Avengers: Age of Ultron

(MoviePilot)

Had I actually written this review when I first saw the movie in May, I would've started things off by saying that Avengers: Age of Ultron is 2015's best movie so far. Unfortunately for the superhero team (and for Marvel Studios), I saw The Gift in August, which I now see as the year's best so far. But with this weekend, awards season is officially off to a start, which means that The Gift probably won't stay on top for too long. But I digress.

Yes, for three and a half months, I considered Age of Ultron to be the best movie of the year. It's an astounding popcorn film that can create a fan of the superhero genre out of even the most cynical moviegoer who just can't seem to get behind the idea of watching men in capes and costumes for entertainment. But here, similar to The Dark Knight, you can enjoy the film for being a superhero movie, but also for being an impressively-made film about (super) humans grounded in a well-thought out story. And while the story (or the film itself) might not be as impressive or well-thought out as The Dark Knight, the sequel is a step above the first Avengers film on so many levels of filmmaking and storytelling. For example, I can personally guarantee you that zero amount of screentime is dedicated to seeing the characters repairing a jet engine. Oh, and Hawkeye isn't a villain for half the movie this time. Thanks, Joss Whedon!

The sequel pits the Avengers - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Scarlett Witch, and Hawkeye, - against Ultron. Initially designed by Stark and Banner to help humanity, the cybernetic artificially intelligent presence backfires and sees humanity as unredeemable. In an expected unexpected superhero movie turn, Ultron plots to destroy the world. Since Ultron (voiced by James Spader) is only a program, it needs some people doing its legwork for him. It seeks out two mutants - mind-controller Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, Godzilla) and the super-fast Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kick-Ass 2) to fend off the Avengers while it devises a plan. Of course, the good guys stop Ultron and save the day, but despite a frequent reliance on superhero cliches, the movie makes up for it with everything new and inventive it will hopefully add to the future of the genre.

From the moment the film starts, writer-director Whedon shows us we're in good hands for the next two hours. Beginning with a rousing and explosive assault in the middle of a forrest and ending with an attempt to stop a city from being used as a makeshift asteroid, the movie lets up only at the times where moments of reflection and character development remind you why you're watching and why you should care. Oh yeah, and there's the Hulkbuster too. That's pretty awesome.

Age of Ultron has raised the stakes for the Marvel superhero film. No longer are we looking at these people on screen as pretty faces being paid millions of dollars to fly around for our appeasement. Instead, we see them as characters. We hear their history, we witness their loss, we endure their struggles alongside them - and because of this, the movie about people who punch things really hard and use mind control is astounding.

Rating: 4/5