Joss Whedon once more takes us back to the joined universe of the Avengers on Earth - not seen since Captain America: The Winter Soldier - to see the almighty six taking down HYDRA, finding some new members, and taking on some new foes. Alright, that's inaccurate - it's one new foe due to all the build up of Baron von Strucker (Kai Wulff) in the post-credits scene of Winter Soldier being all for naught since he comes up with a severe case of irrelevant and then a severer case of dead later in the film - Spoiler Alert.
Once more we return to the exciting world of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as they lay a six-man siege on the base of HYDRA leader Baron von Strucker in order to retrieve Loki's scepter. As they siege, the team is accosted by villainous not-mutants and future Avengers Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and it's clear from the jump that the world has only gotten that much darker with the defeat of the Chitauri.
This is no more clear than in Stark himself, who ends up taking Loki's scepter and discovering something within it - the makings of an artificial intelligence even more advanced than JARVIS (Paul Bettany). And, of course, the creation of Ultron (James Spader) is the impetus that finally pushes the plot along and makes the dark crank right up to eleven.
And dark is something that anyone who has seen a Joss Whedon series knows he does quite well. We're also given more than a few quiet moments that allow us to develop the characters who likely did not receive so much of it in The Avengers. Of particular note are Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Banner. Having been in all of about ten minutes of the previous Avengers film, Renner's Barton is heavily in the spotlight this time around. While I know this was partially to make up for the fact that he's barely had ten minutes of screen time before this point, it really is very jarringly obvious that that's what they were trying to do here.
However, Renner makes Clint likable as all get out, so I can't really fault him or Whedon for that.
Yes, I just said something nice about Hawkeye. Through Whedon, all things are possible.
There also appears to be a romance building between Ruffalo's Banner and Johansson's Romanoff which seemed to come out of nowhere. Apparently they've spent some time offscreen, however, since Romanoff has seemingly completely dispelled her fear of the Hulk and is able to calm him from his enraged state with a "lullaby", a coded series of gestures and words.
And of course, because it's Whedon, it's not a spoiler to say it ends in tragedy. Don't get me wrong, I actually find them a surprisingly good fit as a couple...I just really want to have seen the build up to this. Maybe Marvel could pull a nice prequel movie or something of the kind. Get on that, you people who are too busy counting their millions of dollars to pay attention to random internet critics!
And a Black Widow movie while you're at it!
Also are new Avengers Pietro and Wanda, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. They are basically the same characters as seen in their comic book equivalents...baring origin details that Marvel doesn't currently have the rights to on film. Pietro is a cocky, arrogant speedster who the entire world just moves too damn slowly around and Wanda is a rather demure, reserved individual until she really gets pissed and then it's all over but the mindrape and the screaming.
And of course, a sore subject for many, is Ultron as played by James Spader. Being not that much of a fan of the character (though having no dislike for him), I didn't have a problem with Whedon's usual brand of snarky humor being pasted into the character - especially considering that it's Stark, rather than Hank Pym, who creates him in this universe (which is a sore subject with me, but I'm letting that go). My biggest exposure to Ultron was in the Avengers: EMH cartoon, where he was incredibly cold, analytic, and all about the complete and total annihilation of humanity to save them form themselves which...is touched upon here, but a great deal of his character arc is about "evolution", as gets demonstrated by Paul Bettany's Vision.
Without wishing to spoil, Vision is brought in late in the film but isn't a complete deus ex machima because he doesn't immediately solve the problem of Ultron. And I will say that I like how Bettany has very easily adapted into the same very cold, almost clinical style of analysis that Ultron has of humanity, but tempered by his ethical programming and the knowledge of all the good that humanity can do, given the opportunity. I look forward to seeing more of him in the future, which it seems we will given how Age of Ultron serves as a great deal of set up for Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Oh, yes, the Infinity Stones come fully to the forefront of the main heroes. They had, of course, appeared in several of the films before, but this is really the first time that they have been identified by the Earth-based heroes as what they are and a greater threat being on its way is acknowledged. A threat that appears in a mid-credits scene with a very, very iconic artifact from the Marvel universe that is a total set up for Infinity War.
That's right! It's Kang the Conqueror wielding the Eye of Agamotto!
...okay, no, but you have to admit that would make an awesome movie. If being completely impossible...
In summation, good film. Don't go expecting the more lighthearted tone of the first one, because you aren't going to get that at all. The Sword of Damocles is hanging over everyone's heads, and there are indeed some rather tense moments for just about everybody - baring the people who we know are going to survive because of their place in announced future sequels.
The humor is good, the action is right off the bat and keeps going pretty strong, and we're given some good development of the characters we've come to know and love. Some of the purists might not be happy with it, but I'm sure Marvel is just crying into their piles of money as they weep.
...though seriously, Whedon, why couldn't Cap pick up Mjolnir?
...and why do you have a pathological fear of the word "Assemble"?
Avengers: Age of Ultron is now in theaters from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
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