Summer is upon us. The weather is warming up, birds are chirping and super hero movies are in the air, and at long last the Avengers are back in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Opening night at the Portage 16 IMAX welcomed legions of fans eager to see Iron Man, Cap, Thor and the rest of the team defend Earth from another great threat. With stunning visuals, interesting plot hooks and well-timed comedic relief, Avengers: Age of Ultron stands up to the rest of Marvel's cinematic line-up, and the Portage 16 IMAX is the best place to see it!
From the first frame, this movie lets you know that you're in for a wild, visual ride. The Avengers take on an army of Hydra soldiers in the very first scene of the movie, and it's everything that any Avengers fan could want. Thor flinging his thunderous hammer, Hawkeye making impossible shots and Black Widow gracefully taking down each foe in her way, the Avengers are a feast for the eyes as always. This movie makes it easy to see the strides that are continuously being made in filmmaking technology. However, the greatest special effects endeavor is the villainous machine, Ultron.
In an attempt to make an artificial intelligence to protect the world, Tony Stark creates Ultron, but things don't work out exactly as he expects. Ultron comes to the conclusion that the only way to protect humanity is to destroy it. The Avengers must now deal with a threat greater than any they have taken on before. This is where the story really picks up. Since PortageLife is a spoiler-free zone, I won't go into too much detail as to what transpires, but I will say that this is more than just an uphill battle for the world's greatest heroes. It's an all out war.
In addition to the Avengers team from the previous movie, some characters finally get their chance to appear on the big screen. Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, make their debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and they more than live up to their comic book counterparts. Armed with super speed and mind altering psychic abilities, the Maximoff twins show off some amazing powers. However, the character that really shines in this movie has no powers.
Compared to the first Avengers movie, Hawkeye, the guy who brings a bow and arrow to a super power fight, stands out in this film. He not only brings fantastic feats of archery to the action scenes, but Jeremy Renner brings this character to life though his comedic timing and exceptionally driven acting. Avengers: Age of Ultron makes it clear that Hawkeye has been underutilized until now.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the movie to see this summer. Through landmark visual effects, character driven plot and fantastic cast, Joss Whedon has done it again. This is a movie you won't want to miss. Make sure you get the Portage 16 IMAX early because seats will fly faster than Iron Man's newest suit.