The movie wasn't terrible, but I feel like maybe it deserved just a little under its Rotten Tomatoes score of a 75%. I felt like everything I was watching had been done before in all of the movies before it. The Hulk is still mad and can't control himself. Black Widow is still sad and secretive about her past. Iron Man and Captain America still don't agree on things. Then, in the end, a whole city is destroyed because of what the Avengers have done.
I thought that James Spader as Ultron was going to be awesome, but that came away flat as well. Because his personality and character were coming out in a robot, I don't think it was near as good as it could have been if he were physically in the movie himself. I guess when you compile all data and technology into one robot mind, that robot mind comes alive with the personality of Reddington from the Blacklist. I really like James Spader, and it may have been good to save him for a different role where he can physically be present. I feel the same way about Josh Brolin as Thanos in the upcoming movies. Great actor, but may come off flat as a giant purple CGI villain.
The whole Hawkeye backstory was a little weird as well. The lowest point of the movie was when Hawkeye's wife said, "You know I support your Avenging and all..." Pretty corny stuff right there. I liked his character better overall, but some of those scenes should maybe have been rewritten.
There were other parts that were just straight up confusing. Even after showing the dark past of everyone, it was hard to know what had actually happened. I don't know where Thor was the whole movie, or what he was doing. What was that magical water cave? What was the weird medieval party that was going on where Heimdall got mad at him? They didn't really explain why he knew about the Vision, or why his vision was different from the dreams everyone else had had.
There never seemed to be much accountability for the fact that Tony Stark is the one who created the bad guy either. Do we not care that Tony Stark was responsible for the destruction of an entire city? Yes, he did save it. And yes, he did save the city in the last one too. But, when you are the one creating the madness, maybe we don't care as much that you saved the city afterwards.
Overall, maybe I am just superhero movie'd out. With another Batman reboot, a THIRD Spiderman reboot, an EIGHTH X-men, a SECOND Fantastic Four Reboot, the producers unnecessarily splitting the final Avengers movie in half for a money grab rather than just having a 3 and 4, and other standalone movies like Ant-Man, The Black Panther, etc., coming out, maybe I am just ready for a change. Maybe everyone is ready for a change. Yes, this movie grossed the second highest amount of money in one weekend out of any movie of all time. But number one was its predecessor, and maybe that is a sign that people are starting to wear out when it comes to these movies.
That being said, if I were the one cashing the billion dollar checks, I would keep making these movies indefinitely. AND, I will definitely keep seeing them, and probably keep seeing them opening weekend. So, there you go.