Age of Ultron review :)
May. 2nd, 2015 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fannishlissHappy Review and SPOILERS under cut -- contains some mild criticisms, but overall, happy!
SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW. SORRY SO LONG!!
Age of Ultron opened at nearby theatres on Thursday night. I had class so I had to wait until Friday May 1. May 1st, coincidentally, is my wedding anniversary! Twenty-two glorious years with my wonderful husband. :D He wanted to go with me to see the movie, otherwise I would have gone first thing in the morning. The movie played all day long, started first thing, and showing on regular and 3d. I despise 3d so we went to a 3:45 showing. There was no line by the time we got there and the place was not full. We like to sit toward the front... in the middle... in stadium seating it is the wide aisle where everyone walks and there are a few seats. There was no one in the very front. The crowd was largely African-American (because we live in a largely African-American area) and there were plenty of men and women present, both young and old. Some of the men were wearing Marvel t shirts. I didn't see anyone else in costume (I was in "subtle cosplay" as The Avenger Not Appearing in This Film (coughBuckycough). Husband was also wearing his Black Sabbath tee shirt that is the one Tony wears. In "subtle" cosplay, I was wearing a high neck black jacket, my silver glove and fingerless glove, my Bucky Boots and my Gadget Holster which was crammed full of tiny Avengers. There were way too many Avengers to hold comfortably at one time but they all came out to watch various scenes.
My reaction to the movie was largely character based, and I thought the movie did a great job with most of the characters they chose to include.
My beef was that they obviously didn't go to the trouble and expense of hiring a few people that would have enhanced the total experience. I was really glad Maria Hill was on board, being Director Fury's right hand woman. There was no sign of Phil Coulson, which was a little weird..... but I guess in canon, he is in pretty deep cover. No idea whether the Avengers know he is alive or dead?
Pepper and Jane were mentioned but did not appear. I thought Pepper should have made a token appearance. It felt weird that Tony didn't see her at all. No mention of fan favorite Darcy Lewis???
Rhodey aka War Machine was present in the movie but didn't have a lot to do. Likewise, Sam Wilson shows up but not as Falcon. He made mention of "tracking down cold leads on our missing person" so we do know that Steve and Sam are still looking for Bucky, which made me happy. VERY HAPPY. The Bucky and Steve in my pocket liked seeing Sam. Bucky waved.
Obviously not a peep out of Loki in this film, though I might have thought Thor would have had his nightmares more about Loki than about a blind Heimdall and a bunch of sinister meadhall ladies. I don't really know what was up with Thor's nightmare and would welcome any insight. I mean, Natasha = red room; steve = peggy; Tony = end of the world, space hole, chitauri you could have done more, and Thor is all, slinky ladies and a blind Heimdall??? I'd think his dad, his mom, or his beloved Little Brother would have been a little higher up the list???
The romance between Natasha and Bruce seemed to come out of nowhere for me, but I didn't begrudge it. She still loves Clint as her best friend, and is Auntie Nat to his kids, which I think is really important for her and appropriate. I have one kid and he has several Aunties who mean the world to us. :)
I liked how the Nat/Bruce romance was played. I have a lot of thoughts about Natasha in this movie. She remembers the nightmare of her training in the red room, and it unnerves her badly. She admits to Bruce that she was sterilized. As one of my flist points out, the right of a woman not to have children is to be defended, but to have that choice taken away from her is clearly a deep and painful wound.
short digression: How we are born and made and what it means to be who we are is the primary theme of this movie. Natasha wants to be more than who she was made, and she thinks of herself as a "monster" I think because she carries the physical and psychic effect of her training (including her sterilization) every day of her life. I certainly don't think she is a monster because she is sterile (that was poorly stated in the film). The way Ultron came into being made him crazy. The twins volunteered to be enhanced because their family was killed and they were terrorized by a bomb. The Vision received clarity from Thor's brain bath... I guess.... :P and of course, Clint's family represents life and wholeness for him. His wife is literally full of possibility. Natasha's chameleon identity, though, feels like a curse to her. I think she and Steve have the chance to channel their efforts into the future by training the new Avengers at the end. It is a new birth of sorts. I get VERY CROSS when reproductive ability is women's key trait (BSG grrrr) .... I think this movie succeeded in sidestepping that issue but it did skate very close to thin ice. I really liked Korean Dr. Cho and the Cradle, too.
