Avengers: Age of Ultron Review
Skyler Powers
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the latest movie by Marvel and it is the sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers. In this installment, we see Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow face off against their greatest foe yet: Tony Stark’s very own Ultron. He is a state-of-the-art robot with Iron Man’s sense of human and a malicious agenda. He plans on ending the human race and The Avengers must do all they can to stop him and save the world.
The first half of this movie is nothing new. It is the same stuff you saw in the first film, which, don’t get me wrong, isn't a bad thing. However, it would have been nice to see some immediate new stuff. The only new thing in the beginning of the film is the opening battle scene which takes place somewhere in eastern Europe. It is a nice change from New York City which always seems to be the city that gets destroyed. The realism, however, is great. When the crew returns home to The Big Apple, it is evident that the city is still trying to recover from the destructive events of the first film.
The acting in this movie is good to great. No one is bad like in any other movie that takes place in the Marvel cinematic universe, but only a few stand out; Black Widow and the Hulk/Bruce Banner steal the show. Their characters are given more layers. You learn more about Black Widow’s mysterious past and you learn more about the Hulk’s struggles. It is in moments like these that the movie really tries to be emotional and takes a serious break from all the fun action. There are also some new characters that are introduced, the most notable being Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. There is also one other surprise appearance, but I will not give that away. Again, the movie takes an emotional look into the past of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who just happen to be twins.
Lastly, this film wouldn't be complete without the final battle sequence. This battle is phenomenal and, personally, I think it is better than the original’s. Ultron, the main antagonist or villain, is gleefully evil and you are constantly rooting for The Avengers. There is nonstop action and, again, it takes place in eastern Europe. Even with all of the action, the movie leaves some room for more emotional elements, which are very effective. The fun action cannot dampen these tear-jerking moments.
In the end, I loved this movie. I personally think that it is better than the original. It starts with the same old same old, but I can overlook that since the old is still good and the new things are even better. The acting is great, the scenery is gorgeous, the special effects are great, as with any Marvel movie, the action sequences are breathtaking, and the emotional manipulation is on overdrive. Marvel keeps upping the ante with each new film and they haven’t reached their maximum capability yet. Now, all I can do is wait for the next Marvel movie which is sure to amaze me.
