The world is facing another alien invasion, and it is up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to lay the smack down. No, I am not talking about The Superfriends or the Justice League. I am talking about Ultimate Avengers – who return with an all new straight to DVD animated movie Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther that is sure to please kids and comic fans.
Marvel Comics’ idea of a superhero team consists of some of comics’ greatest icons – including Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and The Wasp. If that wasn’t enough, the sequel sees the team joined by the ultimate version of the Black Panther.
The Ultimate Avengers 2 pretty much picks up right after the events of the first film, and is also loosely based on storylines suggested in Marvel comic “The Ultimates” by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. I say loosely because the movie really only borrows certain elements (mainly the revamping of classic Marvel characters) and uses them for the movie’s plot.
The film kicks off with the alien menace terrorizing the nation of Wakanda (a mysterious country located in the darkest heart of Africa and mostly unknown to the rest of the world). After Prince T'Challa sees his father killed by an alien (who fancies sporting a Nazi uniform), he takes the throne as the nation’s king, and also dons the garb of the Black Panther – the country’s protector.
The sequel has the epic scale action needed for these heroes
The movie then switches focus to back to Captain America and the rest of the Ultimate Avengers. The sequel ties up some loose ends of the first movie and finds Captain America trying to adjust to being back in a world that left him behind (he was frozen for about 60 years in the first film); the team working on getting along and figuring out their dynamics; Giant Man and the Wasp trying continue their research; and Bruce Banner getting ready to stand trial for his actions as the Hulk (he went a little nuts at the end of the first film).
After a run in with Black Panther, Captain America and the team head to Wakanda to see first hand the alien threat. Although Wakanda is a recluse nation, Panther decides to trust the Avengers, and reveals that the alien invaders are coming for the secret that is buried beneath his ancient home. When the aliens attack the planet, Panther and the Avengers are forced to work together to stop the threat, and destroy the aliens once and for all.
Like the first Ultimate Avengers animated movie, the sequel is an extremely fun film that is filled with the action and the epic scope needed to contain so many heroes in one film. The addition of the Black Panther is a good step – even if it does distance the film from “The Ultimates” comics.
The movie is filled with the same energy, team dynamics, and epic stories that made the Avengers a massive hit for Marvel since it was first introduced in 1963. It also maintains what Millar and Hitch did with the revamp of the heroes in “The Ultimates.”
Many of the same touches done by the two comic creators remain in the animated version of the movie – including Tony Stark/Iron Man’s drinking problem, the hints of trouble between Wasp and Giant Man, and how the Hulk is handled. However, the movie also breaks away from a lot of what has already been laid out in the comics and goes in a completely different direction with various characters – including Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and most notably Giant Man.
All of this won’t matter to viewers who are not familiar with the comic, but diehard fans of “The Ultimates” might feel a little let down by some of the watering down of harder elements of the comic’s storyline.
The movie more than makes up for any changes to the comic with a massive final battle scene that includes Thor wrecking havoc; Captain America and the Black Panther teaming to fight the head alien; and the appearance of Tony Stark in the War Machine armor. Like the first film (which ended with the Avengers taking on the Hulk), the sequel is worth watching for the final battle alone.
Black Panther joins the Ultimate Avengers for an alien showdown
Even with the epic battles, the sequel does have several problems that weigh it down. Like the first film, the movie’s pace does slow from time to time, and tends to focus on Captain America too much.
Another problem with the movie is its use of the Bruce Banner/Hulk storyline. I realize they couldn’t just repeat what happened in the first film, but the character is wasted in the sequel, and serves no real purpose. For most of the movie, Banner is locked away, and the Hulk actually only makes one brief appearance at the very end of the movie.
Although some characters are briefly used or wasted, it does seem that the filmmakers are planting storylines that could be further explored in a third film - from Iron Man’s drinking to Thor’s disobedience of Odin’s orders. I hope this is the case because the Ultimate Avenger films are good and I would like to see them continue.
The DVD does come loaded with special features that will keep the fans happy. They include a “What Avenger Are You?” DVD-ROM game; The Ultimate Gag Reel; “The Ultimates” featurette; First Look Iron Man; First Look Dr. Strange; and a trailer gallery.
The “What Avenger Are You?” game has you answer a series of questions to determine what hero you would be. It is good for a laugh, but not much there. The Ultimate Gag Reel is really funny and features the voiceover actors having some fun with their lines (such as Iron Man constantly wanting to go eat some ribs); the two first look features are previews of upcoming Marvel animated DVD films. Both look amazing and I can’t wait until they are released.
“The Ultimates” featurette is a look at the comic that inspired the film and has interviews with the two creators, and others involved. They discuss how the book took the original concept of the Avengers and transformed it into a new group without having to be concerned with the massive history of the comic. This is a feature that comic fans will really enjoy, but might be a bit much for the average viewer.
The sequel once again focuses too much on Captain America
Ultimate Avengers 2 is a film that manages to capture what happened in the first movie and raise it to an even larger epic scale. The film is filled with the kind of superhero action that you would expect for these iconic characters, and makes no apology for it. I would highly recommend it to any comic fan, or anyone who has enjoyed seeing comic heroes leap to the live action screen. The movie is simply fun from start to finish and I can’t wait for the third Ultimate Avengers to come out.
Ultimate Avengers 2 is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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