Avengers: Age of UltronOur works define us as we define our works. They are symbols of our identity, of our individuality, of our values. Often times, our works can say more about us than we could say about ourselves. Avengers: Age of Ultron is the follow up to Marvel's cinematic centerpiece, The Avengers, and follows the rise and fall of the eponymous cybernetic antagonist, Ultron (James Spader). Created by Avengers members Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)--a.k.a. Iron Man and The Hulk--Ultron was conceived with the best intentions. But how does that saying go about the road to Hell?
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Age of Ultron begins with the organized Avengers storming the stronghold of the elite researcher and high-ranking member of Hydra, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), in the Eastern European nation of Sekovia. And for those keeping a close track on the films in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe", no, you didn't miss something there, short of the obligatory "post-credits" scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier; this film gets you right into the action with a minimum of exposition or setup. Essentially, Age of Ultron represents the first genuine episodic entry into the "MCU". Prior films may have had sequels, but were largely driven by individual plots focused on the individual characters, and The Avengers was fundamentally the culmination of those efforts. In Age of Ultron the mythos of this universe is established, and characters and histories are firmly entrenched in the metamedia, ranging from the movies as well as television shows like "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". The mindset in the comics was to create a story with a rich history, and yet one which would be accessible by picking up an issue from the newsstand (or wherever you have to go to get comics nowadays), a feeling which is at last in the firmament of this film.
At this juncture in the ambitious, overarching story of the MCU, The Avengers are working together as a cohesive unit. Their skills and teamwork shine in the raid on Strucker to retrieve the prized scepter once wielded by Loki, which Strucker has used to develop highly-sophisticated technology and foster his eugenic experiments, including "the twins", Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen). And while The Avengers are not representative of any sovereign nation, they operate as a "peacekeeping" force, although the legacy of Tony Stark's prior life as an arms dealer still evokes animosity in the people of Sekovia, who knew the legacy of his weaponry first-hand, people like Pietro and Wanda who volunteered to be transformed by Strucker out of revenge. Tony Stark succeeds in recovering the scepter, which houses the "Mind Gem", one of the six terribly destructive artifacts collectively known as "The Infinity Stones"; these reveals set the stage for the subsequent Avengers films. But Wanda spitefully stokes Tony's established paranoia and overwhelming sense of guilt and need to "fix" the world in anticipation of the monsters lurking beyond the Earth's orbit, and uses the sophisticated code lurking within the stone to realize his ambition, to create a "suit of armor" for the world. And yet Tony's inner distrust is revealed by his exclusion of other members of his team, unwilling to open the topic for discussion, lest he be forced to entertain the idea that he might be wrong. It is this hubris which is what allows Ultron to be born; "look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair".
Tony is seduced by his own ego, even if it is one with an altruistic bent, and is driven by guilt more than benevolence. It is therefore fitting that Ultron is the manifestation of "ego". He has an identity and a "vision" of the world, even if he is but a program at his core. He is alive--a genuine artificial intelligence--and his view of a "perfect world" is his own, and subsequently diametrically opposed to a universal perspective. Unlike its predecessor, Age of Ultron takes moments between the awe-inspiring set pieces of action and fantasy to showcase the characters in a human environment, at parties or decompressing at a "safe house", which happens to be Clint Barton's (Jeremy Renner) homestead, to express themselves as individuals beyond the mask. And this is important, because Age of Ultron is a film about the individual versus the collective. The Avengers is a collective team comprised of individuals, with unique aspirations and ideologies which do not always align with the other members. When Ultron is revealed to have been the secret creation of Stark, he is set upon by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) out of righteous indignation, and it becomes clear that while both believe they are doing what is heroic, they doubt the wisdom of the other. It was inevitable that the conflicting viewpoints teased in The Avengers would finally splinter even further here.
Ultron represents a unique kind of villain for the MCU, in that he was created with the genuine intention of making the world a better place; his mission is ostensibly "peace in our time". But Ultron is so perfectly alive that he is stricken with the same kinds of flaws and shortcomings which humans must overcome, but which Ultron regards as just another element in his mission. Ultron's rage is principally directed toward Tony Stark, his "creator", and he disparages and diminishes him and his role in his intelligent design. In essence, Ultron is a cybernetic "atheist"...although "a-humanist" might be more accurate. His language and manner are the image of Tony Stark, and he seems to represent the worst side of the gifted inventor. And so similar are their motivations that Ultron attempts to make his own evolution in the form of a sophisticated bioroid, which is later hijacked to become "The Vision" (Paul Bettany), imbued with not only exceptional powers, but also an almost transcendent level of clarity and understanding, more human than human. Vision's emergence may be one of antithesis to Ultron, but they are both a kind of paradox. Both are created and also ascendant...evolved and yet produced. Their exchange near the end of the film recalls the kind of philosophical science fiction writing by authors like Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, stories which are parables of what it means to be human by way of an artificial person.
