Trailer Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron

You might think I live under a rock when I say this, but I’ve never seen The Avengers or any of the Iron Man flicks or either of the Captain America films. The only Marvel film I’ve seen is Thor. And I really liked it. But that was mostly because I loved Kenneth Branagh’s direction and Norse mythology. Oh, I guess I have also seen Guardians of the Galaxy (and loved it), but I’m not sure how or when it will tie into the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe. So me reviewing the Age of Ultron trailer might seem a little dumb. I know generally about the Avengers and their powers, etc. It’s hard in this day and age to not hear a few tid bits here and there. But otherwise, I have no previous opinions or feelings. So maybe I can have a bit of a fresh perspective on this trailer. Or I’ll just reveal my ignorance 😛
20 seconds into the trailer: this reminds me of Man of Steel and Zod. I guess with so many comic book movies out there they will inevitably start to resemble one another.
25 seconds in: “You want to protect the world, but you don’t want it to change.” Another inevitable thing with basically all super hero movies is that the main goal is always to save the world. And frankly, I’m starting to find that quite boring. I enjoy the more personal nuances of these films, like how in The Dark Knight trilogy Batman is trying to figure out the man he wants to be. Or in Man of Steel, Superman has to try to find his place on Earth and figure out how he belongs there. Does The Avengers have any of these kind of nuances to it? Or is it mostly just saving the world with cool action sequences?

Ultron puts on a puppet show.

30 seconds in: I do find the voice over of Ultron (James Spader) throughout the trailer quite effective. “You’re all puppets, tangled in strings” was a particularly good moment.
1:00 minute: Black Widow looks pretty cool. This is important to me since as a woman I find myself most interested in the female member of the Avengers. She doesn’t really stand out though, which is a little disappointing. I don’t particularly like Scarlett Johansson and I probably would have watched more Marvel films if someone else had played Black Widow.

Ultron or a Sentinel?

1:02: they show a robot, whom I presume is Ultron. But he looks way too much like the Sentinels in X-Men: Days of Future Past to me. It takes away from this film, at least for me.
1:10: OMG Thor drops his hammer! As Tony Stark says, it really is the end! I guess all trailers over dramatize little things, but I found this moment particularly melodramatic.
1:15: OMG Black Widow speaks! Of course she says the most clichéd line ever: “Nothing lasts forever.” She’s doing better than Hawk Eye though.
1:20: Scarlet Witch screams for some unknown reason and looks kind of dumb while doing so. I’m very intrigued though by her and Quicksilver in this movie. I’m curious as to their roles in the Marvel cinematic universe and whether they are good or bad. Or maybe a bit of both.

The Hulkbuster.

1:26: Is this actually a Transformers movie?
1:28: Okay, Black Widow jumping out of that plane while on a motorcycle is pretty badass.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes his debut as Quicksilver.

1:29: Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch’s super powers are blue and red lights? I kid. Kind of. The slow-mo obviously means Quicksilver is actually running super fast.

It should be a rule that Thor has to be shirtless in every movie.

1:34: Thor naked in some water screaming. Kind of hot.

A Blulk romance? (lame name, I know. I challenge you to come up with something better).

1:35: Is this the start of a Hulk/Black Widow romance? In the comics, isn’t she with Hawkeye? That guy cannot catch a break!
1:36: Some random ballet dancers. Alrighty then.
1:38: Hawkeye! Finally! Oh, now he’s gone again.
1:39: Thor choking Tony Stark! The cliché of teammates turning on one another when things get tough. Didn’t see that coming.
1:58: “But now I’m free. There are no strings on me.” Okay, maybe Ultron is cooler than I thought. And he even kind of rhymes too!
Despite this tongue in cheek review, I kind of like this trailer. Its action packed and the stakes feel quite high. I’m intrigued by Ultron as well as by Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I think I will be seeing this one in theaters. But I guess I should try catching up with some other Marvel films first. Avengers: Age of Ultron will be in theaters May 2015.

Note: Images courtesy of Collider.