Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

[Harpospoke]

First, Vision is PERFECT.   I can't imagine him being portrayed onscreen any better than that.    Paul Bettany was apparently created to play that character.   His exchange with Ultron at the end....that's great stuff.   I can't remember the line exactly...but something like, "beauty doesn't have to be permanent" or something was just the kind of quiet wisdom I expect from that character.

 

Cap now fights the way he's supposed to fight.  (Thank you Cap 2)   I fully expect that to be the standard for the character henceforth.   His fight scenes were great throughout.   Kinda glad they came up with a good reason to have the shield return to him other than "He's really good at bouncing it off of stuff".  (Although he is)   Nice that Cap got to team up with Thor with the shield this time....that was cool.

 

The Cap/Tony interactions were really good.  First of all, I really like the two actors.   Secondly, it's fun to see their worldviews collide.   Thirdly, I know where that is headed and it's nice to see it brewing.

 

Once everything got going I was along for the ride and pretty much loved it all.   Only slight complaints about "too much going on at once"...but that could be great for repeat viewings.

 

The Whedon lines really worked for me.   The running gag on Cap's "language" cracked me up every time.  That's what I would expect from a group of teammates.  Seemed real.   I laughed for about 30 seconds on the "Oh for god's sake" Ultron line.   It happened offscreen and somehow that made it funnier to me.

 

Ultron was a weird mix of scary and goofball....not sure I've seen a character quite like him before.   I think he'll grow on me more later.

 

The Twins were a favorite once everything got going.   Scarlet Witch has some potential.   I noticed that Vision rescued her....hmmmm...interesting.    Quicksilver was something I was going to compare to the DoFP version going in and I knew it.   Quite different.   Not as entertaining, but more of a character.   The DoFP version was basically a god....which is accurate for a being with super speed (Batman fans take note...there is no way to beat a being with super speed).   This version seemed to be slightly more vulnerable.   I'm confused though...is he supposed to be dead?    I thought QS was a quick healer....so I'm expecting him back.

 

Nice to see Hawkeye with more to do...I guess.   I admit I really don't care that much about him....archers not named Legolas bore me.   A lot of people love archers though, so what do I know?

 

RDJ is awesome as usual.   He makes lines fun to listen to.   That's his gift I guess.    Writers must love him.   Really cracked up on that "I'm sorry" line.  Simple line...he made it great.

 

Ultron's plan and motivation....love it.   That was cool....create an asteroid to recreate the dinosaur extinction.   So much better than some of the other villain schemes.   Unlike TA, I at least bought into his motivation fully.  (the Loki plan in TA wasn't as strong)

 

That shot of Thor, Iron Man, and Vision melting Ultron's face?    That's so epic I can't stand it.    F-yeah!

 

That shot of Scarlet Witch screaming and vaporizing the robots....wow.   That could be a great poster.

 

Loved the Stan Lee cameo.   Hope he's still doing it in 10 years.

 

Edit:  I forgot....the scene where Cap budges Thor's hammer.   That look on Thor's face was really memorable.  And that whole scene setting up the later scene with Vision worked well.

 

Also...the Hulk/Iron Man fight.   I liked that a LOT more than I thought I would.

 

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Needed to be longer.   There were several things that just felt rushed.   Someone brought this up in the main thread and it was brought up that this was the same length as TA.   That's not enough time for this story.   I felt like the story was great but that things were being skipped.   I think it needs a directors cut to realize the full potential.    The twins could have been introduced slower.   I felt like Ultron's creation was thrown at me. (I'm still not that sure how it happened)  Vision as well...it happened so fast.   My mind was struggling to keep up at certain points. That conversation at the end between Stark, Rodgers, and Thor about the Vision?....that needed to be a LOT longer.   That's not the kind of thing which is settled in 10 seconds. (great line about the elevator though)  Accepting him into the ranks should be something they seriously consider in a room around a table or something.   Felt like Thor needed more attention too.    The Black Widow/Banner romance felt like it happened offscreen and I am just supposed to buy into it existing.    

 

I don't buy the Nat/Bruce thing.   I don't think it works at all.  Felt forced.   Frankly those two actors don't have any chemistry imo.

 

I don't think the Hulk will be as popular this time.   I'm going to suggest it's because they continue with this absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, bizarre "mute Hulk" crap which originated with that horrid TV show.   What...the...virtual...hell.   Enough of that horsecrap.    He's reduced to a brainless non-character and I'm sick to death of it.   For the love of Stan Lee let the guy speak already!   Jesus tapdancing skateboarding skydiving Christ!     ...Yeah...I don't like that part.  

 

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8.5/10 at this moment.   Feel like I need to see it again to get the story in my head better.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Harpospoke

[Heretic]

Watched it a few days ago, but I loved it. TA to me is pretty meh, but AoU was entertaining as hell. I loved how we got to see a bit deeper into the characters this time round, and I really enjoyed watching the twins develop. I agree that the film was very jumbled, pacing was really off at times, but the feel of it was just better. No where near as good as CA2 though, that's still easily the best Avengers film to date.

