Avengers: Age of Ultron is a fun addition to the Marvel movie franchise

Movie:   Marvel's The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

PG-13, 2 hours 21 minutes

Grade:  A-

In a Nutshell:   Bring on the summer popcorn blockbuster movies!  Packed full of action, impressive special effects, cool futuristic  technology that no one really understands, romance, and a powerful villain, this Avengers flick is a nice addition to the Marvel movie franchise. Welcome back to some of our favorite superheroes:

Iron Man – Robert Downey Jr.

Captain America – Chris Evans

Thor - Chris Hemsworth

The Hulk – Mark Ruffalo

Black Widow – Scarlett Johansson

Hawkeye – Jeremy Renner

Nick Fury – Samuel L. Jackson

Uplifting Theme:

·          “Ultron thinks we’re monsters, that we’re what’s wrong with the world.  This isn’t just about beating him.  It’s about whether he’s right.” – Captain America

·         Flesh is better than metal.

·         It doesn’t matter what you were, you can be a hero now.

Things I liked:

·         There are plenty of high octane action scenes, but just enough slower ones to build interesting back stories that enhance the human drama of it all.

·         I love seeing how each of the Marvel movies chooses to use Stan Lee in a cameo.  This one is pretty funny.

·         I love Paul Bettany in anything, even if he’s a red robot (the Vision).

·         I wondered if Iron Man’s “Jarvis is my co-pilot” bumper sticker would catch on and sure enough, you can get it on a T-shirt.

                                     

·         I wish I had their 3D computer monitors.

·         You’re probably going to want to watch this on DVD again later so that you can push the pause button and really see everything that’s going on in each frame.  

·         Marvel seems to have learned from the highly successful Guardians of the Galaxy movie that a frequent spattering of humor makes a fun flick even better.

·         Semi-SPOILER ALERT: Who knew one of the Avengers had a wife and kids and did odd jobs around the house? 

·         Ever wonder what a feature film all about Black Widow would be like?  Check out this funny Saturday Night Live clip: 

Fans of Scarlett Johansson will be happy to know that a REAL Black Widow movie IS coming out next year!

Things I didn’t like:

·         I thought it was ironic and funny that Ultron, who was designed to create world peace, has such a menacing voice, thanks to the voice talents of James Spader.

·         It’s annoying how the evil Ultron quotes scripture.

·         If you haven’t seen any of the Avengers movies, don’t start with this one or you’ll be a little lost.  Even more important, you won’t appreciate the greatness of our superpowers, as this film focuses on their character flaws and inner demons.  For a review of the latest Avenger movie, check out my movie review before watching this sequel.

Funny lines:

·         “Unlike you, I don’t have a lot of time for parties…..will Thor be there?” – Dr. Helen Cho (Claudia Kim)

·         “You’re not the director of me.” – Iron Man

·         “You know, I really miss the days when the weirdest thing created by science was me.” – Captain America

·         “Come here to confess your sins? – Ultron

“I don’t know.  How much time you got?” – Iron Man

“More than you.” – Ultron

·         “As the world’s leading author on waiting…don’t.” – Captain America on love

·         “Our job is IF.” – Iron Man

·         “I am Thor, son of Odin.  As long as their life in my breast, I….I’m running out of things to say.” – Thor

·         “At long last is lasting a little long, boys!” – Black Widow

·         “No surrender!  I’m going to surrender…” – Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

·         “He’s fast, she’s weird.” – Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders from the funny hit How I Met Your Mother: Season 5 ) talking about the twins and their special powers

·         “You’re unbearably naiive.” – Ultron

“Well, I was born yesterday.” - Vision

Interesting lines:

·         “Did you know that this church is in the exact center of this city?  The Elders decreed it so that everyone would be equally close to God.  I like that… geometry of belief.”  - Ultron

·         “Everyone creates the thing they dread.  Men of peace create engines of war, invaders create avengers, people create smaller people…uh, children.” - Ultron

·         “You’re not going anywhere!” – Iron Man

“Of course not.  I’m already there.  You’ll catch up.” – Ultron

·         “Every time people try to win a war before it starts, innocent people die.  Every time.” – Captain America

·         Tips for Parents:            

Some profanity, but one of the running gags is how Captain America tries to clean up everyone’s language
The body count is high...well if you count humans AND robots.

Other fun Avenger movies you'll enjoy:

   

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a superhero movie MARVEL

Movie Title:   Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD]

Grade:   A-

In a Nutshell:   

A great marvel!  This mile-a-minute action flick is the second installment in the Captain America franchise and a terrific stand-alone story that is compelling and complex.  Sequels are notorious for not being as good, but this gritty one is winning high praises from Marvel fans and newbies alike.  It’s a smart political thriller that makes you feel like you just saw a real movie.  It’s brave enough to tackle serious issues such as national security, government surveillance and the price of freedom.

