there are no strings to hold this movie down.

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2015)

Once in a while a film comes around which raises your expectations so high and excites so much that it seems they cannot be exceeded so simply. Yet we are talking about a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie here, full of the fun, humour and characters that have never failed to disappoint before. I can safely say that my reasoning for Avengers Age of Ultron being my most anticipated film for 3 years is totally justified and it did not disappoint in any way. The emotions it left me feeling were some of the best i have felt for a long time and throughout i was smiling and felt like i was a member of the team Marvel have spent so long building up, and they are very much a team here taking us on a journey much bigger than the first and in many ways better.
The film opens with an incredible action sequence and stays that way until the very end of the post-credits scene which has become a staple at the very core of Marvel. Here Tony Stark has been working on a dormant peace keeping programme that is set to save the world so that the Avengers aren't needed anymore and can take a well deserved break. Enter Ultron, played as perfectly as a fan could wish for with the chilling voice of James Spader who gives real depth to a character who had to be done right to be brought to the screen. The Avengers assemble once again to counter Ultron who sees them as the only threat to the world he is sworn to protect and on the way encounter twins Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver who are insanely awesome characters. A lot of fans worried that Aaron-Taylor Johnson would be a disappointment compared to the perfect portrayal in last years Xmen film but i can say safely that they are two very different takes on Quicksilver and that they both did absolutely brilliant jobs. Elisabeth Olsen as Scarlett Witch again also provides us with a huge deal of depth and really makes the character her own. I must say though whilst everybody in the film, and i mean everybody, did a phenomenal job the standout is definitely Paul Bettany as the Vision. Without spoilers i can say without a doubt that he is the best character for me and is brought to the screen as perfectly as anyone could have imagined to counter the bad-ass Ultron. Joss Whedon gives it his all and that is definitely no understatement.
Each Avenger has their own demons to battle and we get to know them so much better than we already did. In particular what i loved was firstly the relationship between not only Bruce Banner and Black Widow but also the relationship she had with the Hulk. They played off each other so well. Black Widow really got to shine here. We knew the back stories of the Avengers because we got to see them in standalone films but hers is finally told to us and Scarlett Johansson brings a real feel of emotion to her character that we haven't previously gotten to know. We also get Thor who has demons to battle and we see more of an insight as to what is going on in his head and Captain America who is coming to grips with the life he has been given in modern times which was explored subtlety but very well. Also i know you are all wondering, yes the Iron man Hulkbuster vs Hulk fight was incredible and nothing short of spectacular. I loved Hulk in this film as he was more than the muscle of the team and the fight with Stark was given context instead of being thrown in for the fun of it (but that doesn't mean it isn't fun). Plus i was very happy to see Hawkeye was given a huge deal of screen time, he was bad-ass and shone a new light on him as a character which was awesome.
A couple minor flaws, but they are minor are that Ultron did have less screen time than i hoped. He was awesome but you almost want to see more by the conclusion. Also the post-credits scene was pretty cool but so short and i just wish i could have seen a little more in terms of set-up. Other than that you will not find a better time at the cinema and i doubt that will change for the rest of the year.
Avengers Age of Ultron is without a doubt my number one MCU film and featured all the action, humour and characters that we are promised and more. War Machine even shows up for the fun as well as Falcon even if only for a small time. Plus Nick Fury was as great as ever. All balanced with a slight dose of dark elements and we are given the perfect summer movie to enjoy again and again. Will be seeing it again on Sunday for sure. I am in love with everything about this film at the minute including the incredible soundtrack. "Didn't see that coming?" Neither did i. "There are no strings on me".