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Post by coke & comics on May 5, 2015 2:41:02 GMT -5
I loved it. I liked the first one, but I think I prefer this one. Not saying it is necessarily a better movie, but the Vision was one of my favorite comic book Avengers and I felt that this movie version captured him perfectly. Anyone notice just how close we are getting to the late 80s West Coast Avengers? Hawkeye, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Rhodey as Iron Man/War Machine. Bring in Bobbi/Mockingbird from Agents of SHIELD and it's almost the whole lineup. (Heck, we could even bring in Michael Douglas's "Dr. Pym" from Ant-Man to cover his run in the WCA.) I hope this is ok---I posted a more detailed review of the movie (with spoilers) on my blog: clutterstuff95zine.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/review-ultron-spoilers/Of course it's okay. Good review. |
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Post by coke & comics on May 5, 2015 3:01:16 GMT -5
Thoughts on my second viewing:
1) This movie really was great all the way through
2) I had missed Hawkeye named his son Nathaniel Pietro
3) I am still a little unconvinced I liked how fluid and lifelike Ultron's face was, as compared to a more metallic version, but it bothered me less this time around.
4) The character moments remain compelling, particularly the Bruce/Natasha romance and the peeks into Hawkeye's personal life.
5) I really like that the movie doesn't really hold your hand and asks you to keep up with it.
6) On paper, I could see why people think the movie is overloaded, what with Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, War Machine, Falcon, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Ultron, Klaw, Hawkeye's family, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Helen Cho, Erik Selvig,Klaw, Baron Strucker, Vision, Heimdall, Agent Carter, Dr. List, while introducing two fictional countries, a new romance, talking about the infinity gems and revealing the origin of Black Widow, etc. etc... But it never feels that way. The whole thing flows rather coherently from beginning to end.
7) It really never says the names of lots of the characters. Just kind of assumes you know them. Again, I like the movie's attitude. "We've had 2 TV series, 10 films, and a half-dozen shorts... you've done your homework right? Keep up."
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Post by BigPapaJoe on May 5, 2015 3:54:47 GMT -5
I'm planning to watch it again soon. But at the moment my opinion is that this is certainly better than the first one. To my mind the first one has three strengths: Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, and an excellent extended action climax in the Battle of New York. Leading up to that action climax is the occasional good action scene and good character moments here and there-- but nothing about the opening would I call an excellent movie. This one seemed to work all the way through. We got to spend a lot more time with certain characters which was an improvement compared to the last film. Also, I think I officially have a crush on Elizabeth Olsen. |
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2015 3:59:56 GMT -5
Apparently Joss Whedon is receiving a ton of hatemail and death threats over the movie and closed his Twitter account because of it. Apparently his "treatment" of Black Widow in the film and sterile=monster theme makes him a misogynist and he is somehow racist too.
I don't even have words to express my reaction to this....
-M
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on May 5, 2015 4:26:38 GMT -5
Having seen the film for the second time last week with my son, I can happily say it is one that will stand up to multiple views. Too often with these type of films I find a repeat screening within a short space of time is next to impossible for me to sit through. There always tends to be a scene that you just cant sit through again (ie the opening sequence in Avengers 1 for me). Ive had a number of people at work comment on how impressed they were with the facetime everyone gets, they all get a characterisation boost, and I think thats been the difference Joss Wheedon has brought. Theres a gazillion stories to choose from, but you gotta get the lines right, and to distill that into a few dozen words each to satisfactionally (is that even a word...brain-fart time here) define each person is a great thing. How the hell ANYONE could be so offended by what he wrote, that they would threaten him...what is wrong with us  |
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Post by clutterstuffmichael on May 5, 2015 6:14:49 GMT -5
6) On paper, I could see why people think the movie is overloaded, what with Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, War Machine, Falcon, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Ultron, Klaw, Hawkeye's family, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Helen Cho, Erik Selvig,Klaw, Baron Strucker, Vision, Heimdall, Agent Carter, Dr. List, while introducing two fictional countries, a new romance, talking about the infinity gems and revealing the origin of Black Widow, etc. etc... But it never feels that way. The whole thing flows rather coherently from beginning to end. I agree completely! I have heard some online critics---people who I normally agree with and respect---give this movie a slightly negative review. (Not really a bad review, because they still seemed to enjoy the movie, just not as much as they wanted to?) This was one of their complaints: that it was "too crowded" and didn't live up to the hype. Now, granted, I have been an Avengers fan for almost 30 years, and I have seen all of the other movies and watch Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter faithfully, but still ... |
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on May 5, 2015 19:37:32 GMT -5
I just saw it so my thoughts are fresh.
I enjoyed it but there was just something missing. Maybe it was the fact that, as awesome as it still is, it did not top seeing them all together for the first time in the first Avengers movie. I liked Vision also but I do agree with some other posters, his character did not get enough screen time. Also, when I read Vision speech in the comics, I imagine this slower, monotone speech. Much like Dr. Manhattan. So I think that aspect bugged me a little.
