As Often As Fantastic As It Is Frustrating

Rating: 6/10 (12 May 2015)

Joss Whedon's The Avengers, released in 2012, was the epitome of why the Marvel Cinematic Universe was gathering so much success: fantastic action set pieces, robust performances from a star-filled ensemble and a light-hearted tone all of which were balanced by Whedon's palpable love for the comic book source material. Move forward to the present, and it seems there's little to halt the MCU'S success. Captain America: The Winter Solider represented a radical shift in tone from its predecessor and had fans and critics alike plastering it with praise. The real triumph of the MCU thus far however is James Gunn's gloriously fresh Guardians of the Galaxy. As such, it's saddening and astonishing just how much of Age of Ultron I found divisive.
Starting with the criticisms: I felt that Ultron as a villain was handled fairly inconsistently. His radical aim for mankind's annihilation inclined me to see his as a threat, yet his insistence on repeatedly spouting flat, mostly unfunny one liners painted him as much less frightening. This was a problem not merely restricted to Ultron: I found much of the humour in the film fell completely flat, i.e. Captain America and Tony Starks cringe-inducing 'mind your language' banter. I also found that certain specific sequences ruptured the pacing and organic feel of the film. For instance, the scene in which Thor goes into a lake and communicates with his home planet evidently is set up for Thor: Ragnarok, yet it adds little but simply more excess in a film which is already felt bloated.
I felt where this film excelled best is in its balance of character. Combining all the heroes from its predecessor, with numerous new heroes and cameos along the way, Whedon manages to maintain a balance between their different skills and imperfections. Hawkeye, often previously as the most expendable of the group, is given a surprising amount of screen time, and any questions previously raised regarding his suitability alongside Thor and the Hulk has been completely nullified. I found the on majority the new additions to The Avengers were very successful, in particular both Black Widow and Quicksilver, who not only were far more captivating than Ultron himself but also provided the seams of conflict which raged throughout the team and will undoubtedly be the dominant theme throughout the subsequent Captain America: Civil War.