Marvel Studio’s latest cinematic offering, Avengers: Age of Ultron, hit theaters this weekend and is sure to make oodles of money…deservedly so.

As with all movie studios, Marvel doesn’t always create a winner, but when they do it right, they seem to hit all the notes perfectly to create a comic book popcorn movie masterpiece.

They hit all the right notes with Age of Ultron.

Maybe it is the presence of Joss Whedon, and his history of engaging the audience with characters through the use of clever dialogue, that has the most to do with Avengers: Age of Ultron being exactly what I expect and desire when I go to a Spring/Summer big budget popcorn movie. For that is where this film truly shines: in the dialogue.

Sure, the special effects are great. They would have to be. Audiences are and should be understandably merciless when it comes to criticizing special effects films in an age when creative individuals with little or no budget can create eye-popping short films and upload them to the internet for our free viewing. Marvel Studios has money to spare and they certainly spent it on the effects in this film. Age of Ultron is a visual delight for the fanboy/fangirl in all of us who enjoy seeing women and men, machines and monsters battle for dominance with their mythical powers and seeming inability to sustain lasting injuries.

When we go to the theater to see comic book heroes and heroines on the big screen, we want to see the most realistically unrealistic madness and mayhem that today’s technology has to offer. This latest Avengers film proves that the technology is pretty darn amazing.

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens with a full-on action scene that may initially have you wondering if you’ve entered a Michael Bay film instead of one helmed by Joss Whedon. Not long into the film I found myself hoping that I wasn’t going to be disappointed with a film that was flimsy on story and overfilled with action. I needn’t have worried, once the talking starts in earnest, it is apparent that Joss Whedon has his hands all over this film. Throughout the movie there is the kind of clever banter that allows you to form an emotional connection, even if, like me, your only real knowledge about the Marvel Universe is through its film offerings. It is also the kind of film with fan service references and rapidly-delivered quips that will reward those who experience multiple viewings to catch all that was missed the first (and second, and so on…) time around.

I enjoyed the fact that Age of Ultron continues to flesh out characters for the benefit of film-only fans. I particularly enjoyed the evolving story lines with Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Bruce Banner (The Hulk). Scarlett Johansson continues to prove that she could handle a film focused largely, if not entirely, on her character. Age of Ultron also made me feel much more engaged with the character of Hawkeye, who I was not particularly fond of prior to this film.

Of the new cast/characters, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s younger sister, Elizabeth, was my favorite with her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch. I thought her screen presence was great and I loved the way that the film makers portrayed her powers. The climactic battle sequences were riveting, especially when she was onscreen. I also really enjoyed seeing Paul Bettany be more than just the voice of Jarvis, but to avoid spoilers I won’t write anything beyond that. He has long been one of my favorite actors, and I was very excited for him.

If you like the spectacle of seeing movies on the big screen, Avengers: Age of Ultron is the kind of film that is tailor-made for that experience. Despite owning a very large television and killer surround sound system, I personally love the theater experience and am glad I went to see this opening weekend.

Despite what should be standard knowledge in regards to Marvel Studios’ films, the majority of the audience rushed to leave the film before the credits had begun rolling in earnest. Marvel did viewers a favor by putting the last small scene not long into the the credits sequence, but by then many were already gone. Must we be in that big of a hurry as Americans that we have to flee the theater as if the hounds of hell were hot on our heels? *Sigh*.

In closing, I loved the cut-off last line of the film, and the film’s ending has me very curious about where Marvel intends to go next with the Avengers franchise. Here’s hoping that Whedon remains at the helm.