Strings of greatness attached!
The movie all Marvel fans have been waiting for, the sequel to the Avengers, and the end of the second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Avengers Age of Ultron! When Ultron rises to power, it is up to the Avengers to team up and save the world once more!
If you remember one thing it should be this: Avengers Age of Ultron is a must-see! This sequel to the Avengers movie has built on what the Avengers had started, and everything that came after it. (I.e. The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Winter Soldier or Tony acquiring the Extremis power in Iron Man 3.) The story of the movie is, when Tony realizes he can't protect the world from forces outside of Earth's control, he and Bruce Banner, decide to create an Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) called Ultron. Ultron becomes activated and sees that humanity is doomed and can not be protected unless they are completely annihilated. Ultimately, forcing the Avengers to join back together to face this threat and protect all of humanity!
The story of Age of Ultron definitely surpasses its predecessor. Avengers showed the world that, yes, multiple superheroes can share one movie and it be good, plus it be true to fans of the comics. The story of Avengers created the superhero team, but it also made it believable. Making each member of the team a person with strengths and limitations. Now, with the Age of Ultron story we see an even deeper level of humanity in each member!
The deeper level was not expected from the Avengers, but it was a welcomed surprise! It occurred in the second half of the movie after the Avengers had been broken and shown their worse fears. Seeing the Avengers go through their fears and having to deal with them, plus admitting to their teammates was handled really well and proved that even though they are a team, they aren't invincible! During the first act, they were still riding the coattails of the first Avengers seeing as they had saved the entire world and thought that nothing could break them apart. However, with the creation of Ultron and him using Scarlet Witches' powers on the Avengers, it proved them dead wrong. The last two acts of the movie really hit a dark turn [for the good] and kept the tone of being "beaten, broken, and weak, however going through all that to protect the world!" throughout the rest of the movie. All in all, the darker tone that was shown in this movie was what really made this Avengers movie stand out from the previous!
The Avengers cast (Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Thor) all did a terrific job! Like I said previously, the actors hit a deeper level to their characters that pulled the second and third half of this movie together nicely. The bond between the characters was re-examined by Joss Whedon, and it showed that, yes, they are superheroes however they have fears of their own that reflect greatly on how each member can work as an Avenger. The actors did an amazing job pulling that feat off, as well as making their characters' humor feel natural like this is HOW The Avengers should always be!
Not only did the main Avengers do an amazing job, but the other main cast members (Ultron and the Maximoff Twins) proved that they can go toe-to-toe with the Avengers (in terms of fighting) as well as acting! The Maximoff Twins, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), were used effectively and worked well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Johnson and Olsen's chemistry as the brother and sister duo fit in well with this movie, and their characters didn't feel like they were just thrown in here just for the sake of "more characters".
Ultron is the big villain of this movie and there are no human words for James Spader's role as the Artificial Intelligence! Ultron from the comics is always this merciless sentient A.I. bent on world destruction and replacing it with A.I.'s like himself, and that is the Ultron we see in this movie. However, Ultron in this movie is an A.I., but he's got all the human emotions, the quips, and the personality that you'd expect from an advanced Artificial Intelligence. Maybe it's because he was created by Tony Stark that gave him this distinct relatability to the viewer, where you could say, "Oh! I could totally understand why he wants to kill everyone and the reason behind his motives." Ultron in this movie is a deeper version of the character than previously seen in the comic books. With that change and James Spader's voice, Spader brings life to an otherwise lifeless machine. Making him funny, smart, and an all around likable villain. I dare say even more likable than Loki (Tom Hiddleston)!
The cinematography was unique to this Avengers movie. All thanks should be directed towards cinematographer, Ben Davis. Davis is a really artistic and creative cinematographer, having lent his eye in creating jaw-dropping scenes like the snowy mountains seen in the first portion of the film, Avengers on the farm, Ultron's factory, and many overlook shots in Avengers vs. Ultron in Sokavi. (Just to name a few.)
In conclusion, the Age of Ultron is worth watching for building on the foundation that the Avengers created and taking it even further! 5 out of 5!