Avengers: Age of Ultron (7/10): And the Build-up continues...

"I know you're good people. I know you mean well. But you just didn't think it through. There is only one path to peace... your extinction."

Age of Ultron doesn't live up to the first Avengers mostly because the novelty of seeing all these superheroes together has warn off, but it is still a very entertaining film with some positive elements to take out of it. First of all, the villain voiced by James Spader is an improvement over most others we've seen in the Marvel Universe. He is actually a menace to the heroes, and although Ultron isn't as charismatic as Loki, he still represents a much more dangerous threat for them so we feel there is much more at stake. The addition of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch also enhances the franchise. Olsen is an actress I've admired ever since her screen debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene, so it was exciting to see her play this role alongside other fantastic actors. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver wasn't used as well as he was in X-Men, but it was still fun to see him on screen. Quicksilver was the highlight for me in the latest X-Men franchise, but here he is simply another new character. It was much more fun to see his quick movements in slow motion instead of at such a rapid pace. The returning characters also enhance the sequel and make it entertaining. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is by far my favorite character in the franchise and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk always delivers some of the best comedic moments. Age of Ultron delivers plenty of fun scenes, but it also tries to take itself a bit more seriously, and that didn't work as well for me considering I found Captain America The Winter Soldier to be a slightly better and interesting serious thriller. In summary, it doesn't match the comedy of its predecessor and it doesn't stand out as a more serious film either. The run-time does begin to feel a bit heavy, but I still have to admit that I had a fun time with the movie. There is a lot going on and with the addition of the new characters some of the scenes feel rushed and the plot gets a bit convoluted.

The main problem  with these Marvel movies is that they're getting more and more difficult to view as individual films. They seem to be always building up to something and I expected all the build-up in the previous films was going to lead to something important in this second Avengers movie, but what we get instead is more of a build-up to the next phase of the Marvel universe. Ultron presented a great threat to the heroes, but everything was rushed and it seems it was resolved all too easily by the end. It's still hard to resist a film with so many likable characters and charismatic leads, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed with Age of Ultron when the introduction of the main villain seemed promising. Spader's voice work stood out for me in this film as one of the best performances. I was also happy to see Jeremy Renner get much more screen time with his character, Hawkeye, as well as Scarlett Johansson with Black Widow. This is probably as close to an individual film about them we'll get. Captain America and Thor however, are underused and I really didn't care too much about them here.

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My Review: Thor (8/10)

¨Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.¨

With Thor, summer movies have officially started in Hollywood. It`s not one of my favorite seasons of the year for films, but if the rest of the movies can live up to what Kenneth Branagh has accomplished with Thor it will be an exciting and entertaining season at the movies. I wasn`t a huge fan of Thor before this movie came out, I wasn`t even expecting too much out of it, but I decided to go see it because he`s still one of The Avengers and I couldn`t miss out on all the propaganda that began with Iron Man. With each one of these films my expectations for The Avengers is rapidly building, and even Thor managed to win me over to his side. The first thing I can say about the movie is that it was entertaining enough for me to want to go see it twice in two days. The story, the visuals, the strong performance from two relatively unknown actors like Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are all factors that contribute to making this movie successful. Include Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins into the mix and you have an even better film. The directing had a lot to do with it as well because Kenneth Branagh is a serious and dedicated director; he has proven it time after time with his adaptations of Shakespearean plays. He was dedicated with this project as well; adapted this Marvel comic superhero and prepared him for the big screen. Like most every Marvel character, they are very well developed and the film is no exception remaining true to the comic.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the son of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) the god of Asgard. He is a great warrior and his father has been preparing him to be the future King of Asgard. It is no easy task because Asgardians are the keepers of the peace in all nine realms (Earth being one of those realms). They can travel from one realm to another through the bifrost which is guarded by Heimdall (Idris Elba). Odin saved Earth from extinction many centuries ago when the Frost Giants tried to destroy the planet. Odin defeated them and took away their power so they could no longer leave their planet, Jotunheimr. Odin has kept the peace during all these years but now it`s time to proclaim Thor as his heir to the throne. On the day of his proclamation something unexpected occurs and three Frost Giants manage to enter Asgard and almost steal the cube which holds their power. However The Destroyer does his job and kills the invaders before they can do any harm. Thor is furious and wants to give the Giants a lesson, but Odin wants to maintain peace and orders Thor to remain in Asgard. Against his father`s command Thor travels to Jotunheimr with his younger brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the 3 warriors: Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, and Sif (Jaime Alexander). Together they face the Giants who tell them there is a traitor in Asgard. Odin discovers that Thor disobeyed his command, rescues the warriors from the Frost Giants but vanishes Thor to Earth without his supernatural powers. In Earth Thor meets a group of scientists: Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), and Darcy (Kat Dennings) who help him rediscover his path.

I can imagine how difficult it was to try to make a serious movie out of all this Norse mythology about the nine realms and so on, but Branagh pulls it off by combining humor with the story. For instance when the three warriors come to Earth to find Thor, the unbelievable situation is toned down with a lot of humor. The same can be said with the Destroyer when he arrives at Earth to try to destroy Thor. When the SHIELD agents first see this metal giant they believe it could be one of Stark`s creations. So whenever the plot seems to be getting ridiculous, the tone of the film is cooled down with a lot of humor. The funniest character is Darcy who with clever one-liners manages to steal most laughs. I liked Kat Dennings in Nick and Norah`s Infinite Playlist, but here once more she proves she is a talented actress. The true stars of the film however are Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Hemsworth plays Thor to perfection, and Hiddleston is excellent as Loki. The scene where he realizes his true identity is perhaps one of the most dramatic and best acted sequences in the movie. I know we are being bombarded with a lot of superhero movies, but as long as they keep on making them this entertaining I have no problem with that. Thor is no Dark Knight, or even Iron Man for that matter, but it still is a very good film. I will end my review by quoting my six year old brother`s words after the movie ended: ¨I don’t want to have an Iron Man party for my birthday anymore. I want it to be Thor!¨  

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