Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson

Director: Joss Whedon

Rating: ****1/2

The opening scene of Age of Ultron is the perfect way to define this action adventure, a non-stop, edge of the seat, colossal superhero saga. With a huge ensemble cast comprising of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man aka Tony Stark, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo has the Hulk, along with many others; this movie sets a new benchmark for the genre of movies it belongs to.

The movie starts with Captain America, played by Chris Evans for the 4th time, leading the Avengers into a secret HYDRA base. As they are busy eliminating the leftover of the rogue Nazi group, they encounter a force much beyond their comprehension. This is where we meet the Maximoff Twins, which is Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The brief encounter between Scarlet Witch and Iron Man leads the latter to go beyond the boundaries he has set himself in, and create a suit of armor around the world, Ultron.

Things get complicated when Ultron develops into a rogue Artificial Intelligence robot, pushing the Avengers to their weakest and worst points. Voiced by James Spader, Ultron, for the entire duration of the movie never comes across as just a robot, but more like a menacing villain we all are supposed to fear. The powerful voice of Spader adds depth to the character of Ultron, giving us occasional chills. The creative team must be applauded for the manner in which Ultron has been created.

The story moves quickly as Avengers find themselves in one problem after the other. Around the main plot, revolve countless sub-plots, especially the one involving Bruce Banner, played by Mark Ruffalo and Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson. Their story is going to go down pretty well with the viewers who loved their brief action sequence in the prequel.

Avengers- Age of Ultron is just not a sequel to a successful superhero movie, but a celebration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the first hour of the movie itself, fans would be treated with countless references from almost all the previous movies. Some of our beloved characters also make a very short, yet significant appearance, taking the story forward.

Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner gets to be the center of nucleus in this movie. Making his third appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after playing a very small role in Thor-1, and the supporting character in Avengers-1, Renner brings energy and excitement to the character of Hawkeye, and not to forget the cheeky humor we all adore him for.

Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth attracts every lady's eye, and brings more depth into the character of Thor. No longer he is just mighty and brave, but has also shades of his own weakness to uncover and understand. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is impeccable. To sum it up neatly, you can take out Iron Man from Downey Jr, but there is no way you can take away Robert Downey Jr. from Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow is now not just a spy, but an Avenger, but an Avenger who first time showcases her emotions, her sorrows, and her plight since her first appearance in Iron Man-2. Certainly, we have come a long way.


The highlight of this movie is its humor. Even in the lowest points, in the darkest phases, and in the most intense fights, none of our Avengers lose their humorous elements. Considering that this movie takes a little darker shade, the humor just proved to be helpful.

The direction, by Joss Whedon, who must also be marveled for the writing of this movie, is perfect. It's not always easy to get such a vast universe to fit together in one movie, especially when most of these characters have their own franchises, namely, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor pretty well established. The writer does full justice to every character, bringing out the best in all of them.

The CGI effects have been created with extreme precision. A lot of thought and understanding has gone into creating these effects, especially the one at the end of the movie. The movie is packed with surprises. As someone who follows each and every article online relevant to this universe, even I was blown away at certain places. There are a lot of surprises, accompanied with a few shocks in this movie.

The new entries into this universe, especially Elizabeth Olsen, playing the Scarlet Witch, make a powerful impact. Their back-story and their confused motives give the story and additional dimension, thus adding more depth to the main plot. However, the biggest surprise of this movie, and probably the Marvel Cinematic Universe is revealed at the beginning of the second half. Without spoiling it for you, we would only like to state that is surprise is going to change our Avengers forever, but for good or bad? Well, watch the movie to find out.

My only complaint with this movie is that it is a little hasty in many places, especially in the second half. For a movie with so many characters and subplots, the director could have gone in for an extra 15 odd minutes in order to project the future of this universe in a better way. At this point, we can only wish for some deleted scenes to be added to the Blu-Ray edition, or if we are lucky enough, a director's cut.

Even if you are not a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this happens to be your first superhero movie outing, there is no way you won't enjoy this movie. Watch it for the story, the brilliant cast, and most importantly, the stunning effects.

I am going for a 4.5 out 5 for this movie. There is nothing that's going to stop me from booking another show this weekend. Yes, a new age in the superhero movie genre has been successfully ushered.