Y'all are crazy, the first Avengers movie is an absolute cracker of an adventure movie, pure crowd-pleaser, tons of great action, lots of humor, and a genuine slice of soul. More than anything, it has real character moments that feel earned and natural...these really feel like actual people who are caught up in a cosmic, over-their-heads event, not walking action figures designed to fit into some corporate cinematic universe. That's the great achievement of the film and that's why it still has a lot of kick today. I don't think it's aged that badly at all, especially in the face of something like Justice League/the DC CU as a whole, which so desperately wants to replicate its strengths and has failed so miserably. Saying that Avengers is on the level of Star Wars might be a bit of a stretch, but I can see the argument. Its cultural impact is almost on the same level, we're still living in its wake today. Half the big blockbusters released in the past five years are a direct result of that movie.
Age of Ultron on the other hand, is just not that great, in my opinion. It definitely has some great scenes, and overall, it's miles above the DC film output. I certainly don't think it's the worst Marvel film. But...yeah, it's not a knock-out.
* It feels rushed and undercooked;
* You can see the seams of the producers' notes, too much telegraphed lifting to put pieces into place for later movies;
* The Infinity Gem stuff/Thor's side trip was presented in an extremely confusing way (as a comics reader, I understood what was going on, but a lot of people left the theater saying, "What the heck was that all about, exactly?");
* Black Widow was seriously done dirty, between the "I'm a monster because I can't have children" thing, getting captured and becoming the usual caged damsel in distress, and the awkward love connection with Banner (I don't buy this relationship at all, Ruffalo is too old and they have no romantic chemistry together);
* Ultron seriously underutilized and ultimately forgettable...plus, I appreciate James Spader, but I feel like he was just the wrong choice for this. I never imagined Ultron being a sassy, urbane Northeasterner. Someone like Keith David would have been dope here.
