Avengers: Age of Ultron - The Breakfast Club with Capes

4 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

This film reminds me of a roller coaster at an amusement park: you strap in, are pulled forward, surprised by the many dips and turns, laugh a little along the way, and propelled to an end that is at once jolting, but instantly forgettable in its emotional pull. The Avengers/Ultron feels this way - for it packs a wallop, but somehow we feel we have been here before, but with less thrills.

The premise is a simple Good vs. Evil scenario, with the usual gang of Iron Man (Downey), Thor (Hemsworth), Black Widow (Johansson), Hulk (Ruffalo), Captian America (Evans), and Hawkeye (Renner) - and of course our minority crew of The Falcon (Mackie), War Machine (Cheadle), and a little shout out to Heimdall (Elba). They bring up the rear, and sometimes you forget they are even a part of this team at all, but my beef about the Un-Diversity of the Marvel Universe will be voiced elsewhere and on another soapbox.

Avengers/Ultron is a big movie, with big stars, and big action - it's the storyline that is a bit thin for my taste, although so convoluted, that it takes forever to explain all the goings on. But in a nutshell: Tony Stark aka Iron Man is back to trying to save the world through military gadgets (when will he ever learn), and has created an Artificial Intelligence with the gem from the scepter he had stolen from Loki in the last movie. This creation is to be used as a defense system for the Earth, and its main focus is to protect it from what is dangerous (otherworldly threats most likely). It is named Ultron (Spader). Unfortunately (in a humours and frightening dialogue between it and the man-servant intelligence of J.A.R.V.I.S), it begins to realize what is really threatening Earth and the human race...is the human race itself.


And so the quest begins (once Ultron trades his digital self for a more physical self, obtaining a shell for a body), as he acquires a mechanical army, and solicits the help of two other superheroes: The Scarlet Witch/ Wanda, and her twin brother, Quicksilver/Piedro - one wields hallucinogenic and energy powers, and the other superhuman speed. They assist Ultron because their town was bombed (killing their parents), and guess who made the weaponry...you guessed it, Tony Stark. Although at first it is thought that Ultron just wants to rid the world of the Avengers, but when it is discovered that he wants to eliminate most of the world, that takes things along a whole new level of..."Oh no he didn't."

So as Ultron tries to lay waste to the land, in order to bring the Avengers to him, I am at once appalled again by the collateral damage that is presented in this movie. Although they try to evacuate the city that is being threatened, it all still reminds me of Superman: Man of Steel;  that no matter how you look at it, human beings who watch this film will still regard every smashed car that is moving, every window in a building, every leveled neighborhood, as belonging to another human being that may be occupying it. In our heads we are doing the body count, and the number is unbelievably high. How do they even have time to honor the deceased after these superheroes have done their super deeds? Why hasn't Tony Stark Industries created some super-weapon that can be installed in peoples homes, so that they can guard themselves against this kind of threat. Even The Avengers can't be everywhere at all times.

But sprinkled within this fast paced destruction, is a different kind of Adventure movie. There is a little more heart, as if this group truly spends their time together when not fighting crime. We are introduced to a Hulk/Black Widow romance that I didn't see coming, Hawkeye has a very personal life, and Iron Man and Thor have words about who has the best woman - showing us that superheroes too can find love and machismo while still wearing capes and tights.

Avengers/Ultron is a great ride, albeit a toss-away/repetitive plot of robots-gone-wild. It gives fans what they want, and we get to know the characters on a deeper level than before (Black Widow's story alone could make for an interesting subplot). It is entertaining for sure.

My only caveat is that our minority superheroes need to step up to the plate more (or at least have a stronger presence besides their stance as bodyguards and comedians to our standard heroes). I should expect more at least from Falcon, who was the very first African American superhero in comics (but then again, Storm, the most powerful of the Xmen besides Charles Xavier, hasn't gotten her due), should have a real chance to shine. Once again, we are sidekicks...but there goes my soapbox again. I'll just sit here and eat my popcorn.