AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (Joss Whedon, 2015)
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, the highly-anticipated sequel to the highly-successful 2012 gathering of Marvel's superheroes, delivers a lot of idealism at its core, trading the non-stop explosion extravaganza of the first movie for heart as well as Darwinian scrutiny. Make no mistake: "Age of Ultron" is still an action-packed vehicle, yet it doesn't substitute the action for lack of catharsis, something the first film did so well. And for that, the sequel surpasses its predecessor by miles. Whereas the first film dealt with the dilemma of becoming a hero, which is the Achilles' heel of every hero movie's beginning, "Age of Ultron" focused on the consequences of being a guardian of peace. When one of the Avengers seeks to end a war before it even begins, using whatever means necessary to prevent a cataclysmic event, such as the Chitauri invasion of New York in Part One, tension ensues. The Avengers begin doubting each other, and this is where each...