Avengers: Age of Ultron (Joss Whedon)

[number8]

Yeah, I think Whedon can be strong with the camera. You can see the difference in his TV work over the work of others he's hired. Even Avengers 1, I thought had a more "present" camera than other MCU films, which I think helped set it apart. Didn't feel this one was as strong in that regard at all. An over-reliance on CGI to achieve shots was certainly a contributing factor. In general, I did not think this film looked good.

I felt that way for the first half of the movie. The first battle is kind of too much to launch into, the chaotic skirmish after the party and in the African factory are hard to see, and the Hulk/Veronica fight is my least favorite thing about comic book movies. Two CGI behemoths frantically smashing against each other. I got flashbacks to the awful climax of The Incredible Hulk. They have none of the clarity of the action scenes in the first Avengers, which I still praise.

But the second half, I really like. The Korea part is probably the best set piece in the movie, both for the truck chase sequence and the runaway train, which felt sufficiently physical. I don't find the Sokovia civilian rescues boring. It's what I enjoy seeing, and Whedon did a good job breaking that one gigantic battle into smaller, enjoyable bits. Not as well as Battle of NY, but still cool.

[DavidSeven]

For you guys who are mixed, does that mean you're not going to want to watch it again?

I won't watch it again in theaters. Maybe sometime down the road, but it won't ever be a priority. I think my initial response is about where consensus has landed: it's okay; MCU's influence maybe a little too strong; Whedon could've exerted more of himself into the piece, etc. I lean 'yay' because it's still a step up from most Marvel films, but just a marginal one this time.

The problem is that this sequel doesn't really feel like an evolution from the first one. Similar story beats, style, robot/city annihilation. Why watch this one again when I could just re-watch the first Avengers, which is basically the same movie but better? The most iconic sequels seem to do something different whether that be in structure or style -- e.g. The Godfather 2 is a different experience than The Godfather; The Dark Knight is totally different than Batman Begins; same thing with The Empire Strikes Back. Hell, I could even throw out Ocean's 12 (underrated) as an example of where they at least tried something different.

[Skitch]

Only 13 MCers have seen this?

Its been out here for what, 6 days? I hate going to the theater and usually wait for second run so I don't have to deal with people, with sold out crowds and record breaking box office, its going to be a while before I get to see it.

[Dukefrukem]

The problem is that this sequel doesn't really feel like an evolution from the first one. Similar story beats, style, robot/city annihilation.

Feels way darker in tone to me.

[Sycophant]

Only 13 MCers have seen this?

It has been less than a week. That said, I, for one, will almost certainly not see this. Unless I'm forced to when visiting family or something.

For you guys who are mixed, does that mean you're not going to want to watch it again?

Who has time to watch movies they're mixed on more than once? Especially not any time soon.

[Dukefrukem]

It has been less than a week. That said, I, for one, will almost certainly not see this. Unless I'm forced to when visiting family or something.



Who has time to watch movies they're mixed on more than once? Especially not any time soon.

Sorry my posts were so outrageously offensive.

[Winston*]

Who has time to watch movies they're mixed on more than once? Especially not any time soon.

Yeah. I'll almost never even watch films I loved more than once, outside of retrospective cinema screenings.

[Watashi]

The only MCU movie I've seen more than once was The Avengers which I saw for a second time last week prior before Ultron.

I only see a handful of new releases more than once. Even films I love.

[Watashi]

Looking back at the last 5 years, here are the new releases I've seen more than once:

Boyhood*
It's Such a Beautiful Day
X-Men Days of Future Past
The LEGO Movie
ParaNorman
The Avengers
The Cabin in the Woods*
Girl Walk // All Day
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Tree of Life*
Attack the Block
Tron Legacy*
The Social Network
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World*
Inception*

*in theaters

[Winston*]

Feels way darker in tone to me.

I think this is to its detriment.

[Skitch]

Im a rewatcher for sure. With as many Netflix grenades I waste time on, sometimes a sure thing is a must.

Or with something like Interstellar, my score for that flick jumped up 2 points on rewatch last week.

[Dukefrukem]

I wish Letterboxd told me how many times I rewatched films.

Oh wait it totally does. 13 this year for me out of 92.

[transmogrifier]

I haven't rewatched any of the Marvel films, and don't really plan to. This year I decided to not rewatch any films at all, and I think it is for the better - though I do miss it when I'm sick, because all I want is comfort food then. Next step is to stop rewatching TV.

