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"The Avengers: Age of Ultron"

(Picture via Bing Images)

Before we get started, let's get one thing out of the way: I absolutely love the first "Avengers" film. It is a very special movie for me and in many ways it is the reason why I am writing here today. Inevitably, people will always ask if the second movie was better to the original, so as I compare "Age of Ultron" to it, keep in mind the high regard in which I hold the original. In my eyes, "Age of Ultron" is just slightly better. While some might disagree, the fact that this is an argument that can be had says a lot about this film.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***

"The Avengers: Age of Ultron", directed by Joss Whedon, kicks off with a fantastic action scene that serves as a way to show the viewer that this is not the team's first mission together since the last film. Instead, we are told that this is actually the last in many missions together to find Loki's scepter. The action itself is also very creative, as we see when Thor and Captain America take out a row of soldiers by combining the strength of Thor's hammer with Cap's shield. It's not all action, however, as there are great comedic moments interwoven with all of the ass-kicking throughout the film.

One of the biggest criticisms about the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading in to "Age of Ultron" was that, aside from Loki, there hadn't been any truly great villains. The overall consensus was that most Marvel villains were just throw-away characters that posed no real threat to our heroes. Ultron does not fit that description because he is as menacing as they come. Voiced by James Spader, Ultron carries a chilling voice that compliments his ever-evolving physically appearance. Surprisingly, he is also very funny in a way that somehow manages to make him look even scarier. Yet the most terrifying aspect of Ultron is his belief that he is the good guy. As Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlett Witch explains it, Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. That makes for the best kind of on-screen villain.

Another thing worth noting is the development of Hawkeye. In the original "Avengers", we had no real connection to him and it made him a character that if he got killed off, we wouldn't really care. But this movie changed that. So much so that when it appeared as if Ultron was going to kill him, I found myself hoping for a way for him to survive. And he did, which leads me to my next point: the Maximoff twins.

The relationship between Wanda (Scarlett Witch) and Pietro (Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) was fantastic. These are two characters that for most of their lives have had to depend solely on one another. You can tell how much they love each other, which makes it that much harder to watch as Quicksilver sacrifices himself in order to save Hawkeye. There is a beautiful shot of Wanda right before we see that her brother took the full impact of Ultrons attack that shows that she knows what just happened, and then as Quicksilver falls dead to the ground, we see Wanda fall to her knees. Filled with pain and rage, we get a glimpse of Wanda's full potential as her power explodes out of her to destroy the surrounding Ultron-bots. It is such a heart-breaking scene yet it's hard not to admire the beauty in it.

The chemistry between the cast was great as always, as were the perfectly timed one-liners that come throughout the film. The Vision was a great character and I can't wait to see more of him. If your jaw didn't drop when he casually picked up Thor's hammer then something is wrong with you. The fight between the Hulk and the Hulkbuster was one of the best fight scenes in any Marvel movie. The post-credit scene was short but one of the best ever as we see Thanos getting the infinity gauntlet and declare he will collect the infinity stones himself. More than anything though, the inclusion of so many other characters made this feel more like the type of story you would read of in the comics.

But even the best films carry things with them that could have been done differently. I felt that the creation of Ultron was just a bit rushed and would have liked to at least see him create his new body after he first escapes from the Avengers tower. Also, I feel like we could have done without the entire scene where Thor goes off to find that weird cave with the mystical water. The entire scene just felt weird and didn't seem to serve any purpose.

Overall, this is definitely a movie that you should watch in theaters as soon as possible. It is the type of film that will leave you wanting to watch it over and over again. As far as ratings, I will give it a 9.5/10.

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