Living in the Age of Ultron

Much like my good friend Victor Barreiro, Jr., I was living in the future last week, across the International Date Line. What I didn't realize was how far in the future I was living. The folks I was training were talking about getting tickets to see Avengers: Age of Ultron more than a week before it was scheduled to be released in U.S. cinemas. Well of course I had to get in on that action!

So after work on Thursday, my coworker and I headed downtown to a very modern cineplex on top of a department store, called CGV. Granted that, where we were, the movie was already in general release, I have never before had the opportunity to see an "advanced" screening of a movie. The TL;DR of my impression? The movie is awesome, better than the original Avengers movie. I will try to keep this review spoiler free. But be warned, one or two items that you consider spoilers may sneak in.

First off, Josh Whedon nailed it, again. There was plenty of action (it's a superhero movie, after all), but the relatively quiet moments where the characters had time to breathe and just interact were what made the movie. And let's face it, that's what sets Josh Whedon apart from the likes of Zach Snyder, Brett Ratner, and McG. He knows his characters, and how to bring out spectacularly intimate performances from his cast.

James Spader does a terrific performance as the voice of Ultron, which includes more humor than I expected, based on the trailers. Luckily, the other cast members are strong enough to keep him from stealing the show. And every character has adequate exposure, whereas some faded into the background a bit during the first Avengers movie.

As I said, there is plenty of action. The Hulk vs Iron Man battle glimpsed in the trailers is particularly fun. As has been said elsewhere (beware SPOILERS), collateral damage—that is, the death or injury of innocents—is a major concern to the Avengers, unlike some other recent Superhero movies. The Age of Ultron is plenty epic, and if you have been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you will not disappointed by this latest installment.

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