shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,391
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Post by shaxper on May 5, 2015 20:31:54 GMT -5
For folks who want to ask questions about films/shows they haven't seen yet.
For example, right now everyone is making Age of Ultron out to be the best comic book film ever made. I intend to see it eventually, but with two small kids and no steady sitter right now, I'm not making the commitment to see it in theaters unless it's truly and totally going to rock my world.
So, how much of the praise is coming from hype and immediacy, and how much is coming from the true quality of the film itself? Is this one for the ages, or just the blockbuster of the year?
Also, is it a problem if I go in not having seen Winter Soldier yet? I really need to see that too.
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Post by Randle-El on May 6, 2015 9:50:26 GMT -5
I don't think you need to have seen Winter Soldier before seeing Age of Ultron, though it might help somewhat knowing the general status quo of SHIELD after the events of Winter Soldier. I don't know if that's a spoiler for Winter Soldier, since it's been a year already and the events have played out in the current season of Agents of SHIELD. Besides the current status of SHIELD, they only make 1 or 2 references to WS which aren't important to the plot.
I enjoyed AoU, but not as much as the first Avengers film. I would say that while I enjoyed the action, it starts to veer a little bit towards the "disaster porn" territory occupied by movies like Man of Steel or the Bay Transformers films (albeit without the civilian body count, since the Avengers take great pains to protect them). I don't think Ultron was the most compelling villain, and feels like he belongs a bit more in the villain-of-the-week category -- someone to make trouble for the heroes in the current episode, but ultimately won't have any repercussions beyond it. I also think that they've just about reached the upper limit in terms of the number of characters they can pack into the film. I have no idea how they plan to make Infinity War work, if the rumors are true that it's going to include basically every MCU and TV hero ever.
I would say that my biggest criticism is that this installment feel less like a stand-alone film, and more of a stopgap to keep people interested in the franchise until Civil War and Infinity War come along. There a scene in the middle of the movie that is basically an informercial for the ongoing Infinity Gauntlet plot, and I call it that because it feels out-of-place and forced.
Overall, I'd say it's about a 7 out of 10, with the first Avengers being at least a solid 8.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,391
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Post by shaxper on May 6, 2015 11:23:59 GMT -5
I don't think you need to have seen Winter Soldier before seeing Age of Ultron, though it might help somewhat knowing the general status quo of SHIELD after the events of Winter Soldier. I don't know if that's a spoiler for Winter Soldier, since it's been a year already and the events have played out in the current season of Agents of SHIELD. Besides the current status of SHIELD, they only make 1 or 2 references to WS which aren't important to the plot. I enjoyed AoU, but not as much as the first Avengers film. I would say that while I enjoyed the action, it starts to veer a little bit towards the "disaster porn" territory occupied by movies like Man of Steel or the Bay Transformers films (albeit without the civilian body count, since the Avengers take great pains to protect them). I don't think Ultron was the most compelling villain, and feels like he belongs a bit more in the villain-of-the-week category -- someone to make trouble for the heroes in the current episode, but ultimately won't have any repercussions beyond it. I also think that they've just about reached the upper limit in terms of the number of characters they can pack into the film. I have no idea how they plan to make Infinity War work, if the rumors are true that it's going to include basically every MCU and TV hero ever. I would say that my biggest criticism is that this installment feel less like a stand-alone film, and more of a stopgap to keep people interested in the franchise until Civil War and Infinity War come along. There a scene in the middle of the movie that is basically an informercial for the ongoing Infinity Gauntlet plot, and I call it that because it feels out-of-place and forced. Overall, I'd say it's about a 7 out of 10, with the first Avengers being at least a solid 8. Thanks for all of this. I wonder if, instead of doing an Infinity War film, they might try doing a variety of films that are all Infinity War tie-ins. That would solve the problem of number of main characters on the screen at one time. |
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Post by Cei-U! on May 6, 2015 11:42:41 GMT -5
As I understand it, they plan to phase some characters out (e.g. Iron Man, Hulk) as new characters crop up (e.g. Black Panther, Ms. Marvel), just as the original comic did.
Cei-U!
But don't quote me!
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Post by coke & comics on May 6, 2015 12:49:50 GMT -5
For folks who want to ask questions about films/shows they haven't seen yet. For example, right now everyone is making Age of Ultron out to be the best comic book film ever made. I intend to see it eventually, but with two small kids and no steady sitter right now, I'm not making the commitment to see it in theaters unless it's truly and totally going to rock my world. So, how much of the praise is coming from hype and immediacy, and how much is coming from the true quality of the film itself? Is this one for the ages, or just the blockbuster of the year? Also, is it a problem if I go in not having seen Winter Soldier yet? I really need to see that too. Both. The fact that people such as myself are calling it the best superhero movie ever is because of the enthusiasm. The fact that we are saying it's in the top 5 or so is earned by the film. I think it's definitely better than the first one. The movie is meant to stand alone, in that all you need to follow is presented on screen. But so much is presented so quickly that it's asking you to keep up. And it's easier to keep up if you're prepared. And the events of Winter Soldier are very relevant. Also, Winter Soldier is excellent, and worth seeing. If I had one criticism, it does feel a little bit checkbox and studio-driven. It's almost too perfect in meeting all the things I want in a superhero film. Action as good as any I've seen? Check. Good character moments. Check. Good little speeches. Check. Humor. Check. It's Whedon's most technically precise work, I think, but it seems to have a little less soul than all his other work. It has more polish than Serenity, but perhaps less heart. But beyond that vague critique, it's hard to argue with. This is the Avengers up on screen, much moreso than the first one. Ambitious in scope, managing to flow really well despite its large cast, fun, touching, etc. etc. I've seen it twice and plan to see it again. |
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