WS : Wise Sage (Josh)
R : Raven (Ginny)
RL : Red Lanyard (Al)
VM : Vance McCarty (Jacob/Me!)
Disclaimer : This is purely for the enjoyment of us and our readers. All pictures used are owned by Disney/Marvel unless otherwise stated.
WS : Welcome to Round 2 of Avengers Commentary, from your not so friendly, but mostly harmless Fandom Correspondents. Tonight on the docket is the Avengers : Age Of Ultron, which has been viewed by some as something of a failure within the MCU. Regardless of mass opinion, there are two undeniable truths regarding this movie.
First, the movie was insanely successful, albeit during one of the most successful box office years ever. It was the 4th highest grossing film of 2015, but is the 5th highest grossing film of all time, which just seems ridiculous as I type it.
2nd, Age Of Ultron represents a change of the guard, as it is the last movie directed by Joss Whedon in the MCU.
So let’s sit back and watch this controversial film, and see how it holds up.
As always, I, the Wise Sage am joined by EIC Vance, Red Lanyard Al, and Scary AF Raven.
RL : Excellent Opening Sequence.
VM : Another fantastic opening, just like the first film.
WS : I like that we pick up where we left off. The Avengers are dominant.
VM : Very good point. They’re incredibly strong at the beginning of this film.
R : This is hands down my favorite avengers movie.
“Language”
RL : Good storytelling move by putting Jarvis directly in the story and character interactions.
R : I love when he throws the motorcycle!!! OMG!
VM : I love that they’re reacting to every situation around them like they’re buddies at work. Just chatting and cutting up while explosions are happening left and right and they’re destroying tanks and everything else.
RL : Not trying to be dramatic…but I would die for Scarlet Witch.
R : That’s fair.
VM : I do wish that Thomas Kretschmann would’ve had more screen time as Strucker. I think he’s a great side character.
R : Agreed.
WS : So this film is thematically very different from the first, and at the same time builds on Tony’s essential conflict in the first movie. He is still not a soldier.
VM : Very much so and it’s only about to get more important to him. His reasoning to create Ultron in this film is incredibly understandable honestly.
RL : Super speed is such a fun power to play around with.
R : I wish Hawkeye had his own movie 🙁
VM : I mean, these Soldiers are just having a bad day.
Another subtle showing that Tony is improving the Iron Man armor : “Sentry Mode” I know it seems small but i love that it’s almost a completely organic part of him now.
WS : Okay, thoughts on the lullaby stuff with Hulk.
VM : I, too, would drop everything for Black Widow so it works for me.
RL : I think it definitely shows the growing blur between Banner and Hulk’s personalities.
VM : Exactly, I think we oftentimes view hulk as a simplistic character of angry and not angry and it’s actually much more complex than that and I love that this movie showcases that so well.
I also love that Steve just destroys Strucker in like 3 seconds.
RL : God, the intro to Scarlet Witch is so %@$!#&* good! She’s so creepy and psychologically based!
VM : Language!
WS : Wanda has a very Japanese Ghost feeling in the first part of this film.
I would also like to point out that before this movie really gets going, Tony is 100% right
RL : Yep
VM : Thor is just great.
“Eh, not the screams of the dead. Merely the mortally wounded and much complaining of sprained deltoids and gout.”
R : Not to be a complete ditz but I thought in the first film that he had a pretty good grip on the hulk?
VM : He does but he still hates using him.
R : …and needs Black Widow to help control him.
RL : In the first one he had a good grip on transforming into the hulk. We saw him struggle coming out of it though.
R : Ah thank you! That’s what I was confused about.
VM : Yeah, I just realized what you were asking. My bad. Thanks Al!
RL : It’s very psychological for Banner, and Psychological reactions are prone to change.
VM : I love that Tony still claims Cap as the Leader.
WS : So Cap’s empathy is definitely one of his greatest strengths.
VM : Absolutely! I love his understanding of their plight as Sokovians.
RL : Whoa, Ultron face on that Bot.
Also, forgive my ignorance : Dr. Cho. reference to larger Hulk universe?
VM : Yup! Amadeus’ mother is Helen Cho.
RL : Yeah!
VM : Tony has such a, Pardon the pun, Endgame attitude in this film.
R : L.O.L.
RL : HA!
