Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) by Arthur_S_Poe — 03 May 2015

Although the second installment doesn't deserve a clear 9/10, I had to give it a better score because it actually did elevate the prequel. Certainly, much of it was the same - the humor, the actors (more-less), the cinematography, the basic plot, the special effects, Hulk smash - but 'Age of Ultron' managed to add just a little something to it (having said that all of the elements from the first movie have been presented equally good) all that made the film better. It wasn't anything special, which is logical when you look at the big picture (this is, if you trust Marvel's calendar, a somewhat filler movie, made to lay out the events of the future movies, which should leave a deeper impact), but it was enough. The sequel is far more serious than the first installment, having certainly come out of the test phase, and it adds some depth to the whole franchise. This being said, one has to note that such an addition was not a problem and that the movie didn't lose any of it's original magic and awesomeness (yes, it is still a fun and awesome movie where RDJr. f*cks up and the rest of the team have to clean up after him!). Beside that, the movie gained much with the newly added characters - James Spader was absolutely fantastic providing the voice and character of Ultron (the guy was actually funny - creepy - but funny!), which is what I can say about Paul Bettany as Vision (yes, the guy actually picks up Thor's hammer!); adding other characters from the franchise (such as War Machine) was also a great move; and, finally, the Maximoffs, Pietro and Wanda, or Quicksliver and Scarlet Witch - amazing! Their genesis is great, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen were brilliantly cast and their whole story was absolutely amazing (although they could've made it a little happier...). Also, what I liked is that they finally explained why Hawkeye is useful to the team (really, after seeing 'The Avangers', I've been wondering as to what that guy is doing there - I mean, Robin Hood, really?).

As far as the negative aspects go, they're pretty much standard (lack of real depth, some unbelievable scenes and such), but you didn't expect 'Schindler's List' in the first place. It was also weird that all the people in Sokovia speak and understand English, the Audi in Sokovia and... it could've maybe ended some 15 minutes earlier but, well... you can't have everything.

All in all - a great, fun and entertaining movie you should definitely see (especially if you're a fan - it's a must see!) and a great transition to the next phase of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.