Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Syfy are once again teaming up, setting up Brave New World as a new scripted series. Syfy and Amblin previously collaborated on Taken back in 2003, and the new sci-fi series will be executive produced by Amblin’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Taken‘s screenwriter is adapting the classic Aldous Huxley novel for television and will also be involved as an executive producer.
“Brave New World is one of the most influential genre classics of all time,” said Dave Howe, President, Syfy & Chiller. “Its provocative vision of a future gone awry remains as powerful and as timeless as ever. Promising to be a monumental television event, Brave New World is precisely the groundbreaking programming that is becoming the hallmark of Syfy.”
“We’ve been looking for an opportunity to reunite with Les, Bonnie Hammer and Dave Howe, ever since our collaboration on Taken over a decade ago, and Brave New World is just the project we’ve been waiting for, to bring the band back together,” said Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, Co-Presidents, Amblin Television. “We’re thrilled to be working with Dawn Olmstead, with whom we produced The Whispers for ABC, and under the leadership of Jeff Wachtel and Universal Cable Productions, we know the project is in just the right hands.”
The Plot:
Brave New World is set in a world without poverty, war or disease. In this world, humans are given mind-altering drugs, free sex and rampant consumerism are the order of the day, and people no longer reproduce but are genetically engineered in “hatcheries.” Those who won’t conform are forced onto “reservations” – until one of these “savages” challenges the system, threatening the entire social order. First published in 1932, Brave New World was ranked fifth among the 100 best English language novels of the 20th Century by Modern Library.
Who is Grodd? If you don’t know, you’ll find out more about him in The Flash season one episode 21 titled “Grodd Lives.” As the show’s first season heads toward the finale, a giant gorilla is let loose to rampage and tear up the town. Directed by Dermott Downs, “Grodd Lives” was written by Grainne Godfree and Kai Yu Wu.
The Plot: Barry (Grant Gustin) must deal with the Reverse Flash’s (Tom Cavanagh) latest threat to a member of the group. To make matter worse, Dr. Wells unleashes Grodd on the city in order to distract Barry and the team. Joe (Jesse L. Martin), Barry and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) head down into the sewers to catch Grodd but the gorilla quickly gets the upper hand after he kidnaps Joe. Iris (Candice Patton) and Barry have a heart to heart talk.
Director Paul Feig was named the Comedy Filmmaker of the Year at the 2015 CinemaCon in Vegas and before accepting his award during the Big Screen Achievement Awards Ceremony at Caesars Palace, he spent a few minutes fielding questions during a press conference. Feig has the 20th Century Fox action-comedy Spy heading to theaters on June 5th and during the press conference he discussed why the film shouldn’t be called a spy movie parody.
Feig also talked about reuniting with Melissa McCarthy who he directed in Bridesmaids and The Heat, and why now is the right time for a female Ghostbusters movie.
The Spy Plot:
Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid, and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster.
Conan O’Brien will be making San Diego Comic Con history this year. The popular host will be bringing his TBS show to Comic Con, marking the first time a late night show has ever initiated its broadcast from the San Diego event.
Conan will film from July 8 through July 11 at the historic Spreckels Theater in downtown San Diego, just a few blocks from the San Diego Convention Center where Comic Con will be taking place. Here’s the official announcement that was made during the May 4, 2015 episode of Conan:
Marvel just announced Martin Freeman has joined the cast of the third Captain America film, Captain America: Civil War. In announcing Freeman’s addition to the cast, Marvel didn’t say who he would be playing, just that they’d added another name to the growing cast.
“From his roles as Bilbo Baggins and Doctor Watson to Tim in The Office, Martin’s range from the dramatic to the comedic has consistently impressed us,” said Captain America: Civil War producer Kevin Feige. “We couldn’t be more honored or excited to have such a talented actor join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Freeman’s recent credits include Sherlock, Fargo, and starring in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. He’s currently shooting Fun House along with Tina Fey and his Fargo co-star Billy Bob Thornton.
Captain America: Civil War stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, and Chadwick Boseman. Marvel and Disney will be releasing Civil War in theaters on May 6, 2016.
