If, like me, you’re an Avengers fan, you’ve been waiting for this new movie a while. Well, it was definitely worth the wait.

Age Of Ultron is the second installment in the Avengers franchise, though the Marvel universe has expanded so much it’s actually near-impossible to enjoy a film without having seen all the other ones surrounding it (as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter).

Again in the capable hands of Joss Whedon, our favourite group of heroic misfits unites (again) to fight a big bad evil (again) which wants to destroy Earth (again).

After successfully retrieving Loki’s sceptre from a secret HYDRA facility, the Avengers return to New York to celebrate their “victory”. However, Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) have been secretly experimenting with the sceptre; and in an attempt to create a universal peace police, unleash an evil which behaves like their very disgruntled teenager: Ultron (voiced by James Spader – the original Mr. Grey from Secretary).

Ultron not only turns against his father figure (Stark), but decides that for the good of humanity, it would probably be best to just wipe everyone out and create a race of AI Superhuman Robot thingies. Obviously Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) are particularly angry at their friends and colleagues and the difference in point of view creates a slight rift in the group (again, Loki’s sceptre drives everyone mad). After an unprepared fight with our heroes, Ultron disappears to the HYDRA facility and seeks out the newly engineered Maximoff twins Scarlet With (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Intent on wrecking havoc, Scarlet Witch attacks each Avenger in turn, messing with their brains. This leads Hulk to destroying half a city, introducing Stark’s new anti-Hulk measures. However, her mojo helps Thor figuring out what this is all about. We even get a much-needed glimpse into Hawkeye’s (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow’s (Scarlett Johansson) pasts, as well as their personal lives.

This movie really rounds up all the stories we started to see in Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and sets up the next installments coming our way. Once again Whedon is on high form, delivering sharp and witty dialogue, as well as delving into the characters’ past, present and future motivations rather than just what’s needed for the movie.

It also introduces new characters (the Twins, the so far unnamed-in-the movie Vision) and brings back fan favourite (Nick Fury and Maria, as well as a short glimpse of Peggy Carter).

Acting skills are, as usual, top notch; and banter flows back and forth, proving to us that Avengers are great friends on and off screen. The movie is visually stunning and it’s always great to see what more they can come up with in terms of gadgets and stories left to be told.

A must-see for every fan.

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