Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

[KATCH-2D2]

Only just realized, Anyone else remember that the Infinity Gauntlet is in Asgard in the first Thor movie?

 

Does that mean Thanos basically just laid waste to Asgard for it, could he be in Ragnarok? 

My guess is it has something to with how TDW ended. Maybe Loki did something to Odin so Asgard had no protectors hence Thanos could easily take over. Ragnarok is going to be the last movie before IW, isn't it? So maybe Thanos could reveal himself as the big baddie behind the main villain.

[Jessie]

So anyways I should review this.

 

The film is obviously disappointing. Ultrons creation imo was far too rushed, I didn't like how he was created in the space of around 5 minutes of the film, then there we have it, heres our villain. the best part of Ultron was his voice, however he wasn't threatening in the slightest. How hard is it to create a villain that is actually going to give the Avengers a challenge? Seriously at one point in the film Captain America (the weakest of the lot) is able to give him a run for his money. Watching the Avengers fight all of Ultrons minions was quite frankly boring this time, there was no originality to it, the action most of the time was pretty poor with the exception of Iron Man/Hulk fight. Its funny that people slate Michael Bay so much for his over excessive action scenes yet Bay destroyed just one building in TF3 which was far more effective and impressive than the hundreds of tumbling buildings we see in this movies climax.

 

On the plus side there are some funny moments, but unfortunately for every funny moment is a joke that falls flat. It was like they had a checklist before making this movie in bullet points

 

• Destroy at least 20 buildings
• Add at least 5 lines of humour in every action scene, whether they are actually funny or not is irrelevant
• Focus entirely on the Avengers saving civilians to avoid criticism.

Best moment:

 

Thors face when Cap almost lifts his hammer

 

C

[Asyulus]

Ill give this beyond A+

11/10

[James]

Ok, I'll eat my crow: this was fuckin great! How are people actually preferring the first Avengers over this. The first one was incredibly dull, but this. OMG, was it awesome! The action scenes were really great, Marvel FINALLY had a good villain, which I actually felt sorry for. I really sympathized with Ultron.

My favourite sene was the city rising from the ground. That was epic. I had some problems with Vision as a character. He seemed pretty unexceptional after all the blah blah blah with that stone, but oh well, it was just a minor setback.

Even Cap managed not to annoy me this time, which is incredible and, per se, the best character was Ultron, followed by Tony.

I also really enjoyed the slightly darker tone. Couldve been even better from this POV, but oh well.

 

A

[Jessie]

Ok, I'll eat my crow: this was fuckin great! How are people actually preferring the first Avengers over this. The first one was incredibly dull, but this. OMG, was it awesome! The action scenes were really great, Marvel FINALLY had a good villain, which I actually felt sorry for. I really sympathized with Ultron.

My favourite sene was the city rising from the ground. That was epic. I had some problems with Vision as a character. He seemed pretty unexceptional after all the blah blah blah with that stone, but oh well, it was just a minor setback.

Even Cap managed not to annoy me this time, which is incredible and, per se, the best character was Ultron, followed by Tony.

I also really enjoyed the slightly darker tone. Couldve been even better from this POV, but oh well.

 

A

The rising city was pretty badass. If I'm being honest, I think this is similar to the first Avengers. Starts off shit, progressively gets better and better throughout. The first hour of both movies imo aren't that great.

[dashrendar44]

The rising city was pretty badass. If I'm being honest, I think this is similar to the first Avengers. Starts off shit, progressively gets better and better throughout. The first hour of both movies imo aren't that great.

 

That long shot opening TA2 is gazillion times more exciting than the lame Loki entrance to bring you into the movie from the get go. Really TA's first act up until the Helicarrier's brawl is a real slog to sit through you're asking yourself if you aren't watching a cheap ABC TV series instead of the 220M tentpole of the summer, it only picks up its pace after the second act and culminates in the bombastic third act. On the contrary, TA2 comes to a complete halt in the second act after the Hulkbuster brawl after a brisk and bombastic opening In Media Res and the antagonist's creation then never really recovers clogging and limping its way until the end even if the final battle is supposed to be climactic. Too much things going on that didn't quite gel.

Edited April 28, 2015 by MADash Rendar

[Squaremaster316]

His opinion sucks.. Deal with it..

 

Better and more accurate than yours.

 

Face it, when it comes to the best this genre has to offer, AoU has been measured... and found wanting.

[Jessie]

Better and more accurate than yours.

 

Face it, when it comes to the best this genre has to offer, AoU has been measured... and found wanting.

 

I think its safe to say you are both as bad as each other.

