When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the...
WHAT I LIKED: Most Marvel movies have their heroes encounter external threats, but what makes 'Avengers: Age of Ultron,' such a spectacular anomaly is that the villain embodies its central hero's worst tendencies and recognises (after a quick scroll through the internet) that the greatest threat to humanity is humanity itself.
A theme of self-destruction is a pretty dark and strange one for a superhero blockbuster to centre around, but at the hands of Joss Whedon, it's brilliantly explored by the characters as they're all forced to literally face their demons at the hands of Scarlet Witch. Banner sees himself as a rage monster, Nat as a Russian experiment, Steve as a lonely widower, Thor as a failed King. Only Hawkeye is left to get them back on their feet to save the world from Ultron's destruction, and then it's all wrapped up not by the triumphant final battle where everyone is saved, but by a subsequent conversation between Ultron and another onlooker called Vision who argues that whilst we might all be doomed, "a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts."
That stuff feels somewhat mythological in its scope, and that's furthered by the visual spectacle - religious cues, moody and often beautiful cinematography, incredible locations all around the world, and many shots that appear as though they could have been ripped straight from the canvas of a grand Renaissance painting. Heck, there's even some Bellini Opera and beautiful mass chamber music featured to join the score from the thunderous Brian Tyler and the delicate Danny Elfman.
But the best thing about the film is that despite all of that grand and thought-provoking stuff, it feels remarkably grounded. The character struggles are never there just to serve the themes; they feel genuinely earnest not only because their performances are good, but because they're so well written. Nat and Banner's relationship has them vulnerable to healing from their wounds together. Steve's dogged faith in humanity is tested but restored. Tony's realises that his will to protect the world literally has the power to end it. It's an intertwining web of arcs, and it's once again enabled by Joss Whedon writing at the top of his game; embedding depth into even the wittiest lines and cutting from, say, the heartbreaking death of a character, to some serious discussion about the doomed self-imposed fate of humanity as well as the joys of being alive, and then to a joke about being born yesterday with incredible ease.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: In a film this big and ambitious there's bound to be niggles, but mostly, it works brilliantly.
VERDICT: A strange, spectacular film of mythological thematic and visual proportions on the one hand, and a touching, snappy character piece on the other, Joss Whedon's Avengers sequel 'Age of Ultron,' is - in my opinion at least - the pinnacle of its genre.
