Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1st, 2015)

[The Ween]

Just saw it loved some of it hated some of it Ultron was terrible he was a joke just not feeling marvels movies anymore.

Why would you go to this feeling that all Marvel movies are ****?

 

[The Ween]

$84.00?

And he'll see it a dozen times.

 

[The Ween]

jye.......does your theater have a refillable popcorn bucket and drink cup that will give you discounts for a year? I have those. Saves a ton.

 

[crows]

 

[EVILFACE]

Remember that part when

Spoiler

Ultron Prime was talking and suddenly the fingers of someone else burst out of his face and ripped his entire head apart?

For a split second I just assumed that Captain America snuck up on him.

I thought Bay's Megatron ripped through him.

 

[karamazov80]

Why are folks all thinking Ultron wasn't very threatening? He cut a guy's arm off, killed lots of civvies, killed a major character, and was trying to wipe out all human life. No other villain in the Marvel U did much more than that, Loki included. Was it his personality--aka James Spader from the Blacklist? I liked that he wasn't just the generic, serious and imposing villain a la Ronan and Malekith.

He's not Anton Chigurh, but you're never going to get that in a traditional comic book movie.

 

[hockeyflow33]

I've now seen the movie three times, (Monday, Friday and Sunday), and at every showing I've been the only person to laugh at the prima nocta line.

I like to think other people have a problem for not knowing that reference

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Why are folks all thinking Ultron wasn't very threatening? He cut a guy's arm off, killed lots of civvies, killed a major character, and was trying to wipe out all human life. No other villain in the Marvel U did much more than that, Loki included. Was it his personality--aka James Spader from the Blacklist? I liked that he wasn't just the generic, serious and imposing villain a la Ronan and Malekith.

He's not Anton Chigurh, but you're never going to get that in a traditional comic book movie.

Maybe it's because of his sense of humor, and because he never dominated anyone physically, despite being so big and strong. Also, the tone of the Marvel films doesn't really help. I liked it him and I also like that he didn't act like the traditional serious tough guy villain, but I never felt like the Avengers were in real danger. In fact, every time they faced him, they always got the best of him, but it didn't really matter because he was more than just a physical body, which I like, but from a physical stand point, he wasn't much of a challenge for any of the Avengers in battle.

 

[Khev]

He cut a guy's arm off, killed lots of civvies, killed a major character, and was trying to wipe out all human life.

Or as Hopeman calls it, "Wednesday."

 

[karamazov80]

LOL

Maybe it's because of his sense of humor, and because he never dominated anyone physically, despite being so big and strong. Also, the tone of the Marvel films doesn't really help. I liked it him and I also like that he didn't act like the traditional serious tough guy villain, but I never felt like the Avengers were in real danger. In fact, every time they faced him, they always got the best of him, but it didn't really matter because he was more than just a physical body, which I like, but from a physical stand point, he wasn't much of a challenge for any of the Avengers in battle.

Seems like that also applied to Loki though. He had a funny and unusual way about him. Iron Man could beat him when in his suit apparently, Thor could beat him, Hulk could beat him. Both Loki and Ultron could handle regular humans pretty easily. Cap could hold his own against either for a while apparently, but it was implied he would ultimately lose. And of course, the Avengers as a whole aren't in real danger in any of these films. Even with Thanos, they're going to prevail when all is said and done. Unless you're talking about Watchmen or something really unusual like Suicide Squad, that's always going to be the case, right?

 

[Biojex]

I've now seen the movie three times, (Monday, Friday and Sunday), and at every showing I've been the only person to laugh at the prima nocta line.

I like to think other people have a problem for not knowing that reference

Yeah, but were the only person who Laughed at the Eugene O'neil joke

 

[LexiKon318]

I've now seen the movie three times, (Monday, Friday and Sunday), and at every showing I've been the only person to laugh at the prima nocta line.

I like to think other people have a problem for not knowing that reference

Haha I laughed at that too....there were a lot of instances in which it seemed like my gf and I were the only ones laughing in huge theater during the movie

 

[hockeyflow33]

Yeah, but were the only person who Laughed at the Eugene O'neil joke

Haha yes I was. That one made me feel smart though haha.

 

[ronri]

Why are folks all thinking Ultron wasn't very threatening? He cut a guy's arm off, killed lots of civvies, killed a major character, and was trying to wipe out all human life. No other villain in the Marvel U did much more than that, Loki included. Was it his personality--aka James Spader from the Blacklist? I liked that he wasn't just the generic, serious and imposing villain a la Ronan and Malekith.

He's not Anton Chigurh, but you're never going to get that in a traditional comic book movie.

Ultron was good in the film, and while he wasn't grimdark serious scary, he was still a memorable presence in the way of an arrogant robot with a god-complex. That part where he cut Klaue (Klaw in the comics I know) was pretty morbid in how he took it so casually.

