Immensely Entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (8 May 2015)

Beginning with 2008's Iron Man, Marvel's franchise is a behemoth larger than any of its heroes or villains. While much of that is due to its box-office numbers and zeitgeist power, its quality and soul are the things that make it stand apart, and Ultron is no different. Maybe the novelty of seeing these demi-gods on the big-screen just hasn't soured for me yet, but I found Ultron's nerd-splosion to be (mostly) unendingly awesome. It may have an over-abundance of characters and too many battles, but it's also quick witted, thematically grounded, and immensely entertaining enough to satisfy any fan. This Comic-Con-come-to-life adventure kicks off with our guys fighting side-by-side, a truly cinematic moment of epic proportions that doesn't disappoint. They are brought together to fight Ultron, a botched creation of Stark's whose power and ruthlessness are equally endless. As the plot unfolds, it feels more like a well- constructed bridge to better (and darker) places than a destination unto itself, but the wonderful performances and dialogue guide the festivities delightfully. Deeper, though, is a recognizable political element to the proceedings; Cap and Tony stand-in for our own two-party government system, while showing presenting these disparate ideals as less black-and-white as we often think. Sure, Ultron is lesser in almost every way to the original, which was arguably the greatest superhero movie of all- time. People sick of superhero epics will most assuredly not be persuaded by Ultron. However, those of us who still find endless joy in likable characters, snappy humor, and strong themes in their action movies will be far disappointed.