I have to say I was concerned going in to see Avengers: Age of Ultron on Sunday. The first Avengers film was a great film, so seeing if director/writer Joss Whedon could sustain the quality in the sequel was intriguing and nerve racking!! I had nothing to fear as Joss Whedon has done it again. This film is a great superhero film, with a superb cast, a strong script and superb visual effects.
The superb all star cast are amazing, Paul Bettany shines as the Vision and newcomer Elizabeth Olsen is superb as Scarlett Witch. Robert Downey Jr. is very much the star of this piece and he often outshines Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Jeremy Renner’s part in this film has been significantly increased since Avengers one and he really gets an opportunity to display his acting talent. Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk seems a little undervalued, but he works well in his scenes. Scarlett Johansson’s scenes with Ruffalo are some of the best in the film and this helps demonstrate the humanisation of the superheroes. Chris Evans as Captain America is still righteous, but more in a more comic fashion, which makes the character more likeable. Tensions are certainly high between Evans and Downey Jr, characters and the actors play these scenes well. The film certainly sets up the next installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Civil War. Actors Cobie Smulders, Idris Elba, Hayley Atwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle and James Spader also offer noteworthy performances.
The visual effects are amazing and while I’m not going to divulge any of the actual scenes in the film it is safe to say that the scale of the visual effects in the film triumphs over anything you’ve ever scene. The script is also strong, especially for a film in the superhero genre. What I appreciated about this film is that it didn’t go through the process of regrouping the characters again, they started off together,
This film is a lot of fun, it has a superb cast, strong script and out of this world visual effects! It is sad to see Joss Whedon leave his duties in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but this film is sure to gross over 2 billion dollars.
4 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Walt Disney Entertainment