It's bigger, darker, and it's not the best Marvel movie. But it's still fun!

Rating: 7/10 (3 May 2015)

The much anticipated movie of 2015 is The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. It's a different kind of sequel. This kind of sequel differs from it predecessor. It's bigger and darker. But it has one thing that is still the same. Both the predecessor and sequel is still fun.
The movie is about Tony Stark and Bruce Banner who created a peacekeeping program called "The Ultron Program". But when something goes terribly wrong, the Avengers must reassemble to stop Ultron from destroying the world.
Seems like the theme is much darker. The first Avengers movie felt like a culmination of something. The sequel is trying to build bigger things. It feels like a transition, just a necessary step towards the bigger finale that the brain trust behind these films has planned for the years ahead. It does feel like it's straining under the weight of competing concerns.
Ultron was a perfect choice as the antagonist from the director Joss Whedon. He is a really threatening villain, making the movie a dark toned one. But even though Ultron is a very likable villain, the film never really allows him to be the threat that he could be. But the film limits itself mainly to physical encounters, its superintelligent villain apparently lacking the imagination to do anything beyond sending wave after wave of drones after the heroes.
Surprisingly, Ultron's voice is really a scary and extraordinary role from James Spader who voiced him. But it never quite brings the menace that the big villain should. And thus, the villain and the entire film end up feeling like placeholders for bigger developments to come. The movie still has its joys. There were many fun moments in the movie. And one that feels like they really are in a party. Plus the action scenes were awesome!
Acting was very good. Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Hemsworth still fit in their roles as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Scarlett Johanson and Mark Ruffalo are very good in their roles, though their romance was very useless in the movie (except the lullaby for the Hulk). Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye always has the best lines in the movie. Newcomers Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch did have a mistake in some of their European accents, but roles were still good. Too bad Aaron Taylor-Johnson won't be in Civil War because his character died in the movie (and what his sacrifice for a child and Hawkeye was very emotional).
The Avengers 2 is bigger and darker. Darker story and bigger movie. But it still has one thing in common with the predecessor. The fun things in the movie. 9/10.
P.S. stay for the 2 minute credits for an extra scene. After that, leave. No scene after all the credits at all.