VM : He wants nothing more than to be done. It’s a great continuation from Iron Man 3 and also a great continuation of his narrative.
WS : Ultron would’ve come in handy against Thanos.
R : I hadn’t thought of that, Josh.
VM : He absolutely would’ve…if he wasn’t a murder bot.
RL : “The only people threatening the planet would be people” What a great line.
R : Extremely relevant.
VM : He wants to do something so great. This movie makes Tony so relatable!
RL : I mean, they invented Ultron in like 3 days right?
WS : Didn’t Ultron invent himself.
VM : Good point Josh.
R : Robert Californiaaaaa
RL : I’m the ####### lizard king!
VM : I love Ultron’s intro so much.
He’s so freaked out at first.
R : It’s creepy and threatening.
VM : “Why do you call him Sir?”
R : Poor Jarvis 🙁
VM : Quick Question, who are most of the people at this party? Like, who do I get an invite to Avengers Tower?
R : Who’s that guy?
RL : Who’s that actor?!?!
Nick Wild, The 5th Correspondent : Ha
(Backstory on this inside joke, I don’t know where, when or how it began but it’s been a long running joke that Ginny and Nick just forget that Don Cheadle/War Machine even exist. Not just the character, but the actor and character together. I hate it as much as I love Academy Award Nominated Don Cheadle. Meanwhile, Nick and Ginny love it so much that Nick just randomly appeared in the chat just to add a singular “HA” to it)
VM : I will always Love Don Cheadle.
WS : Gotta make fun of War Machine.
R : I’ve never seen him before in my life.
VM : And I will always hate this joke.
R : WHO IS HE?
How can Steve not afford a place anywhere he wants?
WS : Even Cap is struggling in this economy.
VM : Stan! This is probably my favorite cameo.
RL : 100% Honesty, I ship Widow/Hulk.
VM : Absolutely!
WS : I think Black Widow’s assessment of Hulk is perfect.
VM : “I’ve seen her flirt, this ain’t that.”
He could absolutely use those Drum sticks to kill.
Only Steve can make it budge. He’s the only man Thor would be Nervous about.
RL : I personally love that Natasha declines to try.
VM : Steve and her are the only ones who could lift it in my opinion.
R : Steve is Worthy.
VM : “Wwwwwooooooorrrrrrrtttttthhhhhyyyyy” Such a great way for him to show up.
R : Terrifying.
VM : “Not this chrysalis.”
RL : How weird was this opening for people who had no idea who Ultron was?
VM : They’re just like “Where did all of these robots come from?!?!?!”
RL : Hey!!!! Clint threw the shield!
VM : Cause he’s a marksman!!!! AHHH!!!!
R : James Spader is so great in this movie.
VM : Pinocchio will never be the same.
WS : I will never understand why people don’t like this movie. I’m having a hard time commentating cause I’m so invested.
VM : Same here Josh.
R : Good guy jarvis 💔💔💔
VM : Jarvis’s death here was genuinely heartbreaking to me.
RL : The scene between Tony and Thor reminds me of the comic book fallout of Civil War.
VM : Yes!!!
WS : I love Tony here.
VM : It’s hilarious that you don’t get why we need this.
R : It is kind of a Josh Moment lol
There’s that guy again!
VM : I want a War Machine movie.
WS : TONY SAID ENDGAME! AHHH!!!
VM : “Then we’ll do that together too”
RL : Throughout this movie you see Hill fade into the very background of forgotten characters.
VM : Yup, but she’s at least recognized
RL : I love the twins in every scene of this movie.
R : Same.
VM : “The geometry of belief.” Such a brilliant script.
He references the Invaders! AHHH!!!
Spader originally Started out by trying to use different robotic voices but Whedon asked him to just use his regular voice.
RL : Every word of Wanda’s dialogue screams chaos magic without actually using the words. It’s such good storytelling.
WS : So help me out, what is wrong with this movie?
Other than Quicksilver dying.
R : Quicksilver dying
But other than that…?
I love quicksilver 😭💔
VM : His speech here is perfection.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson does so much in just one movie.
RL : I wonder if its partially due to the hype for Infinity War, that people thought it was just a tease or something. Idk. I love age of Ultron.
R : This is my favorite Avengers movie.
VM : The 3 of them have such a strong foundation for their anger at Tony and The Avengers.
