avengers-age-of-ultron-ultron-marvel.png

Ultron is here, and not exactly impressed with humanity, in the latest 'Avengers' flick

(MARVEL/DISNEY)

It's brought them nothing but pain, danger and a life lived off the grid. And Mrs. Hawkeye is OK with that, really.

"You know," she reassures her husband, "I totally support your Avenging."

Me, I'm having second thoughts.

True, the new Marvel adventure, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" features some joking byplay, an elegantly superior villain, a plot to wipe out humankind and several destroyed cities.

But how many times have we seen this movie before? How many more times are we going to have to see it?

Most of these characters are great fun, and there are still stories to tell. So why not do it, instead of telling and retelling the same tale, only bigger? Another unstoppable energy source? Odin help us if they ever get around to tapping Tony Stark's ego.

This time around, Hawkeye, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the rest of the crew have finally recovered Loki's scepter. (You didn't know it was missing? You haven't been paying attention.) But then Iron Man - or, rather, Stark - gets the idea of using it to power up his dream of an all-powerful protector with artificial intelligence.

A creation which then, in true creation-gone-wrong style - or maybe just classic "Star Trek" fashion - decides that the only really intelligent thing to do is rid earth of its inferior lifeforms. You know, us. And being all-powerful, who's going to stop him?

Avengers, assemble!

It's a tested formula - perhaps a little too tested - but there are still some interesting sideshows in it. Like a romance that blooms between the Hulk and Black Widow (despite some dodgy effects). Or the snide attitude guest villain James Spader gives the robotic Ultron.

(Oh, and a warning to you canonical Marvel fans out there - this Ultron story draws on a lot of different sources, and does not include Hank Pym. So prepare your angry tweets now.)

So it's fun as far as it goes - but the same elements went a lot further the last time around. The film feels overstuffed - a mid-movie Hulk rampage amps up the destruction level without furthering the plot, an effort to drag in minor characters feels forced.

Besides, this "Avengers" is already laden down with several extra characters including Vision, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, none of whom is well conceived.

Quicksilver, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson this time around, has boy-toy blonde highlights. Vision, voiced by Paul Bettany, has what looks like a metallic soul patch. And with her ripped stockings, tiny skirt and flowing shawl, Scarlet Witch looks like a first-year art major from a second-rate school.

Really, Elizabeth Olsen, your sisters couldn't have given you some styling tips?

Plus, personally painful as it is for me to admit - he was my favorite character as a kid - Iron Man is starting to be a pain. We get that he's smart and sarcastic and rich, but does he have to keep rubbing everyone's shining face in it all the time?

He never really accepts the consequences of his actions - remember, Ultron is his idea, and one he doesn't even run by the team - and when faced with his screwups, he answers with a quip or smirk or putdown. He's becoming Irony Man, and he needs his own reboot, right in his shiny butt.

Not that this "Avengers" still isn't big and bright and shiny and fun. But so was the last one (which at least had some novelty) and so was the first "Thor," the first "Captain America" and some of the "X-Men." The model for a fun movie is there.

But it's getting time to move beyond the expected, and explore some truly brave new worlds.



Ratings note: The film contains violence, sexual innuendo and some mildly strong language.

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (PG-13) Marvel/Disney (141 min.) Directed by Joss Whedon. With Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, James Spader. Now playing in New Jersey. 1/2

Stephen Whitty may be reached at stephenjwhitty@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwhitty. Find him on Facebook.

