Avengers: Age of Ultron (Joss Whedon, 2015)

Well, having the continued presence of Joss Whedon at the helm for the second time does mean a continuity of sorts and a modicum of wit which seems to have charmed critics, but this is a lumbering beast with even more lead characters and even more sub-plots under the 'more is more' philosophy, which means that no single one gets room to breathe. Furthermore, James Spader doing the voice of the genocidal robot Ultron - given a woolly motive about wiping out mankind to save the Earth - is no substitute as a villain for a proper actor like Tom Hiddleston in the first round. To cap it, the fights, while they may be competent popcorn, have given up all pretence of explaining what business mortals have on the same team as gods and the like. Just because it's kids' stuff, it doesn't have to be quite so throwaway.

4/10