Marvel continues its legacy

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2015)

Every time I see a Marvel film I feel like I'm writing the same review. I don't mean that in a bad way. Marvel has created this incredibly epic world that they just keep building and building and building and while I stand by the fact that eventually they are going to collapse and over-saturate the market, so far they are doing it right. The super-hero films they have created range from good to truly great and the first Avengers film was truly great. It was a non-stop thrill ride and the definition of a great summer Blockbuster. Since then we have the second phase of films (Thor 2, Captain America 2 etc) that served to build even more complexity to this intense world they have created. Sometimes I have to wonder if they are getting too smart for their own good. Avengers: Age of Ultron doesn't even cap any of the story. It actually is yet another middle ground in this Universe but it certainly serves to bring together Earth's mightiest heroes and further their story. The first Avengers film was amazing because it was the first step we saw all these amazing heroes on one screen together and director Joss Whedon did an incredible job of balancing everyone. Age of Ultron still balances everyone pretty well but gives far more attention and depth to characters that have been secondary up until now. The film started out just a little shaky for me but by the end I was as thrilled as I always am with a Marvel flick.
One of the best things Marvel did was casting. The cast is amazing, always has been and everyone is so perfectly suited for their roles. We know these heroes so well from their own films so Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans fit back into their roles perfectly. I sort of liked that this Avengers film didn't beat us over the head with these characters in particular because we do get so much of them already. They are there and they are everything we love about them but its not too much. Mark Ruffalo actually turned out to be a terrific Hulk. Sure he never had his own film but in only a few scenes he always manages to steal the show and as an actor he manages to really convey the emotional torture of Bruce Banner in only a few scenes each film. Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner return as Black Widow and Hawkeye and are the best they have ever been. The film gives them some serious back story and detail to their characters for the first time. I've never been a huge fan of Renner or Hawkeye but he stands out this time around. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen join the cast as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch and both are good. Olsen is actually excellent and Taylor-Johnson is very underused and underdeveloped but still good. James Spader is the voice of the villainous Ultron and he is superb. His voice and personality is just absolutely dead on for Ulton. The rest of the cast is as good as they've ever been and you'll see all the familiar faces like Samuel L Jackson, Paul Bettany (who we get to see in person for the first time), Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackie.
Joss Whedon will forever be known as the man who managed to bring the Avengers to life. He says this is it for him in this Universe but his legacy will live on. In the first part of the film, which drops you squarely into the action, I was a little hesitant about where it was going. The CGI seemed a bit rough some of the trademark Avengers humour felt forced. But, thank goodness, the film finds its footing and the special effects are very good and the CGI is not overwhelmingly in your face. I felt like it did lack a truly epic moment like the first film had but it still gives you everything you could want. There are two or three battles that are outstanding and one truly epic moment that is Iron Man VS Hulk and I would literally see the movie again for that battle alone. In short, Avengers: Age of Ultron is not as good as the original but it does amazing things for the storyline and Marvel Universe and is outright entertaining. 8.5/10