Marvel is really doing it right, pumping out one fun flick after another.  The Amazing Spider-Man , X-Men: Days of Future Past , and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers hit the big screen in just weeks!  It’s a little bit helpful to have seen the first Captain America film, but if not, don’t worry…you’ll catch on quickly.

Uplifting theme:  Wouldn’t it be great if American patriotism were cool again?

Things I liked:

• The Winter Soldier is an interesting villain.
• Three Days of the Condor [HD] star Robert Redford reminds us how cool those 1970s espionage movies were.
• I love clever banter between fun characters.  Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff who steals scenes with Rogers (Captain America), played by the impressively buff Chris Evans.  You’ll most likely see a trailer before this movie that features Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming film that looks like it has some good potential: Lucy
• I love Sam Wilson’s evolution into a superhero with the aid of his uber-awesome jet-powered wings.
• The opening scene with Chris Evans in an Under Armour shirt…wow.  My kids gross out whenever I talk about male actors like that, but hey, I’m not dead.
• Scenes where everyone points a gun at everyone else in a stand-off always crack me up.
• I’m glad we get to see the man behind the mask.  The Winter Soldier’s mask gets knocked off fairly early in the film and we learn more about him as the film develops.
• The CGI was great and believable. 
• I thought the slow-motion scene toward the end was great.
• I thought the list of things Captain America made of things he needed to catch up on was pretty cute.  It included Tai food, Disco, Moon landing, and Marvin Gaye.
• I LOVED the finale of How I Met Your Mother: The Complete Series , so I enjoyed seeing Cobie Smulders again.
• I love it when Stan Lee makes his cameo performance.  His big line in this installment of his Marvel character movies is “Oh man!  I am so fired.”  Ha ha
• I loved watching a middle-aged woman in a dress suit kick bad-guy butt.

Things I didn’t like:

• It didn’t have as much humor as The Avengers or Iron Man movies.
• Some people may criticize the movie for being unrealistic.  Well, duh…it’s a superhero movie.

(PHOTO ON LEFT:  One of our pastry students at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, where I teach, designed a special sugar structure to celebrate Captain America!  Everything in her design is edible!)

Funny lines:

• Nick Fury says “We’re gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen.”  Captain America replies “I thought the punishment came after the crime.”
• Natasha asks “Hey fellas, either one of you know where the Smithsonian is?   I’m here to pick up a fossil.”  Captain America says “That’s hilarious” as he gets in her car.
• Falcon yells “How do we know the good guys from the bad guys?”  Captain America yells back as they run towards danger “If they’re shooting at you, they’re bad!”
• Natasha asks “You doing anything fun Saturday night?”  Captain America answers “Well, all the guys in my barbershop quartet are dead…so, no, not really.”
• Captain America says “You don’t have to come with me.”  Falcon replies “I know.  When do we start?”
• Falcon says to the Cap “You know you’re a lot heavier than you look.”  Captain America chirps back “I had a big breakfast.”
• A soldier on a plane that Captain America jumps out of says to another soldier “Was he wearing a parachute?”  “No, no he wasn’t.”
• “Secure the engine room.  Then find me a date.”  - Captain America
• “You’re wrong about me.  I do share.  I’m nice like that.” – Agent Nick Fury
• “I do what he does, just slower.”  - Falcon, referring to Captain America.

Did you know?

• The Avengers was almost a rated R movie.   Some of the violence was a bit too much, so the directors had to tone it down and resubmit it.  There is LOT of violence in Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD] , but they tried hard to not get an R rating so that kids could watch it.  Parents, be prepared for lots of shooting, explosions, and collateral damage.
• Robert Downey Jr. has already convinced us how cool he is, but he took it up another notch when he invited 20 kids to join him at his house to watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier [HD] .  He posted this note on his Facebook page “What better way to spend my birthday than recognizing the cosmic miracle of Captain America 2 opening the same day.”  Nice.
• Agent Nick Fury trades in his eye patch for a set of cool shades.  You even get to see what’s underneath his patch.
• If you’re currently watching the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, see this movie first, and then continue watching the TV series.
• Keep watching after the credits roll for a teaser.
• If you liked the Trouble Man song from the movie, check out the entire Marvin Gaye album:

Tips for parents:  Try having a conversation with your kids about which is more important: freedom or security.  I liked the line Captain America said “Soldiers trust each other.  That’s what makes it an Army.”  Have your kids write some letters of encouragement to some soldiers who are willing to give their lives to protect our country and you.