Of course, there is some spoilery stuff ahead...

Clearly Marvel has a lot of story to tell and a lot of dots to connect across their far-flung cinematic universe. Otherwise the nearly 2.5 hour running time of Age of Ultron may have been a svelte 90-minutes of robot @$$ whoopin’. But I will say this, I thought it was a great movie and not once did I look at my watch to see how long I’d been sitting in my seat.

It’s been interesting to read all of the reviews that say this and that are wrong, it was too long, not as good as the first, confusing, full of plot holes and unnecessary characters and/or character stories. Because I have no qualms with the story, pacing, characters, plot holes or what ever. It’s a thoroughly satisfying summer blockbuster that doesn’t waste a lot of time with set-up and backstory. Joss Whedon and company start the movie with a bang and just keep hammering away with bombast. 

Stay on your toes though, as Flix-Men Brian McQuery & David Blanchard say, “It’s dense”. Do you need an encyclopedic recall of every Marvel Phase Two film? No, you don’t, but you do need to pay attention to what is said and what is referenced (overtly and subtly) as we barrel along from one superhero smackdown to the next.

Another complaint I’ve heard is that it’s not as “fun” as the first Avengers film. Well… No, I guess it isn’t as “fun”, but I feel (IMO) that that’s the point. I think it’s the point of the Phase 2 films in general, this is a more fully-formed universe that they live in now. There are real consequences to their actions, there is real danger being faced, it’s been a rough go for these characters over the course of 9 movies (I’m not including GotG). As Tony Stark eludes to in Age of Ultron, “The Battle of New York” changed everything about the MCU. We weren’t putting the Nazis out of business, we weren’t fighting terrorism, we weren’t taking out someone who was just pissed off, in The Avengers the EARTH was in danger, our entire planet was being invaded and our government was about reveal the biggest weapon in our arsenal: Superheroes.

And Age of Ultron reflects that change in attitude. When we meet our heroes, they’ve been chasing around the globe engaged in (post-SHIELD) mop up missions and chasing after Loki’s scepter and Baron Strucker. The opening sequence (with the exception of some poor CG) is a great way to kick off the new film. It sets the tone for the team and the film, these Avengers aren’t rookies, they’re an experienced fighting team who have obviously been through some stuff off-screen and it’s made them better at their jobs but it also weighs on them, even Thor looks tired at the end of these fights.

Okay, let’s take a break for some complaints/nit-picking. MINOR SPOILER ALERT
 

1. The sometimes unconvincing CGI and visual effects irk me. I mean this is the freaking 21st century people, can’t we get our collective effects houses and rendering farms on the same page. I was put off by the cartoony and obvious CG laden opening sequence and was jerked right out of the film during the destruction of Sokovia especially when Thor and Cap are saving people in the falling cars.
 

2. I will admit to some Joss Whedon-induced banter-fatigue this time around. I think we could have done with about half of the jokes or one-liners.

Let’s back up here a little, let me opine on Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver for a sec. THIS is who Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff is to me. He’s a self-centered, ego fueled, over-protective jerk. I thought it was the perfect take on the character, especially when introducing him to The Avengers. He struts, he smack talks, he gets in the cheap shots, a dotes on his sister and eventually becomes an Avenger, right when it matters most. I bet you can guess why I’m not happy with his storyline, huh?

But the end of that story, and the little timeout we take at the farm house are some of the best parts of the movie. It humanizes the characters, it makes them more vulnerable and more accessible, which in turn makes them all the more heroic. Remember what I said? Real consequences. Not everyone gets a happy ending.

Shout outs to Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. These two actors have come to perfectly represent the MCU. Obviously RDJ, he’s been there right from the start helping to launch the franchise. His Tony Stark is a great character, well formed and very “real”, Downey Jr’s acting style really brings it home as the “billionaire, philanthropist, playboy”. And Chris Evans’ Captain America has quickly become my favorite character in the MCU. He is an earnest boy scout that lives by an impossibly high moral standard that just weighs him down and fires him up at the same time. Butting heads since the first Avengers movie, he and Stark play so well off each other that the coming Civil War will undoubtedly involve some serious fisticuffs with Stark and Rogers going toe-to-toe.

Gosh, there is so much to discuss about this movie. Science Bros! The Hulk & Black Widow! Scarlet Witch! Vision! Ultron! Wakanda & Vibranium! Thor’s hammer!!! The NEW Avengers! “Avengers Academy”! Nick Fury and (what’s left of) SHIELD! Infinity Stones! Some dude with a purple face! Some dude getting his arm cut off! Those dream sequences! Etc, etc, etc.

One last thought, before the comments section starts filling up with everyone telling me I’m nuts; Phase 3 is going to be an even bigger change to the status quo in the MCU with magic and sci-fi elements coming to the forefront. (FYI: I’m putting Ant-Man in P3, he’s brand new kind of hero that doesn’t quite fit in P2 (IMO).)

• Captain America: Civil War (will come directly from Age of Ultron)
• Doctor Strange (we’ll need him to fight the guy with the Infinity Stones)
• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (So, do they know where Thanos is hiding?)
• Spider-Man (Will most likely tie into Civil War)
• Thor: Ragnarok (spinning right out of Age of Ultron)
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (started way back in Avengers and spinning out of Age of Ultron)
• Black Panther (tied directly to Age of Ultron)
• Captain Marvel (The Kree? The Skrulls? More Thanos shenanigans?)
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (Here comes the end of our Heroes’ three-phase arc!)
• Inhumans (What will they be saving us from?!)