"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Mark Ruffalo interview
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movies newsday.com/movies BY FRANK LOVECE Special to Newsday T he words “gods” and “monsters” show up in proximity more than once in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the Marvel Comics superhero movie opening today, echoing a scientist’s famous toast in “Bride of Frankenstein”: “To a new world of gods and monsters!” Coincidence? No. Writer- director Joss Whedon knows his genre antecedents, and James Whale’s 1935 classic is, like “Age of Ultron,” about artificial intelligence and artificial life. “We happen to be living in a time when just about anything you can imagine, someone can bring into being,” says Mark Ruffalo, who plays scientist Bruce Banner and his alter ego, the Hulk. “That makes us feel very powerful and probably godlike, but it also opens up a whole other plane of monsters.” Is he talking about the movie or the real world? “I think both, now,” he says. “I was talking about real life, but that’s also what the movie is talking about, in a more extreme way.” “Age of Ultron,” the latest in a novelistic succession of Marvel movies, follows Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America), the Norse god Thor, superspy Natasha Romanoff, preternatural archer Clint Barton and the Hulk as they retrieve the powerful scepter wielded by Thor’s brother, Loki, in “The Avengers” (2012). Thor will deliver it to his interdimensional realm of Asgard for safekeeping. But first, Stark suggests studying it for a few days. In Frankensteinian fashion, this leads to the creation of Ultron — an artificial intelligence who thinks “peace in our time” means engineer- ing a global-extinction event to give new, hopefully improved life a chance to evolve. And where A.I. is concerned, both in film and in real life, “There’s this uncharted territory we’re moving into,” Ruffalo says. “And maybe we see technolo- gy as the answer to everything, but at the same time it could be the end of everything.” Not that making the movie was all existential doom and gloom. The day they shot the scene in which “we’re all sitting there playing with [Thor’s] hammer, trying to pull the hammer up off the table — that was just one of those magical days where we were all together and really just kind of hanging out,” Ruffalo says. “We were improvising a lot and it was just delightful.” Plus, later in that scene, Ruffalo’s Banner finds himself lying atop Scarlett Johansson’s Romanoff. “Honestly,” Ruffalo says with a laugh, “that was funny because she was pregnant and we had to figure out how to do that scene with- out hurting the dear, dear, dear new baby inside of her.” As any fan will attest, Banner’s closest relationship is with fellow scientist Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. “I think that’s informed a lot by [longtime friend] Downey and our relationship and who he is in my life.” Ruffalo says. “There’s an ease there because of where we’ve come from and where we find ourselves today. “Plus,” he adds, “I just think it’s fun to see those dudes do science — seeing those bros bro down over science.” THE MOVIE “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” THE DEAL Clash of the superheroes IN THEATERS March 25 next year TUESDAY “Selma,” with David Oyelowo as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. TUESDAY “Fifty Shades of Grey” MAY 12 “Still Alice” HOT PURSUIT An action-comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, right, as an uptight cop assigned to guard a drug dealer’s widow (Sofia Vergara). 5 FLIGHTS UP Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman are a longtime married couple living in fast-gentrifying Brooklyn who decide to sell their apartment. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING coming attractions dvd alert next week I n his two-star review of “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” which ran in Wednesday’s Newsday, Rafer Guzmán wrote that it’s “Thin on story, crowd- ed with characters and padded with extraneous action. In other words, a sure hit!” Read the full review at Newsday.com/movies Here’s what other critics had to say: Entertaining as much of “Avengers 2” is, especially when it’s just hanging out with the gang in between scuffles, Joss Whedon’s picture meets expecta- tions without exceeding them. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune Lovable characters, just the right amount of humor and spectacular action make “Ultron” a worthy bridge to whatever happens next in the Avengers’ universe. — Tony Hicks, San Jose Mercury News First, you try to understand what the hell is going on. Then you slowly realize that you will never understand what is going on. And, last, you wind up with the distinct impression that, if there was anything to under- stand, it wasn’t worth the sweat. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker I walked out of the theater feeling like the survivor of an all-you-can-eat buffet. — Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly Mark Ruffalo, left, as the Hulk, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye reunite in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Video: newsday.com/movies REVIEWS B10 The elements came together for Ruffalo in ‘Age of Ultron’ Marveling at super science MARVEL Watch the trailer at newsday.com/movies PARAMOUNT PICTURES SAM EMERSON B9 Explore LI newsday.com NEWSDAY, FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
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Newsday (May 1, 2015). By Frank Lovece
Transcript of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Mark Ruffalo interview
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movies newsday.com/movies
BY FRANK LOVECESpecial to Newsday
The words gods andmonsters show up inproximity more thanonce in Avengers: Ageof Ultron, the Marvel
Comics superhero movieopening today, echoing ascientists famous toast in Brideof Frankenstein: To a newworld of gods and monsters!
