Avengers: Age of Ultron

There really is only one movie available as a comparison to Age of Ultron, and that is 2012's The Avengers. Many people have made this comparison, and rightfully so. But it is also important to look at this second Avengers installment as its own movie. So how does Age of Ultron measure up to The Avengers? Actually, it measures up very well. It is a common perception that "the sequel is rarely as good as the original", and this "rule" holds for Age of Ultron. While I don't think it measures up to The Avengers in every way, it can hold its own in some areas and is an extremely entertaining movie in its own right, as well as being a worthy addition to the extremely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. As we have seen before, the ensemble cast have excellent chemistry, and the banter between them provide some of the movie's best scenes. Like the rest of the "Avengers Universe" movies, Age of Ultron is as funny as it is exciting, due mainly to the actor's deliveries of their lines. Quoting a friend who saw the movie," the action and effects are to die for", and while he is overly dramatic, he is right. The effects are up to par with the best action spectacles, and the action itself is much more exciting than many previous installments in this superhero genre. While the actual amount of action creeps into Transformers territory, the fight choreography and explosions are cleaner and better executed, providing action that is memorable rather than mind-numbing. The movie is an extremely enjoyable popcorn/movie theatre experience. However it is not without a few flaws. Most notably, the pacing in Age of Ultron is off; it feels like what could have been a 3 1/2 hour story crammed into 2 1/2 hours. Some of the plot and character development is given adequate screen time, while other parts are skimmed over or too rushed, and when a movie has a huge ensemble cast, one or two members are usually pushed to the back while others take center stage. This won't bother most casual moviegoers, but I did feel like it made the story less cohesive than it could have been. Also, Age of Ultron can't help but feel like filler. By this, I mean that it is the "middle chapter that is getting you from point A to point B." There is a lot of setup and teasing that went on, which I think if there had been less, the pacing and story could have been developed in a manner that focused on the movie rather than its sequels, and could have differentiated itself from the genre. Regardless, Age of Ultron is a movie worth seeing in and of itself, and despite some narrative flaws, it is a whole lot of fun. There is something about all these characters being together that is extremely appealing to audiences. I recommend seeing Age of Ultron in 2D (as the 3D really doesn't do much), and that you stay only until halfway through the credits. There is one mid-credits scene, but nothing at the end. Is this an Oscar contender? No. Would you be able to sit there and pick apart its flaws? Yes. But is the movie incredibly fun? Also yes.