Check it Out! - Avengers: Age of Ultron

Oh - my - goodness, "Age of Ultron" was soooooo good!  In fact, it was so good I went to see it twice.  ;)   I am glad that I watched "Winter Soldier" before I saw this, it did help a lot of things make more sense.  The very beginning of the movie shows the wrapping up of what Cap was starting at the end of the last movie, with the Avengers helping clear out the last Hydra stronghold (in an epic fight scene in the snow, of course).  And naturally, when you finish off one bad guy, you know that another one has to come along to keep the story going, right? 

Tony Stark, aka Iron Man:  He's definitely more enjoyable in this movie than he was in the first "Avengers" movie, mostly because he has learned to "play well with others".  More of his spunky side comes out, but we also see his biggest fear.  And like usually happens, by trying to insure that that fear doesn't come about, he almost brings that fear into reality.

Steve Rogers, aka Captain America:  Cap is still wonderful, but he is also a man who is still trying to find his place in the world.  He says that he's no longer interested in settling down and having a family like he was back in the 1940s, but there are so many moments where he seems to be feeling a deep hole in his life that you can't really believe him (and he is also still trying to find Bucky.  At one point it is hinted at that it's been five years since Shield first fell, so it makes you wonder where Bucky's been all this time.  Hopefully getting his memory back!)

Thor (no "aka" for him):  He has pretty much acclimated to living on Earth after giving up Asgard at the end of "Thor: the Dark World" (including picking up some of Cap's martial arts stuff, apparently).  He probably hasn't even thought about his old home much since he's been busy helping to stamp out Hydra.  But once Loki's scepter and the Infinity Stones are brought back to his notice, he realizes that he is needed for more than just Earth's protection.  He is also a bit more relaxed in his manner now that he is no longer the "heir apparent", which also means that he has more foot-in-mouth syndrome than he had in the previous movies (cue the cute-awkwardness).  :)

Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk: He is more in control of his Hulkness and has put more safeguards in place against it, but he is still afraid that he won't be able to control it enough to keep the members of the team safe.  We also get to see that he really does have some backbone and isn't just a teddy bear that's afraid that someone is going to say "boo" and cause him to turn into the Hulk.  And he winds up finding a "very compelling reason not to turn green" (see the next profile).

Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow:  We finally learn more of her backstory!  She is a poor girl who got pressed into a mold and brainwashed about what was expected of her (thankfully not in the same way Bucky was brainwashed) who finally broke away from it and is still trying to make up for her past.  We still don't know HOW she broke away, but I wouldn't be surprised if Hawkeye had a hand in it.  She is also letting herself be more vulnerable by owning up to the feelings she has been developing towards Bruce, and encouraging the ones he has been developing towards her (as hinted at above).

Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye:  I knew I liked Hawkeye from the moment he says "I'm starting to root for this guy" in the  first "Thor" movie, and then from the parts where we got to see him sane in the first "Avengers". We get to see a lot more of his personality in this one, which can pretty much be described in a little bit of dialog between Tony and Bruce after Hawkeye has been injured.  "How's he doing?"  "Well, unfortunately, he's still Barton."  "That's terrible."  Of course, we don't think that's terrible at all.  He's such a wise-cracking, down to earth guy.  And *spoiler!* he's got a family!  He definitely has the right woman behind him.  I hope Laura gets to be in more stuff.

Ultron:  THIS is the new bad guy, the robot that Tony created with the idea of using it to protect the world and create world peace.  Unfortunately, it is such a highly "intelligent" robot that it gets the idea that the way to get world peace is to eliminate all of the human race.  It is also very conceited and manipulating.

Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlett Witch:  One half of a pair of twins that volunteered to help Hydra after a bomb created by Tony killed their parents, she has mind reading abilities, can create force fields, and has the ability to manipulate objects without touching them.  She can also show others their deepest fears through visions.  After Hydra is wiped out, she and her brother join with Ultron.

Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver:  Wanda's twin brother, this guy is super fast.  Like, super-super fast.  Blink and you miss him fast (which drives Hawkeye crazy).  He's a bit cocky because of his ability, but you almost can't blame him.  Once he and his sister realize that Ultron is planning on wiping out the whole human race and not just the Avengers, they change sides and join the Avengers.  (Sidenote: He wears Adidas!!!)