[Jessie]

That long shot opening TA2 is gazillion times more exciting than the lame Loki entrance to bring you into the movie from the get go. Really TA's first act up until the Helicarrier's brawl is a real slog to sit through you're asking yourself if you aren't watching a cheap ABC TV series instead of the 220M tentpole of the summer, it only picks up its pace after the second act and culminates in the bombastic third act. On the contrary, TA2 comes to a complete halt in the second act after the Hulkbuster brawl after a brisk and bombastic opening In Media Res and the antagonist's creation then never really recovers clogging and limping its way until the end even if the final battle is supposed to be climactic. Too much things going on that didn't quite gel.

 

Yeah it was an okay shot imo, but it looked really fake.

[Deep Wang]

I don't recount how many times thoughout the movie Ultron and his petty Oedipian complex get blasted to smithereen just to come again and again and again. 

 

You do realize that Oedipus was all about his mom, right?  Not his dad.

[Deep Wang]

I forgot about IM3 ending. There is no explanation about why he is still using IM suit and Iron Legion.

 

 

Yeah it kind of feels like a retcon

 

At the end of Iron Man Three, he literally says, "I am Iron Man."  

[Deep Wang]

So anyways I should review this.

 

The film is obviously disappointing. Ultrons creation imo was far too rushed, I didn't like how he was created in the space of around 5 minutes of the film, then there we have it, heres our villain. the best part of Ultron was his voice, however he wasn't threatening in the slightest. How hard is it to create a villain that is actually going to give the Avengers a challenge? Seriously at one point in the film Captain America (the weakest of the lot) is able to give him a run for his money. Watching the Avengers fight all of Ultrons minions was quite frankly boring this time, there was no originality to it, the action most of the time was pretty poor with the exception of Iron Man/Hulk fight. Its funny that people slate Michael Bay so much for his over excessive action scenes yet Bay destroyed just one building in TF3 which was far more effective and impressive than the hundreds of tumbling buildings we see in this movies climax.

 

On the plus side there are some funny moments, but unfortunately for every funny moment is a joke that falls flat. It was like they had a checklist before making this movie in bullet points

 

• Destroy at least 20 buildings
• Add at least 5 lines of humour in every action scene, whether they are actually funny or not is irrelevant
• Focus entirely on the Avengers saving civilians to avoid criticism.

Best moment:

 

Thors face when Cap almost lifts his hammer

 

C

 

They didn't so that to avoid criticism, they did that because that's what they do.

[dashrendar44]

You do realize that Oedipus was all about his mom, right?  Not his dad.

 

Yeah I know but the prophecy about him is that Oedipus kills his dad to take his place on the throne so he could bang his mom. Oedipus is not all about the incestuous love to your mom, despising the dad to the point of commiting patricide and replace him as well.

Edited April 29, 2015 by MADash Rendar

[ShouldIBeHere]

I think its safe to say you are both as bad as each other.

 

 

One of them has at least seen this flick, though.

[Jessie]

They didn't so that to avoid criticism, they did that because that's what they do.

I know but it took up the majority of the climax, it was like "okay we get it, you're keeping The civilians safe". In the first movie they we able to over come this with a few lines spoken by Captain America, in this they felt the need to spend the majority of the movies climax focuses solely on saving civilians.

[Jessie]

One of them has at least seen this flick, though.

It baffles me that Squaremaster has actually seen this given his obvious hate for the MCU movies. If I hated a certain franchise, I wouldn't turn up for the sequels.

[Infernus]

Yeah I know but the prophecy about him is that Oedipus kills his dad to take his place on the throne so he could bang his mom. Oedipus is not all about the incestuous love to your mom, despising the dad to the point of commiting patricide and replace him as well.

Do you guys actually know anything about Oedipus? He didn't kill his dad coz he hated him, it was just a mistake. Similarly, he didn't bang his mom knowingly. He was abandoned as an infant which was why he couldn't recognize his own parents. When these mistakes finally came to light, he punished himself by blinding himself and stuff. Also Oedipan Complex is a psychological term that denotes the suppressed sexual desires one feels towards the parent of the opposite sex as a child.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Infernus

[Deep Wang]

I'm trying to put my thoughts into words about this, but there's kind of a lot to talk about and I need to see it again.  

 

Basically I was just sitting there for most of the first half just watching it.  Not really engaged in anyway or too involved with what was ultimately going on.  The opening set piece was cool, and there are some nice moments sprinkled in here and there, but it didn't feel very cohesive.  Pacing felt a little off.  

 

I honestly think the Hulk/Hulkbuster fight is pretty bad.  I am now that guy that will say I had a hard time really seeing what was going on as most of the fight was close up and quick cuts.  

