Age of Underwhelmed

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2015)

OK so its not a bad Movie, lets set that straight its far from being a bad Movie. Its easy to criticise and for a stand alone action sequences there was some real blood and thunder. The Storyline was a little clunky in progression and didn't flow as well as you'd like well at times but for near 2 and a half hours you're caught up with the adrenalin of the movie and dragged along for a roller-coaster ride and you're not given time to think hang on what just happened let alone did it make sense.
Ultimately though I walked away feeling slightly underwhelmed. Perhaps I expected more. Perhaps I expected too much.
Point is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn't give us much different. Hulk vs. Hulbuster was a spectacle but given the amount of pre release coverage this slug fest was given you didn't get too see much more than already alluded to or indeed shown. Other than that most of the action scenes had been seen elsewhere if in a slightly different guise.
The addition of Quicksilver and the Scarlett Witch to the team provided some difference (given there abilities - don't call them mutants though).Story lines of all the new and existing characters felt in the main rushed and superficial - always a danger with such a large ensemble cast.
Even the supposedly hell bent on all humanities destruction that was supposed to be manifest in Ultron only showed glimpses of his genuine menace that could have been elaborated on so much better. I mean come on he's captured one of Earths mightiest heroes and he leaves them in a James Bond style easily escapable cell. He never felt like a threat let alone an evil one and once again the Marvel Cinematic Universe fails to deliver a genuinely believable enemy. This film could have been so much darker and better for it.
Some other glaring plot holes/anomalies: How'd Iron Man get back on board following where we left him at the end of IM3? Where'd Nick Fury been post CA: The Winter Soldier? How'd Ultron get into his 2nd incarnation? What was Thor messing about at in a rock pool? Was The Vision given enough of an introduction or explanation? How were the Avengers even re-assembled? Could Portman and Paltrow not have been coaxed out for the briefest of cameos?
Plenty of the 3rd phase of films was teed up but the anticipated Stark and Rogers pre Civil War Tension was lacking.
The action, acting, one liners, were excellent are as has come to be expected and could not be faulted. Perhaps the present characters have come as far as they can without becoming stale and detracting from the franchise.
Even the Credits scene was a little unnecessary what was his involvement with any of the 141 minutes that had preceded him.........although how did he get that Glove? Mr Loki would you like to offer an explanation?
With the Team ending in a different collective and several new faces to come between now and Infinity War Part 1 perhaps an unofficial reboot wont prove to be a such a bad thing.