[Grouchy]

A little surprised the consensus here leans so much towards the negative - I got a kick out of this. It might be that I turned off my brain during the first scene (assault on Von Strucker's castle) and I was a committed fanboy for the rest of the movie, but I think it's better than the first one if only for sheer epic value. I also think it does a better job at giving every character his due screentime and share of dramatic conflict, even if in Hawkeye's case it feels like an apology for the first one.

Also, come on. This movie has a lot of positives. Ultron's first appearance is effectively creepy although I didn't really expect him to start cracking jokes in the next scene, not so sure about that. The fight scenes are great. Evans and Downey Jr. have developed an effective chemistry that I look forward to seeing explode in Civil War. Vision's Mjolnir moment is awesome, as is the banter scene that sets it up. Funniest Stan Lee cameo in a while. And the Natasha/Hulk romance was a curious idea, but I think it works, specially if they're planning to do Planet Hulk, WWH or both.

All the online sociopaths who complained that Black Widow was sidelined must have been watching a different movie.

[Dukefrukem]

All the online sociopaths who complained that Black Widow was sidelined must have been watching a different movie.

Yeh I at the beginning of the thread, I expressed concerns about this, but she kicks some serious ass throughout the entire movie- plus that awesome motorcycle scene and the incredible POV shot of her and the cradle falling into the hover jet. Loved that shot.

[bac0n]

So, any Moms or Dads who have seen this - do you think this movie would be appropriate for a 6 year old girl?

[[ETM]]

Ultron's first appearance is effectively creepy although I didn't really expect him to start cracking jokes in the next scene, not so sure about that.

I suppose it should have been made clearer earlier on that Ultron is in a very large part based on Stark's mental profile. They even crack the same jokes at the same time throughout the movie.

[Grouchy]

I suppose it should have been made clearer earlier on that Ultron is in a very large part based on Stark's mental profile. They even crack the same jokes at the same time throughout the movie.

Yeah, that was not correctly explained.

So, any Moms or Dads who have seen this - do you think this movie would be appropriate for a 6 year old girl?

I don't think it will be inappropriate but I do think she will be bored.

[BuffaloWilder]

Enh, this was okay. Outside of Iron Man, The Winter Soldier and Guardians of The Galaxy, these Marvel movies just kind of exemplify sameness to me. To be fair, they've only got the one song, but it's a pretty enjoyable song. I end up seeing every one of them, and this was no exception.

There's not really much to comment on - it's not very creative aesthetically or narratively, and I thought it was a little funny that Cap'n America cared so much about innocents not dying at the end when Hulk and Iron Man basically just destroyed half of Capetown or wherever it was, earlier in the film. But I thought Spader's performance as Ultron was great and wonderfully, unnervingly human, and made for a lot of good humor. His birth sequence was interesting as well, being represented by two abstract balls of light - but, the scenes of Banner and Stark creating him over a night were pretty ridiculous.

I liked that Hawkeye had a family. He's a nice counterpoint to the ridiculousness of everything else going on, and provides a welcome narrative focal point. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen or their characters don't make much of an impression at all, and I think it's pretty well-accepted that Bryan Singer did it better.

Enh.

[Dukefrukem]

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen or their characters don't make much of an impression at all,

If you were critiquing Godzilla I would agree with you.

[Spun Lepton]

Thor's whole solo bit leading into [

Show Spoiler

The Vision's creation

] didn't work for me. There was more focus on group dynamics and the action scenes weren't quite as grand or exciting as the first film, but they were still engaging and fun. Overall, very good, very entertaining, but not quite as good as the original.

[Dukefrukem]

Thor's whole solo bit leading into [

Show Spoiler

The Vision's creation

] didn't work for me.

This is the scene that Whedon wanted out of the movie. There was a huge portion cut. Including the mysterious woman.

[

Show Spoiler

]

[Pop Trash]

There's some good stuff here and there, but yeah this was way too long, and -maybe I just noticed it more than other Marvel movies this time- there is a cookie cutter quality to how it's shot, edited, CGI'd, and the color palette. I'm also over RDJ (more so than ever) and a lot of his snark and jokes fell flat to me (and the rest of the audience I watched it with...crickets chirping). I still like Thor and his bits got the biggest laugh. I also still really like Ruffalo's take on Bruce Banner.

[Dukefrukem]

"Keep them coming, until they blot out all the light"

Bwhahahahaha

[kuehnepips]

So, any Moms or Dads who have seen this - do you think this movie would be appropriate for a 6 year old girl?

No. It is also wrong for a 55-years old girl.