In 2012, the world saw Earth’s mightiest heroes come together to create movie history, now the sequel was faced with the enormous competition left by its predecessor.  

So to answer that plain and simple, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” does live up to the hype.

When the film begins, the Avengers are together and deep in action; there’s no time wasted setting up the heroes, and there is no need to. 

 Marvel understands audiences already know Tony Stark is Iron Man and there’s no need to give any backstory.  It’s a successful strategy for plot development and enhances the film.  

A key element of this film is it allows the audience to learn more about the characters usually in the background.  Characters such as Hawkeye, Bruce Banner (The Hulk) and Black Widow are given real depth and plenty to do.

There is definitely plenty to do in this film. In fact, throughout “Avengers: Age of Ultron” there really isn’t a single still moment in its two and a half hour run time.  

This is perhaps the only fault in Marvel’s latest film.  It is truly one exhausting non-stop action sequence. This has its upsides, as there is never a dull moment, but on the downside, there isn’t a single mental break.  The film’s pacing is go, go, go, making it near impossible to catch a breath.

Despite this one fault, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” does plenty right.  One of the movie’s best qualities is Ultron himself.  

The unique robotic villain played by James Spader is truly terrifying. Somehow Spader manages to make Ultron frightening while still fairly grounded; at his core he is just a confused teenager looking for acceptance.  

In addition, he looks spectacular, as an 8-foot robot one would truly believe is a worthy opponent for these heroes.  Ultron is definitely a villain to be remembered and a welcomed member of the Marvel Universe.

The film’s new characters are some of the coolest and most unique heroes introduced to the Avengers.  The two “Enhanced” twins: Quicksilver, a teen with super speed, and his sister, Scarlet Witch, a girl with magic abilities.  

These two new Avengers are some of the most interesting characters to date as they struggle to find themselves in this world of heroes and villains. 

Both actors give their roles great depth and care while also being eye-candy.  Their powers are visually appealing and that separates them from the Avengers the audience already knows.

With great heroes there are always bound to be some great action moments, and this film is filled with amazing set pieces and huge battles. 

 The action in “Age of Ultron” is intense, brutal and fun.  Director Joss Whedon still manages to mix crazy action moments with hilarious jokes.  

In fact, there are many jokes that match the humor of the first movie, and each joke only adds to the relationships of the characters.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a huge blockbuster action movie, but at its core this film is about the characters themselves.  

It hits all the right beats and is a successful sequel that meets the high expectations of the Avengers’ dedicated fan base.