Whedon Screws This One Up Big-Time

Rating: 4/10 (20 August 2019)

The 2nd of Marvel's mega cross-overs, Age of Ultron does not even come close to living up to it's predecessor. To get the good stuff out of the way, the basic idea of the villain isn't terrible, but it does seem like something for a smaller film than the Avengers. Also, Hawkeye finally gets some decent character development, and we see that he's actually a pretty caring family man. There's also a bit of humor with the "lifting Thor's hammer" scene. That is about where the positives end, however.
For starters, the new characters are mostly awful. Ultron, despite having an interesting premise, is totally stupid. His incessant posturing, pretending to be God, is tiresome, and he never uses his full potential (watch HISHE to see what I mean). Quicksilver is utilized terribly, and the I find it ironic that character with super-speed is ultimately the one who dies from a bullet. Worst of all is Vision, the magenta-monstrosity that also thinks itself to be God and is completely and utterly moronic in every way.
As if this wasn't bad enough, the original cast is also handled poorly. Thor's pseudo-mythology is at it's worst, with a ridiculous bathing scene in a dank cave somewhere that is poorly explained and painful to watch. Viler yet is the "romance" between Hulk and Black Widow, which comes out of nowhere and is super, super cringey. It makes Anakin and Padme look amazing by comparison. Finally, Tony Starks arrogance goes too far this time, creating the whole miserable mess in which the characters find themselves.
In conclusion, this is a train-wreck; a dreadfully inane and vapid sequel which has no right to be as bad as it is. It's telling that 2016's Captain America: Civil War feels more like an Avengers film than this one does.