Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) by Brian B — 03 Apr 2017

While the first Avengers deftly balanced a complicated plot with intense studio pressure to fulfill a corporate strategy, the 2nd attempts to bear twice the load and its knees finally buckle. This film doesn't feel like a self-contained story, or a sequel that ups the ante. Instead it feels like a press release from a studio announcing a new product line.

Every potential moment of dramatic tension is met with an equal and opposite reaction of Marvel's marketing team eagerly promoting shiny and distracting new baubles. Every time the story threatens to become engaging, we are interrupted for a commercial break and a promise that actually there will be some dramatic payoff in some sequel, eventually.

I've never been more keenly aware that I was watching a movie designed to sell tickets to other movies. There is no substance here, just a dangling carrot that you will never taste.