film’s ubiquitous marketing campaign, Avengers: Age of Ultron picks up in relative real-time to the events of the last time Earth’s Mightiest Heroes came together to face a common enemy. Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemworth), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are carrying on with their noble work, fighting off Hydra and assorted other baddies in a post-S.H.I.E.L.D. world (well, unless you count the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
If that rather ambitious plotline were the only tale Age of Ultron endeavored to pull off, the film would probably be among the best Marvel Studios offerings yet. After all, the concept of artificial intelligence is so ripe for meaningful exploration (see: Ex Machina), and it’s exactly the kind of high-concept sci-fi premise that Whedon would relish the chance to tackle. Instead, the film has enough plot threads to knit a sweater, hopping from subplot to subplot like a nervous gamer during a particular fast-paced game of Frogger. It is too mired in setting the pieces for upcoming Marvel Studios releases that a number of promising story points and side characters are introduced and quickly cast aside for future use (ahem, Andy Serkis). It’s a strategy that calls to mind both the relative disappointment of Marvel Studios’ own Iron Man 2
The “twins” – Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively) – perhaps receive the least development of the new characters, as they lack an effective backstory (one weak monologue attempts to rectify this but fails miserably) and a critical emotional connection with audiences. Remarkably, Olsen is able to overcome these limitations and emerge as the strongest addition to the team; Taylor-Johnson isn’t so lucky, repeating his listless Godzilla
Paul Bettany turns in a solid performance as the Vision, though the character isn’t truly given enough of the spotlight to really reach his potential, as that task will fall with future films. Moreover, Spader brings signature wry sense of humor and unmistakable voice to Ultron. The mechanical villain may not be the most compelling evildoer in the MCU arsenal (that honor still goes to Tom Hiddleston’s deliciously charming Loki), but he does elevate what it is essentially a one-dimensional character. On another related note, can we please get Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in one of these films after his breathtaking turn on that stellar Daredevil series?
While brief appearances by established side characters from the MCU are the most blatant fan service, these moments do manage to convey the higher stakes at hand in Age of Ultron. Furthermore, they go a long way toward creating a more cohesive universe and present the opportunity for a number of fun moments. In fact, Whedon’s quip machine is running full force in this film, with running gags ranging from which Avenger is worthy to carry Thor’s beloved hammer (Mjolnir, for you comic book aficionados) to Cap’s disdain for profanity. There’s just as many memorable – if not, more – to love from the character dynamics in this film than its predecessor, with the exception being an out-of-left-field development between Banner and Black Widow that doesn’t ring true to what audiences have seen thus far.
The battle scenes – while they still rely too often and too obviously on computer-generated effects – are sure to transform most viewers into their eight-year-old selves, and as was the case in the first film, the instances of cooperative fighting among heroes create some of the film’s most memorable moments (just watch what happens when Cap and Thor unite their abilities). Conversely, the skirmishes involving one Avenger against another (namely, the Stark versus Hulk battle at the center of the film’s marketing) are still fun, though they understandably lack the novelty of seeing these larger-than-life figures clash for the first time. With Captain America: Civil War coming next year, Marvel better get used to more of that ASAP.
Despite its flaws (and the fact that its story moves so fast, it’s as if Quicksilver himself were in charge of the screenplay), it’s hard not to kind of love Age of Ultron. Truly, the film throws way too many ideas onscreen, and there’s no question that it fails as a standalone piece of entertainment. However, that was never the point of the Avengers films. Whereas the solo adventures of characters like Iron Man and Captain America can (and rightfully should) be more intimate affairs, audiences flock to team-up films such as this one for the sheer joy of seeing these characters unite against a global (and, judging by the mid-credits scenes, soon-to-be cosmic) threat.
That being said, Whedon has said that he is ready to step away from the MCU, at least for a while. Although Age of Ultron is ultimately a fun film, it does show signs of fatigue and should have easily surpassed its predecessor. At this point, the fact that Joe and Anthony Russo (who directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier