‘Avengers 2’ is pretty awesome

There’s a running gag in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” involving different people trying to wield Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. It’s funny and it adds a layer of humanity to the characters. Most impressively, it ends up being a fantastic storytelling tool in one scene. Such is the brilliance of Age of Ultron. It can give you the giggles, make your eyeballs dance and take your breath away, all while telling a pretty great story.

Age of Ultron finds Earth’s mightiest heroes doing what they do best: protecting the world whilst bickering like kindergartners fighting over a toy. This time around, the team has to deal Ultron (voiced by James Spader), a nearly invulnerable AI-power robot created by Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) to protect the Earth. While the Avengers try to stop Ultron, the metal man strikes back by recruiting the Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, respectively) to tear the team apart from the inside out.

Not that it will be that tough of a job. There’s already plenty of friction between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans). Their ideological differences cause them to constantly butt heads. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) seems more interested in locating Loki’s scepter than dealing with team dynamics. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is either hulking out or he’s a blubbering mess who’s trying very hard not to hulk out. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is dealing with her past and her feelings for Banner.

The only Avenger who really seems to have it all together is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Hawkeye serves as the team’s heart and the glue that holds things together in Age of Ultron. It’s actually great to see the real reason the Avengers need Haweye, and it’s not because of his archery skill. The blossoming relationship between Banner and Black Widow is also played very sweetly, at times even awkwardly. That makes it seem more real.

ENCIK KOPI O / Shutterstock.com

The main cast has been in their roles for quite some time now, and they own their roles. It’s becoming impossible to separate RDJ for the character of Stark. Maybe he really IS Tony Stark. Evans and Hemsworth are equally impressive. Ruffalo projects the vulnerability and pathos perfectly befitting a man who’s afraid he’ll wipe out those he cares for. Johansson continues to bring interesting layers to what could be a very one note role. Taylor-Johnson and Olson are serviceable. Spader is a hoot as Ultron. But Renner’s performance makes the movie work. Hawkeye’s a normal working guy who’s job just happens to be a lot more eventful than most. And that works brilliantly.

Writer/director Joss Wheden opens the movie up for scope, giving us sweeping visual vistas and impressively epic camera work. Truth be told, his dialogue is getting a little predictable and sometimes it’s even a bit painful. But he shows that he’s capable of driving the story forward while slathering on the action and keeping things light and fun.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is just about the perfect summer blockbusters. It’s got laughs, explosions, pretty women, devious robots, and awesome heroes punching bad guys. It’s not as fresh as the first Avengers flick, but it’s pretty awesome. Marvel Studios has a another winner on its hands.