Comparisons between 1 and 2

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2015)

The Avengers films are always interesting, the first one being the epitome of the Superhero genre. It was and still is perfect, and interesting to compare the Marvel films entirely (not matter which studio) to the darker DC Universe of Batman (Nolan) and the Superman reboots. Probably only Superman 1 and 2 compare to the Marvel films for mind bending fun.
The various Marvel sub-genres, Thor, Ironman, Captain America, are all expertly produced and mounted entertainment, solid and well crafted.
But Ultron is, well, different. Watched it last night and after the 1st viewing in Imax 3D - essential - I was struck by the length of the film and the mindless fighting scenes. The lovely Safe House sequence dead center is a rest from the chaos surrounding the fights with Ultron and just about everybody else.
Film editing is an art, not a science, but I could have cut perhaps 20 minutes out easily by trimming down the endless battle sequences. After a while, SOMEBODY has to get hurt and the Avengers get hurt soooooo rarely. Natasha is human through and through - never a scratch. Tony Stark out of armor is just a human too. Never really hurt. And yet the chaos begs incredulity. Cutting it back would make it more believable.
And yes, it is still a boatload of fun.