RL : With the fox acquisition, I’m so ready for Wanda to grow even more in the MCU.
VM : Honestly, I will never understand why people don’t like this movie. It’s everything that’s been good about the MCU in one film.
RL : KLAUE!!!
R : Forgot he existed in this movie.
VM : Wakanda!!!
I know that everyone says that Klaue deserved more screentime but I honestly think he does great in the time that he has and I think his arc is perfect for a side villain.
RL : I wanna see a movie about Klaue escaping Wakanda. Like how the hell did that work?
WS : I’d really like to meet all these Klaw superfans that keep griping about him.
VM : Right? I mean, have they even read Secret Wars?
I love that Ultron basically just has a temper tantrum.
R : But honestly.
VM : But in doing so removes a mans arm.
R : Just casual.
VM : Ultron basically views them as Imbeciles and I’m here for it. I mean, I love my Avengers but he basically just wants to roast them.
R : He learns.
VM : Oh yes he does!
RL : Another reason I love Wanda so much is that she exposes the Avnegers pretty hard. They never have answer for her.
She single handedly destroys them
VM : A lot of people actually hated the Wanda scenes though. Those people are very clearly wrong though.
WS : Thor is mighty.
VM : Exactly!
WS : Black Widow movie!
VM : The target switching to a man in Natasha’s Vision is such a quick yet jarring scene. Masterful cinematography.
Steve’s is so subtle and does such a fantastic job of showing his sorrow. Hearing the screams over the party, seeing the wine spill as blood. Whedon does an amazing job with the “Show, don’t tell method” in this scene.
It also sets up my favorite scene in the movie. “We can go home again.” Remember that line.
Thor’s vision has a lot more hints to Ragnarok than I remembered. Including the reference to Hel and his control over the lightning.
R : And Infinity War for that matter.
VM : Hulkbuster! Such a brilliantly paced fight scene. That’s the true challenge of scenes like this is to give us a fight that we’re invested in while still making it look cool.
RL : Nice detail, you can see the chaos magic in the Hulk’s body.
VM : So many people would be dead if it wasn’t for Tony. In this scene especially but honestly just in general too.
RL : You also see the flashes of intelligence and familiarity with Tony. Like going for the main body armor and bashing away the drone armor as it flies towards them.
R : Then he gets so sad 🙁
VM : The CGI with Ruffalo’s face cannot be overstated.
R : “We took a hit…”
RL : “No one’s calling for his arrest yet but it’s only a matter of time.” Man, that case would not hold a second in court.
VM : “What evidence do you have?!?”
“The city is leveled, Sir.”
RL : “Literally what do you want me to do about this?”
VM : If you don’t already love this movie then we now get Hawkeye’s Background.
WS : Hawkeye has a pretty nice spread!
VM : Toy’s are no match for Thor’s foot!
R : Thor : “LATES”
RL : Ok, Ideological Question : Could a pure innocent child lift Mjolnir?
WS : This implies there are pure and innocent children.
VM : If they’re as adorable as Clint’s kids then yes.
What do you think Bruce saw?
R : Well he destroyed a town soooo…
I don’t think he saw anything.
VM : I love Natasha’s dialogue here. “I dreamt I was an Avenger.”
R : Hulk is a strong specimen.
VM : Bruce is the strongest Avenger.
Not hulk, Bruce.
R : Ok, Jake.
VM : I’m just saying. I wouldn’t be able to turn down a relationship with Black Widow.
Oh here it is! My favorite scene! Notice the line that ticks Steve off before he breaks the log.
R : I could watch them split logs for hours tbh.
VM : “So we get to go home.” – Tony
“We can go home.” – Peggy.
R : Oh of course! I hope the plane scene shows up soon.
VM : Just saying. Steve’s got some major PTSD that he struggles with and I think this scene showcases just how strong he is by keeping it in check.
WS : Well, Steve’s dark side shows up in Civil War.
VM : That it does.
R : “Dark side.”
RL : Fury’s just hiding in that barn for like 6 months. The barton family is just terrified of this very intense looking hobo who won’t leave.
VM : I love that he comes back and still believes 100% in the Avengers.
RL : This is the part where everyone believes Hawkeye is gonna die.
R : Jacob, explain this scene.
