Great action, lacked build-up

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2015)

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' has a disadvantage to the first 'Avengers'-movie; namely that it ISN'T THE FIRST 'AVENGERS'-MOVIE. The first one could do with little plot (a simple MacGuffin chase), leaving a large chunk of the movie open for the characters to interact and explore each other - have a team being born. The sequel needed more than that - but did not quite deliver. All in all, it's a decent middle-episode of a series - but it lacks in rememberability.
Although there is some over-use of shaky-cam (hold the camera still, so we can actually take in what happens, for a change), the action is good to great. The movie tends to drag it a little - probably pandering to the 'Michael Bay'-like audience. The greatest problem of this film is the lack of build-up. Ultron was created to protect the world, but the second he erects he decides he should destroy it. Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch switch sides several times in the movie, without building up their motivation to do so.
The few times the movie does take its time to invest in the characters - it does so at the party and at the farm - it does it greatly. This is why I want to see the Avengers: because I like the characters, I want to explore them and know them better.
Also; there is great humor in this movie. There's a running gag of Captain America feeling uncomfortable with potty-mouth, which plays well into him being from the forties. Then, the running gag over Thor's hammer even gets to serve the plot - and Quicksilver's one-liner goes full-circle in the movie (according to the rule of three). Also, the movie does not only acknowledge its ridiculousness, it even celebrates it. That's something that could have salvaged 'Iron Man Three', where the movie asks us to take things serious that are too dumb for words.
And that brings us to 'Age of Ultron' in relation to the other MCU movies. Some things are glossed over or rushed, just like the evilness of Ultron. For instance: - The opening is a great action-wise (re)introduction to the Avengers... but why are they working together? They split up after the first 'Avengers'-movie, didn't they? And didn't Iron Man retire after IM3? - Apartently, Dr. Selvig went cuckoo after the first 'Avengers'- movie ~ as was depicted in Thor2. Now, when Thor comes to visit him (for a scene that stalled the movie instead of contributing to it), he appeared to be fine. - Didn't Iron Man get rid of his drone-suits when he retired at the end of IM3? Now, they're back.
Either they did the other movies wrong, or they should have taken time to get these things out of the way. Either way, it reeks of missed opportunity.
All in all, I don't feel that 'Age of Ultron' is 'The Empire Strikes Back' to the 'Avengers'' 'Star Wars'. Instead, it's a decent middle- of-the-season episode of a cool TV-series such as 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.