In the portrait we have of Natasha so far, as she tells Steve in CATWS, I'll be whoever you need me to be. She becomes that person the Hulk needs, to help him turn back into Bruce -- and she wants to be the person who can either help him stop running, or who can run with him.... but he rejects her. It must have been crushing when he didn't come back. So sad for her. I'm glad she is working with Steve, because I think they are good friends and I really like their dynamic together. As a professional chameleon, there are only a few people she feels genuine with -- and those are Clint and his wife and kids, and I think Steve, and sadly, it looks like not Bruce. ):
I liked this movie for Clint, because it shows him as a working guy who wants to do the job, but who also wants to have this beautiful secret life. I don't think I would want to be Mrs. Barton tho -- did she even have a name? Stuck in the middle of bucolic utopian Iowa with two kids and a third on the way, just waiting for Nick Fury to show up one day in full military regalia as the bearer of bad tidings????? eesh. So I liked the movie for what it revealed about Clint, but I feel like Mrs. Barton is not a real, believable woman character. Though I was glad that she and Nat seem to be friends.
I love how Tony and Bruce are Science Bros in this movie. Mark Ruffalo really brought the chops to Bruce's posture and his whole tone as he struggles with his choices in this movie. gorgeous! Tony is that arrogant -- I understand that his heart is truly in the right place -- but he knows his team won't approve and he just barges ahead. He disrespects their input, especially Steve's. Idk if it will lead to "Captain America: Civil War" or not, but... I was glad to see them work as a team but it is a bit tenuous. I ADORED the woodsplitting contest. Steve tore apart a log with his bare hands, so awesome!!!
I feel like Tony was admirable in this film -- flawed and (justifiably) arrogant, but overall, admirable. He wants to protect the world. But I happen to agree with Steve that it doesn't work to use force before a war starts to prevent that war. That has never worked out.
When he's around the other Avengers, Steve is so hemmed in. He speaks from a measured and controlled part of his himself and I just ache for him. Steve and Bucky are hugging in my pocket, but up on screen, Steve is an island. Very sad. His nightmare of the dance hall SHOULD have had a Bucky in it, just like Thor's SHOULD have had a Loki... but I was awfully glad to see Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. Hayley has done an incredible job bringing Agent Carter to life.... and I don't begrudge Steve his dream of her. I just think that truthfully, he would also be dreaming of Bucky. I also dont't think his lines at the end of the film about not wanting that apple pie life anymore have nothing to do with Bucky.... but I think Steve's life is a little bit on hold until Bucky resurfaces. At least Hydra has been finally put away and he has a mission he believes in with training up new Avengers with Natasha. That's good work that I think Steve can believe in, so I am content for him to that extent.
I loved when Steve budged Mjolnir (of course I've watched the clip a thousanty). In my VERY FIRM headcanon, Steve was capable of lifting it. I think that either: A, he felt it budge and psychologically lost his nerve, or B, my preferred choice, he felt it budge and consciously chose not to lift it. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by appearing "more worthy" in front of his friends, so I think he deliberately did not lift it. That's how I call what you see on screen. :D
I liked Pietro and Wanda pretty well. They didn't get enough development, starting off as villains.... I loved Clint's speech to Wanda about if she goes out there, she's going out as an Avenger -- that was brilliant. And my husband points out he probably gave a variant of that same speech to Natasha at a critical point.
I liked Pietro, who was way less of a jerk here than in almost any other iteration. I was shocked that Wanda did not reverse what happened. In fact, she still may -- she is that powerful. You can never trust Whedon, that's for sure. I was like, Clint, shut up about your bucolic utopia!!
I was sorry Marvel had to handwave their origin because of the other side of the franchise having all the rights to the mutants. Magneto is their dad, and that's that. They were not enhanced by Strucker despite what Hydra might think. Sorry to lose the character of Agatha Harkness. I was a huge fan of the Scarlet Witch back in the day.