B+

[Harpospoke]

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

The funny thing is...it doesn't matter if Square and BKB actually see it or not.   Their reviews will be the same either way.   You could mortgage your house, predict their reviews, and retire very rich.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Harpospoke

[Jessie]

The funny thing is...it doesn't matter if Square and BKB actually see it or not.   Their reviews will be the same either way.   You could mortgage your house, predict their reviews, and retire very rich.

 

ShouldIBeHere is pretty new to these forums, in time he will understand.

[lilmac]

B+

 

I wanted to give this an A but I just couldn't. They spent too much time on flashbacks and character development which dragged the movie forward at times (my friend next to me slept through much of the movie). 

 

I will say that upon second viewing (I saw it twice Thursday night) it improved. I followed the plot a little better and the character, Vision, made more sense.  

 

Avengers 2 comes closest than any film in history in bringing a comic book to life. Whedon staged the fight scenes in such a way that they feel like moments ripped right out of a comic book page. It looked exactly like comic book fight scenes.

Edited May 1, 2015 by lilmac

[lilmac]

 I felt like the story was great but that things were being skipped.   I think it needs a directors cut to realize the full potential.    The twins could have been introduced slower.   I felt like Ultron's creation was thrown at me. (I'm still not that sure how it happened)  Vision as well...it happened so fast.   My mind was struggling to keep up at certain points. That conversation at the end between Stark, Rodgers, and Thor about the Vision?....that needed to be a LOT longer.   That's not the kind of thing which is settled in 10 seconds. (great line about the elevator though)  Accepting him into the ranks should be something they seriously consider in a room around a table or something.   Felt like Thor needed more attention too.    The Black Widow/Banner romance felt like it happened offscreen and I am just supposed to buy into it existing.    

 

I don't buy the Nat/Bruce thing.   I don't think it works at all.  Felt forced.   Frankly those two actors don't have any chemistry imo.

 

 

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8.5/10 at this moment.   Feel like I need to see it again to get the story in my head better.

 

You nailed it. I agree with your points above, especially the highlighted parts. I am also onboard with your score. 

[ddddeeee]

Ultron's origin being so quick is something I really liked about the movie. *shrugs*

[Claire of Themyscira]

I liked it...I actually liked it.

[Kalo]

I'm pretty mixed on it right now, but since for the first 45 minutes, I was too busy screaming internally about how there was no Star Wars trailer, I was pretty much in a bad mood.

 

Basically, the new characters are great. Quicksilver is cool for what he is, but I'm happy he's dead. Scarlet Witch was awesome, her powers were cool and she was a badass. Hawkeye counts as new because he has some fleshing out finally and it's well worth the wait. Ultron was a fun villain too; a bit disappointing at first, but I grew to like him. The real highlight is Vision though; every second he was on screen, I had a huge smile on my face even though I have no history with the character. He felt like... well, at risk of starting a fanboy war, Superman. He was majestic and wonderful and wow. I just really really liked him. Oh, and Andy Serkis was fun.

 

The humor is good, but unfortunately, I felt like the other five Avengers had a been-there-done-that feel. A lot of stuff felt like set up for Civil War and other shit down the road. I also don't see the point of the mid-credits scene. The action is hit and miss, with the best segment actually being the setpiece in Seoul. I just felt like the film could've been more though at this time. I'll give it an B+/A- atm but it could really significantly change with a rewatch.

 

One thing that made LOL in a minor way: how War Machine gets a huge entrance that makes you feel like the audience is supposed to cheer for him, but no one actually cares about War Machine. Silly Marvel, just put Falcon in there and everyone would've cheered

 

 

War Machine was awful. more focus on Falcon would have been way better. and Vision was amazing.

 

In fact I think my favorite characters were Scarlet Witch and Vision. unfortunately I felt Cap  was given a lot of bad dialogue that didn't fit his character I feel like Joss Whedon doesn't know what to do with him, Black Widow was given some pretty bad lines too. which is sad cause I usually love their characters, out of the main heroes I actually found myself liking Thor the best. Tony Was of course awful as he has been ever since Iron Man 2.

[Harpospoke]

Having just seen the Daredevil show recently....this story would really work in that format.    A lot of the storylines would play out perfectly over several episodes and I would lose a lot of sleep binge-watching them.

[Claire of Themyscira]

My review will probably posted when I see this again.

 

I definitely had issues with the acting, plot, story, writing, etc. However, I did find this really enjoyable, probably more than the first.

 

I really hated that they killed of ATJ. Pissed, I was turned on seeing him on screen. Scarlet Witch was EVERYTHING. Love Elizabeth. Setback for Black Widow though, and that line...

 

I wish I could have gotten more Captain America, my husband, you know.

 

LINDA CARDELLINI. I FUCKING LOVE HER SO MUCH. Linda > Everyone else in this film, to be honest.

