Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) by Sebastian H — 14 May 2016

Even though I watched this on the crappy screen in the seatback in front of me on a flight to Tokyo, I was completely enthralled. I didn't think this kind of movie could get better than the first Avengers movie; I was wrong. A tremendous combination of great writing, great acting, and great cinematography, this movie really shone because of James Spader as Ultron. I've been a fan of his since Sex, Lies, and Videotape; I'm glad to see the rest of the world catching up. Best part, for me, of Spader's performance was that I could *see* him: I could actually catch Spader's particular mannerisms fully captured in Ultron's speech and movement.

I was gratified to see another strong female character, Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, and was especially impressed with how... authentic her movements were as she used her powers. A beautiful dance of human movement and CGI effects. I also liked the even and balanced pairings (Black Widow & Banner, Thor & Vision, Cap & Ironman). I continue to insist that Paul Bettany is one of the most underappreciated actors out there.

And of course there were "the one-liners" that Joss Whedon is a magician at producing, able to capture in just a couple of words a whole catalog of meaning. My favorite? Cap: "You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed... walk it off.".

Not a perfect movie - it is, after all, just a comic book made with real actors - but as close as they come.