Avengers: Age of Ultron

This single-handedly has to be the most anticipated movie of the year (that isn't Star Wars). Avengers: Age of Ultron is the long-awaited sequel to the astonishing 2012 superhero flick which combined multiple Marvel franchises into one. It spawned copycats, it spawned spin-offs, it spawned sequels and movies for many of the characters involved, and, obviously, it spawned sequels for itself. So, in an as spoiler-less as I can keep it way, what is Age of Ultron like?

It's decent, but it's no The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy.

Let me explain before I get a load of Marvel fans down my throat: I did like this film. There are many new additions to the team that are fantastic, most notably Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany's Vision. Ultron is a quick-witted and snappy character, one of those that could go down in history as one of the most menacing. The plot is good, Ultron's dastardly plan is different. But there's reasons to dislike it.

For one, there's too much romance in the film. There are two relationships established in the film, one that involves Hawkeye, and another that involves Black Widow and the Hulk. These seem rather forced and whilst the actors do have great chemistry, it feels like within the happenings of the film, these scenes seem to waste time that could have been spent on character building or plot development. Another thing I disliked was how Tony Stark and Bruce Banner seemed to have a one-track mind outside of the suit/green mode. Those who have seen the movie know what I mean. It gets rather old, quick...even though this one argument can be blamed for the development of one of the characters.

Basically, I liked this highly-anticipated sequel...but there's just far too many problems that sink it down further and further below the threshold that the original held. Would I recommend it? Hell yes I would, because even throughout the whole thing, there's still a genuine piece of entertainment underneath. So, don't let my griping turn you off, go see this thing all you want.

3.5/5 stars.