“Walk away,” yells Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor). “Shut up! You’re both under arrest for attempted murder,” replies detective Gordon (Ben McKenzie) after stopping Penguin from killing a strapped-down Don Falcone (John Doman) in the season finale of FOX’s crime thriller series, Gotham.
Guns, thugs, and blood are all over the streets of Gotham as the crime war has finally begun in season one’s final episode titled “All Happy Families Are Alike.” Thanks to Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin tricking Don Maroni (David Zayas) into believing Carmine Falcone tried to have him killed, Maroni has all his men on the hunt for Falcone and his crew. He’s even entered into a deal with Commissioner Loeb (Peter Scolari) to have the police stand down. Gordon, choosing the lesser of two evils, decides to go to Falcone’s hospital room – he’s recovering from one of the failed attempts on his life – to protect him and get him to a secure hiding place. It’s only moments after stopping Penguin and Butch (Drew Powell) from slitting Carmine’s throat that Maroni’s thugs show up for one of the few clumsy and overly choreographed shoot-outs of the series.
Meanwhile, Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) has returned to the city with her loyal sewer dwellers and recruits Selina (Camren Bicondova) into her small army. Fish is anxious to join the war to take down Falcone and to kill Penguin. Selina is uncharacteristically too quick to be so enamored with Fish, someone she’s just met.
At the hospital, Gordon receives back-up from his partner Harvey (Donal Logue) and the two take Falcone to an old warehouse that, unfortunately, Carmine is unaware Fish is now using for her new base of operations. Once there, Gordon, Bullock, Penguin, Butch – in Gordon’s custody – and Falcone are captured by Fish and her crew. Fish welcomes back Butch back into the fold while the other four are strung up and helplessly await the arrival of Don Maroni.
Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce (David Mazouz) is still struggling with trying to uncover his father’s secrets while Alfred (Sean Pertwee) tries to reassure him that his father was a good and respectable man. Determined, and knowing deep down his father was hiding something, Bruce is out to find his father’s secret which must be hidden somewhere in Wayne Manor.
Maroni arrives and it appears he’s willing to give Fish back all her old territory once Falcone is dead as long as she agrees to the pecking order. Maroni is the number one boss of Gotham and she’ll be number two. Maroni calls her an underboss and she reminds him she doesn’t take orders. He tells her to relax and calls her “babes,” which she highly resents. He says it’s a term of endearment, but she won’t back down. Maroni gives in and asks her what she wants to be called. Fish replies that she expects to be partners, and Maroni says that he’s Partner Number One and she’s Partner Number Two, tacking on a “Babes” just for good measure. One “babes” too many and the deal between Maroni and Fish is broken as her crew takes on his. During all the chaos, Harvey, who Fish freed earlier saying to him “we’re good,” frees Gordon and Falcone and the three run to escape what’s becoming a mob killing ground. Penguin escapes out another exit.
While the fight is raging in hospitals and warehouses, there’s a meeting of Jim Gordon’s current and ex going on. Barbara (Erin Richards) has convinced Dr. Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin) to play therapist, saying she’ll only speak to her about the horrific events that transpired while she was kidnapped and forced to watch her parents murdered by the Ogre (Milo Ventimiglia). Barbara knows Leslie and Jim are a thing, and she uses her own history with Jim to try and learn the intimate details of his new relationship.
Back on the streets, Falcone, Gordon, and Bullock are on the run and attempting to escape from Fish and/or Maroni’s reach. Falcone reveals he’s ready to give up the world of crime and retire down South. Bullock asks, “You have a place down South? Nice…on the water? Any work for beat-up old cops?” Falcone nods yes and Bullock turns to Jim and says, “How’s that sound, Jim? Beaches, sunshine, fishing.” The exchange is one of the few laughs of this otherwise very dark and heavy episode. Almost immediately Selina tracks them down, greeting Gordon, Bullock, and Falcone with, “Hello again. Cat got your tongue?” and returns them to the warehouse where Fish is now the last boss standing.
