Imperfect Avengers

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Avengers: Age of Ultron...
 
I am finding it difficult to process all the different levels of joy I’m feeling right now. *rubs off remaining tears from eyes*

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It’s not perfect. It wasn’t even that great a movie, technically speaking. But it was FUN. It had a fast and lively beat. The action and humor were always spot on and unrelenting. It was so much fun, in fact, that it made all its problems forgivable…nay, insignificant.


I’m going no holds barred on the spoilers here, so stop reading NOW if you don’t want any of it. Just know this: the movie is well worth seeing on the big screen! Now go watch it, and check back on me when you’re done.

(And if you need a refresher course, here's an Avengers Primer to get you up to speed.)

Ok, I’ll start with what DIDN’T work.

NEG: Widow-Hulk Romance

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Cheeeeeese-machine!

One of the most jarring developments in the sequel was the forced romance between Natasha and Bruce. I say jarring because it seemed to have come out of nowhere! It’s probably just to give an in-story excuse for Hulk to revert to Banner form, but it’s just so weird. It’s especially strange given that Widow’s prior ‘connections’ with Cap and Clint.

NEG: Shoehorned Hawkeye Drama

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More Clint Barton, please!

Hawkeye was finally given his due screen time in Age of Ultron. He was at least able to portray a more comedic Hawkeye, similar to the comics, but while having some moments, it still felt inadequate. His family drama accomplished nothing more than to give him an excuse to exit the franchise. It was even foreshadowed that Clint would somehow bring the team together, but it never materialized. I wish they had given him more material to really stand out as either the funny guy, or the heart guy.

NEG: Too Many Moving Parts

From the moment Scarlet Witch messes with their heads, it starts to feel like all the characters have their own thing going on. The numerous subplots will give you a sense that the movie is all over the place, disjointed. Some may even have a hard time following who’s doing what, why and where.

NEG: Occasionally Dizzying Action Sequences

Unlike in Winter Soldier or Daredevil, where the action is furious but still so clean and clear, Age of Ultron sometimes gets waaaay too fidgety for its own good. The quick cuts and unusual camera angles sometimes made the action difficult to comprehend. (A good excuse to watch it again though!)

NEG: Some Unexplained Plot Progressions

There were some elements in the plot that didn’t make much sense. Like how Thor was suddenly a clairvoyant and how the value of having a vibranium body was never truly exhibited. The Vision was supposedly the toughest guy there, but in the end, he didn’t actually contribute that much more than the others.

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What was THIS about?!

NEG: Infighting Resolution Feels Unearned

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I mean really, how’d all that infighting resolve so quickly and cleanly? 

See? A lot of things were wrong about the movie. But now let me tell you why all that DOESN’T MATTER!

POS: IT WAS SUPER FUN!
POS: Joss Whedon Humor
POS: Massive Rapid-Fire Action
POS: Combo Attacks!
POS: WAR FRIGGIN' MACHINE!!!
POS: The Vision and Scarlet Witch!
POS: The Comic Book and MCU References!
POS: The Fan Service
POS: The Cameos!
POS: 'Smart Hulk' Tease!
POS: The Team Shots
POS: ScarJo's Butt
POS: That Cool Party!!
POS: The Cast Chemistry
POS: And...the NEW AVENGERS. (That was awesomesauce. Seriously.)

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Need I say more?

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Because AVENGERS.

Three years of waiting has come to this…AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT! It wasn’t perfect, and if I weren’t a Marvel fan, I might have noticed the faults a bit more or even, dare I say it, found it boring. But I AM! And I appreciated every bit of the spectacle that is Avengers: Age Of Ultron! I kid you not, I was consciously trying not to BLINK in fear of missing anything!

Last week it was Daredevil, and now it’s THIS? Marvel, why you making my life worth living? (Uhh, okay, I just heard myself and realized how sad that sounds…But who cares. I LOVE MARVEL!)

MICMIC RATING: 8.9/10


*For a more lengthy review, go to The Philippine Online Chronicles!

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