Critic’s Rating : 3.5 Star.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany.

Direction: Joss Whedon

One does not simply review Avengers and related superhero instalments (gone and forthcoming). You are either a part of an eager fandom or simply need a popcorn film for the weekend. Either way, you are going to watch this, rendering any reviews for or against the film redundant.

One does not simply review Avengers and related superhero instalments (gone and forthcoming). You are either a part of an eager fandom or simply need a popcorn film for the weekend. Either way, you are going to watch this, rendering any reviews for or against the film redundant.

There is so much fan service going on here. It could be a no-brainer, one-time watch for the casual viewer, but for the dedicated audience of every prequel before this film, the snappy dialogue are rich with puns and allusions. Therefore, it helps if you are up to speed with the plots and MacGuffins of the previous films. Major characters from the preceding movies flit in and out of the scenes, which is all of consequence eventually.

 

The main story has Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) enlisting Bruce Banner’s (Mark Ruffalo) help in building a peace-keeping A.I. bot as part of the Ultron program. Given the ability of superheroes and their luck in inverse proportion, things go horribly wrong and the Avengers must unite to save the world from impending doom. Spoiler alert: they do. For now.

Much pandemonium is unleashed on the unsuspecting people of the Earth in general and the citizens of Sokovia, with Ultron (James Spader) doling out his brand of Darwinian survival (of not the fittest so much as the ever evolving). The team gets two new members – the Maximoff twins aka The Enhanced, whom Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) sums up with: “He’s fast and she’s weird.” No doubt, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) are a hoot together. There are a few more surprises on the periphery for the patient who did not look everything up on the web already.

You have the whole package here. Spandex-clad heroes sparring with each other, epic battles where the mayhem incurs millions in damages with effective character development and a foreboding ominousness for what is to follow. There are layers of references, an abundance of glorious special effects and a mid-credits scene featuring Thanos. Do not wait for anything to pop up post-credit. You will be disappointed. Then angry. And turn green.

 

For those of you who have not been coasting around the internet looking for more information, this review has been kept as spoiler-free as could be. Have a watch, have a blast and, if you can, witness the spectacle in all its IMAX 3D glory.