Ultimate Avengers 2

I walked away from the first Ultimate Avengers movie somewhat underwhelmed, I felt it lacked depth and a decent antagonist.

Though this suffers from many of the same issues I consider it an improvement. Although there is little story to speak of its direct continuation gives it an additional star from me.

Telling the story of the Chitauri returning to attack Africa and the Black Panther joining the Avengers to fend them off. Pretty standard stuff, but its been done relatively well.

I'm just not keen on the "Ultimate" stuff, I like consistency not alternative dimensions and timelines. Because of this there are bits here and there that bothered me more than they really should.

A harmless effort for fans of Marvel anime but don't expect much.

The Good:

Improvement on the first

Great antagonist

Direct sequel

The Bad:

Some characters look weird

Panther powers, really?

In an age of silly anime and dumbed down cartoons, this Ultimate Avengers franchise is more then a breath of fresh air. Films like Ultimate Avengers 2 (and that's just what it is ... a full blown feature film)take the classic Marvel grandeur and add a modern twist. The action is intense and the story flows so very well. Classic Marvel characters like Iron Man, Captain America and the Black Panther (the worlds first African-American superhero) really shine in this format. My only real disappointment lies in the fact that the Hulk wasn't really used and that the Thor depicted is nothing but a watered down version of the classic Thor. Still, the other characters and the riveting story more then make up for any shortcomings. The alien threat from the first film is handled and resolved brilliantly while doing so without it being necessary for the viewer to have seen the first movie. That's a hard thing to pull off but, like the rest of the movie, they did it so very well.

Great animated movie that's well worth anyone's time and effort.

A sequel that has its merit, can be entertaining and worth giving it a chance. Like its predecessor, the film has three directors, and I can say that it is a little better than the previous one, but it all depends on the viewer and his fanaticism for the avengers.

"Ultimate Avengers 2" brings nothing more than the addition of Black Panther and its Wakanda environment. The film has its great moments of action, intrigue, subtramas, and one that another character development. The chitauris are once again presented to us as villains, yes, again the same ones of the previous tape. From my perspective it remains important to the plot, maybe another of so many villains that has the group would be more entertaining, yet, there are several interesting tricks.

It again has a very decent animation for the time, with large shades of colors that blow through scenes, in addition, it has a small improvement in the drawing. The partnership between Lionsgate and Marvel still delivered everything for these Ultimate stories.

In the section of the characters once again Captain America stands out, being the superhero with the best personal growth, although he retreats, always comes back to his argumental momentum. On the other hand, T'Challa's aggregate is spectacular, surprising at every moment and his relationship with the captain is admirable.

In its downsides we have the isolation of Hulk (Bruce Banner) being a big waste for the plot of the film, after being one of the best in its predecessor, here it was left aside. Characters like Ironman, Black Widow and Thor once again fail to exploit their great potential.

However, Hank Pym and The Wasp have great scenes of reflection about love, selfishness, lack of communication, confidence, promises, and personal growth.

A sequel with portential, but failed in its final execution. Having a memorable scene among the Avengers.

I really liked it. However I think when you have that many characters it's probably not a good idea to introduce a new one, especially a character like the Black Panther. He's cool, he's just not that well known. I wonder if they introduced him because there might be a Black Panther movie coming up? Anyway, my main gripe with the movie is the Hulk. He's the reason why I and a lot of others watch the movies in the first place, and then after the first one they just sideline him? What kind of logic is that? The Hulk is money in the bank (green). Way way way underused/abused. Bring him back. I think the creators (who have done a great job) should look at Bruce Timm et al.'s Justice League series to handle that amount of characters and still please everyone. I think JL was done in such a way (that is, after the first season's somewhat rocky start)that the episodes played to each of the characters strengths. I don't think this has happened in the Ultimate Avengers 2. The first one was much closer to accomplishing that. Also, after the first one and waiting for the second I was disappointed with the plot, same villains, same set up. I was like, "The first movie all over again..." It obviously wasn't exactly like the first but I thought it would have played better if the creators broke from the first one altogether and started a new plot. I was disappointed with the plot in UA2. Over all, it's very good. Animation is great, action is great, voice talent great. It's great to see Captain America back the way he always should have been. I think with these creators we're in very good hands. But bring back the Hulk!!!!

That is not to say at all that I disliked the first Ultimate Avengers or anything. Actually I did enjoy it, even if I didn't love it. Ultimate Avengers 2 is not quite perfect either, the Hulk is underused and Giant Man's death for me was a little forced. On the other hand, the animation is great, the character designs are much less jerky and more focused here and the colours and backgrounds are detailed and coloured beautifully. The score is full of drive and again has a haunting undercurrent, the writing is sharp and the action is grittier and is exciting. The characters apart from Hulk are interesting, Black Panther is a great addition and Thor is much better written than he was in the first one. The pace is much more even, the first half-hour doesn't feel all that dragged out and the ending is not as rushed. There is much more story here as a result, and it is compelling stuff indeed. The voice acting is solid across as the board with nobody coming across as a thorn in the side. All in all, a very good film and better than the first in my view. 8/10 Bethany Cox