First, let's talk about Ultron. I mean the film is named after him. Ultron is a wonderfully unique villain. He is a mirror of Tony Stark and all the things Tony is probably capable of, but does not act on. Ultron is the tamper throwing child version of Tony. As a cinematic villain, Ultron defies a lot of the traditional cliches of a villain, including not revealing his evil plan in a well delivered line. Ultron is unpredictable and childish, a dangerous combination for the Avengers. His origins are fairly simple and his motivation is clear. He knows what he wants and plans to get it. James Spader does a superb job of creating a memorable villain who makes you just a little uncomfortable. I mean, how often do we have a robotic villain who can deliver one-liners? Ultron also has one of the most ambitious plans of any villain. Let's just say the dinosaurs had some experience with this plan.
The film also sees the introduction of a number of characters: Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Baron Strucker, Ulysses Klaw (a main villain of Black Panther, and Wakanda gets a mention), and the Vision. Each of these characters are welcome additions to the MCU, especially Vision who is portrayed so delightfully by Paul Bettany. Vision, who is created by a mixture of Ultron and the Avengers, particularly Stark, Banner, and Thor, is not only visually appealing but brings a nuance to the Avengers Team that helps balance out the heroes. Yes, there are a lot of characters in this film, but each is well written and doesn't detract from the story.
Speaking of balance, it was wonderful to see Hawkeye and Black Widow get some more depth in this film. Hawkeye now feels much more rounded as a character and helps ground the Avengers in reality. He's a family man and that family resonates with our heroes after nearly falling apart. Black Widow's past, which is usually shrouded in mystery, is partially revealed in a well scripted scene with Bruce Banner.
What this film has, thanks to Joss Whedon, is so many great moments of well crafted character development. In just a few lines, whether serious or humorous, the audience understands these characters. Even the characters that get very little screen time are beautifully brought to life through just a few lines.
Besides introducing new characters, we also get to see old favorites, like War Machine and Falcon. Hopefully, we'll be seeing more of them as both Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackie have such great chemistry with the Avengers cast. Hopefully this chemistry will continue as the Avengers grace the big screen again.
The mid-credits scene also delivers one of the best lines and moments in the MCU. Be prepared for the MCU to get a little crazy.
Overall, this film is amazing. It's huge and fun and lets the characters that we love grow. The characters are all in top form, new and old alike. Things explode, robots battle with gods, monsters and iron men grapple, and miracle twins step in to change the course of the world. The writing is amazing and many of the scenes are extremely memorable (probably due to the perfect and appropriate use of humor). Go see it and have a great time! I can't wait to see where our fearless heroes go next! Bring on the Ant and the Spider.
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