Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9.5/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Hayley Atwell, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, James Spader, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, Idris Elba, Cobie Smulders, Linda Cardellini, Andy Serkis, Stellan Skarsgård, Lou Ferrigno, Stan Lee, Claudia Kim, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Thomas Kretschmann.
The bench mark for any Marvel Comics related film has now surely been set so high that what follows has either got to be so good its worthy of an Oscar and the chance for many an actor to gush at the camera or alternatively it is so bad that they stop making adaptations of graphic novels any more. For the fan, neither is acceptable, for the fan, the Sword of Damocles hovers perilously close and neither Thor nor The Hulk can stop it from slightly piercing the skin and leaving the indelible mark of a truly exceptional fan fest forever imprinted on the mind of all.
The Avengers: Age of Ultron is as near classic as you can ask for. In terms of Graphic Novel adaptations, it outranks Michael Keaton’s first outing as Batman in 1989, it surpasses Iron Man 2 and leaves films such as Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, any of The Hulk outings and pretty much anything to do with a D.C. superhero title between the first Superman Film and, well anything in between the upcoming Superman V Batman. In terms of spectacle its only rival may be Watchmen and in relation to story-telling comparable to the television series Gotham; the Sword of Damocles just slipped that little bit closer at the thought.
The ultimate enemy, the one liners, the interaction between all the characters, especially between The Hulk and Iron Man, the sheer magnitude of thought and manual dexterity that Joss Whedon has placed in one film, something somewhere in another film has to surely suffer for it, the sacrifices made in the name of The Avengers: Age of Ultron are such that somewhere along the line, tiny wooden effigies are to be found and prayed over by less civilised people.
One fight scene in particular will leave audiences gasping for air, such is the pent up rage and testosterone fuelled examination of who has the bigger fists and packs the biggest wallop, and it is the fight scene to end them all, the detailed assessment of how to bring a city to a standstill. Several hours after leaving the cinema, you can be forgiven for still revelling in the destruction.
Away from the inevitable fights and sarcasm induced reveals, both Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo inject much needed pathos and beauty in to the film, a certain style which captures the very futility and the absolute necessity of love. Away from what makes a comic book tick, the very nature of humanity thriving under pressure, of not getting what you ultimately deserve in life is right here in this heart-rending partnership and friendship.
With Robert Downey Jr. at his charming best, Elizabeth Olsen surprising with a fantastic performance as arguably the strongest Avenger/former Mutant around, James Spader excelling in his role as the voice of Ultron and Paul Bettany finally being on screen for the first time as he brings one of the complicated and finest characters of the Silver age comic books to life in The Vision, The Avengers: Age of Ultron grabs you so quick that you don’t realise you’ve been taken on a longest ride of ingenuity and fascinating exploration until, breathless, you reach the end.
Utter magic!
Ian D. Hall