Selina earns Fish’s praise for the capture, and Fish explains to Bullock that she knows it was a crazy move taking down Maroni but he “vexed” her. “The battlefield is in flux and you could be looking at the new Queen of Gotham,” says Fish. Falcone tells her he’s quitting but she’s not impressed. Just then Penguin bursts in and shoots up the place, killing all of Fish’s gang while Bullock, Gordon, and Falcone escape in a car. Fish flees, but Penguin is hot on her tail.
Back to Barbara and Leslie… Barbara has moved on from talking about Jim to talking about her time spent as the Ogre’s hostage. Leslie is listening intently, but Barbara’s confession to being complicit in her parents’ murder takes her completely by surprise. Barbara admits it wasn’t just the Ogre who was responsible for their deaths; she stabbed them numerous times and slit their throats. “They have no clue who I am. Even when I was killing them, they just gaped at me like fools,” reveals Barbara. Barbara grabs a knife off the table and Leslie locks herself in the bathroom. Barbara breaks through and we cut to a scene of Bullock, Gordon, and Falcone arriving in the building and taking the elevator up to where Barbara and Leslie are now locked in a fight to the death. Leslie gets the upper hand and smashes Barbara’s head multiple times into the floor. Jim runs to her and they hug while staring down at Barbara’s inert body. “I told him that woman was trouble,” says Bullock to Falcone.
The fight between Fish and Penguin that fans have been looking forward to all season is now underway on the roof of the warehouse. They are pretty evenly matched and near the edge of the building when Butch shows up pointing a gun at the pair. They both attempt to convince him to shoot the other person, and Butch does shoot Fish first but quickly follows with a shot at Penguin. Both shots land but neither are immediately lethal, and Butch rushes to Fish to apologize. Penguin uses the opportunity to knock out Butch with a metal pipe and says, “Goodbye, Fish,” before pushing her off the edge of the building. He then climbs up on the wall and declares himself the King of Gotham.
As the season finale nears its end, we finally catch up with Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) whose mental condition is obviously deteriorating. After being confronted by Kristen Kringle (Chelsea Spack) about the note the now dead Officer Dougherty left behind, Ed has an intense battle with his conscious.
Then Gordon and Falcone have one final scene together, with Falcone telling him that Gotham needs a strong lawman and not a criminal mob moss. “That’s you, Jim. I know it in my bones.” Falcone hands Jim a knife and explains he was given it years ago by Jim’s dad as a birthday gift, a gift that Falcone didn’t want or didn’t think was necessary. “He said, ‘Take it. A knife is a good friend when you have no other.'” Jim realizes the two were closer than he thought. “Your father was the most honest man I ever met…but he carried a knife,” says Falcone before leaving Jim to ponder his future.
And now we’re back with Bruce and Alfred, and Bruce is frustrated he can’t figure out what his dad was hiding. Alfred tries to reassure him that his father was a good man and that there probably isn’t anything to be uncovered. Suddenly, it comes to Bruce. He remembers Lucius Fox called his father a stoic, and Bruce knows that is actually a philosophy. “Marcus Aurelius!,” shouts Bruce, grabbing a book, finding a hidden remote, and opening the door to…wait for it…the Bat Cave!
Dark, gritty, and action-packed, Gotham season one ends with a few key characters (Fish Mooney, Don Maroni) being killed off and the discovery of the famous Bat Cave. While overall season one’s been enjoyable to watch, and it’s been a fun ride learning the backstories of classic Batman villains, this finale was overly ambitious and tried to cram in way too many storylines. The result was a cluttered finale that felt a little awkwardly paced. It was also littered with scenes that didn’t quite have the impact intended, including the shoot-out at the hospital which was a forced homage to the film The Godfather that showed Maroni’s hitmen couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a bazooka.
It was also difficult to swallow Selina Kyle so quickly teaming up and becoming a follower of Fish Mooney’s. The entire season one characteristic Selina has always displayed is that of a loner with no loyalty or ties to anyone with the one exception of her on again/off again friendship with Bruce Wayne. Selina becoming Fish’s instant protégé came off as both forced and phony.
