Sequel Sizzles

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2015)

I was ultra excited to see Age of Ultron. I even read the story arc by Marvel ahead of time. I wanted to be intimately familiar with the story before watching so that nothing would escape me.
Although the movie veered from the story arc a bit, it was still good. Ultron was formidable and I loved James Spader being the voice of Ultron. His voice was menacing when needed, cryptic when needed and even jocular. I thought a jocular Ultron was unnecessary but I could see how the levity angle would go over well with kids.
There were new characters introduced, which is always a treat. And nothing allows the Avengers to display their talents better than the entire world being in jeopardy.
The movie started off with excitement. Right away we were thrust into a battle between the Avengers and Hydra. Things just got more intense from there with small pockets interspersed throughout the movie so the viewers could exhale.
There was something for every fan. Iron-Man fans got healthy doses of Iron-Man, Thor fans likewise, Hulk got some nice screen time, as did Cap, Hawk-eye and Natasha. Some of the better scenes were the team work between Thor and Captain America. And as I mentioned before, we got to see some new characters bring their unique skills to the table.
Age of Ultron was a solid follow up to The Avengers. I'm reluctant to call it as good as the first, but when so many sequels are abysmally bad this sequel shined pretty bright.