The Ultimate Avengers are back in the sequel “Rise of the Panther,” and everyone’s exactly where he or she left off in the last adventure.
Captain America is still wrestling with modern life after being in animated suspension for the last 60 years. Cap is so messed up he even brushes off the sexual advances of Black Widow — maybe Cap hasn’t been completey thawed out, if you know what I mean.
Giant Man is still a giant dick, and finds himself on the outs with Wasp.
Iron Man is still cool as ever, and gets the movie’s best and funniest lines.
Bruce Banner is still locked up and under supervision after going nutso at the end of the last movie.
Thor is still a flaky activist/god.
Back for round two are those creepy aliens the Chitauri, led by Herr Kleiser, whose presence adds some interest to the uninterested aliens. This time out the Chitauri attack the African kingdom of the Black Panther. The Panther must turn to the Avengers to save his people and the earth from the alien invaders, while the team members deal with their increasingly complicated personal lives. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Simply put: If you liked the first movie, you’ll like the second. But therein lies the problem: There’s nothing new here.
The sequel was disappointing on a few fronts. The alien Chitauri weren’t interesting in the first movie. Why have them return? Couldn’t the Avengers have battled Magneto or somebody or something with a personality? On the hero front, the only new character is Black Panther. Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Falcon will have to wait till “Ultimate Avengers 3.” Fans looking for something new will have to be satisified with a costume change. After getting blasted, Iron Man slips into a new suit of armor called the War Machine. But most disappointing was the reduction of the Hulk’s role. The big, green lug only appears briefly at the end of the movie.
Once again the voice performances of Michael Massee (Bruce Banner) and Marc Worden (Iron Man) make the movie worth watching.
DVD GOODIES
The extras offer some hope. There are brief looks at the upcoming Iron Man and Dr. Strange animated movies. Both projects look promising and have the potential of eclipsing both Ultimate Avengers movies. The DVD also includes a “gag” reel that spoofs scenes from the first movie; an interesting featurette on “The Ultimates” comic book; and a DVD-ROM game called What Avenger Are You?