On the bright side, the episode did have some outstanding performances. One of the best was delivered by McKenzie as the tough but learning to survive hero cop Gordon who once again is in way over his head. Logue was also terrific as seasoned detective Bullock who’s forced constantly to save his crusading cop partner from certain death while trying to figure a way to survive. It took forever to get to, but the next-to-last scene where we go inside the mind of Ed Nygma was one of Smith’s best performances this season. The scene showcases the inner battle between Nygma and The Riddler, and reveals he’s riddled with self-loathing, hatred, and just a touch of schizophrenia. The birth of The Riddler as a villain has been quite disturbing.
With a deep secret about to be revealed to Bruce about his father, Nygma becoming his notorious alter ego, and the question of who controls the underworld of Gotham up in the air – it can’t be Penguin, can it?– here’s looking forward to returning to Gotham in the fall.
Stephen M. Taylor, Rhys, Coiro, Brendan Fraser, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Bill Paxton, Christopher MacDonald, Joe Egender, Trevor Donovan, and Jeremy Davies star in ‘Texas Rising’ (Photo by Prashant Gupta / HISTORY Copyright 2015)
History’s 2015 summer lineup will include four new shows, the limited series Texas Rising, and four returning series. New to the network this summer are Alone, Forged in Fire, Leepu & Pitbull, and Lost in Transmission, joining returning series American Pickers, Counting Cars, Mountain Men and Pawn Stars on the summer schedule.
In addition to releasing the premiere dates and air times, History also provided details on all of the shows in the network’s summer lineup:
American Pickers – Wednesday, May 6 at 9 p.m.
This is not your grandmother’s antiquing. Mike and Frank earn a living by scouring the backwoods and dirt roads of the US and rescue forgotten relics. On this season of American Pickers, Mike and Frank continue their mission to recycle America by rescuing forgotten relics and giving them a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about American history on the way. In the season opener, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys shows interest in a vintage Chet Atkins Gretsch guitar that Mike stumbled across in South Carolina.
Pawn Stars – Thursday, May 7 at 9 p.m. ET
This summer, the stakes are higher than ever when Rick takes a big gamble and hauls thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of his items to a major auction in Los Angeles. But unlike the Pawn shop, once an item is up for auction, he can’t control what it sells for. Will Rick win big or will this be a total loss? Regardless, Los Angeles proves to have even more to offer, as Rick bounces around town looking to buy a few big pieces. His biggest stop….the home of a client boasting one of the biggest private collections of Disney memorabilia in the world. Back in Vegas, boys will be boys when Corey and Chum eye a mini monster truck – the Ultra 4 Race Car – that’s over $20,000 and they guys can’t help but “geek out” when an original Star Wars script signed by George Lucas and one-of-a-kind movie props come into the store with an asking price of $100,000.
Lost in Transmission – Thursday, May 7 at 10 p.m. ET
One man’s clunker is another man’s treasure couldn’t be truer for automotive aficionado and Top Gear co-host, Rutledge Wood and fellow car fanatic, George Flanigen. These two men are on a mission – rescue America’s forgotten classic cars that are sitting in ruins in barns, garages and the backyards of America and take HISTORY viewers along for the ride. In each episode, Rutledge and George will rescue under-appreciated examples of automotive styling that time has forgotten – from resurrecting a 1981 DeLorean that was submerged in Hurricane Sandy to an insect infested 1964 Ford F100 – they will fix them up and get them back on the road. Go along for the ride with two buddies on the ultimate road trip… saving America’s greatest, weirdest and coolest cars.
HISTORY’s ten-hour television event series Texas Rising stars Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olivier Martinez, Thomas Jane, Crispin Glover, Rhys Coiro, Jeremy Davies, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Christopher McDonald, Max Thieriot, Chad Michael Murray, Robert Knepper, Jeff Fahey, Rob Morrow, Kris Kristofferson and is directed by Two-time Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé. The Alamo was not the end of the story, it was only the beginning, and Texas Rising details what followed in the fight for an independent Texas. In 1836, west of the Mississippi was considered the Wild West and the Texas frontier was viewed as hell on earth. With colliding cultures all fighting for stakes to this territory, no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in and a time to stand tall against the fierce Mexican General Santa Anna and his forces. General Sam Houston, the rag tag Rangers and the legendary “Yellow Rose of Texas,” lead this story of the human will to fight for independence despite nearly insurmountable odds and to claim a piece of history for all eternity.
