I don't get how the avengers is so high regarded it's incredibly lazy and beyond generic Age of Ultron beats it in every conceivable way. Everyone says the first is better but when you do a breakdown of each movie, story, emotion character development and even action Age of Ultron wins all of them. The first movie has the awe of all the heroes together but does nothing with it.
We learn hardly anything about the characters, how they are similar, different how this brings them into conflict or who they truly are. It's barely even a movie but rather one big spectacle devoid of anything resembling plot or character development.
The only thing the movie does, is make you go, OH MY GOODNESS Iron Man and Cap are in the same scene together, but it doesn't do anything with it. It's too tongue and cheek what's the point of having the heroes together if you don't do anything with them character wise. This is meaningless without proof so here you go.
First Hulk and Banner, in the first movie Banner is basically a machine of anger jokes these are his most memorable moments. He has a few meaningful scenes, like his talk with Stark and the fall out on the helicarriers but that's it, he doesn't have an arc, he just controls Hulk out of nowhere. In Age of Ultron Banner is actually the tortured soul he's meant to be, he's basically shield or more importantly Natasha's weapon and he hates it, he sees himself as a monster this is shown he refuses the idea of a happy life and is horrified when he awakens from his nightmare, he sends himself into exile out of guilt. How can anyone argue he's better in the first?
Steve, in the first movie he got a lot of screen time but little development nor did he get any real emotional depth, his dynamic with Stark was mostly humorous with the exception of the fall out. In Age of Ultron his conflict with Stark is actually quite intense at times especially in the second half few scenes involving them are humorous. Steve's nightmare brings his character to a completely different place, he doesn't want to stop fighting he doesn't know who he is without it, he doesn't want peace because in a world of peace he has no purpose. That adds a lot to Steve as a character and gives a far deeper look into his mind, I don't see how the first used him better.
Natasha, in the first she has her debt to Hawkeye but that only receives two scenes of actual focus and ends up having little pay off, aside from her debt we learn almost nothing about her, nothing about her past, why she feels the way she does even what her and Clint's bond is isn't really elaborated on. In Age we see her training and are shown the horrible things she had to do, we find out that she sees herself as nothing but a killer and a monster. I'll get into the romance arc later. We learn more about her we delve deeper into her mind and just have a better understanding of her, how did the first use her better?
Loki vs Ultron, Loki was great in Thor, in Avengers he's a cartoon villain whose plan is literally I will rule the world, everything that made Loki complex is completely sucked out of him. His relationship with Thor one scene and a fight, those are the only multi layered scenes he has, he has plenty of awesome speeches but there's nothing multi layered about him, his daddy issues gone, his self loathing gone, his envy of Thor barely focused on, and his overall miserable self is gone. Loki is witty he is funny and beneath all that he is completely miserable, Avengers barely shows this.
Ultron's pain is very clear his relationships with other characters namely the twins is actually shown, unlike Loki in Avengers Ultron has a clear character arc and a complex motivation, his desire with peace combined with his hopes to essentially become a real boy. Ultron's character is focused on his motives explored his relationships explored and his character very developed probably one of the most developed characters in the movie.
Threat level, Loki's plan works but there's a problem it's not because it was clever it's because the heroes were idiots, I knew what Loki was planning almost the moment they imprisoned him, it was obvious. The smile at Banner, the fact that he didn't escape while they were fighting, seriously it was obvious he wanted to be there and only Fury acknowledges this. The fallout is so forced argue about the weapons later deal with the problem at hand. Loki wasn't smart the avengers were idiots.
Ultron tears them apart by forcing them to face their worst nightmares and brainwashing hulk into going on a rampage to damage their image, the whole thing is actually a distraction to let him get away with his real goal. In truth it's similar to Loki's the difference the avengers aren't idiots, they fall for it because it was unexpected. While Loki's plans were obvious you never really knew what Ultron's next move would actually be. Both beat the heroes but Ultron's victory was through clever planning Loki's was the avengers stupidity.
Loki manages to kill many shield agents, brainwash Clint and slavec and steal the cube he then obtains what he needs for his portal and allows himself to be captured to stage an ambush and cripple the avengers and shield by using the hulk as his weapon. He then opens the portal and unleashes the Chitauri. Physical feats, include his escape at the beginning, fighting and overpowering cap, killing Coulson and fighting Thor before stabbing him.
Ultron manages to destroy Jarvis and infiltrate the internet, he uses the twins to get into the avengers heads and psychologically break many of them. He steals the vibranium, brainwashes cho and completes his last body. He captures black widow and successfully levitates sokovia into the air nearly causing a global extinction event. Physical feats include fighting Iron Man and matching him, overpowering captain America, briefly overpowering Thor and killing quicksilver.
Ultron is no less a physical threat than Loki and his plan is more damaging to the characters as well he also comes closer to achieving his goal, both of them. Both villains have near victory moments, Loki when the Chitauri overwhelm the Avengers, Ultron when the Avengers are going to sacrifice themselves and Sokovia. This would've been a victory for Ultron the avengers would have to sacrifice every innocent life, in his mind proving they are killers, proving he is better than them. Ultron has another when his last drone drops Sokovia.
Finally the romance arc while out of left field it makes a little sense who did Banner interact with the most Natasha. So there is a little set up but that doesn't matter as I said Bruce and Natasha are barely characters in the first movie the romance adds to both of them. It also makes sense, Natasha and Bruce are kindred spirits when you watch the scenes that develop them you see that they are very similar.
Both believe they are monsters, both have done terrible things, both are plagued by self loathing and both are incapable of having a family and emotionally cut themselves off from others. How does this not make sense look at how similar they are. The arc also develops the story Hulk is essentially a dog on Natasha's leash, Bruce always feared the hulk would become a weapon and that's exactly what happens Natasha uses hulk as a weapon against the avengers enemies in a way justifying both of their beliefs that they are monsters. This is surprisingly deep character development especially for marvel.
Now I skipped hawkeye but that's self explanatory as is Tony Thor is not better but I don't think he's worse either. The story is also self explanatory Ultron has the better story now throw in the fact that nearly all the characters have better arcs and the movie delves deeper into the characters and their emotions and once again aside from being more fun how on Earth is Avengers better than Age of Ultron?