I’ll look at the new “Avengers” film, “The Age of Ultron” in this week’s film review column as well as the new Marvel production on Netflix.

In theaters: The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron

I had some mixed feelings going into a screening of the new Avengers film. It is now the habit of studios to undertake a very long series of teases to hype such a film and for almost a year, the Internet has been bombarded with notes about the plot, possible characters, costume designs, various images and a series of trailers.

Frankly, I get worried when a film is the subject of such an approach. Will it live up to the hype? There are now two audiences for films based on comic books: the hardcore fan audience and the general audience looking for a good action adventure film.

The hardcore audience is the one that would generate the most negative press if the film faltered and although I think at moments this production teetered too close to the brink of a Michael Bay production, it stayed the course and delivered the kind of film the fans – and others – wanted.

It is a loud, long comic book action film with some needed moments of humor and humanity. It’s also a satisfying summer movie-going experience.

At the heart of the film’s success is the script by director Joss Whedon who is smart enough to make sure each of his main characters get great little moments in which to shine and to treat his characters as well-rounded literary creations. We understand that being who they are takes a great toll on their lives and this makes them far more interesting than just a bunch of folks leaping around in costume.

Essentially, the film is about billionaire genius Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr.) coming up with the idea of creating a group of robots who would act as a “ring of iron” around the Earth to prevent an alien invasion as seen in the first film. The robots would be imbued with artificial intelligence and as luck would have it, the intelligence is alien in nature and instantly malevolent.

Ultron (voiced by James Spader) sees his role in helping the Earth evolve, which means killing all of humanity. Toss in the fact he seems one step ahead of the Avengers who are dealing with their own internal group strife and that Ultron has linked up with two super types whose powers had been developed by Hydra, the almost destroyed secret evil empire.

At the core of the film is a political message about secrets and the people who make decisions without consensus because they think they know better.

As is the habit of these films, there are many twists and turns and it would be helpful to watch the first Avengers movies, if you’ve not seen it, before going to this one.  

If Whedon falters at all its in the climatic fight scenes in which the heroes face a robotic army. It felt very similar to the climax of the first film and could have easily become as meaningless as an action sequence in the Michael Bay style.

In a lesser director’s hand, the film could have easily been a bloated mess, but Whedon keeps the narrative centered on the interplay between the characters. There are also some sequences revealing backstory that certainly fills in the blanks about the heroes, which I certainly welcomed.

I liked this film a lot, although the two Captain America films as well as the “Guardians of the Galaxy” remain my favorites of the Marvel superhero collection.

On Netflix: Daredevil

If you’ve seen the new “Avengers” film, then you should also take the time to watch this mini-series on Netflix. It is the polar opposite of “The Avengers” in tone and is just as entertaining.

“The Avengers” is macro: all about saving the Earth. “Daredevil” is micro: it’s about saving a neighborhood, perhaps a city.

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was raised in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen and loves the neighborhood. Although blinded at the age of nine, Murdock has graduated from law school and wants to open a practice in his neighborhood.

What people don’t know is that Murdock’s other senses have been greatly heightened because of the accident and he has trained as a fighter. He takes to the streets dealing swift justice to criminals but discovers a huge opponent in more ways than one, crime lord Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Fisk has plans to acquire and then redevelop much of the neighborhood and has done through various illegal means.

Murdock has no resources, while Fisk is wealthy. Murdock is just one man, while Fisk commands a veritable army of thugs. Murdock, though, is driven to stop Fisk but he also questions his own methods of beating his opponents until they are almost dead.

This is the grittiest superhero production I’ve ever seen and it works very well. D’Onofrio’s Fisk is a compelling character – he thinks he’s the good guy. Prone to rage, tortured by his childhood and willing to do anything to meet his goal, Fisk is a great villain. The show’s only weakness is a romantic sub-plot involving Fisk and an art gallery owner, which is never believable.

So after watching “The Avengers,” check out “Daredevil.” Be aware the Netflix production would probably be rated “R” for its violence.