Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

by Helen Earnshaw | 24 April 2015

Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Rating: 4.5/5

Avengers: Age of Ultron is THE movie that I have been looking forward to all year and it has finally hit the big screen... and, for me, it did not disappoint. It may not have quite hit the dizzy heights of Avengers Assemble - which remains my favourite Marvel movie - but it is an action packed ride that really is a lot of fun.

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance.

As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

All of the trailers that we have been treated to in recent weeks and months really have been action packed - and that is how the film starts, with the Avengers taking down a major Hydra stronghold. It is action all the way in one of the most explosive openings to a Marvel film EVER.

The Avengers are also a cohesive unit and are working together and fighting to protect one another - which is great to see after the trials and tribulations of Avengers Assemble. There is also time for some witty banter and taking the mic out of the Capt. for his line 'can we watch the language.'

However, it is not all about the action in Age of Ultron, as Joss Whedon has beautifully weaved in some quite moments that give us a greater insight into our heroes. Not to mention, the relationships between the central characters is more complex than ever before.

I was not wild about the idea of a romantic link between Bruce Banner and Black Widow - even when the credits rolled I was not sold on it and think it could have been played another way. Instead of talking about running away together, they should have been depicted more as kindred souls rather than wannabe lovers. Having said that, the scenes where Black Widow is able to talk Hulk down are some of the best in the film as they do show a real connection between these two characters.

This is another terrific movie for the Black Widow character as another layer is peeled away from this assassin with the dark and rather mysterious past. We get a brief glimpse of her former commander - played by Julie Delpy - and leave some heartbreaking from her past.

With every movie we are seeing more and more of this character - surely Marvel has to see the sense of a solo film? I am excited to see her back in Captain America: Civil War and the 'team' relationship that she has with Rodgers explored even further.

When it comes to character development, no one has a great arc in this film than Hawkeye - a character and an Oscar nominated actor that was terribly underused in Avengers Assemble. It is a terrific exploration of this character and how he is torn by the two duties he has - I totally did not see this coming and I think Renner, Linda Cardellini, and Johansson play is so beautifully.

The new additions to the cast list are also great. You couldn't have got a more perfect and chilling villain than James Spader as Ulton. He has one of those deep voices that he can fill with menace and send a shiver running down your spine. He is a worthy adversary for the Avengers and proves to be their biggest test and greatest battle to date.

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are also terrific additions as they find themselves on both side of the fight throughout the film. Elizabeth Olsen in particular is terrific and it is great to another very strong female role on display. It is rumoured that she will be joining the Captain America: Civil War cast list - I hope that this turns out to be true as there are just so many places that you could do as her character is developed further.

However, Age of Ultron is not a movie that is all about how great the Avengers are. This movie really does question if they are a force for good or if they are part of the problem. Are they just as monstrous as the villains? Which really does set up the storyline for Civil War nicely.

Once again, Whedon has juggled multiple storylines and characters with great aplomb, as he has given us some eye-popping and heart stopping action with some quiet moments that have allowed further and more interesting character development. Surprisingly, there is less humour in Age of Ultron than in Marvel films gone by, but I think that this fits well with the darker and grittier tone that Whedon has gone for.

At 141 minutes, I did think that the movie was a tad long and perhaps there was a little too much going on and too many characters at some points. However, Whedon managed to keep all of the plates spinning to deliver a film that is action packed, intelligent, fun, and heartbreaking.

Age of Ultron is not a movie that has brought Phase 2 to a close, instead it has very much set up future movies - especially Captain America Civil War - as well as nodding forward to Infinity War. While Age of Ultron is not quite as good as Avengers Assemble, it is still a terrific ride that was everything that I was hoping for.