by Robert Lucas
It’s just about to become the summer and that can only mean one thing. Another Marvel movie, but this time it’s the mother of all Marvel movies, it’s THE BIG ONE! it’s The Avengers! So I suppose the reel question is, will Age OF Ultron be a Guardian For The Universe or just a Winter Soldier?
I don’t know how you feel about this, but personally I’m sick of Marvel toying with me. Every time I watch a Marvel film these days I’m excited – only to be ultimately disappointed. From the outside it looks AWESOME but once you get in, it can never fulfil its promises. There are of course exceptions (Guardians Of The Galaxy and Winter Soldier being two) but for the most part I feel like I’m continually being taken for a ride.
That’s not to say the ride isn’t enjoyable, the point of a ride is that it excites and builds anticipation, but it also means it’s nailed to the same old track as the last time you got on. The problem you have with Avengers is the same reason people love it so much, too many characters. At least 3 of these guys can carry a movie all on their own now, but when all the parties have to come together, each member of the team is reduced to being nothing more than a contributor to the overall goals. Ironman suffers from this the most apart from creating Ultron (not a spoiler), what else does he really have to do apart from snappy one liners?
This is the entire problem with all Marvel films, once you have your set up created, where do you go with it? Unless you are going to do one of the BIG story lines (like Infinity Gauntlet or Civil War) then you are going to make a story that is ultimately pointless. Sure for every single scene there is fan boy service, but is that really what I come to the cinema for?
Like the previous Avengers, when it fires on all cylinders Age Of Ultron is borderline perfect (its use of Quicksilver stands out for me), but far too often the film gets side tracked, repeating itself on points made in other films or just trying to please the most hard-core of fans.
I dislike greatly that Marvel have worked out that their biggest money spinner is kids, and that’s who they are pitching the film to. Comics have always had a darker and more sinister edge to them, and at times Avengers embraces that legacy, but this makes the film just feel more lopsided, never quite being able to pick which camp it wants to live in.
Despite all this James Spader is still incredible, his soothing tones making Ultron an all round more logical and systematic villain. He is a highlight of the film – being reasonable and polite he is like a child’s Hannibal Lector.
Fan boys will defend it forever, but in truth Age Of Ultron is the average sequel to a strong first contender, a film that could have been so much more if only Marvel wasn’t so greedy.
2/5
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