A decent film that unfortunately grew tired towards the end

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2015)

I went into the cinema with high expectations, and though I didn't walk out completely blown away, I wasn't completely disappointed by what I saw either, and if you are thinking about watching Avengers: Age of Ultron, then it is certainly worth a watch. For those dubious about how interesting or fresh a rogue AI out to destroy humanity (done countless times before) can be, the wheel has certainly been re-invented on this one.
The new additions to the Avengers cast are arguably the strongest. As expected, James Spader is stunning as Ultron, a very complex and charismatic character with a very generous dose of snarky humour that gives the Avengers' jokes and one-liners a run for their money. From Ultron's very first moments, we can already see hurt and a confusion completely atypical of the usual generic robotic villains that have been churned out of Hollywood in the past. And who isn't envious of the mesmerising (and completely natural) voice of James Spader? I could listen to him talk all day.
Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) were also strong additions. Quicksilver sparks life into some of the otherwise vacuous action scenes and The Scarlet Witch works her magic on the Avengers, pathing the way for some interesting scenes as her psychic powers are put into play.
Then we have our Avengers (Robert Downey Jr., Scarlet Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner) doing their usual Avengers stuff. Charming and humorous performances all round, and great chemistry together carried forward from the first film that plays out nicely and keeps the film engaging.
Age of Ultron also gives us plenty of food for thought, with there being plenty of moral questionability that sparks internal conflicts between our heroes. This leads to a more interesting and dynamic film much different from the typical superhero movies where all the in- between is just filler for the next explosive setpiece. Ironically, it is some of the action scenes that lack substance, not the rest, in which the character development and subplots were executed very well.
Indeed, the first two-thirds of the film were superb, however towards the end in what was supposed to be the climax, the film felt repetitive, predictable, boring. I mean, there are only so many ways Hawkeye can shoot arrows at robots, Captain America can throw his shield at robots, Hulk smashing robots to pieces - it only made what was probably supposed to be a breathtaking complex seem a bit tedious and agonising to watch, which was a real shame.
I've already heard claims that Age of Ultron is simply filler for the next phase Infinity War, however, I don't believe this is the case. Age of Ultron offers more dimensions than just a generic "Superhero must stop Supervillain" that is expected, though coming with the cost of some bland, repetitive action scenes. Credit to Avengers: Age of Ultron that this isn't your typical mindless shot of adrenaline here. Worth a watch.