AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

As a standalone film, rather than an episode in the seemingly never-ending MCU storyline, this is pretty dire.  

The AI villain Ultron, accidentally created by Iron Man, is unmemorable; the CGI action set-pieces feel endless; the story jumps around in a way that fails to build any dramatic tension.  It all feels muddled and unfocussed, but I guess that is always a problem with having so many characters.

Worst of all, no one, including Iron Man, seems especially bothered at the mayhem he has unleashed so carelessly.

I also found the cutesy dialogue rather uninspired and less amusing than usual.

Notwithstanding these failings the film does offer a few things to enjoy. 

The climactic sequences do have some power.  There's also a fight between Iron Man and Hulk which I found mildly diverting.  I liked the new characters, Wanda, her brother Pietro and (best of all) Vision, who gets the funniest line in the film.

Disappointingly for me Pietro dies saving Hawkeye.  I would have preferred it the other way round, especially since the film goes out of its way to make us think Hawkeye's days are numbered.

But these small pleasures don't even begin to make up for the film's many shortcomings.

RATING: x Find Something Better To Do