67 - Avengers: Age of Ultron

    The Avengers face off against an extraordinarily powerful robot bent on destroying human life.
    I’ve been waiting for this.  I was thrilled at the end of The Avengers, with the implication that Thanos would be the next villain.  I was a little worried though, because jumping to Thanos seemed like too much of a jump - there wouldn’t be any larger threats to face.  Instead, I was surprised when Marvel announced that the second movie would be Age of Ultron.
    I’ve liked Ultron in the comics.  He’s got strong ties to the team, his motivations are brought out of a certain logic that is misguided, but understandable.  He’s mostly invulnerable.  He’s a really strong foe to use in a movie.  A step up from the threat posed in the first movie, but not big enough that there’s nowhere to go but down.
    And I did follow most of the spoilers available.  Surprisingly, it didn’t ruin anything.  I know Ultron’s motivation, but I had no sense of what his plan actually entailed.
    The story is more complicated than I expected.  We have memories and fantasy sequences woven into events.  There’s a lot more down time than I expected, plenty of time for the characters to talk and develop.  There are new characters, all of whom are developed just enough to make things interesting, but not enough that we don’t feel like they can go anywhere.
    The action is good, but not great.  The action in Winter Soldier was better choreographed and shot, but it wasn’t on the same scale as this one.  The biggest weakness is that one of the fun fights - Iron Man and Hulk fighting - is ultimately forgettable.  It didn’t advance the story, and it served as a distraction.
    There are a number of comic-book moments in this movie.  These are bits that seem completely absurd.  They involve an incongruous visual.  There’s a bit where Iron Man saves a few people riding in a bath tub.  There’s a bit where Ultron makes the trailer on a truck fly.  It’s silly, but it fits into the movie well.  In a strange way, they’re endearing moments.  They remind me of some of the things I like about comics.
    I have one problem, and it’s a strange one.  It’s the Scarlet Witch.  She’s just… too powerful.  Her ability to get inside a person’s mind and force them into a fantasy is perfectly balanced against Ultron - he isn’t susceptible to it.  But what about next movie?  How do we deal with a human enemy?
    This might be one of these rare movies that is actually worse than the first, but because of the failings, is more interesting and compelling.