Age of Ultron once again delivers an entertaining but inferior sequel to the Marvel ensemble hit

Rating: 6/10 (26 April 2015)

The sequel to 2012's breakout superhero hit, Age of Ultron obviously serves as a middle film in the MCU. Although the stakes are significantly higher than last time, some aspects feel a little underwhelming and inconsequential, despite the total or partial destruction of at least three major cities. Joss Whedon still proves adept at staging massive action sequences and giving his characters endless quips to throw at each other at even the worst of times, but taking into account that he has discussed several times that the making of the film exhausted him, it's occasionally noticeable, as he includes, by necessity from the powers that be in the MCU, many character cameos and hints of future plots.
The weaker aspect of the film is definitely the inclusion of the Maximoff twins. Quicksilver made quite the impression with his powers and presence in X-Men last year with only 15 minutes of screen time, but here Aaron Taylor Johnson doesn't even come close to that. His weird and obviously forced accent doesn't really help him. Elizabeth Olsen fares better, although her accent also proves to be distracting.
Despite these flaws, the film still proves to be highly entertaining, although it doesn't quite reach the heights of the first film. The acting is once again great, with everyone fitting comfortably in their roles. Ultron, although a little wasted, is helped by Spader's menacing voice. One thing I particularly appreciated, especially compared to every previous Marvel film, is that the characters showed their vulnerability quite a bit more and for once, there was emphasis in evacuating civilians before unleashing a war in their midst. Whedon's VFX-assisted long takes once again make a couple of appreciated appearances, and Vision finally provides a cool flesh and bone role for Paul Bettany. His first scene was really one of the best scenes in the film.
Hawkeye's one liners and the fact that he has a family were quite funny too, especially Tony's predictably sarcastic reaction.