VM : The waters of sight are able to access dreams from across the realms which allows Thor to see his vision in a fuller picture. Yeah, this scene is another problem that People have with the movie because it doesn’t explain enough. The deleted scene version is a lot longer and it’s good but it mainly just sets up Infinity War. It doesn’t really help the narrative of this film as much, supposedly Whedon wanted to do a lot more with Thor but Test Audiences weren’t big fans of it.
WS : Nah, I agree. This scene ruins the movie.
Hey guys, if you watch Season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. then you can see what Fury’s gonna do.
VM : Man, even Sleepy Josh was faster than me on that one.
WS : That’s my secret…
R : You’re always sleepy, we know.
WS : I’m always sleepy.
VM : The scientist who says “How do you find it?” Is the girl who was the body double for Leia in Rogue One.
R : Scarlet Witch should’ve played her cards closer to the chest there.
RL : “The human race can improve, evolve.” Almost like…Mutations.
VM : “They’ll understand. When they see, they’ll understand.”
WS : I was enjoying the movie until Thor got in the pool. Now I hate the the movie.
RL : I am disappointed that we never hear thor say “Ultron, we would words with thee”
VM : That is a fair complaint actually.
“You’re no match for him, Cap.” “Thanks Barton”
This film was the one that made Disney rethink their marketing. Black Widow has all of these great scenes and yet she never got a shirt and no action figure.
WS : Fun fact: the Quinjet toy has Cap on the motorcycle, not Widow.
VM : Exactly! There were even action figures featuring the other characters on Motorcycles that don’t make sense at all. I.E. : Thor on a Motorcycle.
R : It’s not ladylike to ride a motorcycle.
*That was sarcasm*
RL : That’s as ridiculous as Sonic the Hedgehog Snowboarding.
VM : I love the development of the twins here and Ultron’s plea with Wanda.
Which to me is because he’s scared of her.
RL (Once again, being on the exact same wavelength with me) : Ultron’s “Please, don’t do this.” was totally a product of him knowing he couldn’t win against her.
R : There are so many trains in Superhero movies.
RL : A Spider-Man movie is incomplete without a train scene.
R : JARVIS! <3 <3 <3
WS : “I believe it’s worth a go.”
RL : I’d bang Ultron.
VM : Josh and Al’s comments actually work really well together there.
RL : “I could choke the life out of you without changing a shade.”
Again, the blurring of Hulk and Banner’s personalities.
VM : Thor’s like : “I’m doing the thing.”
RL : What a gem!
VM : What a vision!
RL : They really do paint it like Hawkeye is gonna die lol
VM : Love that new Iron Man Suit!
WS : I like the random bathtub family.
VM : They’re my favorite.
“You get killed, Walk it off.”
Here comes the best speech from the best boi!
WS : “and I have a bow and arrow.”
VM : “You walk outside those doors, you are an Avenger.”
Why did she not get out of her car while it was still teetering? Just so Thor could save her?
R : It was all a plot just to get Thor to save her. Yes.
VM : Eh, makes sense, he is Gorgeous.
Love that shield/hammer combo!
R : Ultron really does act like a toddler.
RL : Those robots just pooped themselves.
VM : Here’s a question, Could Hawkeye hit Quicksilver?
WS : Yes.
R : No, in my opinion Hawkeye could not hit Quicksilver.
VM : I actually agree with Josh on this one. Especially after that shot he makes in the first film.
R : Dudeeee, he was at the party I think? Maybe? He looks familiar.
VM : Tony’s just destroying Robots while still coming up with a plan. I love all of the Avengers’ determination to save everyone!
“All of you…”
“…Against all of me.”
“Like the old man said, Together.”
R : So artistic.
RL : Hawkeye just uppercut a Robot’s jaw off!
VM : Such a great scene. I love how the music fades out and then slowly builds back up to the Beautiful new Avengers theme.
RL : Man, the ideological weight of Robots knowing fear in the face of the Hulk.
I’m glad they didn’t go with the incestuous storylines with the twins here.
R : That would have been the worst.
VM : I was glad that I forgot that Mark Millar did that as a writer until this moment. Thanks Al.
R : Her acting is so powerful. I mean, you feel that loss.
VM : Arguably the most perfect arc in the entire series. A complete hero’s journey in just one film.
And Hawkeye just laying by him is a really beautiful moment.
RL : That scene is actually really important with Wanda.
