In case you didn’t know, the latest Marvel movie came out this weekend. Already raking in nearly $200 million, Marvel shows no signs of stopping when it comes to raking in the money, and with Ant-Man releasing later this year as well as the multiple movies planned for the next few years, the cinematic juggernaut has plenty of gas left in its tank.

At least we hope. How does the end of Marvel’s “Phase Two” fare against its massively successful predecessor, one of the best-selling films of all time?

Hint: It has a lot more explosions.

The Story

Marvel’s cinematic universe is massively interconnected, each film playing a critical part in the development of the rest of the franchise. Simply put, this film is the sum of the latest round of films since the first Avengers film as well as a continuation of the overarching storyline that has come to light since the release of Guardians of the Galaxy last year.

This latest Marvel release is the first big hint of major things that are to come, with more lines and plot points that hint at the cataclysmic battle that is to come, and the mid-credits scene shown in the film (Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you) is essentially the beginning of the end.

As to the main plot of THIS particular story, it’s a rather fun piece of material, as Ultron’s secretive creation begins to create rifts between the Avengers that make them show their true colors. It’s a more personal film that focuses on the emotions and personalities of our favorite characters and allows us to see who they are when they’re most vulnerable.

The Characters

This is where the film falters some, not because they’re poorly written –in fact, the personality clashes between the original characters are spot-on- it’s just that there’s SO MANY of them in this movie.

Not only does the film possess the original Avengers crew- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hulk, Fury, and Agent Hill- it also brings in side characters from individual film series (Selvig from Thor, Falcon from Captain America, War Machine from Iron Man), AND four new characters for this film- Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, Vision, and Ultron himself.

There’s simply so many in the movie that new characters aren’t given a whole lot of development, and can feel lackluster.

Out of our two Avengers villains we’ve had, Loki in the previous installment was more fun.

The Action

This, however, is where the film doesn’t skimp on. Action sequences upon action sequences occur in the film, full of the roaring freneticism we’ve come to expect out of Marvel’s movies. Loads of fun, full of quips and jokes, and never boring. Joss Whedon’s last Marvel film is a blast- literally.

Summing Up

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a middleman, first and foremost. It’s the gateway into the next stage of Marvel’s massive universe, the precursor of the finale. In a sense, a lot of the gravitas and pull of the film is lost in the overarching shadow that is the franchise itself.

It’s not quite as good as the first Avengers film.

That’s not to say it isn’t fun. Age of Ultron keeps you laughing and entertained, just like a Marvel film should, and makes you excited for the next step into this larger world. For all of those who know what’s coming, it’s a great ride, and we can’t wait for more.