Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) by James M — 04 Jan 2016

WHAT I LIKED: A movie of such size that still has soul. 'Age of Ultron' truly is massive, an ambitious round of great, explosive action, special effects, setup and an incredible (and massive) cast. But Whedon manages to pull all that together in a way that the movie still feels personal. This is thanks to his level of characterisation and relationship development which bring some realism to the overall spectacle, giving the audience excitement, awe and buckets emotions throughout. In fact, by far the best scenes here are where the Avengers just talk, grounding everything ready for more incredible action. And because of this rollercoaster ride, 'Avengers 2' has to be the MCU's best film to date. Nothing like it brings together everything great about all the films and comics we love like this does. Well done Whedon.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Perhaps the reason for this film's overall average reception is the marketing campaign, which built expectations for an entirely different film. Without that, 'Age of Ultron' only really falters with small things. In a film this ambitious, there are bound to be niggles (Thor's cave etc.) But the beauty of it is that they hardly take away from the overall experience at all.

VERDICT: The MCU's best film is a thrilling, beautiful rollercoaster. Whedon steers it with perfection - and achieves a blockbuster with real soul.