Which brings me to the Vision, who was clearly my Boyfriend in this film (sorry, Steve and Bucky in my pocket, you were Not Appearing In This Film). I have a bulletproof Thing for robots and androids and the Vision is no exception. I LOVE and HAVE ALWAYS LOVED the love story between Vision and Scarlet Witch. I love how they create Vision in this movie, and the mind gem, and the vibranium, and his awesome awesome Look and his cape and his EVERYTHING. Wanda's like I LOOKED INSIDE HIM. and i"m like YES YOU DID SISTER LOOK SOME MORE!!!! :D They took the Vision I kind of loved as a kid and turned him into the PERFECT VISION. So floaty. so pretty. so Worthy!!! Yay!!! Idk anything about Paul Bettany, but since Michael whosit is over on the other side playing Wanda's dad, I guess Paul Bettany can play Vision. :D (David 8 from Prometheus?? phwoar!!)
Last but not least, ULTRON. It was a stroke of pure freaking genius to hire James Spader. He rocked it so hard. I loved it every time Ultron lost his cool and lashed out at Tony or at the mention of Tony. Om nom nom. I loved James Spader when he was young and pretty -- Sex Lies and Videotape (1989), Stargate (1994), the Secretary (2002) are some of my top favorites. My friend who does not really care about SF is really getting a kick out of him on the Blacklist (which I haven't watched) and was telling me all about Spader and RDJ in their first 80s movie together called Tuff Turf (1985). Apparently, appallingly bad! One must also mention, of course, seminal 80s movie Less than Zero (1987) -- so this is far from the first movie Spader and RDJ have been in together -- I wonder what that was like for them, THIRTY YEARS LATER.
Here is a pic of my gadget holster. You can't really see it because it is COVERED IN TINY AVENGERS. Thor, Loki, Hulk, Sam, Nat, Clint and Tony were all in the big pocket. Steve and Bucky are in the little pocket. Steve has a bargain with Bucky that when they go out, Bucky will leave his weapons behind if Steve will agree to carry the shield, so that's why Steve takes his shield to the movies. Thor of course ALWAYS has Mjolnir (I think they are married). You can also see my Winter Soldier earrings which I wear all the time, and my left hand gloves. :)
SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW. SORRY SO LONG!!
Age of Ultron opened at nearby theatres on Thursday night. I had class so I had to wait until Friday May 1. May 1st, coincidentally, is my wedding anniversary! Twenty-two glorious years with my wonderful husband. :D He wanted to go with me to see the movie, otherwise I would have gone first thing in the morning. The movie played all day long, started first thing, and showing on regular and 3d. I despise 3d so we went to a 3:45 showing. There was no line by the time we got there and the place was not full. We like to sit toward the front... in the middle... in stadium seating it is the wide aisle where everyone walks and there are a few seats. There was no one in the very front. The crowd was largely African-American (because we live in a largely African-American area) and there were plenty of men and women present, both young and old. Some of the men were wearing Marvel t shirts. I didn't see anyone else in costume (I was in "subtle cosplay" as The Avenger Not Appearing in This Film (coughBuckycough). Husband was also wearing his Black Sabbath tee shirt that is the one Tony wears. In "subtle" cosplay, I was wearing a high neck black jacket, my silver glove and fingerless glove, my Bucky Boots and my Gadget Holster which was crammed full of tiny Avengers. There were way too many Avengers to hold comfortably at one time but they all came out to watch various scenes.
My reaction to the movie was largely character based, and I thought the movie did a great job with most of the characters they chose to include.
My beef was that they obviously didn't go to the trouble and expense of hiring a few people that would have enhanced the total experience. I was really glad Maria Hill was on board, being Director Fury's right hand woman. There was no sign of Phil Coulson, which was a little weird..... but I guess in canon, he is in pretty deep cover. No idea whether the Avengers know he is alive or dead?
Pepper and Jane were mentioned but did not appear. I thought Pepper should have made a token appearance. It felt weird that Tony didn't see her at all. No mention of fan favorite Darcy Lewis???
Rhodey aka War Machine was present in the movie but didn't have a lot to do. Likewise, Sam Wilson shows up but not as Falcon. He made mention of "tracking down cold leads on our missing person" so we do know that Steve and Sam are still looking for Bucky, which made me happy. VERY HAPPY. The Bucky and Steve in my pocket liked seeing Sam. Bucky waved.