The Vision:  He is the result of Ultron trying to make a body for himself out of vibranium (the stuff Cap's shield is made of), the body getting captured by the Avengers, and Tony uploading JARVIS with a few alterations into it instead.  He is more of what Tony had originally intended Ultron to be, just without the being able to protect the whole world by himself stuff.  He is also the exact opposite of Ultron personality-wise, being a humble, polite, and insightful character.  And he is the reason for the #1 jaw-dropping moment of the whole movie.  As much as I would love to spoil it, I just can't.  I'll leave it at that pretty much everyone in the theater went "Oh!" at the same time and then burst out laughing when it happened.  It's great.

Nick Fury:  He isn't in the movie all that much, but whenever he is, he is a pivotal force.  First he gives the team the shot in the arm they need while they're in hiding licking their wounds, and then during the last battle he shows up at just the right moment with the backup they need.  


Overall, it was a very well-done movie.  It definitely needs parental guidance before even some teenagers see it (some of the visions the Scarlett Witch creates for the others get kinda creepy, and the battle scenes are a bit more dramatic than those in the first "Avengers"), but overall I thought it was good.  My only complaint: they didn't bring Coulson back!  While I've never watched any "Agents of Shield" episodes, I've read about the series and seen a few clips.  And one part that I came across was an episode where Sif is on Earth helping them and she tells Coulson that Thor will be glad to know he's alive, and Coulson says that's why he'd like to tell him himself.  And I'm sitting there going, "Well, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TELL HIM??????"  They have to do it on film.  They just HAVE to!!!!! 

Now, how long until "Captain America: Civil War" comes out?????  It is going to feel like forrrrrreeeevvvveeeerrrr.  At least I have "Thor" on DVD now, so I guess that will help tide me over...that and catching up on "Star Wars" (I've only seen "A New Hope".  Yes, shame on me). Anyway, go check out "Age of Ultron"! :)


BONUS:

As always happens when a new movie comes out, there have been a bunch of interviews with the actors floating around.  I found a few that were so funny/cute that I just had to share them.  :)

#1:  Robert Downing Jr. meets Mini Thor

I totally like RDJ so much more after seeing the way he interacts with this little guy.  While the other interviews with Mini Thor all showed the actors falling in love with him, RDJ definitely did the best job interacting with him and trying to make him feel special.  <3  (And why didn't they do an interview with Mini Thor and Chris Hemsworth???  I would have probably paid to have seen that happen!)

#2: Jeremy Renner plays "Heads Up"

It is soooo nice to know that some celebrities have good taste regarding twerking (aka "I ain't going anywhere near that stuff"). And it's a good thing that (as far as I know) none of the characters he's played have had to have a dramatic death, because that one stunk.  Sorry, Jeremy, but it's just the truth.  ;)

#3: Chris Evans Doesn't Like It

This is so precious!!!!!!  We "wuv" it!  And somehow it seems super appropriate for Chris E to be the one saying that.  For some reason trying to picture Chris H or RDJ saying it doesn't seem half as cute.  Maybe Jeremy or Mark Ruffalo could have pulled it off, but Chris E was just the perfect one for it to happen to.

#4: "Who Would You Call?"

This is just a bunch of fun with most of the main cast (except for Chris H!!!  Where the dickens was he?)  I have to admit, Jeremy and Chris E were the funniest duo, though.  "Thanks for ruining my career."  :)

Check it Out! - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Well, I’m all ready to see “Age of Ultron” now!  I have watched “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”.  While I like the first Cap movie better overall, I have to say that this one was definitely more of a cliffhanger.  I can’t remember the last time I’ve yelled at and pleaded with the TV so much during a movie.  That is one main advantage to watching a new movie on DVD versus watching it in theaters, you don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone with all your uninhibited comments and emotional outbursts (that and being able to pause it if you absolutely have to leave the room for a minute so you don’t miss anything).

Anyway, here we go, in the format that I started using with “Thor” and have used ever since.

