Review: Avengers - Age of Ultron (Spoiler-free)

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (3D) (first-pass / SPOILER-FREE)
Cert: 12A / 141 mins / Dir. Joss Whedon / Trailer



And here we are at the dawn of a new era. The gang of Avengers we've come to know and love are still on the hunt for the Loki-pokey-stick, determined to prevent it from being used for nefarious ends by the remnants of Hydra. But when The Ultron Project, an A.I. designed to protect humankind, becomes self-aware and more than a little peeved at the world it discovers, it can only mean an extra item on the to-do list for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Eleven films into the saga, Marvel have decided that the cast list should be positively heaving, with faces old and new alike. Some characters enter the stage, some characters exit the stage, some get the character-development they've been crying out for, while others just pop in to say hello. With a couple of notable exceptions, Age of Ultron features a sizeable number of supporting players from earlier Marvel Cinematic Universe movies making appearances. In addition to this we're treated to several new characters from the Avengers pantheon. Fans of the comics or animated incarnations will recognise the names and faces, but may well raise an eyebrow at the backstories and origins which have been tweaked for the MCU. But this all makes sense within its own timeline, which is what we've come to expect.

It's all far too much to take in on the first viewing of course, but that's what'll make re-watching so rewarding. Even with so much going on, it's clear that Age of Ultron is a far more transitional movie than any which have come before it. Welcome to Phase Three…

The business-end:

• Is there a Wilhelm Scream?Yes.
• Is there a Stan Lee cameo?Yes.
• Is there a mid-credits scene?Yes.
• Is there a post-credits scene? Not in the UK-print. I only make the distinction because the US print of the first Avengers flick had the Shawarma scene which - as I was reminded this evening - doesn't feature in the UK cinema-version. If you're watching Age of Ultron in the UK, you can make your way out as soon as the names start scrolling up the screen.

It is.



Well, I'd say it's a buy-er, but if you're not interested in seeing it at the flicks, you're probably not interested at all are you?



For a couple of the characters, yes. For the rest, not quite.



More than.



Maybe just a bit.



There is.



The film stars Sam 'Windu' Jackson, AND Mr Andy Serkis, from off of The Force Awakens.







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