Avengers: Age of Ultron. Rated M (action violence). 141 minutes. Written and Directed by Joss Whedon. Based on the comic books by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Verdict: An exhausting, action-packed sequel that barely stops to draw breath.
Avengers: Age of Ultron, the long-awaited sequel to The Avengers (2012), pits our heroes against arch foe Ultron (voiced by Boston Legal’s James Spader), who has harnessed the power of vibranium to create a weapon of mass annihilation. The other new villains are the results of Baron von Strucker’s (Thomas Kretschmann) human experiments – twins Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who has the gift of superhuman speed, and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) who can control the minds of everyone she comes in contact with.
From the chaotic opening sequences, Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Avengers) slams his foot onto the accelerator and rarely lets up. Apart from the spectacular big action set pieces, there are some great laughs (mostly at the expense of Chris Hemsworth’s mighty Thor), and a delightfully played romance between Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/The Hulk.
Also back in the mix are the duplicitous Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) up to his usual tricks, and the ever-earnest Captain America (Chris Evans) who still pines for the love of his life, Peggy Carter (a neat cameo from Hayley Atwell). Thor is beginning to feel more and more distanced from the uncontrollable mayhem on Earth, while Clint (Jeremy Renner) is also becoming less enamoured with the dangerous life of a super-hero, which only serves to take him away from his wife Laura (Linda Cardellini) and their two children.
Ultimately, like a long overdue catch-up with a gang of old mates, the time we spend with our ever-reliable superheroes gives us the precious opportunity to step outside our increasingly unpredictable and demanding world, and into a time and place where everything is almost exactly as it should be.
This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
Verdict: An exhausting, action-packed sequel that barely stops to draw breath.
Avengers: Age of Ultron, the long-awaited sequel to The Avengers (2012), pits our heroes against arch foe Ultron (voiced by Boston Legal’s James Spader), who has harnessed the power of vibranium to create a weapon of mass annihilation. The other new villains are the results of Baron von Strucker’s (Thomas Kretschmann) human experiments – twins Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who has the gift of superhuman speed, and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) who can control the minds of everyone she comes in contact with.
From the chaotic opening sequences, Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Avengers) slams his foot onto the accelerator and rarely lets up. Apart from the spectacular big action set pieces, there are some great laughs (mostly at the expense of Chris Hemsworth’s mighty Thor), and a delightfully played romance between Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/The Hulk.
Also back in the mix are the duplicitous Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) up to his usual tricks, and the ever-earnest Captain America (Chris Evans) who still pines for the love of his life, Peggy Carter (a neat cameo from Hayley Atwell). Thor is beginning to feel more and more distanced from the uncontrollable mayhem on Earth, while Clint (Jeremy Renner) is also becoming less enamoured with the dangerous life of a super-hero, which only serves to take him away from his wife Laura (Linda Cardellini) and their two children.
Ultimately, like a long overdue catch-up with a gang of old mates, the time we spend with our ever-reliable superheroes gives us the precious opportunity to step outside our increasingly unpredictable and demanding world, and into a time and place where everything is almost exactly as it should be.
This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.
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