Steve Rogers, aka Captain America:  During the unmentioned amount of time since “Avengers” occurred, Cap has done quite a bit of acclimating to the 21^st century.  There are still some things he hasn’t gotten used to, and some things he refuses to get used to, namely the idea that in order for peace to reign everyone that might stand as a threat to it must be eliminated (as he told Director Fury, "This isn’t freedom, this is fear.”)  Cap still has his moral compass intact and pointed in the right direction, and he still has that heart of gold.  This is what causes Shield (which has had Hydra working within it undetected for years) to target him for elimination.  I am also glad they showed that he had been able to find Peggy again.  Even though she is now a bedridden old woman who has lapses of memory, you can tell that he still cares for her.  That was the sweetest, most heart touching and close-to-tears-inducing part of the whole movie.

Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow:  It is much more obvious in this movie than in "Avengers" that Natasha and Cap have entirely different outlooks on life.  They both end up needing each other to survive, but that doesn't mean that they approve of the way the other person handles different situations.  Then after they find out that Hydra has been using Shield as a cover all these years, Natasha begins to doubt what she has believed about her past motives and methods.  She is definitely a developing, evolving character, which makes her interesting to watch.

Director Nick Fury:  This is the movie where some of Fury's previous work comes back to haunt him.  While he does end up realizing that he has inadvertently been helping Hydra all these years and is able to let Cap know in time to stop him from getting caught up in it, he also has to suffer the consequences of being too deeply involved and then trying to get out.  (Sidenote:  I want a car like his where you can control it using vocal aids.  That would have saved me from a couple startling situations where I've forgotten that my car can't read my mind to know that I now want to drive forward instead of backwards...)

Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon:  This is the guy Cap needed in his life.  A veteran of the Armed Forces who served two tours of duty and now works with other vets struggling with the after-effects of being in combat, Sam understands what Cap has been through more than anyone else Cap has encountered.  AND he has a special skill set that comes in real handy as he steps in to the role as Cap’s right hand man.  He's the kind of guy that when he hears about something that needs to be done, he says, "Ok, let's go!"

Secretary Alexander Pierce:  It was so strange seeing Robert Redford playing an antagonist.  I can’t really say “bad guy”, since the other two movies of his that I’ve seen had him playing rolls where both characters were technically “bad”, i.e. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting", which were both well done but both also deserve PG ratings.  ("The Sting" has the most jaw-dropping ending of all time. Trust me).  But, as always, he did an amazing job.  He is such a scheming, hardhearted so-and-so!

The Winter Soldier (aka Bucky Barnes!!!!):  This guy is the main reason I was screaming at the TV.  During his first real fight with Cap, the mask he's been wearing comes off, and Cap recognizes him and calls him by name.  Bucky denies knowing him since he’d been brainwashed by Hydra after they discovered him after his fall in “First Avenger”, but the encounter starts things niggling in the back of his brain where he knows he’s seen that guy before.  Then they brainwash him again!!!!!  That’s when the yelling started on my end.  After that whenever Bucky was in a scene I was begging, “Remember, Bucky!!!!!  Knock some sense into him, Cap!  Let him remember!!!”  It sure took forever, but apparently something did start to work, since we see him pulling Cap out of the Potomac after Cap fell in to it.  And then in one of the end credit scenes, he is in the Captain America exhibit in the Smithsonian reading about himself.  Just like everyone watching the movie, Cap knew that there is still something good left in Bucky.  I hope he gets his memory back in “Captain America: Civil War”!!!!!  He’s too good to loose.  (One other thing that dawned on me while watching their final fight was that this was the first time Cap has ever refused to fight back.  Even back before he had the serum injection he would never back down from a fight, but now he let Bucky beat him to a pulp and never resisted.  That's what you call loyalty right there).

Well, this beats my previous record of number of Marvel movies watched during a certain time span.  While it was one week between watching the first "Thor" and the first "Avengers" movies and two weeks between seeing both Cap movies, it is going to be just three days between "Winter Soldier" and "Age of Ultron"!  I'm going with a couple of friends to see it at our $3 theater (I hadn't been expecting it to get there for another month, but last weekend one of the friends I'm going with texted me saying it was there already!  This is the same friend who agrees with me that it's almost impossible to pick who you like better between Cap or Bucky, and by that I mean the original, sane Bucky.  We'd both take either one.  ;) )  So be looking for a new post in a few days!