Avengers: Age of Ultron - Extinction Edition

Top-notch extended edition editing from Bobson again here, lots of fleshed-out work in the editing and VFX front. A strange movie that feels like simultaneously the most like a Real Comic Book of any of the Marvel movies but also has to act as a commercial/connective tissue to more and bigger events. It's simultaneously cozy and frenetic which is probably part of the reason why Whedon bailed on the franchise after this (I think we know where his preferences lie). Bobson manages to make the cozy/character-based sections breathe a little bit better, which is especially welcome as they aren't just dumping grounds for tired jokes (looking at you, Guardians 2, et al).

Easily the best possible version of this mish-mash movie and one that is worth living on your MCU shelf.

If you like "Avengers: Age of Ultron," this is more of that movie. Deleted scenes have been expertly restored, and the result is an improved cut that benefits from additional character beats. The central problems of the movie still remain, of course (why is Jarvis not a good enough AI to defend the planet against aleins? Why is Ultron's nonsense evil plan so nonsense?), but the biggest strengths of the movie was always the interactions of the characters, and there's more of that here. My one criticism would be the Thor cave sequence: Possessed Thor is hard to understand, and despite being Infinity Stone set-up, it doesn't add anything to the movie or the Infinity Saga as a whole, so I prefer the bare-minimum theatrical version of this scene. All in all, though, a terrific fan restoration of deleted material that's superior to the official cut. Congrats to Bobson Dugnutt on a job well done!

A very good fan edit of one of my least favorite Marvel films. Version 1.9 of the Extinction Edition is a technically superb edit that salvages some, but not all, of the theatrical version's problems. My partner and I watched together and both felt the added focus on Wanda and her twin brother gave the movie a better throughline. On a narrative-level, that was the strongest upgrade. Making them a more central focus also allowed Tony to be a better short-term villain.

The biggest problem that an extended edition cannot overcome is the awful scenes between Black Widow and Bruce. I love both characters, but no and no. Their scenes move slower than a cryogenically frozen iceberg. There are also lingering generic sequences such as the subway car fight that seem to result from Whedon burning out. The theatrical version just was "meh" compared to the rest of the MCU and Whedon's first Avengers that was a classic.

None of those complaints are to take anything away from the masterful integration of new scenes, special effects, and audio. This is my "go to" of Ultron and makes it a pleasant experience rather than the one I've been -- like an old man at a bird -- ranting at while doing Marvel binges. You've lowered my blood pressure and thank you for that!