At this point the Marvel superhero movies are as machine-tooled as a Prius, and this one sticks closely to the blueprint that’s made them box office titans: the action sequences are jam-packed with one-liners, and apart from the climactic death of a minor character and a cursory subplot involving the intrepid Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and his loyal wife (Linda Cardellini), there are no flat-footed efforts to dignify the gaping-idiot spectacle with social commentary or serious drama. The Avengers franchise, with its ensemble of costumed characters, also offers plenty of star power: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany. As the sexy Black Widow, Johansson gets a romantic subplot with the Incredible Hulk, and good God, what a chest! I’m talking about him, of course. Joss Whedon directed.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
PG-13 • 2 hours 21 min • 2015
