Not as good as the first film, but still a solid action movie

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2015)

There's no way that this lives up to the first film - it doesn't have the fun factor nor the bright, optimistic feel of a team movie. Despite that, the general job of a sequel is to be a bit darker, and this does that very well, whilst there's still great action all the way through, and a pretty epic villain that makes it all very exciting too.
Let's just start with why this isn't as good as the first Avengers movie. There, you had the reluctant union of all of your favourite heroes, but it unfolds in a very optimistic way, as they all do unite and fight together despite their differences, whereas this film shows it all in a bit more of a staggered way. Sure, the Avengers are still together, but it doesn't feel as if there's that real camaraderie between them that made the first film so bright.
What's more is that this follow-up simply just isn't as fun as the first movie. That's partly down to its darker atmosphere and relatively more complex plot, however the main issue with this is that it's a little bit too slow. There are periods where it really ramps up and gets properly exciting, but too often is there a time when you want to check your watch, because in the dialogue scenes, you're not getting the in-depth look at the characters that made those parts of the first film so good too.
Despite all that, however, this is still a really strong action film. Right from the kick-off, you're thrown into an action battle, and, as with the various fight sequences throughout, it's really exciting to watch, thanks to the fantastic directing by Joss Whedon, and the brilliant camera work that makes the action here look so slick in comparison to a lot of the excessive shaky-cam nowadays.
Also, the story is a lot more complex than the first film. Whilst this does have a bit of an impact on the entertainment factor, because you've got to think and pause on occasion, it's still an impressively intelligent plot with believably high stakes that will no doubt keep you intrigued from start to finish.
Finally, Ultron, the villain, is brilliant. The visual effects used to create him are excellent throughout, the voice performance by James Spader is great, and the bad guy's role in the film in not just threatening the safety of Earth, but also having some deeper impacts on the heroes, was a really interesting story too.
Overall, I'm going to give this a 7, because it's not as much fun as The Avengers, and it is on occasion too slow and too dark, however for the most part, it's still an exciting action movie that Marvel fans won't be disappointed by.