Avengers: Age of Ultron

Captain America actually says shit. You heard me. Language, scolds Iron Man, who cant hide his glee at seeing the Cap, a flag-wearing Greatest Generation war hero, dent his tightass image. You wont have more fun anywhere than losing your shit at Avengers: Age of Ultron. And you dont have to be a Marvel geek to get with the vibe. In this sequel to 2012s The Avengers, which helped writer-director Joss Whedon achieve world box-office domination, the movie swings for the fences, going darker and deeper into the bruised psyches of this dysfunctional family of warriors.

Dont get me wrong. Age of Ultron is a whole summer of fireworks packed into one movie. It doesnt just go to 11, it starts there. But its best when Whedon sins against the Hollywood commandment of playing it safe. He takes a few wrong turns, creating a jumble when the action gets too thick. But he recovers like a pro, devising a spectacle thats epic in every sense of the word.

What do you need to know? That Tony Stark/Iron Man (quipmaster Robert Downey Jr.) has fucked up, big-time. His peacekeeping program, Ultron, has become a robotic force of artificial intelligence (motion-captured and voiced with honey and malice by James Spader) intent on destroying every human on the planet. That cant happen, so cue Team Avengers, including Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans) for hammer-and-shield showmanship; Hulk (a superb Mark Ruffalo) for tempering rage with sexual healing from Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson); and, best of all, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) for a startling backstory that Renner imbues with exhilarating humor and emotional heft.

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For added spice, Whedon brings on the newbies. Theres the twins, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Someone points out that hes fast and shes weird. That aint the half of it. When Whedon and his FX team send the twins fictional Eastern European country into orbit, youll see why. Still, no one steals scenes from Ultron, except the Vision, an android played with touching gravity by Paul Bettany, who previously voiced Iron Mans A.I. confidant J.A.R.V.I.S. and who reps the films moral conundrum.

Wait, what? Moral conundrum? What kind of escapism is this? IMO, its the best kind, the kind that sticks with you. Whedon is the true master of the Marvel Comic universe onscreen. He wont be back when Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1 and Part 2 start shooting next year. The Russo brothers will take the helm. That makes Age of Ultron Whedons last Avengers hurrah. And the monumental battle between gods and monsters that he stages to end the film does him proud. Bravo.