"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Hello, movie fans!

Are any of you in the mood to talk about superhero movies? I always am, so today I am continuing my goal of reviewing as many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films as I can in 2021!

Time sure moves quickly. While I wasn’t part of the fandom for the MCU yet, I remember when this movie came out. Now that was 6 years ago!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This review is completely spoiler free for this film and for all others in the franchise. Because it is such a complicated “universe” of films and so much happens, I will be more vague with each coming review. I want you to experience all the twists and turns for yourself without worry that I’m telling you too much!

I’m here to help you get the best experience, so do as I say and not as I do. With so many movies there has to be a way to organize them, right? Well, there is! There are two ways in fact of watching. They are:
In the order which they were made:
Iron Man (2008)The Incredible Hulk (2008)Iron Man 2 (2010)Thor (2011)Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)The Avengers (2012)Iron Man 3 (2013)Thor: Dark World (2013)Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015)Ant-Man (2015)Captain America: Civil War (2016)Dr. Strange (2016)Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Spider-man: Homecoming (2017)Thor: Ragnarok (2017)Black Panther (2018)Avengers: Infinity War (2018)Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)Captain Marvel (2019)Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).
Or chronological order:
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)Captain Marvel (2019), Iron Man (2008)Iron Man 2 (2010)Thor (2011)The Incredible Hulk (2008)The Avengers (2012)Iron Man 3 (2013)Thor: Dark World (2013)Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 (2014)Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)Avengers: The Age of Ultron (2015)Ant-Man (2015)Captain America: Civil War (2016)Black Panther (2018)Spider-man: Homecoming (2017)Dr. Strange (2016)Thor: Ragnorok (2017)Avengers: Infinity War (2018)Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)Avengers: Endgame (2019), & Spider-man: Far From Home (2019).

If you have never seen a Marvel movie, then this one probably isn’t the best to start with. At the very least it is best to see The Avengers (2012) first, as this is the second on in that series. It isn’t vital, but nice addition to that to know some backstory from characters that I listed above. Enjoy!


Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015):
Based on: The Avengers comics - by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
“No matter who wins or loses, trouble always comes around.”
The Avengers have stepped into a rhythm of keeping the earth save. On one mission they run into a strange duo: a boy breaking the possibilities of speed and a girl who’s strange power puts foreboding thoughts into ones mind. Or are they visions of the future? Scared, one of the Avengers decides to build peace keeping technology that would work as a shield around the entire world, named Ultron. With something of that big a magnitude, something is likely to go wrong. This protector revolts, becoming a weapon with a mind of its own. The Avengers face a never before seen threat: a robot that can replicate itself, move around the globe in seconds, and wants to destroy the world instead of saving it. Ultron joins up with the super siblings and each Avenger has nightmares put in their heads from the girl and are now afraid of losing everything. How will they beat this trio in addition to the hundreds of new robots Ultron created? Will making a new piece of technology strengthen their chances or only weaken them?
‘“No way we all get through this...”
“I got no plans tomorrow night.”’
Genres: 
Superhero, Action, Science-Fiction.
Length: approx. 141 minutes.
Script: 7. There is an amount of swearing and name calling. But, I am a lot like Captain America who is always telling everyone not to swear. It backfires a few times which is funny. I appreciate the effort of course!
“Whoa ho ho! You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
Crew: Directed by: Josh Whedon. Written by: Josh Whedon.
Starring:
I’m not going to tell you everyone who is starring in this movie because there are so many spoilers. I’ll only name a few and you’ll have to guess the rest by pictures and be surprised by others.
James Spader as Ultron. “It is fortunate because I am mighty.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff.
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff.
Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S..
Linda Cardellini as Laura.
Claudia Kim as Helen Cho.
Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue.
Idris Elba as Heimdall.
Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig.
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill.
Costumes: 8. Average, I would say. Nothing bad and people have really cool costumes/suits that go with their capabilities as superheroes.
Cinematography: 8. I get a little annoyed with how much CGI there is, but that is a minor quibble when there are so many neat things! I especially like how the scenes with the Maximoffs are done.
Cinematography by: Ben Davis.
Music: 8. It has the classic Avengers theme, of course, which makes me very happy whenever I hear it. The rest seems more dramatic than dynamic, but that’s no a bad thing.
Music by: Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman.
Notes: A fun fact is that this is the second most expensive film ever made! The production cost clocked in around 365 million dollars.
Quotability:
9. No one can deny Marvel’s knack for amazing lines! There is so much I quote from this movie especially that I could write a whole post about everything that Clint ever says.
“You didn’t see that coming?”
Content: 7. There is violent fighting, with people getting hurt and killed. In addition to that there is one or two fairly suggestive lines. I didn’t appreciate one comment about “multiplying faster that a Catholic rabbit”, but that’s just me. Ultron feels like he is a “god” so there is a lot of discussion around that. It really depends on the day how I feel about that. Sometimes I feel that it’s well done when with others I think it’s overdone. It has great messages, I just want you guys to be aware of that stuff.
“You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed... walk it off.”
Originality:
10. Fighting robots is classic sci-fi, but this took it up a level! I love the introduction of new characters as well as the simple camaraderie between the avengers. This movie is an excellent example of character driven stories! Everything is fueled by the characters. They make mistakes then try to fix them. It’s the human condition and it’s what I love to see!
Good For:
Anyone who loves characters with fantastic arcs, anyone who likes superhero movies, anyone who likes found families, anyone who loves stories where characters sacrifice a lot.
Age Range: This is PG-13 and I agree with that. It is very intense with the fighting, but I would actually say it isn’t as extreme as others because it is fighting against robots and not humans. This could be fine for kids younger than that because of how it’s all handled, though the machines themselves are terrifying. It all depends on the tolerability of the person watching.
Overall Score:
8!
Worth watching?: Yes! These characters mean so much to me and this is a fabulous step in all of their arcs. It gives such a dark view of humanity from Ultron’s perspective but our brave heroes fight against it showing how much people matter. I love it! The first time I watched it I was recovering from having my wisdom teeth pulled and it was perfect to captivate me.
Will I watch again?: Yes, yes, yes! Watching Marvel movies is a big commitment because once you see one you want to watch all other 22, but regardless of knowing that I want to see this again soon. I always get something new out of it.
Bonus thoughts:
“Already tried the mind-control thing. Not a fan.”
This movie somehow takes something seemingly ridiculous and makes it a complex problem to solve. This is said to be one of the least liked films in the franchise, yet the majority of people I talk to about it love it. Why? Because you are so attached to the characters. Each has morals, goals, while fighting fears--even about themselves--and you want them to win so badly. Do they? You’ll have to find out for yourself. Granted, it took a twist with a character that no one was prepared for. Some people don't like it, and I don't blame them as I was surprised, but it's my favorite character so I can't bring myself to have any problems with it. In hindsight it was a brilliant addition!
I am a sucker for sacrifice for the sake of a cause or person, so this film has some of my favorite moments in the universe. It’s obviously not for everyone, but I would say it’s well worth a chance.