I liked Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. I did not expect Quicksilver to die but to be honest, I am not that bothered. I was also disappointed that as this film seems a bit like a placeholder. Clearly, bigger things are to come as we see Thanos taking out his glove at the end. We knew he was going to play a role and it kind of seems like they are dragging his full movie appearance on a bit. I really did not see enough here to suggest that Civil War is on its way either. Part of me anticipated some sort of civilian death as a result of this whole movie (or, at the very least, the team turning on Stark a lot harder than they did). But no, Vision emerges a good guy and they forget about it. That being said, I have never read and likely will never read Civil War so I will wait for the movies to leave that crappy taste in my mouth.
Also, Banner takes off at the end. I think it would have been more effective to have had the team send him off on purpose, which could have parlayed nicely into a Planet Hulk type movie which I think would display on screen very well.
Most disappointing part? Spader as Ultron. I was pumped for this but, being a die hard fan of the Blacklist, I felt I was listening/watching the exact same character. Not saying he wasn't cool, he just didnt blow my mind. I was hoping he would be very well developed as a character and turn in a Heath Ledger as Joker-esque type performace. But sadly, the film went for flash, dazzle, heroes galore and action aplenty. Not a bad thing!
Definitely a strong movie, not as good as the first but almost on par. Heck, I even enjoyed Cap: Winter Soldier a tad more. The story intrigued me more.
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on May 5, 2015 19:39:42 GMT -5
I watched some middle-aged suit give it 2 out of 5 stars the other day. He had no idea what was going on. Hence, why everyone should just read comics  |
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Post by Randle-El on May 6, 2015 10:17:40 GMT -5
So just saw it last night, and I'm not clear on the current status of SHIELD as it relates to the Avengers. Whereas prior to the Winter Soldier, the Avengers operated under the authority of SHIELD (which presumably had some kind of government backing), it seems now that they are basically free agents funded by Tony Stark. At the end of the movie, it appears that Stark has left the team, but given the technology and the additional personnel at their new base, there seem to be some connections to a new SHIELD. We know from Agents of SHIELD that SHIELD is now split into the Coulson faction and the Gonzales faction, and that Coulson has been secretly working with Maria Hill on the Theta Protocol, which appears to relate to the Avengers somehow. So are the Avengers now aligned with the Coulson SHIELD, or are they still free agents? Is Nick Fury back with SHIELD, or is he leading the Avengers on his own? And if they are free agents, how are they not being hunted down by every government on Earth as basically being international vigilantes?
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Post by coke & comics on May 6, 2015 12:42:42 GMT -5
And if they are free agents, how are they not being hunted down by every government on Earth as basically being international vigilantes? I mean... there is a movie called Civil War coming... |
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Post by clutterstuffmichael on May 6, 2015 17:15:21 GMT -5
So just saw it last night, and I'm not clear on the current status of SHIELD as it relates to the Avengers. Whereas prior to the Winter Soldier, the Avengers operated under the authority of SHIELD (which presumably had some kind of government backing), it seems now that they are basically free agents funded by Tony Stark. At the end of the movie, it appears that Stark has left the team, but given the technology and the additional personnel at their new base, there seem to be some connections to a new SHIELD. We know from Agents of SHIELD that SHIELD is now split into the Coulson faction and the Gonzales faction, and that Coulson has been secretly working with Maria Hill on the Theta Protocol, which appears to relate to the Avengers somehow. So are the Avengers now aligned with the Coulson SHIELD, or are they still free agents? Is Nick Fury back with SHIELD, or is he leading the Avengers on his own? And if they are free agents, how are they not being hunted down by every government on Earth as basically being international vigilantes? I take it you hadn't yet seen last night's episode of Agents of SHIELD when you wrote this? It cleared up a lot of those questions about the SHIELD organization. I think it was handled well over all. For fans of the movies who don't know anything about what was going on in AoS, it was seamless. For fans of the shows, last night's episode tied up the loose ends. |
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Post by macattack on May 6, 2015 18:42:08 GMT -5
I liked it. I think it tried too hard to be funny in key spots (I didn't like that Ultron was as joke-y as he was, I much prefer a dead-serious Ultron), but there was a lot of hardcore action (especially Iron Man vs. Hulk, that was a smackdown to remember!) and the quiet interlude at the farmhouse provided a much needed break to remind us that these heroes are still people at heart. Especially with Hawkeye and his family. Yes, you can argue that his family is a plot or characterization device, but this was a far more effective method than them getting killed off randomly.
The acting was mostly on-point. I found Widow/Hulk to be kind of forced, but overall the dialogue was good and the actors did a great job with the material they had.