Obviously not a peep out of Loki in this film, though I might have thought Thor would have had his nightmares more about Loki than about a blind Heimdall and a bunch of sinister meadhall ladies. I don't really know what was up with Thor's nightmare and would welcome any insight. I mean, Natasha = red room; steve = peggy; Tony = end of the world, space hole, chitauri you could have done more, and Thor is all, slinky ladies and a blind Heimdall??? I'd think his dad, his mom, or his beloved Little Brother would have been a little higher up the list???
The romance between Natasha and Bruce seemed to come out of nowhere for me, but I didn't begrudge it. She still loves Clint as her best friend, and is Auntie Nat to his kids, which I think is really important for her and appropriate. I have one kid and he has several Aunties who mean the world to us. :)
I liked how the Nat/Bruce romance was played. I have a lot of thoughts about Natasha in this movie. She remembers the nightmare of her training in the red room, and it unnerves her badly. She admits to Bruce that she was sterilized. As one of my flist points out, the right of a woman not to have children is to be defended, but to have that choice taken away from her is clearly a deep and painful wound.
short digression: How we are born and made and what it means to be who we are is the primary theme of this movie. Natasha wants to be more than who she was made, and she thinks of herself as a "monster" I think because she carries the physical and psychic effect of her training (including her sterilization) every day of her life. I certainly don't think she is a monster because she is sterile (that was poorly stated in the film). The way Ultron came into being made him crazy. The twins volunteered to be enhanced because their family was killed and they were terrorized by a bomb. The Vision received clarity from Thor's brain bath... I guess.... :P and of course, Clint's family represents life and wholeness for him. His wife is literally full of possibility. Natasha's chameleon identity, though, feels like a curse to her. I think she and Steve have the chance to channel their efforts into the future by training the new Avengers at the end. It is a new birth of sorts. I get VERY CROSS when reproductive ability is women's key trait (BSG grrrr) .... I think this movie succeeded in sidestepping that issue but it did skate very close to thin ice. I really liked Korean Dr. Cho and the Cradle, too.
In the portrait we have of Natasha so far, as she tells Steve in CATWS, I'll be whoever you need me to be. She becomes that person the Hulk needs, to help him turn back into Bruce -- and she wants to be the person who can either help him stop running, or who can run with him.... but he rejects her. It must have been crushing when he didn't come back. So sad for her. I'm glad she is working with Steve, because I think they are good friends and I really like their dynamic together. As a professional chameleon, there are only a few people she feels genuine with -- and those are Clint and his wife and kids, and I think Steve, and sadly, it looks like not Bruce. ):
I liked this movie for Clint, because it shows him as a working guy who wants to do the job, but who also wants to have this beautiful secret life. I don't think I would want to be Mrs. Barton tho -- did she even have a name? Stuck in the middle of bucolic utopian Iowa with two kids and a third on the way, just waiting for Nick Fury to show up one day in full military regalia as the bearer of bad tidings????? eesh. So I liked the movie for what it revealed about Clint, but I feel like Mrs. Barton is not a real, believable woman character. Though I was glad that she and Nat seem to be friends.
I love how Tony and Bruce are Science Bros in this movie. Mark Ruffalo really brought the chops to Bruce's posture and his whole tone as he struggles with his choices in this movie. gorgeous! Tony is that arrogant -- I understand that his heart is truly in the right place -- but he knows his team won't approve and he just barges ahead. He disrespects their input, especially Steve's. Idk if it will lead to "Captain America: Civil War" or not, but... I was glad to see them work as a team but it is a bit tenuous. I ADORED the woodsplitting contest. Steve tore apart a log with his bare hands, so awesome!!!
I feel like Tony was admirable in this film -- flawed and (justifiably) arrogant, but overall, admirable. He wants to protect the world. But I happen to agree with Steve that it doesn't work to use force before a war starts to prevent that war. That has never worked out.
When he's around the other Avengers, Steve is so hemmed in. He speaks from a measured and controlled part of his himself and I just ache for him. Steve and Bucky are hugging in my pocket, but up on screen, Steve is an island. Very sad. His nightmare of the dance hall SHOULD have had a Bucky in it, just like Thor's SHOULD have had a Loki... but I was awfully glad to see Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. Hayley has done an incredible job bringing Agent Carter to life.... and I don't begrudge Steve his dream of her. I just think that truthfully, he would also be dreaming of Bucky. I also dont't think his lines at the end of the film about not wanting that apple pie life anymore have nothing to do with Bucky.... but I think Steve's life is a little bit on hold until Bucky resurfaces. At least Hydra has been finally put away and he has a mission he believes in with training up new Avengers with Natasha. That's good work that I think Steve can believe in, so I am content for him to that extent.