 

It wasn't until they get to the safe house that things started to click for me.  All the small moments with the characters really are the best parts of the movie.  I'm all in with Nat and Bruce, their stuff was fantastic. The pay off at the end with Hulk sitting alone in the jet was just so perfect.  

 

I think there's a lot more going on in this movie than at first glance, I just need to dig into it a little more.  

 

Sorry for the random thoughts.  I really liked it, but I also really need to see it again.

[dashrendar44]

Do you guys actually know anything about Oedipus? He didn't kill his dad coz he hated him, it was just a mistake. Similarly, he didn't bang his mom knowingly. He was abandoned as an infant which was why he couldn't recognize his own parents. When these mistakes finally came to light, he punished himself by blinding himself and stuff. Also Oedipan Complex is a psychological term that denotes the suppressed sexual desires one feels towards the parent of the opposite sex as a child.

 

Yeah, because of the sphinx yadda yadda, I didn't say it was a perfect allegory. The thing is there is some sort of twisted Frankenstein's myth melt with Oedipian's accents here and there (The Creation killing the father out of existential torment and fulfilling a prophecy bringing tragedy and misery despite thinking doing what's good for him). The fact that Vision is the prodigal son and Ultron is the vilified son of Stark as well can be seen as an Abel and Cain throwback.

 

Ultron's comics was more oedipian because he had a strange infatuation with Janet Van Dyne, wife of his creator Hank Pym.

Edited April 29, 2015 by MADash Rendar

[Captain Craig]

A-

 

I found the film wholly enjoyable. It still captured the fun and camaraderie of the first film while still moving things along.

 

PROS

Hawkeye - *he's married w/kids*, that is a stark departure from the comics. My AoS cameo now exists for entirely different reasons. Still, taken to account that explains how he was able to be "fatherly" in that scene with Wanda about "step out and your an Avenger". That whole scene was solid. If we didn't know he was slated for CA:CW then it seemed obvious they were setting him up to die!

 

Natasha/Banner - Nat has shown in the comics that due to her unorthodox upbringing that attachment is touch. Trust is tough which is perhaps part of the reason she never settles with one man. Banner seems unique enough to perhaps be someone that needs her. I got the "I can fix him" vibe, like women can get with the bad boys. Plus some more Nat backstory which added a bit more flavoring of her training into Black Widow.

 

Thor - was glad to see Asgard's prince getting scenes that not only play into Thor3:Ragnarok but play into the larger running them with the Infinity stones. Thor got nearly the least to do in the first film, story wise. 

 

Vision - the pacing of bringing this character to reality was great. I love how he "decides" to utilize a cape!! The other scene stealing moments I'll not mention.

 

The Cameos: Rhodey, Wilson, Selvig & Dr.List(AoS)

 

I enjoyed the running gag about "language"

I appreciated the obvious attempt at saving civilians when possible and we got a few examples of that again.

 

MEH

Wanda & Pietro - I was neither blown away by their performances now felt like they drug the film down. They were pawns to move the plot along and never really rose above that. 

 

Ulysses Klaw - while the performance of Sirkis was solid it's clear that his inclusion here was entirely set up for showing up later in Black Panther where I've no doubt he'll shine. 

 

Ultron - there were moments he shone and moments he seemed off. I think the off moments were some of the humor lines. Although I did like his "This is the part where I lay out my evil plan". 

 

Captain America - it was a very solid performance by Evans it's just that it was clear this time that Hawkeye, Vision, Ultron were getting the beefiest lines. It's all fair, you got to shine in the first one. 

 

CONS: 

Killing Baron Von Strucker - his character could be put to so much more use. It seemed short sighted. 

Killing Quicksilver - my thought here is after Hawkeye seemed he was going to make it out I began to think Whedon tricked us by NOT doing a death cause he KNEW we were expecting one. My caveat is that with him being a "Powered Person/Super" and Dr.Cho's marvelous medical machines nearby that he might yet get his own version of Tahiti

Tony Stark - Does that mans ego ever learn? 

 

-Thought we were going to get some lines that said Stark was "reviving a peace keeping plan" called Ultron. Wanted some loose dialogue lines to tie back/into Ant-Man w/Pym

-No Coulson reveal to the team that he's alive after Fury mentions "some friends help me pull her out of moth balls"(helicarrier). By now it's about damn time the Avengers know Coulson's status. 

 

Overall I really enjoyed it. The free screener I saw was in IMAX 3-D. I'd say for a good 1/2 of the film the 3-D felt utilized in a very positive way. It's still not a choice I'd elect to pay for but it was used to good effect here for a solid portion of the film. 

 

 

What I'd like is if Banner is able to take that Quintet into space(if it's possible) and somehow end up in GotG2. That would please me in lieu of getting a Planet Hulk.