Leepu & Pitbull – Tuesday, June 16 at 10 p.m. ET
HISTORY® follows master mechanic “Pitbull” Steve and renowned Bangladeshi car designer, who is named Leepu, as they transform heaps of metal into a cash-producing business venture. Each week a customer with a beloved clunker, great story and small budget asks this odd couple to convert their bucket of bolts into a cool custom car. In this high-risk and high-octane undertaking, it’s up to Leepu & Pitbull to turn their differences into inspiration…as they MacGuyver fixes to build winning wheels, satisfy the customer and rev up the riches.
Counting Cars – Tuesday, June 16 at 9 p.m.
In this season of Counting Cars Danny Koker takes the team deep into the world of Rock & Roll and continues to push the crew to build the baddest rides around. Count’s Kustoms is hired by the family of rock & roll icon Les Paul to build a one-of-a-kind custom bike to be unveiled at a huge event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the legendary guitarist’s birth. And the rock rolls on with a restoration for Dokken’s George Lynch, and a Steven Tyler-themed car for one of Danny’s demanding casino clients. Meanwhile Kevin lays down the law as Danny’s car addiction grows and he keeps falling in love with his restorations rather than selling them – if he doesn’t flip some cars the money will soon dry up.
Alone – Thursday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET
The ten-episode series is the country’s boldest and longest survival experiment ever captured for television. It places ten hardcore survivalists alone in the Vancouver Island wilderness – no camera crew, no teams, no producers – on a single mission to stay alive. At stake is $500,000 awarded to the person who can last the longest. They will face extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown, self-documenting their experience. ALONE will also air as a synchronized global TV event, airing in over 200 territories worldwide on HISTORY and other channels from the A+E Networks portfolio.
Mountain Men – Thursday, June 18 at 9 p.m. ET
This season, Marty, Tom, Eustace, Rich, Kyle and new Mountain Man Morgan, are preparing early for another long and brutal winter, but remain determined to face the season head on. In Alaska, Marty returns to the Revelation Mountains to put down roots with a new trapline and his family is coming along for the ride, as long as he can finish building the cabin in time. In Montana, a new threat deals an early blow to veteran mountain man Tom, who is left to pick up the pieces as winter sets in and the rules of nature he’s come to rely on over his many decades in the Yaak get upended. Rich finds himself battling a full-scale predator invasion in Montana’s Ruby Valley as he tries to keep the area’s livestock safe and in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Eustace takes a gamble on a new opportunity wrestling 100-foot-tall trees that he hopes will jumpstart his lumber business. While in New Mexico’s rugged Cimarron, Kyle works to secure a legacy to pass on to his son, Ben and in Alaska’s harsh heart, new mountain man, Morgan, attempts the most epic trek of his life – a nearly 300-mile journey across the Great Alaska Range – to claim his own piece of the last frontier.
Forged in Fire – Monday, June 22 at 10 p.m. ET
The most talented bladesmiths in the world will test their mettle in this cutting-edge competition series. Hosted by weapons expert Wil Willis, a former Army Ranger and decorated Air Force para-rescue specialist, the series will feature world-class bladesmiths creating many of history’s most iconic edged weapons, from the Japanese katana to the medieval broadsword to ancient throwing blades like the Chakram.
A new TV spot’s arrived for the dramatic film Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal as boxer looking for a comeback. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Olympus Has Fallen) from a script by Sons of Anarchy‘s Kurt Sutter and Richard Wenk, the cast also includes Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Oona Laurence, Clare Foley, Miguel Gomez, Victor Ortiz, Rita Ora, and Naomie Harris.
