Avengers: Age Of Ultron English Movie
We are living in the era of superheros, and in the middle of an unprecedented streak of well made, reasonably smart, highly enjoyable ultra-high budgeted action extravaganzas. Not only are they darker in tone (thanks, Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton), but also whacky and weirder than ever before. The sole exception to all of these new-found positives, of course, is the Transformers franchise, that continues to baffle in terms of its stupidity and downright mediocrity.
Amongst the large number of people that have made this success possible, one name that lies at the very top of the list is of writer-director Joss Whedon, a true comic book aficionado who has managed to attain Geek God status. He has had a massive impact on the comic book subculture throughout the world, via his films and cult classic TV shows that are characterized by a certain visual flair and snappy humor. He reached a whole new level of popularity and, in all likelihood, immortality with Marvel's Avengers in 2012, a slightly-underwhelming-but-still-a-massive-achievement film that changes the rules of the game.
This week, Whedon returns with the sequel to Avengers, which is also his final Avengers film (*fountain of tears alert*). Whedon has been carefully supervising all other major films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to arrive at the point from where Age of Ultron takes off. Tony Stark, fearing that the lives of his fellow Avengers could inevitably be cut short by their frequent wars against alien and supernatural beings, designs an Artificial Intelligence program Ultron to guard the world. Unfortunately, the AI has some plans of it's own when it comes to achieving the "peace of his times": wiping out mankind. It's now up to the Avengers to foil Ultron's scheme.
Age of Ultron wastes no time in its efforts to give you a bang for your buck. Having no need to set up characters and their relationships, already established in joint and solo films in the past, it jumps right into creating Stark's own Frankenstein monster, which threatens to create disharmony amidst an already uncoordinated, disordered and maladjusted team of saviors (with a little help of the Jedi mind tricks by the Scarlet Witch). Soon enough, the Hulk is angered, machines are trampled, cars and trucks are balled up, whole buildings are demolished without a care in the world, missiles and laser beams are fired like throwing hay to the cattle.
But the responsibility of safeguarding the safety and integrity of the entire free world rests on your shoulders, you eventually have to suck it up and play your part. Which leads to more jaw-slacking, eye-widening, awe-inspiring action, interspersed with Whedon's uncanny ability to inject humor at the most unexpected of times and find emotion in the most mechanical of situations.
For a person who's spent the greater part of his career creating and directing TV shows, that operate at a scale much smaller than films, Whedon has a perfect grasp on going the whole hog in creating a spectacle like no other. In fact, he builds on the already massive star cast and barrage of superheros by digging deep into his comic book reserves and coming up with worthy allies and a capable foe. At no point does he appear overwhelmed by the task at hand, which is unbelievably massive.
The master puppeteer that Whedon is, he finds a perfect balance between action and emotion, between humor and thrills, and between the array of huge stars. Rather than allotting screen time on the basis of level of stardom, he instead focuses on the story to be told. Undoubtedly, Iron Man is at the front and center of all the happenings, being the most popular character of them all and also the catalyst that sets in motion the proceedings in the film. But Whedon never give the appearance of cramming in as much star power as he can into those slim 144 minutes (taking into account the massive size of the film). Instead, he puts to use some of the smaller, fringe characters from other solo films. He even finds time for a romantic track and a (possible) love triangle within the Avengers team.
In fact, he takes great time and care in answering the one question that has been on everyone's mind since the first Avengers film: does the team really need Hawkeye, a mere mortal whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrows? He cleverly addresses the mortality of Hawkeye's character, all the while stressing that he plays a huge part in bringing unity and cohesiveness to the team.
The only element that doesn't work as convincingly is the back story of the brother-sister pairing of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, whose parents were killed by some of Tony Stark's inventions when they were kids. The film never really delves into their past to make your actually care for their heartbreak and to forgive them for the bad choices they've made.
But it's hard to be bothered by such trivial matters when you're having a blast watching all the people on-screen having a blast trying to prevent blasts of a very different kind. Plus, where the film gains an edge over some of the other superhero films is in its antagonist Ultron. Rather than going with a mysterious, mythical other-worldly villain, the film finds one that is not only relevant to today's times of technological dependence, but also one who's powerful and smart enough to take down the whole Avengers team singlehandedly (or actually, using an army of robotic soldiers that basically run on his brain). At times, taking down Ultron genuinely appears to be a task slightly bigger than they could handle, which is a big achievement considering that everyone knows the end result.
Whedon whips up a plot that isn't much, if you simply look at it. It's elementary enough to make you worry for the film. But Whedon has always been one with his eye on the big picture, which is exactly the purpose that the screenplay serves. He comes with about surprises and wit to overcome any plot deficiencies. But above and all, he comes up with a preposterous finale, one that involves flying cities and transferring of consciousness and even overcharged flow of emotions.
He also collaborates wonderfully with cinematographer Ben Davis, who did a splendid job with the Guardians of the Galaxy, to give the film a more spectacular look than usual. There are times during the massive action sequences when the camera work and the cuts (edited by Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek) are a little too quick to be able to comprehend everything that's going down, but the film remains technically efficient otherwise.
Robert Downey Jr. returns as himself in his much beloved role of Tony Stark/Iron Man, and he does what he does best: play a mean SOB with a heart of gold. His tomfoolery and banter remain as charming and fresh as when he first took on the role, and he continues to put the softer, caring side of his character to good use. Chris Evans, too, is as charming as ever playing Steve Rogers/Captain America. Even though his character is comparatively less important this time around as it was in the previous Avengers, Evans still finds a way to make his mark.
Thor aka Chris Hemsworth seems to be getting better at playing his mystical character with each passing film. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk is one character that has been at the receiving end of most tinkering, and for the better. Bringing out a more emotional side to a character that supposedly feels nothing but anger is a move in the right direction, and Ruffalo is as able as ever playing anything and everything. Scarlet Johansson's character of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow finally gets a history, a compelling one at that, and Johansson is as good at appearing vulnerable as she is at kicking some villainous ass.
Jeremy Renner gets a more meatier part this time around as Hawkeye, and he makes good use of the opportunity. Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the two newcomers, are good despite the fluctuating depth of their Eastern accents. Paul Bettany finally gets to be more than just the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., appearing as Vision, but it's hardly the kind of character that requires much of a performance. James Spader unsurprisingly impresses as the body and voice of Ultron. Considering what a badass Spader is, he makes full use of his humorous yet hypnotic-deadpan manner to bring alive the deranged robot with a God complex. Even though he isn't on-screen in the most literal manner, it's hard to shake off the effects of his performance at times, particularly after some of his rants about humanity.
Avengers: Age of Ultron ultimately is not just a marvelously entertaining piece of cinema, but also a masterclass by Joss Whedon on how to take charge of so many continuously moving pieces and how to never forget the human in the superhuman. If bombastic action is what you seek, Age of Ultron is your salvation. If dollops of humor is your cup of tea, that's what you'll get in this Avengers sequel. If you're looking for a superhero film with a heart, your search ends here. Avengers: Age of Ultron is not just a film, it's a spectacle of magnanimous proportions. To put it in terms that's easily accessible to today's texting youth, Joss Whedon + Robert Downey Jr. + James Spader = #win.
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