Avengers: Age of Ultron

Although “Avengers: Age of Ultron” doesn't contain the history-making wow factor of the first and its plot isn't as tight, you'll be pleased with it. We get spectacular action sequences, ample character development, its numerous tie-ins and worldbuilding moments give it great re-watch value, and the whole thing is brought to life with terrific special effects. The film perfectly captures the feel of an epic comic book run.

Set after “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, The Avengers - Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) - now work in seamless unison. When an android named Ultron (voiced by James Spader) appears, he makes it his mission to bring peace on Earth by ridding it of all wars and sources of conflict, starting with the heroes. To help, Ultron gathers allies in the form of Hydra speedster Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and powerful telepath Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).

The first "Avengers" didn’t need to introduce any new characters. Loki was already an established villain, Black Widow had been in “Iron Man 2”, Hawkeye briefly in “Thor” and even the Hulk had two previous feature-length adventures on the big screen. The entire film was about bringing the team together. This sequel has the herculean task of showing them together again and introducing several characters. In addition to the Ultron plot, each character gets a story arc, and colossal action sequences too. When combined with the plot points that'll only pay off in later films, it can be overwhelming.

This also means it's packed with entertainment."Age of Ultron" integrates every previous chapter in the franchise perfectly. Everyone shows up at the party and the references/Easter eggs are plentiful. The quiet scenes add weight to the combat sequences. You see how each conflict has shaped these people's lives. It shows that writer/director Joss Whedon and everyone looking over his shoulder cares about the integrity and consistency of this franchise.

Not since Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” has a film captured the feel of opening a comic book like this. The explosions and punches aren't merely double-page spreads, they're foldouts that span three or four pages and can only be properly viewed on the big screen. Having seen the film a second time now, I still feel like I’m still just starting to see all there is to see in the action segments.

As the villain, Ultron isn't as memorable as some of the ones we’ve seen before but he does stand out. The android brings an unexpected humorous personality to the story. While he isn’t as fleshed out as you'd like, there is ample character development for the Avengers and the other human characters. With so many players in this big adventure, you'd think the less popular ones would be left either incapacitated early (as Hawkeye ended up in the first film) or flat-out ignored. That’s not the case.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” moves quickly, it delivers the spectacle you expect to see, and fits perfectly between the other stories you’ve come to call your favorite. It takes the time to make the superhuman characters feel like people. You’ve got everything you'd want from a sequel to “Avengers”, except maybe for a really meaty villain. Ultron is good, but he’s not great. He really needed to be introduced earlier and THEN turned into a villain to give us some much-needed breathing room. This flaw will feel bigger than it is and for having the "audacity" of not being as good as the first, it'll be unfairly criticized. Give it time to sink in. You'll realize that it's a pleasing follow-up. When you do see it, stick around for the credits, there’s a little scene about halfway through (but none at the very end) hinting at what's coming next. (2-D Theatrical version on the big screen, May 23, 2015)