[Empire]

I just saw it and I thought it was great! Way better than Avengers! All the characters got something good to do this time which was nice! Hawkeye, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Cap were my standouts though! This just felt so much bigger in scope than Avengers which seems small time compared to this. Loved how it ended with the New Avengers team! Right with Winter Soldier as my favorite MCU film! Oh, and I enjoyed Ultron as a villain more than Loki.

I would give it an.......A

I want to process it more before I give it a number grade.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Empire Out

[acab]

It was good and entertaining but a step down from the first one and from a number of MCU films actually. Still a solid sequel and an enjoyable one.

 

The plot had a deja vu going on and the novelty wasn't there this time but it was a bit darker, equally funny, exciting and moved at a good pace. The original had a simple plot and it worked fine since they gave time to character interactions. This time they have a simple plot again (and pretty similar at times) but they try to make it a bit more complicated and it ends up a bit overstuffed and sloppy. Still the character interactions are great.

On the other hand every character had a moment to shine, some secondary ones got a nice background and a deeper development and Whedon did a decent job holding all those characters and stories together. The action was really well made even though it wasn't as memorable as in the first. The Hulk vs Iron Man sequence was the best along with the circle one during the finale.

It definitely has some issues and i can see where the complains come from but it's a good time at the movies and a fun experience.

[Spidey Freak]

LINDA CARDELLINI. I FUCKING LOVE HER SO MUCH. Linda > Everyone else in this film, to be honest.

 

Hawkeye who? This was Linda Cardellini's movie!

[Ezen Baklattan]

Slept on it, and I think that I've finally gathered my thoughts on it fairly well.

 

I think Joss Whedon is aware of just how imponrtant the characters are in this movie, and he definitely lets it shine through a lot of great character moments. Honestly, the party sequence was one of my favorite parts of the film, simply with the characters goofing around and having fun. There was a distinct charm to that. I admire that Whedon also tries to develop subplots for the characters, although it feels that Hawkeye is given far more interesting fish to fry. The other characters didn't really do it for me, and while I liked the twins, DoFP still did Quicksilver better, and Scarlet Witch, while an interesting character, has powers that make her seem like a walking Deus Ex Machina.

 

Unfortunately, the movie does arguably try to juggle too much, and it has me concerned for the longevity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's a film that tries to pack a lot in terms of character dynamics and dramatic complexity, and I think they bit off far more than they could chew. I can't even begin to imagine how overstuffed Infinty War is going to be, especially if they try to work in the Guardians of the Galaxy. This film goes for too much at the point where the film struggles to maintain clear focus and breadth. Even Ultron feels somewhat schizophenic as a villian, as they try to have it both ways by having him as an intermediate between Tony Stark and Ozymandias, but the combination doesn't fully work. 

 

And while it may seem exhausting, I didn't feel super involved throughout most of the movie. The stakes never really felt that apparent to me, especially with the fight scenes feeling overwhelmingly similar, just the Avengers beating up a bunch of thuggish villainous minions. Also, as I alluded to earlier, Hawkeye was the only character I really felt a clear emotional connection to here. I would have liked to see some more of Mackie and Cheadle, though. They're starting to become some of my favorites, and I'm glad they're among the newer set of avengers.

 

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, that would be a straight lie. It's an exciting piece of popcorn entertainment, and Whedon knows how to blend fan service with good, exciting cinema, and I also really dug the opening fight sequence, especially the long cuts during it. It's a very fun movie, but it's definitely a bit overstuffed. Kingsman remains my favorite action film of the year.

 

B

[Cmasterclay]

It's an entertaining popcorn blockbuster but it really falls apart the more I think about it. Kind of a mess, TBH. Most of the flaws that I had with it have been talked about already so I ain't gonna post a super long review, but I thought that alot of characters lacked any arc/motivation (Thor especially), the action was overedited and a bit Bayhem mind-numby, the final battle lacked punch, and Ultron, despite being a very interesting concept played well by Spader, was a total pussy who had his credibility as a villain undermined at every single turn.  Also, Olsen and ATJ were absolutely atrocious, and the plot didn't make much sense. Excellent sense of humor and a strong team dynamic makes it fun enough to be worth a watch, though. In the end, it all just feels a little pointless. 

[AniNate]

Uneven, but still entertaining.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of people here who will nitpick this film a lot better than I can, so I'll just leave it at that.

[filmlover]

Not as great as The Avengers but that was probably always going to be a tough act to follow. This is still a lot of fun, even if everything is starting to feel "been there, done that". Cast is very good across the board, with James Spader being the standout. Interested in seeing where Infinity War goes. B+

[Yandereprime101189]

While I didn't think it was better than the first Avengers, I thought it actually came pretty damn close to besting it. I loved every minute of it.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Yandereprime

[Impact]

Really enjoyed it, not sure where I rank it yet. Though you know-I don't know how this leads up to Civil War, it seems inappropriate now to have it be made considering the teamwork of this film. Though it was disappointing there was no after the credits scene. I still enjoyed the mid credit scene. The visuals and sound were great in it.