"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review

Strong start, but faltering finish

Admiring the facility with which writer/director Joss Whedon handles large casts of characters while deftly balancing comedy and drama, I was very excited for the first “Avengers” movie.  While that initial film was an overwhelmingly fun experience in the theater, soon afterwards I realized that I was disappointed with the antagonist.  Loki felt more mischievous than dangerous, and the Chitauri were too generic to be genuinely threatening.  When the robotic ravager Ultron was announced as the villain of the next installment, I was excited!

The opening sequence and entire first act of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is absolutely breathtaking as the reintroduction of our heroes occurs during a raid on Hydra technology in a winter-blanketed forest.  Joss Whedon’s talent for directing and presenting super-powered action is superlative.  I gaped in awe, guffawed with joy and roared with hearty approval at the kinetic choreography.   Each Avenger is given a golden moment to shine, and when the team finally assembles onscreen the moment is exultant in the extreme.

Damn, it’s great to see you guys again!

Yet, as the story unfolds into the second act and beyond, the intense effort to pack in so much information begins to cast an ever darkening cloud of confusion over the proceedings.  Important plot details are hastily presented, and this prevents them from sticking in the mind.  There are too many story lines and character arcs overlapping, and losing track means losing the emotional investment in what’s happening.  Once that’s gone, the movie is over.

Unfortunately, Ultron is not an upgrade in the black hat department.  He does not come off as any more malevolent or dangerous than Loki.  He monologues and threatens destruction, but Ultron himself hardly does anything truly dastardly.  No innocents are killed, or if they are, their deaths are not given the attention they should.  There was no sense of actual consequence, even during the final, epic battle.  Thought the fate of the human race hung in the balance, this dire situation just didn’t feel appropriately desperate.

While “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is at times enthralling, hilarious and gripping, it suffers from the burden of having too much to say but not enough time to say it.  The film is a delightfully fun rollercoaster, but like many amusement park rides, the euphoria recedes rapidly.  Rumor is that the Blu-Ray release will add a lot of footage that will develop the characters more and expand the story.  Hopefully this is true, as there is a really good film in there; we just haven’t seen it all yet.