I loved when Steve budged Mjolnir (of course I've watched the clip a thousanty). In my VERY FIRM headcanon, Steve was capable of lifting it. I think that either: A, he felt it budge and psychologically lost his nerve, or B, my preferred choice, he felt it budge and consciously chose not to lift it. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by appearing "more worthy" in front of his friends, so I think he deliberately did not lift it. That's how I call what you see on screen. :D
I liked Pietro and Wanda pretty well. They didn't get enough development, starting off as villains.... I loved Clint's speech to Wanda about if she goes out there, she's going out as an Avenger -- that was brilliant. And my husband points out he probably gave a variant of that same speech to Natasha at a critical point.
I liked Pietro, who was way less of a jerk here than in almost any other iteration. I was shocked that Wanda did not reverse what happened. In fact, she still may -- she is that powerful. You can never trust Whedon, that's for sure. I was like, Clint, shut up about your bucolic utopia!!
I was sorry Marvel had to handwave their origin because of the other side of the franchise having all the rights to the mutants. Magneto is their dad, and that's that. They were not enhanced by Strucker despite what Hydra might think. Sorry to lose the character of Agatha Harkness. I was a huge fan of the Scarlet Witch back in the day.
Which brings me to the Vision, who was clearly my Boyfriend in this film (sorry, Steve and Bucky in my pocket, you were Not Appearing In This Film). I have a bulletproof Thing for robots and androids and the Vision is no exception. I LOVE and HAVE ALWAYS LOVED the love story between Vision and Scarlet Witch. I love how they create Vision in this movie, and the mind gem, and the vibranium, and his awesome awesome Look and his cape and his EVERYTHING. Wanda's like I LOOKED INSIDE HIM. and i"m like YES YOU DID SISTER LOOK SOME MORE!!!! :D They took the Vision I kind of loved as a kid and turned him into the PERFECT VISION. So floaty. so pretty. so Worthy!!! Yay!!! Idk anything about Paul Bettany, but since Michael whosit is over on the other side playing Wanda's dad, I guess Paul Bettany can play Vision. :D (David 8 from Prometheus?? phwoar!!)
Last but not least, ULTRON. It was a stroke of pure freaking genius to hire James Spader. He rocked it so hard. I loved it every time Ultron lost his cool and lashed out at Tony or at the mention of Tony. Om nom nom. I loved James Spader when he was young and pretty -- Sex Lies and Videotape (1989), Stargate (1994), the Secretary (2002) are some of my top favorites. My friend who does not really care about SF is really getting a kick out of him on the Blacklist (which I haven't watched) and was telling me all about Spader and RDJ in their first 80s movie together called Tuff Turf (1985). Apparently, appallingly bad! One must also mention, of course, seminal 80s movie Less than Zero (1987) -- so this is far from the first movie Spader and RDJ have been in together -- I wonder what that was like for them, THIRTY YEARS LATER.
Here is a pic of my gadget holster. You can't really see it because it is COVERED IN TINY AVENGERS. Thor, Loki, Hulk, Sam, Nat, Clint and Tony were all in the big pocket. Steve and Bucky are in the little pocket. Steve has a bargain with Bucky that when they go out, Bucky will leave his weapons behind if Steve will agree to carry the shield, so that's why Steve takes his shield to the movies. Thor of course ALWAYS has Mjolnir (I think they are married). You can also see my Winter Soldier earrings which I wear all the time, and my left hand gloves. :)
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Date: 2015-05-02 11:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-04 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-03 08:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-04 12:22 am (UTC)Am loving Supernatural as well, but don't have as much to say. The ep this season with Bobby really got to me, he reminds me so much of my dad, who passed in 2005. I love s10 so far!!! :D
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Date: 2015-05-05 07:54 pm (UTC)The entire of Season ten is blowing my mind to be honest, it's been a stellar year! Painful as hell but stellar!