Could our superheroes’ desire to save us actually lead to the end of the world? That’s the question being asked in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Having succeeded in helping to recover a powerful artefact, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) takes it upon himself to meddle with its vast potential, in the hope of providing the earth with a new form of protection (and fast-track his plans for retirement from the superhero-protecting-the-planet gig).
By Keeva Stratton
But, of course, it all goes awry, and the Avengers find themselves battling a new force that has been unleashed, as well as their own inner demons.
The Marvel cinematic universe has gifted us with some wonderful adventures in recent years, and provided many adults (and young people) with the chance to indulge in the comic characters they grew up loving. For that, we can only thank Stan Lee and those who’ve helped bring these stories to life, both on the printed page and on the big screen.
Unfortunately, this latest movie instalment depends a little too heavily on character clichés and grand set-piece action sequences, leaving the cupboard a little bare in terms of nuance with character and plot development. Where the first Avengers film was impressive and swept crazed fans along in an irresistible wake of geeked out wonder, unfortunately this second seems to fall a touch flat.
Judging by the roars of laughter and even rounds of applause in the cinema, this reviewer might (as a non comic book fan) be missing some of the fannish pleasure that comes from an intricate knowledge of these characters and the Marvel universe. But, unlike a number of the successful previous films (such as Guardians of the Galaxy, which struck a deft balance between lightness and emotional pathos), the humour here felt overplayed, and the scripted chemistry between Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, strange.
James Spader as the titular villain would seem to be the perfect choice at initial glance, given the role required a strong resemblance to Tony Stark (and every child of the 80s would no doubt be excited by the pairing). Again, while good on paper, Spader’s antagonist was a touch too bland (blasphemous to all Spader fans, I know).
Perhaps I hold Joss Whedon to too high a standard, but I did at least enjoy his portrayal of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. Female characters have always been his strength, and we can perhaps look forward to what this new character might bring to further chapters.
All in all, the visuals are amazing (as we’ve come to expect), the action unrelenting, and the overriding sense of ‘go team’ in vast supply. Here’s hoping this clichéd detour is short lived and, with the promise of more character based chapters to come, we will soon be cheering on our favourite Avengers once more.
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Rating: M
Runtime: 141 mins
Release Date: 23 April
Reviewer rating: 3/5