Thanks for reading, everyone! Tell me where you are on the spectrum of liking this movie? Let’s talk about all things Marvel! I have a lot of posts planned for the end of this month, participating in several blog parties, so stay tuned for that!

MovieCritic

8 comments:

  1. Age of Ultron is fun, even if it's not quite as good as the first one. I think it has a lot of funny lines, and some you might not notice the first time around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is fun! I love that Marvel makes sure to add humor to keep the viewers engaged. You're right, I notice more with this one each time around!

      Delete
  2. Ahhhh I LOVE THIS MOVIE! (You know that already. I just feel like I have to say it again, because, AGE OF ULTRON. *cough*)
    It has so many of my favorite tropes, and my favorite characters being amazing, and the AVENGERS TOWER (I squealed so hard the first time we got to see inside the tower...just ask Legolas.) Plus, philosophy! And some of my favorite lines ever! It's just the best of all possible worlds! (I could go on and be specific, but in the interest of not making this comment GARGANTUAN, I'm not going to. :)) (But seriously, I can't understand people being upset about the Clint stuff? That was just awesome!)

    Wow, I had no idea that it was the second most expensive movie ever! That's...kind of strange, actually.

    I honestly just thought the "multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit" line was funny, but that's just me. I can see how if someone didn't know about Catholicism, it might be misconstrued.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NEVER STOP SAYING IT! Age of Ultron is so underrated so I will happily talk about it forever with anyone willing. (and gargantuan (I always forget about that word so thank you for reminding me of its excellence. I will be using it a lot now) comments are more than welcome! :D)
      Oh, what are some of your favorite tropes that it features? One of my all time favorites is sacrifice and this has plenty of that (I mean all of Marvel does, but don't distract me from my point! XD) and I LOVE IT. The Avengers Tower! That Stan Lee cameo is great. XD Of course he and Thor would get into that. Philospoy is never turned down! The lines are brilliant. I was quite shocked by the Clint stuff first, but then, you know me, I became absolutely obsessed. He is the best in this and Endgame! (and every other movie that he appears in...)

      Isn't it? I guess it was all the CGI that went into making the Ultrons? It's weird to think about.

      I am very sensitive to things that can be misconstrued so if I know that people who understand are watching then I wouldn't worry. Like you and me. :)

      Delete
  3. I like this movie. I wouldn't say it's one of my top favorites, but I like it very much. Especially the introduction of the twins. I love lots of the dialogue, too. Great review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I think it's about 12th in my favorites (oddly specific, I know, lol). The twins and the dialogue are absolutely killer here. Aww, thanks McKayla!

      Delete
  4. James Spader did such a good job at voicing Ultron

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He really did! There is just the right amount of menace and greed!

      Delete

To comment, or not to comment? That is the question. Whatever you decide, I would love to hear from you!! I am always open to suggestions, advice, and any other comments! Even if you don't agree with me, I would love to hear from you as long as you keep the comment respectful and on subject. And, please, no swearing. I love comments on old posts!!
My computer won't let me leave comments, so it might take a few days, but I will reply!

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles