What happens when you combine a $280 million budget, an international film franchise based on action and a starstudded cast? Age of Ultron happens and for action lovers, it does not disappoint.

In this blockbuster sequel to the first Avengers movie, the classic Marvel’s super powers of the world team up to fight a destructive robotic mastermind of their own creation. Add to this a CGI army, a man-made meteorite and a constant fear for the lives of the characters and you’ve got a movie that fetched $80 million on opening day, the second most ever.
What made this film was the action and the special effects. Some of the best special effects ever to grace the big screen were seen in this film. I’ve never been more sure that robots could take over the world than when I was watching computer generated versions of them attempt to do so in this movie. To go along with the stunning images was sound fit for this kinglike spectacle. The perfect clarity of sound that we’ve come to expect was not lacking, and it did nothing but add to the experience. The gunfire rang clear and in time with the flashing of the machine guns on screen, the metallic crunch as robots were smashed was in perfect harmony with the image on screen and when a rocket went off, it felt like you were in it.
Special effects aside, Age of Ultron boils down to three aspects: thrill, comedy and awkward romance. The first and most prominent of these features is the thrill side to this movie. To put the amount of action in perspective, you’d be hard pressed to find a five-minute segment of the film where nobody shoots a gun, does a backflip or dies. This movie was a thrill ride that didn’t stop until the credits started rolling. This never ending action gauntlet is both good and bad. On one side there is the jaw dropping awesomeness that this insane level of action brings, but on the other side, there is so much action that a scene where nobody is laid low by heavy artillery feels like a dull scene in comparison to the rest of the movie.
Another notable part of the second Avengers movie is the comedy which, in this film, consisted of numerous and effective one-liners. The periodic jokes added a sweet taste to complement the ever present gunfire that accompanied this film. These laugh lines were hot and cold. Some had the audience bursting while others had movie-goers basking in the awkwardness of a failed joke. Overall there were more hits than misses in the comedic portion of the film, including some jokes that required prior knowledge of the characters.
The final and least expected piece of the Age of Ultron puzzle was romance. The most prominent romantic inclusion was between the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). This couple added little to the movie and served only to lower the intimidation factor associated with these two characters. This romance was a break from the never ending action, but it’s a break that’s unnecessary and forced.
In terms of making money, Marvel has a gem. Avengers Age of Ultron is a never ending roller coaster that will keep the fans streaming into the theatre. This movie’s star power and special effects should keep the cash flowing, though it wasn’t very memorable. Marvel added so much spice (action) to this dish (movie) that it became bland which is why it’s not something you’re gonna want to rent. You should see this movie on the big screen or not at all.
By Elliot Bones