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Post By
HH

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Visionary

Subj: Re: My own thoughts on these two having now seen it as well [spoilers in general, although I'll try not to give too much away.]
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 at 05:06:16 pm EDT
Reply Subj: My own thoughts on these two having now seen it as well [spoilers in general, although I'll try not to give too much away.]
Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 at 11:58:25 am EDT



    Quote:
    I was honestly shocked that there wasn't a single shot of the Vision walking through a wall... I have to wonder if there was something like that left on the cutting room floor. It was surprising after reading various interviews about how bringing in the Vision offered them a different power set than the usual punching and such, and then he pretty much just seemed to punch and blast his way through things. I had to really look to see him do any "reach into an Ultron-bot" thing (seemed there was a green energy effect when he did so... not sure if that was a replacement for the old Kirby Dots or just something from inside the robots)... and as you say, it wasn't entirely clear he wasn't just strong enough to shove his hand into a bot and rip out it's heart.


Whedon has already mentioned that his original cut of the film was 3.30, and that 1.10 ended up excised for the cinema version. This one really will come out on DVD with an extended Director's Cut so maybe some of that material will slip back in.

Other scenes we saw in the trailers have been removed from the cinema release too, notably one of a molten Ultron hand rising from a vat of metal and of Thor in that mystic pond with a young woman in the background. There was also a Loki scene removed.



    Quote:
    I did quite like how he was portrayed, even if his costume was a little needlessly busy (Not sure why he needed exposed bands of red on the back of his head, for instance.) But that's a very minor quibble.


I enjoyed the introduction of Vision's cape.


    Quote:
    His creation surely was a kitchen-sink affair (which, honestly, is true enough about his comic counterpart's origins)... you even left out the whole "vibranium" element from your run-down, which I assumed was going to be used to explain how he could phase-shift his density but again... never really explored. His introduction could have used a bit more easing into and a little more clarity, but I did enjoy the quick way the film demonstrated his trustworthiness.


Intriguingly, the Vision/Thor relationship was the most interesting on show here. There was more connection between these two characters in this movie than in nearly 50 years of comics. In fct I don't recall there everbeing a substantial scene between those two.


    Quote:
    Wanda was hard for me to really get a handle on... I think her next appearance will be very important in that regard. She is mostly in adversary mode here, after all. Her look doesn't really say "Scarlet Witch" to me, and her powers are a huge departure. I would have liked a better idea of whether she experiences the visions that she gives others, and if so, how that affects her own empathy for them. It seemed to hint at it, but wasn't really clear... and showing some growing remorse would have really sold it for me.


I thought her best moment was her scared-and-hiding scene with Hawkeye. She certainly needs a lot more work to be properly defined.


    Quote:
    There are indeed nods to the characters' comic relationship, although I'm not convinced they will pursue that at all in the films. However, seeing as these two are generally perceived to be among the more intriguing characters in Avengers 2, I would think at least somebody over in the Marvel offices would be mulling over the possibility of a "Vision and the Scarlet Witch" film to more fully flesh them out... with or without any actual romance. Not going to happen with the busy schedule they've already announced though.


If the rumours are true and Cap, Thor, and Iron Man are not in the next Avengers movie (Infinity War 1) then that opens the door for a whole lot more character work on the current B-listers. One reason in the comics that Vizh and Wanda got so much plot attention was that they weren't tied in to books of their own like the big three. That might work to their advantage here too, where neither blockbuster solo films nor prohibitive actor fees would restrain their use.


    Quote:
    Overall, I though the movie was a lot of fun, and highly recommend it to anyone with interest. It seems very much an entry to people already invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to me, but I've heard a lot of anecdotes that it does play well to people who haven't seen many of the films before.


It assumed familiarity, but seemed confident in its assumption, requiring audiences to catch up fast. I'm reminded of current Doctor Who, which has stopped making any apologies for what it is and is unafraid to mine 52 years of continuity when it wants to. I'm actually pleased - and shocked - that the Avengers have reached that level of public awareness to be able to pull off the same.


    Quote:
    One criticism that I've heard that I will agree with is that Ultron himself could (should) have been more intimidating. He's more another Loki in this film... a talker, who doesn't really seem very tough against the whole team. I think that the film probably used humor to defuse the tension in a few too many places where it would have been better to let the tension mount. The end result is a fun film, but not as gripping as it could have been.


I was disappointed that Thor didn't get to say, "Ultron, we would have words with thee!"






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