Southpaw opens in theaters on July 24, 2015.
The Plot:
Southpaw tells the riveting story of Billy “The Great” Hope, reigning Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World (Gyllenhaal). Billy Hope seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (McAdams), an adorable daughter (Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city’s toughest amateur boxers.
With his future riding on Tick’s guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.
Following its premiere at one of the best known horror film festivals, the Stanley Film Festival, Image Entertainment picked up Some Kind of Hate for North American distribution. The horror thriller was directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer and stars Ronen Rubenstein, Sierra McCormick, Grace Phipps, Spencer Breslin, Lexi Atkins, Noah Segan, and Michael Polish.
“Some Kind of Hate has an amazing story that takes audiences for a ride,” said Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer for the Image brands. “We’re thrilled to bring this film to audiences at large after its incredible debut at the Stanley Film Festival.”
The Plot:
Some Kind of Hate tells the story of a troubled teen who’s subjected to severe bullying. He accidentally conjures Moira Karp, a teenage girl pushed to commit suicide by bullies years ago. Moira is now a vengeful and unstoppable force on a mission of gruesome retribution. But when she goes too far, Lincoln must prevent her from spiraling out of control in this passionate and vividly violent take on the supernatural slasher.
“I tried to create a suit of armor around the world but I created something terrible,” admits Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to the rest of the Avengers after his secret peacekeeping A.I. program turns on and turns into the most dangerous and lethal enemy they’ve ever faced in the action-packed sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Since defeating Thor’s adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his alien army, Stark has been secretly working – with the reluctant assistance of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) – on creating an A.I. system smart enough and powerful enough to protect Earth from any kind of threat. When the Avengers retrieve Loki’s old scepter after a firefight with the evil organization HYDRA, Stark and Banner begin experimenting with its powers to see if they can bring their creation to life. Unfortunately for Stark, Banner, the rest of the Avengers, and the world, the A.I. named Ultron (voiced by James Spader) gains sentience and sees mankind as a plague to the world. Ultron determines his mission of creating peace on Earth can only be fulfilled by making mankind extinct.
Building a robot army and enlisting the help of Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) – Marvel’s version of The Flash – and his twin sister Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), a mind-reading/controlling telekinetic bad girl, both of whom hate Stark with a passion, Ultron sets out to destroy the Avengers and the rest of the human race. It’s up to Iron Man, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and the Hulk to stop Ultron from carrying out his horrific plan.
Big, bold, and action-packed, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a thrilling event movie that surpasses its predecessor and will have audiences of all ages (and comic book fans/non-readers alike) laughing and applauding in their seats. All the main cast members are back led once again by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark whose performance, as always, elevates the film to a higher level. Another stand-out performance is delivered by Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, the bow and arrow assassin who this time out has some of his secret life revealed to the Avengers and the audience. Renner steals every scene he’s in and has some of the best and most crowd-pleasing lines in the film.
Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo also return as Natasha/Black Widow and Banner/Hulk who in this outing are developing deep feelings for each other. In fact it’s usually Natasha’s touch and calming voice that gets the giant angry green guy to turn back to Dr. Banner after all the fighting is done.
One of the big reasons Avengers: Age of Ultron is a superior sequel is the brilliant move in hiring James Spader to voice and give life to the villain Ultron. Spader gives the giant menacing A.I. creature a very human and interesting personality. Thanks to Spader (and writer/director Joss Whedon), Ultron is not only imposing and formidable but at times witty and fearful. In short, Ultron is a stronger and more dynamic villain for the Avengers to fight.
The second reason the film is better is it doesn’t have to spend the first half of the movie finding and teaming up the six superheroes. The sequel isn’t saddled with the need to set up the group and thus can get right into the action.
Overall, Avengers: Age of Ultron has stunning action sequences, impressive CGI (Ultron and his army of robots look great), and finds enough time to have a few quiet human moments for its superheroes. Stirring and well-paced, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a star-powered, full throttle action adventure film that delivers everything a moviegoer could want from a summer blockbuster.
GRADE: B+
MPAA rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments.
