THE SEQUEL strikes back in this latest Avengers, which reboots the Marvel comics money machine in the process.

Writer-director Joss Whedon hits the target longer, louder and more enjoyably than in the film’s predecessor, pitching Iron Man and his superhero collaborators into another action-heavy adventure to save mankind yet again.

The plot finds Robert Downey Jr, minus his Iron Man tin suit, creating super-villain Ultron who requires the combined comic-book powers of Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye to keep homo sapiens afloat.

What matters here is action and there’s no end of SFX-generated kick-ass combat, with relatively few pauses for story exposition.

The result is a hugely entertaining science-fiction fable, decorated with stand-out 3D special effects, spot-on comic-book performances and a narrative easy enough to follow without straining the brain.

Its magic makes it Oscar-worthy and, happily, a sequel is signalled.