By Kate “One Take Kate” Taylor.
Image via Sony/Disney Pictures and Mr Leon Taylor |
The first of the truly big summer blockbusters – Avengers: Age of Ultron will land in New Zealand cinemas April 23; and I think fans as well as first time Avenger viewers will really enjoy it! I was lucky to be invited to the recent NZ premiere screening at 3D IMAX and had a blast!
I’m a big fan of an origin story so I really enjoyed the first avengers and the subsequent Marvel character films. Avengers: The Age of Ultron is a great step up on the first Joss Whedon Avengers creation; with Ultron showing how our dynamic team of heroes handle working together against a new foe, but predominantly against their own paranoia’s and ego’s.
Lookit `em – aren’t the awesome? The Avengers. Image via |
All of the favourite core cast members return: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Iron Man (RDJ), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). The Avengers core cast is joined by James Spader (most recently from hit TV show Blacklist…) as Ultron; Spader does a great nuanced and very funny villain-not-villain in this film. Ultron has a cool journey through and we potentially learn more about Ultron’s morals and worldview than most of the other characters. Although no doubt, everyone is given a chance to really inhabit their iconic roles and stretch them out; keep an eye on Renner’s Hawkeye for a deepened understanding of what he’s all about. Paul Bettany (Priest) again turns in a solid, exciting performance as The Vision. Of course there’s the very cool addition of Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) as a version of Quicksilver which is a fun appearance and certainly drew the woos from the laydays in the screening I attended! Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla) also makes a stomping introduction, as The Scarlett Witch, a fantastic, well loved Marvel character that I think has a pretty great entry into the Whedon-verse with this film. Plus…there’s a Stan Lee cameo; as required.
Get ready to be loving this film! Some moments from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Image via |
Stacked from the front to the back with so much action, great plot arcs, this feels a bit like the Avengers film Whedon has been dying to show us; but needed to get the first one out the way! Stunts, SFX, costumes, gadgets, badass cars and planes. It’s a drool fest for mech spec fans, concept designers and generally any one into gaming and lush semi sci-fi film. But beware – make sure you’re still picking up on all the hilarious jokes, witty one-liners and giggle worthy facial expressions; least you be caught up in all the wow and miss Iron Man’s excellent dick jokes or Thor’s intentionally funny quips.
Make sure you stick around to the end for an exciting potential franchise cross-over treat; and make sure you stay to the end…the really real end…cause there’s something else to see too. You’ve been informed.
Meet Ultron (James Spader): your new ‘Loki’. He’s totally rad you’re going to love him. Image via |
Make sure you get out and see it; especially in 3D IMAX on Thursday April 23rd! It’s so so good!
Are you excited for Avengers: Age of Ultron? Who’s your favourite Avenger?
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