Review- Avengers: Age of Ultron

A surprise this week as I actually review something topical. Yes, I've done film reviews before while they were still in cinemas but Avengers hasn't even been out a week and is still yet to come out in America so as this blog goes, this is incredibly relevant.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the sequel to one of the biggest films ever made, The Avengers and it is pretty much the perfect sequel. It's bigger, better and more badass than ever before and it's kicked off an exciting looking movie season with a bang. Then another bang. Then a series of bangs and a bad guy being thrown through the wall.

Story wise, Age of Ultron basically slots right in after Captain America 2 and features the whole gang getting back together. Fortunately, it starts with action immediately because we know and love these characters. The gang start by stealing Loki's scepter from the first film and it doesn't really stop from there. The guys get back to the fancy new base and then Tony Stark realises he could build true A.I. As you might guess, it doesn't go well and this new sentience becomes Ultron, the new antagonist of the world. He's assisted by a bunch of robot Iron Men and also new characters, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. All of this is an elaborate excuse to travel around the world, punch things in the face and do dramatic looks towards the camera but it's a solid plot and one that actually contains a few twists, including the death of an Avenger. Exciting stuff.

When it comes to character, there's a surprising amount here for an action film. Iron Man is still the cool guy we know and love but what I found interesting was how Iron Man kind of becomes the bad guy. He made Ultron and put the world at risk. Iron Man is no longer as care free as he once was and it's all the better for that. Thor is still Thor, Captain America is still cool and feels human and would you believe it, Hawkeye got a story. That's right, Hawkeye gets some character development and he is a pretty cool character. There's also a romantic sub-plot between Hulk and Black Widow which was okay but slightly unnecessary. As far as new characters go, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are interesting characters and I seriously look forward to seeing them join the other Avengers for future adventures. And oh boy, Ultron is an amazing character. James Spader puts in an awesome performance and becomes a kind of mix between Loki and the Winter Soldier because of the way he mixes humour and fear. A great villain that will be remembered for a long time.

But you don't care about character or story. Age of Ultron is an action film first and foremost and that's what you want to know about so lets get to it. Like I said, the action is immediate and all great. Joss Whedon has clearly been experimenting with various new camera angles and they make the action look exciting and new. Whether they are fighting in a ship, around a church or in the middle of a forest, everything looks good. One issue that is clear in the fight scenes though is that there is a lot going on, both in action and general story. You're looking into the deep and dark history of Black Widow and then without warning, sky fight with Iron Man and Ultron. Despite the chaotic nature of the fights, they are great scenes. My highlight would be the Hulk VS Iron Man fight. It's over the top, stupid action but I'll be damned if it's not entertaining.

Age of Ultron is a big, dumb, action film that requires knowledge of pretty much every Marvel film before and to come to be enjoyed properly but it's great fun. If you're a Marvel nerd, you'll adore this film. For everyone else, it's chaotic and amusing fun that you kind of have to see. It's not going to challenge your morals particularly and give you an epiphany but you'll enjoy it. That's why I heartily recommend it for nerds but for everyone else, I'd give it an