There’s a scene early on in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” that hints at what this immensely enjoyable, but overstuffed film that overstays its welcome by 30 minutes or so could have been. In the scene, Earth’s mightiest heroes and a few of their super-powered associates are chilling in their civilian personas at a posh cocktail party at their high-tech skyscraper in Manhattan.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, James Spader.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments.
After disrupting the megalomaniacal scheme of some second-tier villain with a Nazi-fetish, the heroes feel they’re long overdue for some quality down time. But being an overwhelmingly male gathering with the exception of Natasha Romonoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and a few agents and scientists of the female persuasion, it isn’t long before they’re exchanging tales of conquest and engaging in levels of swagger that feel comfortable to them.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Tony Stark, aka Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) try to outdo each other by bragging about the professional merits of their girlfriends who, it should be noted, are too busy running their companies or engaging in cutting edge research to attend the party.
Meanwhile, Natasha flirts in a corner with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) in what has to be the unlikeliest potential pairing of comic book icons in a long time.
The lack of inhibition at Tony Stark’s crib naturally leads to a contest where the various heroes take their turn trying to lift Thor’s hammer. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) thinks it is a matter of leverage. Stark believes applying technology (with added assist from another armored associate) will get the job done. It doesn’t.
Captain America (Chris Evans) comes closest to lifting it because of the sheer accumulation of virtue he represents as the symbol of the World War II generation, but even he is only able to budge it.
Thor, of course, reminds his fellow heroes that as mighty as they all may be, only he has been found “worthy” to wield the hammer. Never mind that he and the hammer are connected by a mystical bond that transcends virtue, technology, physics, strength or sheer will.
It is a great scene full of cosmic (and comic book) testosterone reminiscent of the spirit that suffused director/writer Joss Whedon’s first outing with the franchise in 2012. There are glimpses of that original spirit flowing throughout this 141-minute sequel, but for the most part “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is content to hint at the greatness that could’ve been without putting in the effort to be truly great. It is the artistic equivalent of Captain America budging Thor’s hammer a little bit — impressive, but not quite good enough.
Having said that, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours in the dark. It has a terrific villain. James Spader provides the voice of Ultron, a cybernetic nihilist with genocidal proclivities. It hints at one culturally significant hero to be revealed in future installments and it shows that hero’s longtime antagonist losing an arm at Ultron’s hands.
It also has the requisite number of explosions required for every summer blockbuster, although this time there appears to be some thought put to preserving the lives of as many civilians as possible. A lot of the action takes place in Africa and Eastern Europe, so New York is spared the devastation handed down in the first movie.
There’s even a demonstration of Promethean-sized hubris on Stark and Banner’s part that leads to Ultron’s creation and the introduction of another cybernetic character — the Vision (Paul Bettany).
It becomes clear to Stark’s teammates that their billionaire patron can still be a bit of a shady operator. His past as an arms dealer comes back to haunt him when super-powered siblings Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) turn up seeking revenge for a Stark manufactured bomb that killed members of their family.
Not all the fight scenes in “Avengers: The Age of Ultron” are mindless, but the battle between Iron Man and the Hulk on the streets of an African city has “gratuitous” written all over it. There’s even one death on screen that will take audiences by surprise. It is a truly dumb move given the character’s place in the Marvel universe.
Alas, there are several plot points that don’t make a lot of sense to me. Maybe the recent 13-episode installment of Marvel’s “Daredevil” on Netflix spoiled me. Obviously, not everything can be as intricate and emotionally involving as that series in 141 minutes. Still, there’s something to be said for less visual clutter and less characters going forward.
Still, this “Avengers” sequel is fine for what it is: a big, explosive popcorn movie that can be easily dubbed into every language on the planet for maximum profit. There isn’t a dull moment in the film, but those less enthralled with comic book narratives in general may wonder why anyone would think this movie is a big deal.
Stay through the credits for a peek at the villain who will dominate the next two installments of the franchise.
Tony Norman: tnorman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1631.
First Published: April 30, 2015, 3:39 p.m.