Just got back from 2 hours 17 minutes of Avengery goodness – and it did feel Avengery, as in it captured the spirit of both the source comic books and the previous movie outing of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Some great stuff, some excellent set-pieces, a character arc for every major character, and a good finale.
Given that I enjoyed it very much, let’s start with what I wasn’t so fond of:
It’s probably not a spoiler now to mention that Ultron appears in the story. He gets some good characterisation, although it’s not Loki-level stuff. Most of the time the facial-capture CGI was enough to convey the actor’s expression. On a few occasions it failed for me. I felt like I got about 80% of James Spader’s performance. Likewise, the mass-battle CGI got a bit generic, reminiscent of Transformers, and somewhat too shaky-cam in places. Those could be someone else’s plus points, but not mine.
The movie covers a lot of ground quite quickly. I wonder what someone who hadn’t seen previous Marvel films might have made of it. I think Marvel assumed that there wasn’t anyone on the planet who isn’t now familiar with Infinity Stones and the characters’ backstories. Certainly most of the Avengers got moments tied to other movie events without a lot of exposition. I was fine with that, but will everyone be? This was an unashamed fanboy-fest.
The movie also juggles quite a cast, with a few brief cameos and a couple of more substantial ones. I felt that there might have been more stuff with minor cast that ended up on the cutting room floor, or maybe screwed up in the writers’ room bin. One cast member vanishes abruptly after her dramatic rescue and in never mentioned again. Another one better have a really good note from his mother about why he wasn’t there at the final showdown.
I only mention these slight incongruities because this is a story that invites a genre-savvy audience to anticipate what is coming up and revels in confirming or confounding our expectations. The disappearance of a couple of cast was sufficient to make me wonder whether there was a sudden left-field appearance due; there wasn’t, but it was enough to take me out of the story for an instant.
In the same way I felt that the initial non-Ultron villain plotline was tied up very abruptly. One significant character even dies off-screen (unless there’s something Agents of SHIELD wants to tell us). Honestly, I’d have allowed the extra running time if I’d got more follow-through.
It was clearer than ever that it was Ultimate Hawkeye who showed up in this series. I miss the real one, the snarky irrepressible loudmouth who can call a Thunder God “Goldilocks†to his face, but if we have to have the other one then he was well served in the middle and latter portions of Age of Ultron.
Finally on the negatives, I was a bit worried to detect what seemed to me to be the heavy hand of focus group input. It was like someone had combed through Avengers 1 for all the “bits that worked†and insisted they be echoed in Avengers 2. “That Hulk one liner as he punches someone – folks really liked that.†“When the heroes rip into each other…†“We need a bit where Cap is sad and lonely…†There were a wealth of great bits in Age of Ultron. Attempts to recapture the great bits of the previous movie were unnecessary.
But enough of the negative. The positive outweighs it by a metric Hulk’s-worth, with enough left over for someone to travel Rick Jones-style on his back. This was a movie that delivered summer blockbuster action but underpinned it with genuine heart, strong pacing, clever dialogue, and some fine actors. I was especially impressed that the actors put in character performances, not star performances. This felt like a seasoned troupe of actors served by a well-practised professional production crew. As it should be with Avengers, the Varsity.
One mark of a good team story is that whichever the reader/viewer’s personal favourite is, it’s possible to view the story as if it starred him or her. That favourite has character development, background revelations, tough decisions, emotional trials, and a plain old hero moment. Pick whichever Avenger you like and there’s something of that here. Banner, Natasha, and Stark probably got the meatiest arcs, Cap the best hero moment, but nobody was let behind.
It was also good that nearly every character got a substantial scene with all the others. Special mention goes to my favourite Hawkeye scene as he slides for a moment into proper-Clint Thunderbolts mode, a moment that Renner absolutely nails.
The three new additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the last of the “essential†Avengers that are likely to be added since Pym and Jan seem relegated to the past, were all well handled here. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were portrayed as properly dangerous, their powers offering different tactical challenges to the Avengers team. Bettany’s Vision managed to capture the character we know with an economy of screentime that is a tribute to actor and writer alike. None of these cast had as much focus as they perhaps deserved, but that could be deliberate to set things up for next time.
Those worrying about the lack of comedy this time round can somewhat relax. A few earlier scenes offer great camaraderie and some sly funny bits. These humanising scenes are important given the team’s troubles later. They subtly and deftly lay out the themes that will be explored as the story unfolds. There’s good humour to even the darkest moments, where a well-placed quip or reaction offers relief and texture so missing in the “grimdark†epics much beloved of modern Hollywood.
A fair portion of my own wish list got ticked off as the film progressed. I wanted to see Steve Rogers be implacable against overwhelming odds and relentlessly moral despite tough choices. I wanted Thor to have something to do other than pound things with a hammer. I wanted to see past where SHIELD and Fury were left at the end of The Winter Soldier, to “what SHIELD is meant to be†– a recognition of the lofty goals despite the devastating failure. I wanted Ultron the challenge the Avengers ethically and emotionally as well as physically. In all of these things I felt I got my money’s worth.
The movie also delivered some things I didn’t know I wanted until it gave me them; but that’s spoiler territory.
Reflecting on my viewing experience, I did not really notice the music, sound design, lighting, or sets. This was by no means a mark of failure, but rather a sign that all of these informed and enhanced the watching and listening experience. None intruded. None demanded that I shift away from the story. Almost all of it, with the exceptions I noted, was in service of the movie as a whole. It also means I have something to enjoy on subsequent viewings; you can bet there will be subsequent viewings.
Given the massive weight of expectations placed on Age of Ultron after its predecessor’s remarkable success, it would be almost impossible if the film met every criteria. My feeling was that it met well over 90% of mine, well into the A-grade zone. Critics will doubtless find things to attack it for, but they’re going to have to work hard to retain their credibility while they do it. It grabbed me from the opening shot and it kept me very happy until the credits rolled – and for a brief amount of time mid credits too.
A final comment came from my daughter, who watched the film with me. She’d seen the main trailer beforehand, the one with the clip where the team are sitting around chatting and joking about Thor’s hammer. She felt that it was really clever to establish one elements of that scene months ahead of the movie’s release, so it would be pre-embedded into much of the audience’s head for a later payoff.
So: Recommended. A big win. A great set-up for things to come. If any movie really deserves a billion dollar box office, here it is. Go watch it.
Oh, and I can see why Joss did it, but the main movie ends two seconds short. You’ll see what I mean.
IW
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