More or less just a retread of the first film, but without the magic that made it special. This is a somewhat boring and surprisingly bland movie. Overall, the plot is too similar to the first “Avengers,” but this time they cram in even more characters. The thrill of seeing the core members of the team coming together is long gone, and watching everyone at each other’s throats has also been done already. Many of the quieter moments are uninteresting and the blossoming love story seems to come out of nowhere and rarely packs any kind of emotional punch. The humor is hit or miss. Many quips were perfect, but it seems like the rest are out of place, particularly the ones from the villainous Ultron. Ultron’s a bit of a bust. While physically imposing, his somewhat rushed intro and vague origin and motivations make him less compelling than he should be. New characters Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch struggle to find their identities and stand out in the crowd of established characters. Only the Vision comes off as unique enough to want to see more of him. The plot seems unfocused and rakes some odd turns, particularly a brief subplot with Thor that seems in place only to set up a later film. The slate of upcoming Marvel films takes away much of the tension as it’s obvious many characters must survive to star in the upcoming sequels. The film’s action sequences never quite stand out and some feature uncharacteristically poor CGI. There is no post-credit scene, but there is a mid-credit cameo that seems somewhat anticlimactic.
**1/2 out of *****