Coincidence? No. Writer-director Joss Whedon knows hisgenre antecedents, and JamesWhales 1935 classic is, like Ageof Ultron, about artificialintelligence and artificial life.
We happen to be living in atime when just about anythingyou can imagine, someone canbring into being, says MarkRuffalo, who plays scientistBruce Banner and his alter ego,the Hulk. That makes us feelvery powerful and probablygodlike, but it also opens up awhole other plane of monsters.
Is he talking about the movieor the real world? I think both,now, he says. I was talkingabout real life, but thats alsowhat the movie is talking about,in a more extreme way.
Age of Ultron, the latest in anovelistic succession of Marvelmovies, follows Tony Stark (akaIron Man), Steve Rogers(Captain America), the Norsegod Thor, superspy NatashaRomanoff, preternatural archerClint Barton and the Hulk asthey retrieve the powerfulscepter wielded by Thorsbrother, Loki, in The Avengers(2012). Thor will deliver it to hisinterdimensional realm ofAsgard for safekeeping. But first,
Stark suggests studying it for afew days.
In Frankensteinian fashion,this leads to the creation ofUltron an artificialintelligence who thinks peacein our time means engineer-ing a global-extinction event togive new, hopefully improvedlife a chance to evolve. Andwhere A.I. is concerned, bothin film and in real life, Theresthis uncharted territory weremoving into, Ruffalo says.And maybe we see technolo-gy as the answer to everything,but at the same time it couldbe the end of everything.
Not that making the movie wasall existential doom and gloom.The day they shot the scene inwhich were all sitting thereplaying with [Thors] hammer,trying to pull the hammer up offthe table that was just one ofthose magical days where wewere all together and really justkind of hanging out, Ruffalosays. We were improvising a lot
and it was just delightful.Plus, later in that scene,
Ruffalos Banner finds himselflying atop Scarlett JohanssonsRomanoff. Honestly, Ruffalosays with a laugh, that wasfunny because she waspregnant and we had to figureout how to do that scene with-out hurting the dear, dear, dearnew baby inside of her.
As any fan will attest,Banners closest relationship iswith fellow scientist Stark,played by Robert Downey Jr.I think thats informed a lotby [longtime friend] Downeyand our relationship and whohe is in my life. Ruffalo says.Theres an ease there becauseof where weve come from andwhere we find ourselves today.
Plus, he adds, I just thinkits fun to see those dudes doscience seeing those brosbro down over science.
THE MOVIE Batman v Superman: Dawn ofJustice
THE DEAL Clash of the superheroes
IN THEATERS March 25 next year
TUESDAY Selma, withDavid Oyelowo as theRev. Martin Luther King Jr.
TUESDAY Fifty Shadesof Grey
MAY 12 Still Alice
HOT PURSUIT An action-comedystarring Reese Witherspoon, right,as an uptight cop assigned to guard adrug dealers widow (Sofia Vergara).
5 FLIGHTS UP Diane Keaton and Morgan Freemanare a longtime married couple living in fast-gentrifyingBrooklyn who decide to sell their apartment.
WHAT THEYRE SAYING
comingattractionsdvdalertnextweek
In his two-star review ofThe Avengers: Age ofUltron, which ran inWednesdays Newsday,Rafer Guzmn wrote thatits Thin on story, crowd-ed with characters andpadded with extraneousaction. In other words,a sure hit!
Read the full review atNewsday.com/movies
Heres what othercritics had to say:
] Entertaining as much ofAvengers 2 is, especiallywhen its just hanging outwith the gang in betweenscuffles, Joss Whedonspicture meets expecta-tions without exceedingthem. Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune
] Lovable characters, just theright amount of humor andspectacular action makeUltron a worthy bridge towhatever happens next in theAvengers universe.
Tony Hicks,San Jose Mercury News
] First, you try to understandwhat the hell is going on. Thenyou slowly realize that you willnever understand what is goingon. And, last, you wind up withthe distinct impression that,if there was anything to under-stand, it wasnt worth the sweat. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
] I walked out of the theaterfeeling like the survivor of anall-you-can-eat buffet.
Chris Nashawaty,Entertainment Weekly
Mark Ruffalo, left, as the Hulk, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, ScarlettJohansson as Black Widow, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye reunite in Avengers: Age of Ultron. ] Video: newsday.com/movies
REVIEWS B10
The elements cametogether for Ruffaloin Age of Ultron
Marvelingat super science
MA
RVEL
Watch the trailer at newsday.com/moviesPARA
MO
UN
TPI
CTU
RES
SAM
EMER
SON
B9
ExploreLI
newsday.com
NEW
SDA
Y,
FRIDA
Y,
MA
Y1,
2015
