Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74% There aren't a lot of people out there who would make a case that Avengers: Age of Ultron is a better film than The Avengers, but Joss Whedon's long-awaited follow-up was still met with relatively positive reviews when it landed in theatres earlier this year. Whilst it's an "okay" sequel movie, Age Of Ultron is also one of the weirdest blockbusters in a long time - and that's not meant as anything close to a compliment. It's bizarre that such a high volume of human people - audiences and critics alike - came out of this movie with positive things to say about it, because - viewed objectively - it's close to a huge, Michael Bay-sized mess complete with an underwhelming villain and crappy CG effects. Whilst The Avengers had fun with the idea of a superhero team-up flick, Age Of Ultron feels like a placeholder movie; something to exist in the gaps between other films. How that happened, exactly, is anybody's guess, but its "check list" approach to delivering everything you expect of it leaves the film feeling uninspired. The plot makes no sense, the action scenes are entirely forgettable, and - most shockingly - it's a tad depressing to watch. Given how pointless it all feels, it's strange that this film didn't score a lot less than 74%.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
