Once more into the breach, dear superheroes

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2015)

Joss Whedon has done it again. The man who directed and wrote the hugely successful "Avengers Assemble" has performed the same roles with the same achievement with this sequel. The first movie was challenging enough with its deployment of no less than six S.H.I.E.L.D superheroes, but this time - as well as Ironman (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo}, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) - we have new villains in the shape of the Maximoff twins, Pietro/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) plus the eponymous Ultron (voiced by James Spader), not to mention assorted other characters.
So, at first viewing, it's not always clear what's going on but the whole thing is a visual treat and I was fortunate enough to experience it on the Sky Superscreen in 3D at London's O2 Arena. The pacing is superb: it opens with a big action sequence and closes with a huge action battle and, in between quieter interludes alternate with lots more action. All the superheroes get to show off their very individual talents but they are seen to blend as a team and two of them are starting to become emotionally involved. Inevitably, a city gets trashed but this time it isn't New York but somewhere called Sokovia.