Danny Elfman and Brian Tyler's score was effective as well. Elfman did a lot of the farmhouse scenes, which had some beautiful strings-laden music. Tyler mostly did the action beats in the film, and ultimately the two composers segued together quite nicely.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2015 20:53:59 GMT -5
I liked it. I think it tried too hard to be funny in key spots (I didn't like that Ultron was as joke-y as he was, I much prefer a dead-serious Ultron), but there was a lot of hardcore action (especially Iron Man vs. Hulk, that was a smackdown to remember!) and the quiet interlude at the farmhouse provided a much needed break to remind us that these heroes are still people at heart. Especially with Hawkeye and his family. Yes, you can argue that his family is a plot or characterization device, but this was a far more effective method than them getting killed off randomly. The acting was mostly on-point. I found Widow/Hulk to be kind of forced, but overall the dialogue was good and the actors did a great job with the material they had. Danny Elfman and Brian Tyler's score was effective as well. Elfman did a lot of the farmhouse scenes, which had some beautiful strings-laden music. Tyler mostly did the action beats in the film, and ultimately the two composers segued together quite nicely. I totally agree with you - and I wanted to thank you for posting this! |
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Post by Randle-El on May 6, 2015 22:21:42 GMT -5
So just saw it last night, and I'm not clear on the current status of SHIELD as it relates to the Avengers. Whereas prior to the Winter Soldier, the Avengers operated under the authority of SHIELD (which presumably had some kind of government backing), it seems now that they are basically free agents funded by Tony Stark. At the end of the movie, it appears that Stark has left the team, but given the technology and the additional personnel at their new base, there seem to be some connections to a new SHIELD. We know from Agents of SHIELD that SHIELD is now split into the Coulson faction and the Gonzales faction, and that Coulson has been secretly working with Maria Hill on the Theta Protocol, which appears to relate to the Avengers somehow. So are the Avengers now aligned with the Coulson SHIELD, or are they still free agents? Is Nick Fury back with SHIELD, or is he leading the Avengers on his own? And if they are free agents, how are they not being hunted down by every government on Earth as basically being international vigilantes? I take it you hadn't yet seen last night's episode of Agents of SHIELD when you wrote this? It cleared up a lot of those questions about the SHIELD organization. I think it was handled well over all. For fans of the movies who don't know anything about what was going on in AoS, it was seamless. For fans of the shows, last night's episode tied up the loose ends. Gotcha, thanks. Yeah, haven't had a chance to see it yet (since I saw Age of Ultron the night before when AoS airs). EDIT: Ok, I just saw the episode, and it did clear up the situation regarding the SHIELD factions. However, they don't really address whether the Avengers operate under their authority and whether Nick Fury is still with SHIELD. I'm just going to chalk it up as an example of the film side of Marvel doing whatever they want without consideration of the TV show, leaving the TV writers to try to fill in the holes as best they can. |
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Post by The Captain on May 9, 2015 5:29:28 GMT -5
I'm know I'm late to the party, but the slumber party stars aligned last night for our daughters, so the wife and I got a date night and after a fabulous dinner at a favorite local place of ours, we headed down the street to the theater to see Avengers 2. My thoughts less than 12 hours after seeing it:
Overall, we both really enjoyed it. It is at least my third-favorite Marvel movie (along with Winter Soldier and GotG), but those have had the benefit of repeated viewings, so this may climb after I've had a chance to see it again a few times.
I agree that a director's cut would be welcome, as there were some parts that could have been better served by expanding their screen time. That and it was a pretty awesome movie, and who doesn't like longer awesome movies?
The scenes with Natasha in the Red Room added some great depth to her character rather than just having her be the hot super spy.
I may be in the minority, but while the Hulk vs Hulkbuster scene was "cool", it felt a little too long and really didn't add anything to the movie. We already knew that Banner was afraid of losing control, he wasn't in control not because of him but because of Wanda's manipulation so he couldn't be completely blamed for it, and there were no actual consequences of the fight that destroyed half a city. Yes, it sets up a discussion for how to handle super-powered individuals that will be a major point in Civil War, but they could have done that in other ways. They could have redeemed the scene, IMO, had they not allowed Banner to pull an Andy Dufresne at the end and if they'd shot him into space, as that would have both set up a Planet Hulk movie as well as create a major plotline down the road once Natasha found out what most likely would have been a decision made by Stark, Thor, Fury, and Thor.
I thought Ultron was one of the better villains to date, although the jokiness of some of his dialogue was a little out of place. It might have been interesting to call back to Rhodey's attempt at the party to tell a funny story to Tony and Thor if Ultron had tried to make a joke during a fight and have it fall flat because it was lame, but he's a homicidal AI being, so his immediate mastery of human humor seemed wrong.
They did a good job with just telling the story. My wife, who has seen all of the movies up to and including the first Avengers movie as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter but is certainly not a comics geek like I am, had no questions about anything at the end of the movie except for who Thanos was (she had no problem following along with the creation of the Vision), and as she hadn't seen the post-credit scene in Avengers (we watched it at home and she fell asleep) or GotG yet, it was understandable.
We both were completely convinced Clint was the one going to die, and while I think they missed an opportunity by killing Pietro, it was a nice swerve after they'd introduced Clint's family and made it seem as though he was never going to get back home to his wife and kids.
Agree with the posters who saw some Adam Warlock in the Vision. That was the first thing that sprung to my mind as well.
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