WASHINGTON — “You’re stalling to protect the people.” “Isn’t that the mission?”
After four straight weeks atop the box office throne, “Furious 7” is about to be dethroned by Marvel’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Go ahead and call it now.
Writer/director Joss Whedon will surely follow in the footsteps of his 2012 superhero assembly, which became the top-grossing movie of the year and the 27th all-time (adjusted for inflation).
But while “Age of Ultron” will be a similar Hulk Smash — likely remaining the year’s top grosser until “Star Wars: Episode 7” in December — the box office success will mostly stem from built-in brand recognition, rather than anything of merit this time around.
After years of anticipation, “Age of Ultron” feels less like the glorious culmination of its Phase 2 predecessors and more like a flawed flick at the middle of the Marvel pack, exposed by the quality of gems like “Iron Man 3,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
What a shame, because the premise itself is a winner. Tony “Iron Man” Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) wants to achieve “peace in our time” by creating a “suit of armor around the world” using artificial intelligence. He enlists the help of Bruce “Hulk” Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to upgrade his dormant A.I. system J.A.R.V.I.S. into an experimental A.I. system named Ultron (voiced by James Spader).
The duo hides the high-risk experiment from the fellow Avengers — Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) — so when Ultron turns evil and threatens the world, the superhero gang is understandably upset.
From there, fasten your seat belts and hang onto your 3D glasses — there is a lot going on in “Age of Ultron,” both visually and narratively. For a movie that’s supposed to be mindless entertainment, it requires an awful lot of thought — and not in a good way. It actually becomes hard to follow.
Thus, the excess of the film’s three biggest strengths become its three biggest weaknesses:
Comic Camaraderie vs. Crowded Cast
To start, there are so many character arcs that each can only receive lip service. On the “good guy” side, we get hints of Iron Man’s restless ambition; Captain America’s loss of human frailty; Thor’s other-worldly guilt; Hawkeye’s quest for work-life balance; and a love story between Black Widow and Bruce Banner that redefines “it’s complicated.” On top of that, throw in Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), War Machine (Don Cheadle) and The Falcon (Anthony Mackey)…well, just because.
When these characters are bantering, the film is at its absolute best. The laugh-out-loud quips work in high-octane action sequences (like Captain America telling Iron Man to watch his potty mouth) and slow-paced hang-out sessions (like the group hilariously taking turns trying to lift Thor’s hammer).
On the “bad guy” side, Ultron is set up as an effective villain with evil intentions and a likable smartass personality, donning an impressive CGI robot body while creepily singing “I’ve Got No Strings” from Disney’s “Pinocchio” (1940). Unfortunately, his apocalyptic motives become hazy as the film progresses and his demise is so sudden during the climax that it comes across as ridiculous.
Somewhere between the “good and bad” lie a pair of orphaned twins, the lightning-fast Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and the mind-bending Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Played by a pair of “Godzilla” (2014) alums, these characters suffer from comparisons to last year’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014), where Ellen Page’s Kitty Pride performed more important mind tricks and Evan Peters’ Quicksilver delivered more hilarious bullet-time antics set to Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.”
By the time another major character is introduced — Vision (Paul Bettany), sporting an extraterrestrial headstone — our heads our spinning. Who is that again? Why is he here? Even those who read the comics will have a hard time keeping track; imagine those who aren’t familiar.
Just because Marvel has countless compelling characters doesn’t mean they all need to be in the same movie. There simply isn’t room to explore so many character arcs in a single film.
Epic Spectacle vs. Exhausting Length
Contrary to popular Hollywood belief, there can be too much of a good thing, especially in 3D IMAX.
For those who believe in acclaim, consider the only two directors to win Academy Awards for 3D movies. Ang Lee won for “Life of Pi” (2012) by keeping his 3D adventure to 127 minutes. The following year, Alfonso Cuaron won for “Gravity” (2013) by giving us a 90-minute panic attack.
For those who believe in box office receipts, look to the summer of 2013. “Iron Man 3” kept its runtime close to two hours — and grossed $409 million domestically. By contrast, “Man of Steel” grossed $291 million, partly because it inserted too many battle sequences at nearly 2 1/2 hours.
“Age of Ultron” suffers from the same Kryptonite, stuffing way too many CGI battles into a film that could better use its time exploring its characters. Less is always more, but “Age of Ultron” follows a mantra of “more is more” — to exhausting effect. After the original cut clocked in at roughly three hours, the studio thankfully trimmed it to 141 minutes, but like Superman, this feels overlong.
Visual Appeal vs. Graphic Distraction
Length aside, the constant barrage of digital effects teeters between impressive and distracting.
The frenetic, computer-generated style is established right from the opening battle. Here, Whedon gives us a digital single take in a snowy forest, swooping around to introduce each Avenger in action, delivering a Hulk Smash here, a hammer crash there, a shield throw here, a crossbow arrow there.
Instantly, you’ll know whether you’re game for this style, which looks more like a video game than it does cinema. There’s even a point where Thor does a “double jump” like “Super Mario 64,” leaping into the air, then kicking into another gear to propel even further. In the land of the superheroes, this is a far cry from the cinematic language of a Best Picture winner like “Birdman” (2014).
Still, there’s plenty to respect about Whedon’s vision. He “kitchen sinks” the hell out of this one, pouring his blood, sweat and tears into a visual experience. He deserves credit for a number of brilliant moments, ranging from the calm to the frantic, cutting to black at the peaceful birth of Ultron, then quick-cutting a series of trippy nightmare sequences, introducing each character’s fears in a “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) style of jump cuts, changing film speeds and horrifying visuals.
Whedon isn’t phoning it in at all; he’s throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
In the end, the good outweighs the bad — but barely. It’s an above-average movie with enough talent to keep us engaged and enough banter to keep us amused. Above all, it’s a thrill to see the star-studded cast reunite in a genre they defined and a release strategy they invented. As the credits roll with a mid-credits teaser to the next installment, we get the feeling that several of our heroes will be taking a much deserved break, while others will be promoted for their own new adventures.
This is also the last hurrah for Whedon, who retires from the franchise like an athlete who just left it all on the court but knows his time is fleeting. Toward the end, he inserts a hallowed scene where Ultron and Vision discuss the fate of humanity as an analogy for the Avengers place in the Hollywood studio system. Whedon insists that it’s doomed, but it’s a pleasure being part of it while he can.
As Ultron quips, “Keep your friends rich, and your enemies rich, and then find out which is which.”
★ ★ 1/2
The above rating is based on a 4-star scale: 4 = potential masterpiece, 3.5 = great movie, 3 = good movie, 2.5 = above-average flick, 2 = disappointingly mediocre, 1.5 = don’t waste your time, 1= terrible movie. See where this film ranks in our Fraley Film Guide. Follow him on Twitter @JFrayWTOP.