Age of Ultron provides numerous nods to the comics while also laying the groundwork for subsequent installments. Stylish set pieces take place in the African nation of Wakanda, and at one point, Iron Man is forced to subdue a mind-controlled Hulk with his imposing "Hulkbuster" armor. A scene where Wanda influences the minds of Avengers like Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) reveals their own inner demons they are working through, while also offering insight into their past. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, characters quip and banter, but their dialogue feels more comfortable and honest than in the prior entry, like the kind of conversations which would follow between people who have worked together for a while, or are closer in other ways, like the romantic subplot between Bruce and Natasha. The action is lightning quick and the level of effects are on a level of technical excellence as to almost be not believed, but the pacing keeps the action from crashing over you like a meteor. Age of Ultron sits comfortable in the latticework of this cinematic series, teasing for subsequent entries, yet entertaining on an individual level.
Recommended for: Fans of a dynamic and exciting action film, filled with rich characters, an engaging plot, and a parable of what it means to be responsible for your creations and the consequences of your actions in the world. It is a bright and thrilling entry into Marvel Comics' big screen empire.
At this juncture in the ambitious, overarching story of the MCU, The Avengers are working together as a cohesive unit. Their skills and teamwork shine in the raid on Strucker to retrieve the prized scepter once wielded by Loki, which Strucker has used to develop highly-sophisticated technology and foster his eugenic experiments, including "the twins", Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen). And while The Avengers are not representative of any sovereign nation, they operate as a "peacekeeping" force, although the legacy of Tony Stark's prior life as an arms dealer still evokes animosity in the people of Sekovia, who knew the legacy of his weaponry first-hand, people like Pietro and Wanda who volunteered to be transformed by Strucker out of revenge. Tony Stark succeeds in recovering the scepter, which houses the "Mind Gem", one of the six terribly destructive artifacts collectively known as "The Infinity Stones"; these reveals set the stage for the subsequent Avengers films. But Wanda spitefully stokes Tony's established paranoia and overwhelming sense of guilt and need to "fix" the world in anticipation of the monsters lurking beyond the Earth's orbit, and uses the sophisticated code lurking within the stone to realize his ambition, to create a "suit of armor" for the world. And yet Tony's inner distrust is revealed by his exclusion of other members of his team, unwilling to open the topic for discussion, lest he be forced to entertain the idea that he might be wrong. It is this hubris which is what allows Ultron to be born; "look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair".
Tony is seduced by his own ego, even if it is one with an altruistic bent, and is driven by guilt more than benevolence. It is therefore fitting that Ultron is the manifestation of "ego". He has an identity and a "vision" of the world, even if he is but a program at his core. He is alive--a genuine artificial intelligence--and his view of a "perfect world" is his own, and subsequently diametrically opposed to a universal perspective. Unlike its predecessor, Age of Ultron takes moments between the awe-inspiring set pieces of action and fantasy to showcase the characters in a human environment, at parties or decompressing at a "safe house", which happens to be Clint Barton's (Jeremy Renner) homestead, to express themselves as individuals beyond the mask. And this is important, because Age of Ultron is a film about the individual versus the collective. The Avengers is a collective team comprised of individuals, with unique aspirations and ideologies which do not always align with the other members. When Ultron is revealed to have been the secret creation of Stark, he is set upon by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) out of righteous indignation, and it becomes clear that while both believe they are doing what is heroic, they doubt the wisdom of the other. It was inevitable that the conflicting viewpoints teased in The Avengers would finally splinter even further here.
Ultron represents a unique kind of villain for the MCU, in that he was created with the genuine intention of making the world a better place; his mission is ostensibly "peace in our time". But Ultron is so perfectly alive that he is stricken with the same kinds of flaws and shortcomings which humans must overcome, but which Ultron regards as just another element in his mission. Ultron's rage is principally directed toward Tony Stark, his "creator", and he disparages and diminishes him and his role in his intelligent design. In essence, Ultron is a cybernetic "atheist"...although "a-humanist" might be more accurate. His language and manner are the image of Tony Stark, and he seems to represent the worst side of the gifted inventor. And so similar are their motivations that Ultron attempts to make his own evolution in the form of a sophisticated bioroid, which is later hijacked to become "The Vision" (Paul Bettany), imbued with not only exceptional powers, but also an almost transcendent level of clarity and understanding, more human than human. Vision's emergence may be one of antithesis to Ultron, but they are both a kind of paradox. Both are created and also ascendant...evolved and yet produced. Their exchange near the end of the film recalls the kind of philosophical science fiction writing by authors like Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, stories which are parables of what it means to be human by way of an artificial person.
Age of Ultron provides numerous nods to the comics while also laying the groundwork for subsequent installments. Stylish set pieces take place in the African nation of Wakanda, and at one point, Iron Man is forced to subdue a mind-controlled Hulk with his imposing "Hulkbuster" armor. A scene where Wanda influences the minds of Avengers like Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans) reveals their own inner demons they are working through, while also offering insight into their past. Written and directed by Joss Whedon, characters quip and banter, but their dialogue feels more comfortable and honest than in the prior entry, like the kind of conversations which would follow between people who have worked together for a while, or are closer in other ways, like the romantic subplot between Bruce and Natasha. The action is lightning quick and the level of effects are on a level of technical excellence as to almost be not believed, but the pacing keeps the action from crashing over you like a meteor. Age of Ultron sits comfortable in the latticework of this cinematic series, teasing for subsequent entries, yet entertaining on an individual level.
Recommended for: Fans of a dynamic and exciting action film, filled with rich characters, an engaging plot, and a parable of what it means to be responsible for your creations and the consequences of your actions in the world. It is a bright and thrilling entry into Marvel Comics' big screen empire.