Robert Downey Jr.
Chris Hemsworth
Mark Ruffalo
Chris Evans
Scarlett Johansson
Jeremy Renner
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Elizabeth Olsen
Paul Bettany
James Spader
Samuel L. Jackson

Joss Whedon

141 mins.
Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Comic Book
May 1, 2015

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments. (MPAA)

In 2015, April showers brought “Avengers: Age of Ultron” to us all, but should we be grateful?

“The Avengers,” the first installment in “The Avengers” movie franchise, had its ups and downs. Its focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. kept it from soaring. Its highs were certainly high, but its lows were pretty low, too. In this sequel, while the highs aren’t quite as high, the lows don’t seem quite as low. (S.H.I.E.L.D. is used much more judiciously, and Samuel L. Jackson is back in form as Nick Fury. His problems with writer-director Joss Whedon don’t harm his performance in this film as they likely did in the first film. He does a great job as Fury in every film except for “The Avengers,” in my opinion. You can close your mouth now.)

So, this film is more consistent overall, but it still has problems. The main problem, once again, is Whedon’s inability to create a cohesive story line. He has a lot of good (and a few great) story pieces, but there are duds, as well. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of information, but Whedon doesn’t let the information land. We zip from one point to another, regardless of the importance of the point. You really have to pay close attention most of the time: That can be exhausting and less than rewarding.

Despite that, as individuals, the Avengers are used much better in this sequel. I love the Hulk, and Whedon does a good job of crafting his relationship with Black Widow. Since the Hulk is fueled by anger, he naturally doesn’t work well with others. So, how could the Avengers keep him in control? Black Widow is an effective answer to that question. In addition, during a pivotal section of the film, Iron Man’s fight to calm the Hulk down works fairly well. While the Hulk is an Omega level superhero, one who cannot be stopped essentially, Whedon makes it work.

The Hulk isn’t the only character who’s handled well: Hawkeye is used to much greater effect in this film than he was in the first film of the franchise. Frankly, I didn’t much care for his character in “The Avengers.” Jeremy Renner did what he could, but Whedon didn’t do a great job of creating a need for him in that film. In this sequel, Hawkeye comes into his own. And Renner effortlessly gets the job done. This isn’t completely successful – the film’s dullest section, which was truly boring and arrhythmic, is located on Hawkeye’s farm – but I liked the character and found him to be worthwhile. Another positive is the use of J.A.R.V.I.S. If you don’t know what happens to J.A.R.V.I.S. in this film, good. I won’t spoil it for you. But J.A.R.V.I.S.’s transformation works pretty well, when it could have flopped.

So, again, a lot of the pieces work. But my favorite piece is Ultron himself (or itself). James Spader does a great job of bringing Ultron to life. His voice work is exceptional, and Ultron’s facial movements match Spader wonderfully. I wanted even more of him, though. Ultron’s story line is the through line of the film. It’s the major driver of this film’s momentum. When they go too far from this character and the problems he creates, especially during that farm section, everything stalls. Once again, Whedon has trouble delivering information and maintaining a narrative pulse. As a result, this film, which clocks in at almost 2 1/2 hours, seems too long. By its end, it’s not as rousing as it should be. Its predecessor had a bit more energy as it came to a close.

Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t stop thinking about “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” which was released a year ago, as I watched this film. That film, based on a Marvel comic book creation whose film rights belong to 20th Century Fox instead of to Marvel Studios, didn’t have any major problems depicting an intricate story line with multiple characters and points of view and keeping things moving. A part of that is that the X-Men were created as a group, whereas the Avengers were created as individuals. But that’s not enough of an excuse. This film simply pales in comparison. (Besides, every “X-Men” film isn’t a success. “X3” anyone?)

In regards to the 3D imagery, it was solid but largely unnecessary. When Whedon used 3D and slow motion to frame the Avengers in one master shot, that really worked. In addition, during the Scarlet Witch hallucinations, the 3D provided a welcome depth. Outside of those moments, while I liked the 3D, I didn’t think that it was used as inventively as it could have been.

Overall, despite its flaws, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a good film. Many Marvel fans will be pleased, but I’m sure that they’ll have a few gripes as they always do. (For instance, the way that Whedon uses newcomers Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch may not sit so well with them.) However, there are plenty of jokes that were written just for them. For that, I’m sure, they’ll be grateful. I didn’t laugh at many of the jokes (I did laugh at some, though), but almost all of them were in rhythm. I appreciated that. For non-Marvel fans, this film will likely work just fine. Those viewers won’t understand everything, maybe not even most of the significance of what’s going on, but they will be sufficiently entertained. I don’t expect any raves to come from them, though.

Marvel fan or not, be sure to keep watching until you see the black credits screen. You’ll get a glimpse of what’s to come in this film franchise’s next installment. Supposedly, Whedon won’t be involved. I hope that the new directors and writers improve on what he has done. These first two films were good, but there’s certainly room for improvement.

Verdict: Good

About: (Source: Avengers Age of Ultron)

Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. 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 villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk and Chris Evans as Captain America. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee and Jon Favreau serve as executive producers. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” on May 1, 2015.