No Strings: The Avengers Age Of Ultron Trailer #1

Well, this was unexpected.
Rumor had it that the first trailer of Hollywood's MOST ANTICIPATED FILM of 2015 was going to be featured at the start of Interstellar, then it was announced it would be on Agents of SHIELD Thursday night, when in fact, it was released last night (sorry, the router died and I had to have some one come out and fix it, so I just got back a few minutes ago). So, here is the full trailer:

Like any great narrative, conflict is a central theme in this trailer. If you listen closely, in the background is the theme song of Walt Disney's Pinocchio, There Are No Strings On Me; why on earth would James Spader's Ultron, the biggest, baddest and meanest villain in the universe, be identifying with Pinocchio? If you know the song, then you know that the little wooden boy is indeed "string-free" when he sings it, but by the end of the song, he has gotten himself tangled in the strings that were part of the props. This may be foreshadowing that the very boast Ultron makes in why he is stronger than the Avengers is the same boast that will bring him down (those strings could end up being, for example, Scarlet Witch [Elizabeth Olsen] and Quicksilver [Aaron Johnson] who start out fighting on the side with Ultron, but change allegiance to the Avengers).

I am going to predict that the other theme of The Avengers II will be the difference between Pinocchio being a "wooden boy" and then becoming a "real boy." Why? Ultron might start out as a real man--I am just speculating, I don't know--and then turn himself into a Iron Man rip-off, which would make him think that his power freed him from being beholden to anyone; the Avengers, however, all being human, have certain obligations so they don't become inhuman, like valuing life and using the powers, skills and talents they have for good rather than evil. This might be a lesson Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver are learning as the film progresses. 

What are the strings on the Avengers? Nick Fury didn't stay "dead" long, did he? Seeing Fury, we might be led to believe that the strings attached to the super-heroes are those that SHIELD puts on them, namely, having limitations on what they can and cannot do. Then again, a more compelling story line would be the strings the Avengers put upon themselves, what they will and will not do (like kill innocent people, or save themselves instead of being willing to sacrifice themselves). Why would this be an important theme?

This is supposedly a shot of the opening with several of the Avengers gathered at Stark's penthouse having a few drinks (the very first opening sequence is the shot at the end of Captain America the Winter Soldier when Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were in their cells, that's where the film starts). There is a contest to see if any of the other Avengers can pick up Thor's hammer; only Steve Rogers can budge it, a little. This is a telling scene of the god of thunder, so in the trailer, when we see Thor picking up Stark by the throat and lifting him high in the air, we know from the start of the film that Thor has the unquestionable (moral) authority to do so. 

Depending on the exact angle it takes, validating the importance of a culturally-upheld morality would demonstrate that, without morality, we aren't human, and that would lead us to a terrible world of power-struggles. Please note the image below: what do you notice? You probably recognize the Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, etc., but you recognize them because they have being, they have presence, whereas the vast number of robots trying to overwhelm and take them down have no individuality and identity. What is it exactly, that gives us an identity, or that causes us to lose our identity? The film is going to answer that.

"You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change." Well, basically. A "change" in the world would probably be for the worst, especially instituted by someone like Ultron. Why? (Keep in mind, we might be seeing this same theme with Lex Luthor in Batman vs Superman). Ultron would make changes that would be best for him and him alone, whereas the world is (supposed to be) designed for the best for the greatest possible number of people. Ultron likes the idea of people begging him for mercy, but anyone who likes that idea is probably void of mercy to begin with, otherwise, why usher in a world like that? On a last note, we could see the deaths of some of the Avengers, because rumor has it that Captain America has to assemble a new team by the end of the film,....

Why is Steve Rogers only able to budge Thor's hammer? Is there anyone better or more virtuous than Captain America? Well, remember, there is quite a bit of darkness in Steve's heart over having spent fifty years frozen, and seeing all his friends die or age (like Peggy) and him not fit in anywhere (we might also throw in SHIELD turning on him in the last film, and the horrible things that happened to Bucky). So while Steve's heart is virtuous, and he will always do the right thing, there are unresolved painful issues that keep him from being as strong as he might be, the way Thor is, but I doubt Thor discovers what has happened on Asgard after he left (Loki taking over Odin's throne) but I do know that the first movements have started for the work on Thor 3 and I can't wait!

Tonight, I am going to see John Wick, and I am totally excited about that! As soon as I get the post up for it (by Friday, keep your fingers crossed) I am then going to see Ouija, I think a number of important themes are going to be in that film, so I am definitely going to see it!
Eat Your Art Out,
The Fine Art Diner

P.S.--Just in case anyone is confused, you have a right to be. Evan Peters portrayed Quicksilver in X-Men Days Of Future Past this spring, and now Aaron Johnson is portraying the same character in The Avengers II. Quicksilver and his sister Scarlet Witch are cross-over characters inhabiting both Marvel universes. By the way, it's being hinted that Peters' Quicksilver may be getting a solo film,...