Maybe it's because of his sense of humor, and because he never dominated anyone physically, despite being so big and strong. Also, the tone of the Marvel films doesn't really help. I liked it him and I also like that he didn't act like the traditional serious tough guy villain, but I never felt like the Avengers were in real danger. In fact, every time they faced him, they always got the best of him, but it didn't really matter because he was more than just a physical body, which I like, but from a physical stand point, he wasn't much of a challenge for any of the Avengers in battle.

Cap might have been holding his own, but there was a point where Ultron was beating him pretty well until Wanda and Pietro joined in to fend him off. I think it's a bit unfair to say that he wasn't beating anyone from a physical standpoint, considering how he had very little difficulty handling himself against Thor in the final battle (who we know could easily go toe to toe with Hulk and beat the crap out Loki). Vision barely counts considering how Vision's body was literally meant to be Ultron's desired final form (instantly making their fights a bit of a stalemate with Vision being marginally the superior one). Throw in the rest of the team with Vision and it's obvious why Ultron had such a hard time in the final battle; because they literally had Ultron's final form on their side.

 

[crows]

perfect review, all points valid, he really nailed where the movie fails.

this review really brings it home

'Avengers' Review: 5 Things 'Age Of Ultron' Gets Dead Wrong - Forbes

highlights:

1. ‘Age of Ultron’ is too sappy for no reason, and without a payoff.
By the end of the film, Banner is gone and Natasha is all bummed out, and the audience is pretty much unmoved. It’s a weird little side plot that doesn’t add anything but confusion to the story.

2. ’Age of Ultron’ has a serious pacing problem.
Hiding out at Hawkeye’s farm? Yeah, these guys don’t even look beat up. Why not just turn around and beat up Ultron. He’s not at all scary (like he’s supposed to be.) More on that later.

3. Unfortunately, the action scenes don’t improve matters.
The stakes are rarely, if ever, high in these action sequences, or in the entire film for that matter (we are all fairly sure that Ultron will fail and that none of our heroes will die, nothing horrible will happen, etc.)

4. We’re introduced to too many new (and old) characters, but not all the best characters.
Seriously, the X-Men look positively diverse compared to the Avengers. Regardless, we still have an overly-crowded cast, with Nick Fury and various SHIELD agents also making an appearance. Meanwhile some of our favorite characters—or at least, Loki—don’t appear at all

5. Unfortunately, the villain is lame.
In fact, Ultron is a really terrible super-villain. He’s a “villain of the week” at best, and not even a very good one. He’s supposed to be this enormously powerful AI that can use the internet however he pleases, yet he barely does anything other than find ways to blow things up. That doesn’t sound like a hyper-intelligent and adaptable being, it sounds like a cartoon villain.

So instead of using his tech to shut down global banking systems, hack military servers, start a nuclear war*, or do really anything intelligent at all, Ultron builds a great big bomb that requires him to lift an entire city out of the ground in order to detonate.

This entire bad guy was devised in order to pull off a special effects gimmick. That’s the extent of thought that went into Ultron. Never once (or at least not for more than a split second if we watched a preview) do we think Ultron will be good. We aren’t given any time for him and Stark to form a relationship that could later turn to hatred.

There is none of the passion that makes a Frankenstein’s Monster actually work as a dramatic element. Stark is no Frankenstein, and Ultron is no Monster. They barely have any interaction at all. There is never that process that allows us to accept Ultron first as Stark’s “child” and then as his antagonist. It feels so rushed, so pointless.

The villain poses very little threat, very rarely puts any of the heroes into any sort of bind (save once, with the help of Scarlet Witch) and fails to impress at every turn.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Or as Hopeman calls it, "Wednesday."

That's Superboy prime's favorite move

Seems like that also applied to Loki though. He had a funny and unusual way about him. Iron Man could beat him when in his suit apparently, Thor could beat him, Hulk could beat him. Both Loki and Ultron could handle regular humans pretty easily. Cap could hold his own against either for a while apparently, but it was implied he would ultimately lose. And of course, the Avengers as a whole aren't in real danger in any of these films. Even with Thanos, they're going to prevail when all is said and done. Unless you're talking about Watchmen or something really unusual like Suicide Squad, that's always going to be the case, right?

Well, Loki is a cool villain and like the Joker he can be more of a psychological/Mastermind villain, so their true danger and "power" doesn't necessarily come from their physical strength, which allows them to beat their opponents in none physical ways through out the film, but in Ultron's case, although he had a big "evil" plan, he should of had some scenes where he completely dominated each of the Avengers through out the film, except the Hulk maybe, that way it builds up the villain, so that the scene where Thor, Vision, and IM attack Ultron simultaneously, feels more meaningful, imo. Capt should have never been able to put up a fight against Ultron. And didn't Iron Man destroy one of Ultron's bodies in the second act? To me, he didn't feel strong. That's one of the problems with Zod in MOS. He was beat up within the first 10 minutes of the film by a scientist, then in his first fight with Superman, he loses AGAIN, so by the time he fights Superman in the last battle, he has very little credibility because you know that in the end the villain will lose. There's a reason a lot of people feel that the female villain in MOS is better, because she never lost a fight and looked unbeatable. Look at what happened to Thor's villain in THOR 2, he was beat up by Thor's mom Both in Iron Man 1 and 2, by the time Tony fights the final villain, he had a superior suit and weapons. You have to make the villain look as strong as possible so that when the inevitable defeat happens, it's more meaningful and it feels like the hero is overcoming the impossible.

