Evolution. It’s what humanity was made to do…but
what about our own creations? Are they meant to evolve? Are they meant ‘get
better’? And if they do, are they supposed to surpass us? Is technology’s purpose to completely override humanity?
What if technology could think for itself? What if
technology could walk? What if technology was on the verge of becoming
humanity?
Welcome, to the Age
of Ultron.
The
Story
I’m not too sure how close to the comics Marvel Entertainment’s latest Avengers movie is, but from what I know
and what I’ve read, it’s different. The whole idea of technology evolving and
becoming its own “person” is an existentialist’s dream come true. Take the
concept of, Her, and place it into the Marvel world and you’ve got yourself a
recipe for and epic explosion!
You have the usual battle between good and evil, but
this time it draws from biblical themes of sacrifice, grace and the crux of
what it means to be a fallen human. True, it doesn’t exactly follow the
play-by-play of the gospels and Genesis as Thor
does, but it does echo several quotes from Exodus, Matthew and Revelations.
The story, as the early trailers have provided, do
carry an abundance of poetic elements for the character of Ultron – with a
running theme of puppetry. It was almost as if his craftiness with words made
him more threatening than being made out of the same metal Captain America’s
shield.
It was also great to see Jeremy Renner’s character,
Clint Barton – a.k.a. Hawkeye, get a back story to give his character more
meat. (Not to mention gain a few friends along the way - *cough-Quicksilver-cough-Scarlet-Witch-cough*.)
Overall, the story was packed with so many elements
of past literature, along with element of the comic’s plotline, it’s one I
literally have to see again just to
wrap my head around.
The
Cast (New Cast)
Step aside Downey Jr., Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Evans,
Johansson, Renner and L. Jackson – it’s time for the newbies to shine.
(Although, y’all did an amazing job reprising your roles, yes Robert, you all
deserve standing ovations for your prowess.)
Aaron
Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen are going
to share the limelight for this review because they were pretty much joined at
the hip playing the Maximoff twins. Now since Marvel are still possibly in negotiations with Sony for the rights to the word "mutants," Taylor-Johnson and Olsen have been given a different back story as to their linage and their powers - i.e. children of war and human excitements ('mutants' without using the word 'mutant'). They've become in-between characters who constantly need to make a choice to either be on the “good” side or
the “bad” side – and sometimes, as this film clearly points out, it’s hard to
tell who’s who. Taylor-Johnson and Olsen both carry and sustain their Eastern
European accents very well and embody their characters completely. They’re both
very convincing and they draw you in like a moth to a flame almost instantly.
James
Spader’s debut as Ultron’s voice has you
shivering from the moment he is brought to life. His poetic streams that are
truncated by comic relief bring a delicate mixture of both light and dark to
the film. The intricacy of his character is nothing without Spader’s passionate
delivery of every line he utters. I am in awe.
Paul
Bettany grabs your absolute attention, but I feel
like if I praise him too much I would be giving too many spoilers. Yes, he is
brilliant as Jarvis, but he is also brilliant as Jarvis’ alter ego. The way
that Jarvis evolves in this film is so compelling that I’m still in shock with
how his character has been developed in this film. Let’s leave it at that –
great job Bettany!
Overall, for all you thinkers, see this movie twice – I
will be! There’s so much in it to just take-in in one sitting. For all you Marvel fans, it will not disappoint. You
will love every minute of it – I did! I do recommend watching all the other
films before watching this one to tie some loose ends to jog the memory.
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Next on sL: Pitch Perfect 2
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