Fanboys Anonymous

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the much-anticipated sequel to 2012's billion-dollar smash The Avengers. The movie brings back our favorite cast, consisting of Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, Chris Evans's Captain America, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye, Colbie Smulders as Maria Hill, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. It also introduces Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro/Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as The Vision, and James Spader as the villainous robot Ultron. The plot revolves around the rise of the titular robot as he tears apart The Avengers and wreaks havoc across the world. The Avengers, along with new members, must team up to save the day.

The time has come!

Joss Whedon and company give us fast-paced superhero action that will immediately bring a smile to any comic book geek's face. Audiences will get sucked in as The Avengers face off against remaining HYDRA forces still active in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a recurring antagonist seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The playful banter and quotable, laugh-out-loud lines between the cast members, particularly Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) show how these beloved heroes have now effectively transitioned into a well-oiled machine that routinely performs the take-down raids on HYDRA. Personally I would like to see this kind of team dynamic in more films in this genre, like, say, the future Power Rangers movie? Pretty please?

Now that's a team!

We then finally see the on-screen debut of the Maximoff twins, Pietro and Wanda. First created in the comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 1960s, they were initially presented as mutants and the children of famed X-men villain Magneto. Here, their backgrounds have been vastly reimagined for the MCU's take on things. Just like in the comics, they were presented as villains who wanted revenge on The Avengers for their past actions; later on they learn what is the right thing to do and become heroes. Their character arcs in the movie took interesting turns, and some would say that what they've done with the Maximoffs is a way of conveying to the audience that Marvel can be a little serious when it comes to the super-heroic deeds of its characters.

The new kids on the block

James Spader as the titular villain Ultron brings to the table a psychotic and mentally unstable robot and essentially challenged my own preconceived notion about the character. Initially I believed that Ultron is an autonomous being much in the same vein as Skynet from The Terminator franchise, except with a body to walk around in. This was seen in some adaptations of the character, such as the short-lived beloved animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Whedon's Ultron was a bit different, though. Spader shows a character that is both funny and merciless at times. Loki's arc was built up across two films and is still continuing today, and sadly we did not get that kind of buildup in Phase 2. However, I have a strong feeling that Ultron's actions among our heroes will create strong consequences leading into Captain America: Civil War and beyond, particularly considering that Ultron was Tony Stark's creation.

There are no strings on me!

Another new introduction to The Avengers is none other than Paul Bettany's android superhero The Vision. It was rather interesting watching the scenes between JARVIS, The Vision, and Ultron play out. It gave some commentary on what an outsider would see in humanity and whether or not we are making the right decisions. I wonder if The Vision will have these same thoughts when it's time to pick a side much later on. Audiences will also enjoy his scenes when he brings his own humor to the table as his fair share of action.

Hulk & Widow?!

The sudden relationship between Black Widow and the Hulk was an interesting highlight. Scarlett Johansson has such a natural chemistry with most of the Avengers cast, usually with folks like Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man 2 and Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. A Hulk/Widow relationship isn't that unusual; Ruffalo and Johansson can pull it off and sell it to the audience, and it'll be worth watching to know what happens next here.

In the last movie, Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye played by Jeremy Renner, was unfairly shafted when Loki made him his servant for a good majority of the film. Awhile back it was said that Joss Whedon wanted to do something new with Hawkeye and flesh his character out. This was achieved in the film as we actually delve into Hawkeye's background and character. It was rather similar to how he was portrayed in the Marvel Comics reimagining of The Avengers in the book The Ultimates by Mark Millar. Audiences will walk away with respect for Barton and his character's motivations and will be entertained by his interactions with the Maximoff twins.

Hawkeye in action at last!

Like most of Phase 2 so far, the film is rather self-contained in nature. The beginning, middle, and end are clear cut, and events are wrapped up. However, in the back of my mind I know this is not the case, unlike Iron Man 3 or Thor: The Dark World. As I watched the final scenes with Tony and Steve, two characters who have clearly built up a great friendship, I can't help but wonder if this is the last happy moment that these characters will have before we have to pick a side for Civil War. Just like with the last film, the mid-credits scene (there's only one, really, there's absolutely nothing after) makes me wonder how everything will tie together.

The Big 3!

Overall, The Avengers: Age of Ultron is a marvelous sequel that builds upon the events of the MCU with great action scenes and dialogue. Interesting turns were taken as moments transpired. The seeds were clearly planted for a civil war much later. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.

Grade: A+

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