Her being overwhelmed with emotion causing utter chaos and damage is a recurring theme with her character. So much power, yet so human.
WS : Does Wanda even understand her powers in the MCU?
VM : I don’t think so, she even says so in Civil War.
Or basically does, at least.
RL : I’m unsure the writers know what to do with her powers.
It’s the pitfall of writing someone with near infinite power possibilities.
And here we see the Hulk personality make the decision to be the dominant force.
WS : In fairness, the comics don’t know what to do with Wanda either.
RL : Absolutely.
VM : Nathaniel Pietro Barton. I love how they chose to honor him.
R : Dude from the party is straight chilling at the end there.
WS : He is straight chilling.
VM : Alright Gin, Biggest weakness?
R : Quicksilver dying.
And Scarlet Witch being able to wear a flowey dress and fight, which is incredibly impractical.
VM : Al?
RL : I would have liked to see like 20-30 more minutes of Ultron and Tony interaction.
VM : Josh?
WS : Nerd culture. That’s the biggest weakness.
VM : These are all fair points. I personally don’t see any real issues with the film.
Maybe a bit more Thor but that’s a mild complaint cause I do understand and enjoy his role in this film.
WS : Thor’s scene in the Jacuzzi of dreams is useless thematically, but makes sense to expand the Infinity Stones story. Other than that, nothing.
VM : Biggest strength of the Film?
RL : In hindsight, I would say the biggest strength is the seeds it sows toward civil war and infinity war. It works as a story, but it works even better as a part 2 in a greater story.
R : Biggest strength: i mean, id have to agree with Al, the way it sets up future films flawlessly. Especially watching it after seeing said films, you notice so many things that you may have missed the first time. The writing overall, is just exceptional. I know thats a broad answer, but its the type of movie you dont want to be distracted from, which is hard to accomplish in this age of short attention spans.
VM : Biggest Strength, I mean I’m not gonna get any bonus points for Originality here but it’s just a perfect set up for at least 3 other major films In Civil War, Ragnarok and Infinity War. The script is honestly perfect and Whedon has the ability of making it to where every scene and every line matters. There’s a weight to every shot that can’t be overstated and it keeps progressing not only the film forward but the MCU as well. Talking about the first one last week really made me realize that the reason this films work is because it’s almost a living, breathing entity in itself. Whedon helped to make it that and I’d love to see him come back for another film sometime.
Alright, Impact on the MCU?
RL : This one really establishes a more serious tone in the mcu. Widow’s backstory, Hulk’s rampage, everything about Scarlet Witch’s character, it all really sets the tonal precedent for darker movies like civil war and the infinity storyline.
VM : Like Al said, the darker tone was a huge asset to it in my opinion. The fact that we had some terrifying moments and some really serious conversations really brought a new aspect to the series and yet, it never felt like it was anything but an Avengers film. Simply a Beautiful Film Honestly.
Alright, is it better than the first?
R : Yeah, i think it is. Its probably my favorite avengers movie thus far.
RL : I think AoU is better than 2012 avengers. I thought it when it came out in 2015, and watching it again. Just confirms it for me.
VM : Better than the first : I’d say so. It was able to do a lot visually that not only matched the excitement of the first film but also raised the stakes for us as viewers. There were points and times where I didn’t know if the Avengers would win and that’s a big deal.
And lastly, MVP of the Film?
R : That’s hard to say, because they all play such vital roles in this movie. But idk watching it this time, id have to say scarlett witch. But tbh, that could definitely change when I watch it again lol
RL : My personal MVP is Hulk for significant character development, utility in the final fight, and big feels flying away from the team at the end to set up the most fun movie in the MCU.
VM : MVP : This is the hardest question for me, Hawkeye is a close second cause he has my favorite speech in the film(You are an Avenger) but I gotta give it to Quicksilver/Pietro here. Johnson is a fantastic actor in this film and I love that he gets to be a villain and a hero in the same film. He has terrific range as a actor(as shown by his story about his family) and as previously stated, he gets the complete Hero’s Journey in under 2 hours. I would’ve loved to have seen more of him but I also understand what Whedon wanted to do with his character here. His final scene is still one of the most well shot scenes in the entirety of the MCU.
Thanks again for Joining us! Next up will be Captain America : Civil War next weekend!
