Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) by Kyle M — 19 Mar 2018

Director Joss Whedon said that there isn't a post-credit scene - except a usual Marvel note - since the shawarma scene at the end of "The Avengers" three years ago couldn't be topped. That's agreeable considering that it's not often to see superheroes going out for lunch right after a fierce battle. If the shawarma scene couldn't be topped in the Avengers' second outing at the end of the credits, could the second outing top the previous outing? Well after watching a bunch of trailers and clips, it was already topped. But after seeing the whole presentation of the film, there's an answer to that question: a game of leapfrog between the two team-ups, till player two lost its energy behind player one. The latest treat/entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "The Avengers: Age of Ultron", only settled to be at the same rating but slightly inferior to the previous team-up while the main asset is seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes re-assembled.

After the Avengers retrieved Loki's scepter from Hydra and briefly ran into the experimented Maximoff twins - Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elisabeth Olsen) and Peter/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) - Tony Stark saw a grim vision and started re-developing his peacekeeping program in order to avoid the vision from happening. While unaware of the system's self-completion, the program, labeled as "Ultron" (voiced by James Spader), went awry and was bent on human extinction. Proceeding towards his plan with the Maximoff twins at his side as they hold a grudge against Stark, the Avengers are pitted against their toughest foe yet that'll put them to the ultimate test amongst themselves if they want to overcome Ultron's reign of terror.

"The Avengers: Age of Ultron" may seem more fun at first with the experienced dynamic reunited for more, but it's not at the same level at the feeling when comparing it to the "The Avengers". Back in 2012, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reached its first destination of bringing the heroes together after appearing in solo movies. Attempted for the first time on the big screen, which spurs the awesomeness and excitement to be a film that's tough to beat. Then when they re-assembled three years later after another batch of solo outings, it's only more fun with more action sequences and furthered dynamics within the team. The film went on to official introductions of new characters to join the bunch. (Does the saying "the more, the merrier" applies to that?).

However, the main factor over its fall is the overstuffed, unbalanced writing with corny lines and multiple threads as a demonstrated improvement for "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". In the bar-raising original, there was thoroughness as the balance's core. This time, you're just stuffing it up while decently maintaining the same thoroughness, but couldn't pay much more attention to the balance, which produced flaws when trying too hard, thus failing to raise it more like the potential that the trailers presented. We got a couple key action sequences that builds up towards the climax, then the energy restores in between. That's not the unbalanced part when during the energy restoration, the Avengers reflects and a few times characteristically developed to their depth. That process is the Avengers responding to the aforementioned "ultimate test" that Ultron puts upon them.

Now the antagonist Ultron, motion captured and voiced by James Spader, is a great villain of the Marvel films in general, but the portrayal just seems underperformed albeit looking at the logics of the character of being more human that's still evolving yet advanced towards his motives. The characterization isn't only an asset but a typical quality that's based on how well-known they are through the comics and films, and how successful the portrayal was, which includes Ultron's position of being the Avenger's greatest threat yet. The character also has his moments of standing out in the script that supports to how threatening he is.

"Age of Ultron" may've been less received than the first Avengers because on how noticeably flawed it was, but it relies on the "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." episodes that'd aired around the film and thinking logically behind some parts while knowing the intentionality and fulfilled purposes of a role. Your eyes as you watch the film gives you the awesomeness and the fun excitement of the film, while your thinking cap would show you the logics, thus bringing the film up to its full assumed greatness of the entertaining value that may be at the same level. There's no such total disappointment of the written direction when it still satisfies what it delivers and combines the various qualities seen in the prior films. So seeing most of the MCU characters in one event is always exciting and fun with great friendly dynamics in-between and stirring up bunch of humorous moments at the right time, while energized by an epic soundtrack to pump things up.

Other qualities that powers the film are how the very well-executed action sequences were given some intensity and such speed to the amazing, eye-popping visual effects. But coming out of those qualities is the only flaw of miss-opportune writing that could've been written in a better fashion, except one that can be forgiven at the end that was intentionally cut off before it was completely phrased.

"The Avengers: Age of Ultron" stands as the MCU's center pole for its foretelling of story threads as it foretells Phase Three from a sneak peek of Marvel's Civil War to the Infinity War. There's a lot more where that came from as the MCU is expanding with more Marvel knowledge to learn and be quizzed on when coming to these film events. With more excitement coming up in the franchise, this particular ride had only met most of its predictions of being one of the year's best film. It may not be the franchise's absolute best, nor in Phase Two, but it's quite an acceptance for its plain "smashing" good time with the constant enjoyment and excitement at first glance. Simply put, it's lucky to be given the same rating as its predecessor, but still leaning in a threatened matter into a lesser rating. (A+).