“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is full of surprises
“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the long awaited sequel to Marvel’s “The Avengers,” premiered in theaters on May 1. Directed by Joss Whedon, the movie’s plot took some unanticipated turns while still linking the conflict of the film to its prequel.
In “The Avengers” the team of superheroes assemble to defeat a fleet of aliens lead by Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth).
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” was an unexpected change in the Marvel cinematic universe, but I found myself on the edge of my seat all throughout the film. The team now faces the challenge of understanding and controlling the mysterious powers hidden within Loki’s scepter. The heroes go head to head with one another as they fight over whether or not to utilize the power that it contains. Taking the initiative, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) goes behind their backs and uses the scepter to create an artificial intelligence called Ultron (James Spader), which turns out to be a huge mistake.
The original team of Avengers was comprised of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). One of the best aspects of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was the introduction of new characters Pietro (Aaron Tyler Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), otherwise known as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Russian twins who started off working with the villains but later realized they were on the wrong side.
Wanda does almost as much damage as Ultron when she causes the Avengers to turn against one another. This was one of the plotlines of the movie that I was not expecting, but it added an interesting aspect to the film, taking it from a fight solely between hero and villain to a more complex internal battle. This separated “Avengers: Age of Ultron” from other superhero movies, causing me to always be questioning what was going to happen next.
Olsen and Johnson fit their roles to the tee. Scarlet Witch was a powerful and destructive fighter, which Olsen portrayed excellently with her expressions and tone. Quicksilver was a sarcastic and silly character who added a lighter mood to some of the dark scenes. Johnson’s fulfillment of these traits made the movie more than just a really long fight.
Because the entire movie was a seemingly never ending battle, it was important that each fight was different from the last. The choreography of the fights was creative and unpredictable, incorporating some futuristic technology, such as the Hulkbuster (an Iron-Man-like suit created to stop the hulk) and a new and improved vibranium frisbee (Captain America’s shield). With plenty of powerful heroes and villains to mix things up, the combat never had a dull moment.
However, there were some aspects of the movie that were hard to follow. For example, the sudden reincarnation of the formerly destroyed Iron Man suits and Thor’s speedy trip to a random pool in a cave that allowed them to somehow understand Loki’s scepter.
Aside from the fighting, the movie highlighted the personal stories of each character, which I enjoyed greatly. Finally, Hawkeye and Black Widow received their rightful time on screen. While Hawkeye’s story revealed his sweeter side and added cute moments to the action packed movie, Black Widow’s took an unexpected turn.
In an attempt by the writers to create a romance between the Hulk and Black Widow, the fierce assassin lost most of her characteristics and was portrayed as a nonessential member of the team. The relationship was rushed to the point where it lost all emotional value and became an unnecessary subplot. The movie would have been better off without it.
The cinematography of the movie was wonderful, not that I would expect any less. They were able to capture the emotions and expression of the heroes in intense moments while still making the action feel realistic. With all that is happening on screen, it can get a little chaotic, but they were able to show everything that is going on without it becoming overly hectic.
In addition, despite many of the fighting scenes taking place in bright daylight, they were able to make it feel just as scary and thrilling as a darker scene. This lighting forced you to focus on the action, and not on the ominous setting.
Overall, I thought “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was excellently done. It contained the right amount of unpredictable plot twists and a balance between action and emotion. And, if there’s one thing I learned from the movie, it’s that you should always “keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which.”
