Avengers: Age of Ultron

Yeah, if I were you I would believe the hype...Avengers: Age of Ultron is that good. To beat 2012's original outing, this film did not just have to get the band back together, but get the band back together with a bang - and it certainly did!

All the old fantastic and classic elements were there that you would expect from the Avengers, plus a whole lot of new action and adventure to sink your teeth into. Age of Ultron was a powerhouse of a film from start to finish. Slick, stylish and also full of substance - to me this has certainly replaced its original predecessor as the jewel in the Avengers' film canon. 

As I say, all the band came back. In a way, the character development (of which there was plenty) was done in a uniquely pleasing way as the core of these characters that we know and love did not change that much, thus giving us a good grounding from which to appreciate them anew. Yet a lot was added and built up layer on layer, sometimes subtly and sometimes not so, in order to give audiences plenty of fresh feelings when observing each scene as it played out.

And its not just the regulars you expected either to make a return appearance; when I say they all came back, they really did ALL come back. I was greatly surprised but also greatly pleased that the producers had taken the time to reference and often include in the storyline individuals from the Iron Man, Captain America and Thor universes - thus going one step more in proving that the Marvel world is an epic, superb, multi-branching one full of overlapping stories and personas - and that was a delight to watch. There are a great many character highlights for me in this film, a few include the irrepressible Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, who I personally thought had given all he could give in his numerous past appearences but once again I jumped for joy at seeing the great man back and doing what he does best. Stark's nemesis, and that of the Avengers, is of course Ultron himself, voiced by James Spader. Perfect, totally perfect casting is all I am saying without giving too much away. 

In terms of character development, though much was emphasized on that of Hawkeye, it was that of the Hulk and Black Widow pairing which really perked my interest. The biggest thrill in terms of new characters for me (closely followed by the divine Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch) was the superb Paul Bettany who not only returned as the staple J.A.R.V.I.S but who was also given the opportunity to appear in the (purple) flesh as The Vision. Again this was a perfect move as, not only do we get a massively iconic character shift, but for the latter half of the film Bettany shines as Vision, adding yet another whole new dynamic to the Avengers roster.

The Avengers well and truly burst back onto our screens with this one, so much so that I cannot really do the film much justice here. All I will say is that, whether you are a Marvelite or not, this film will be everything you were expecting and more. Action, adventure and also heaps of emotion - all wrapped up and stunningly presented for all to enjoy. This is a fantastic culmination of this film series so far, and a very exciting precursor to what is surely to come.

All that is left to say (and I make no apology for this!) is - Avengers Assemble and MAKE MINE MARVEL!