As far as Thanos goes, he doesn't need the gauntlet to beat the Avengers. If ANY of the Avengers, especially humans like Capt America and Iron Man puts up a fight against The Mad Titan, I will leave the theater. In fact, they should have Thor, Iron Man, Vision, and Sacarlet Witch attack Thanos like they did with Ultron, the difference being, Thanos just laughs at them. I want to see Thanos b**** slap Hulk. I have no idea what their plan is for the Infinity War film, but yeah, he will lose in end, but I want him to look strong until the end and for the Avengers to feel like it's truly over...before they find a way...and I don't mean a stupid dance off like they did with Ronan in GOTG I want to feel like they have been pushed to their physical and emotional limit.

Ultron was good in the film, and while he wasn't grimdark serious scary, that part where he cut Klaue (Klaw in the comics I know) was pretty morbid in how he took it so casually.

Cap might have been holding his own, but there was a point where Ultron was beating him pretty well until Wanda and Pietro joined in to fend him off. I think it's a bit unfair to say that he wasn't beating anyone from a physical standpoint, considering how he had very little difficulty handling himself against Thor in the final battle (who we know could easily go toe to toe with Hulk and beat the crap out Loki). Vision barely counts considering how Vision's body was literally meant to be Ultron's desired final form (instantly making their fights a bit of a stalemate with Vision being marginally the superior one). Throw in the rest of the team with Vision and it's obvious why Ultron had such a hard time in the final battle; because they literally had Ultron's final form on their side.

I agree with you about the arm. The way it happened it was kind of scary, but it's easy to forget once he's being funny and trying to out wit Tony Stark in a verbal "battle." As fun as it was to watch him fight Capt, he should have dominated him very quickly, like he was just another human, because he is just an enhanced human, but I understand that they wanted to make things more interesting.

 

[ronri]

5. Unfortunately, the villain is lame.
In fact, Ultron is a really terrible super-villain. He’s a “villain of the week” at best, and not even a very good one. He’s supposed to be this enormously powerful AI that can use the internet however he pleases, yet he barely does anything other than find ways to blow things up. That doesn’t sound like a hyper-intelligent and adaptable being, it sounds like a cartoon villain.

So instead of using his tech to shut down global banking systems, hack military servers, start a nuclear war*, or do really anything intelligent at all, Ultron builds a great big bomb that requires him to lift an entire city out of the ground in order to detonate.

This entire bad guy was devised in order to pull off a special effects gimmick. That’s the extent of thought that went into Ultron. Never once (or at least not for more than a split second if we watched a preview) do we think Ultron will be good. We aren’t given any time for him and Stark to form a relationship that could later turn to hatred.

There is none of the passion that makes a Frankenstein’s Monster actually work as a dramatic element. Stark is no Frankenstein, and Ultron is no Monster. They barely have any interaction at all. There is never that process that allows us to accept Ultron first as Stark’s “child” and then as his antagonist. It feels so rushed, so pointless.

The villain poses very little threat, very rarely puts any of the heroes into any sort of bind (save once, with the help of Scarlet Witch) and fails to impress at every turn.

The first thing Ultron did was to try and access nuclear codes and military tech, which was covertly blocked by JARVIS and served as the big reveal in terms of how he ends up being the template for Vision. The relationship between Stark and Ultron is actually far more reflective of Stark's hatred for himself and his self-destructive behavior. Stark essentially imprinted his own mentalities onto Ultron while giving him complete access to the Internet and everything to do wit humanity's history on war. With his mental processing being far more advanced than JARVIS, it's a very understandable reason as to why he'd easily come to the conclusion of ending humanity.

The reviewer projects a lot of ideas he/she like on their own without even giving the film any leeway to indulge in its own mythos, deflecting anything that the movie might offer while preferring it to do other things that interest the reviewer. The reviewer wanted Terminator, he got something else that's far more twisted and humanly-emotive and somehow that makes it a flaw when that wasn't the point behind Ultron's characterization as a flawed AI with very human characteristics.

I actually read that review very early on when the movie came out and no offense, but I thought their analysis of Ultron was completely off-point.

 

[Irvy]

I can do that thing that Cap does of ripping logs in half

 

[Khev]

I can do that thing that Cap does of ripping logs in half

To what, string cheese?

 

[Irvy]

I beat up an oak tree once but forgot to record it and no one was around.