Director Joss Whedon was faced with a monumental task. He had just created the biggest comic book movie of all time with The Avengers. A film that was the first of its kind. A melding of various superhero brands that Marvel Studios had established in solo movies for Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. The first team-up movie was a smash hit despite having several glaring issues, particularly in the first half of the film. Now Whedon was tasked with making an even more successful movie, than the most successful movie of all time. Who knows where it will end up on the box-office charts, but Whedon has made a better overall Avengers film the second time around.

First and foremost Whedon understands each character individually. Every Avenger shines on the field in unique and creative ways, but more importantly is how each character is emphasized through their relationships to their other teammates. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) tampers with unknown technology and creates a robot designed to protect the world. This robot, Ultron, goes on a bloody rampage and it is up to the Avengers to clean up Stark’s mess. Things get complicated when two orphaned twins with enhanced powers expose the team to their true fears and bleak futures. This causes insecurities and distrust that leads to in-fighting just as the team is about to face the world’s biggest threat. 

The thing that immediately jumps out at you is how much Whedon has matured as an action filmmaker. He takes the very best moments of the first Avengers’ movie, when the camera is following the action from hero to hero, and manages to keep that intensity for almost every action scene. Shooting more on-location this time around was a definite benefit, as all the locales and sets feel more lived-in and real. As opposed to the first movie which at times looks like a high budget television show.

It is clear from the start that Whedon completely understands his characters and his actors’ strengths and weaknesses. It is a testament to his ability to get to the core of who each hero truly is. Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, and despite being the goody-two shoes boy-scout, he may be the hero easiest to root for. Everyone around him is trying to do what is right. While Rogers simply does the right thing. Chris Hemsworth is back in the cape and may have had his most enjoyable performance to date as Thor. He has clearly grown comfortable in the role and Whedon understands that while noble, Thor is essentially a bro trying to party. And his true power is unleashed when his family, friends, and innocents are in danger.   

Stark has become the Dr. Frankenstein of the Marvel universe and he owns the distinction. There is a certain sense of glee and acceptance when he proclaims to Dr. Bruce Banner that, “We are mad scientists.” Since Iron Man, Stark has been motivated by a sense of guilt about the military and terrorist misusage of his technology. However, Whedon amplifies the darkness in Stark by exposing his fears. Despite being a well-rounded jerk, Stark has proven on countless occasions that his narcissism does have boundaries and he is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. That seems to be the trajectory of Stark’s new character arc for Marvel’s third phase of movies. He will allow himself to become a monster (although he may not see it that way) and do what he thinks is necessary to save the world. Sound familiar? Because that is a classic set-up for a complex villain. There were moments when we get a glimpse of the tension and things to come in Captain America: Civil War and suddenly things make sense.

Clearly Whedon wanted to make things right with Jeremy Renner after he spent most of the first film drooling as a mindless zombie. Hawkeye gets a more clearly defined role within the group this time around and we get a glimpse at what his life is like away from the battles. It is shown exactly why he is the most human of the Avengers and what the true ramifications of not being super-powered have had on his life.

The three new additions to the Marvel cinematic universe, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, all bring different spices to the screen that we haven’t seen before in the franchise. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is surprisingly endearing as the cocky speedster, Quicksilver. While this Quicksilver is not superior to the version found in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Taylor-Johnson does enough to make the role his own and maybe even make you forget the word “mutant” for a couple of hours. His twin sister, the Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen, is also a new flavor that hasn’t been seen. While she doesn’t give a completely even performance, her character is pivotal to the film and she manages to hold her own. It will be interesting to see how Marvel chooses to develop the Scarlet Witch in the future. Finally Paul Bettany’s portrayal of Vision is another huge bright spot. In many ways his character could have been a step too far. However, Whedon’s love for the android is evident as Bettany owns the screen from the moment of his “birth.” Vision instantly becomes one of the most powerful and important pieces in the MCU and it will be fun to see how he is woven into the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. 

The movie throws a lot at the viewer and it doesn’t all necessarily stick. Some of the subplots are poorly executed and it feels as if some connective tissue has been left on the cutting room floor in certain scenes. Thor in particular has his own personal quest that is not explained well, yet Whedon manages to mask the leaps in logic with shock and awe, at precisely the right time. So when Thor makes a thunderous entrance, you forget about all the little details that have been glossed over, because the moments are so epic.

A hero’s greatness is measured by the villain that he is pitted against. From the looks of the trend, Marvel is saving all of the best badguys for the Avenger’s franchise. Or perhaps Whedon understands how to write them better than anyone else. Ultron, played by James Spader, is the A.I. construct created by Stark with help from Banner. The Ultron program gains sentience and quickly goes rogue gaining omnipotent digital power and vowing to rid Earth of it’s problems via extinction. While Ultron is a worthy adversary for the Avengers, Whedon gives the robot a sense of humor that is rarely found in the comics. This is a result of Stark’s programming, which works at times and at others it undercuts the true menace of the psychotic android and his apocalyptic goals.

It can be unfair to simply judge a sequel by its predecessor. But if that is the method of evaluation, Whedon makes a hands-down better comic book film and probably more enjoyable movie as a whole. This is the sequel fans deserve. It is impossible to replicate the feeling of seeing the Avengers assemble for the first time. But it is possible to make a better movie. Yes it is bigger and louder, but the connections and tensions between the Avengers are more emotional and believable as a whole. There are a ton of potential Easter eggs and open threads, however none of them affect the actual plot of the movie significantly. Whedon simply takes advantage of the vast cinematic backstory that is available, which only enriches the experience for those who have been following along. Those that aren’t as keyed in, can still enjoy the film because it is a self-contained adventure that hits all of the marks on the summer movie checklist and then some. Others will enjoy it because Avengers: Age of Ultron feels as if the panels in your best comic book, have actually come to life. Which means that Whedon’s mission is a success. 

Art by: Deviant Art@tomzj1