an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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 firstGreat antagonistDirect sequelThe Bad:Some characters look weirdPanther powers, really?They actually kill off a character from the Marvel universe!Things I Learnt From This Movie:Live action or animation, I still find Captain America to be a bore

I saw Ultimate Avengers two years ago on the same weekend as the second one. I just found both of the movies massively insulting to the Marvel Universe. The First and second movies were just plain tedious because apparently in this universe when the war was over, Bucky doesn't become the Winter Soldier but instead, he retires and steels Steve Rogers, wife/girlfriend. Oh but it doesn't stop there Hank Pym is more or less like Scott Lang in this universe because he is a massive jerk to the Avengers and his main priority is his wife and only his wife for example in the first mission when the Avengers were in trouble and he heard Janet scream. But in the end, Ant-Man makes a good sacrifice. He was about to break the building down and not worried about the other Avengers. In the second movie, he was the same except that this time when his wife was hurt he threaten to throw Captain America out if he didn't leave. The Hulk was just a mindless brute like in the MCU and the reason why Betty divorced Bruce was because of the Hulk. Speaking of I didn't really find Betty a nice woman in these films because of that. Thor, Iron Man, Wasp (Apart from the fact she looked too much like Hope Pym and had darker skin colour), Black Panther and Black Widow were just themselves. Speaking of Black Panther in the second movie we get introduced to him, I found this one just too bloody and brutal when a General stabbed his dad and when the General got stabbed a couple of times but wasn't even dying. I also found it just plain stupid that Iron Man was wearing the War Machine Armor. If you are an Avengers fan I would recommend you don't waste your money on these movies. You might be disappointed. My overall score 4/10 for both movies.

Picking up where the first Ultimate Avengers left off, UA2 finds the Avengers not getting along very well as they encounter the Black Panther and continue to deal with the alien invaders of the first feature. Thor is mostly absent from the film as he's off on some personal quest of his own that keeps him separated from the other heroes until the climax, while Bruce Banner/Hulk spends most of the feature incarcerated for the destruction he caused before.IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, DO NOT READ FURTHER, THERE BE SPOILERS HERE:I'm going to go out on a limb here by going against the grain of the previous reviews, because honestly I don't think 'Ultimate Avengers 2' is particularly good. Heck, the animated direct to DVD features from Marvel & DC have been pretty hit & miss on both sides, and sadly UA2 is a miss for Marvel. The first Ultimate Avengers, while not perfect, was still a solid introduction to the characters, their dynamics and their personal issues. The sequel, however, fails to offer any truly satisfying resolutions to those problems. Captain America's struggle to adjust to the 21st century and the effect it's having on his personality & work ethic is touched upon again but it never really goes anywhere, nor does the brief contrast shown between Iron Man and Captain America ever really develop, and his hook up at the end with Black Widow feels forced despite some previous hints of a mutual infatuation between them. Similarly, the marital problems between Hank 'Giant Man' Pym and his wife Janet 'Wasp' Pym are revisited and shown to have gotten worse, as Hank is made out to be an even bigger asshole with an over-sized ego here than he was in the first film, but as with Captain America's problems, the manner in which it is concluded - with Giant Man dying in the final act in what is apparently meant to be his redemption for being an egocentric jerk for most of the story - is not a satisfying one. If anything, Giant Man's death feels forced in the most laughable manner, partly because he really didn't even take enough abuse during the fight to warrant dying.Iron Man himself was one of the few highlights of the film, and Black Panther came across pretty good, but that doesn't redeem the film's big flaw: it feels like it was rushed out the gate as quickly as possible, and the story & characters suffer for it. It's too bad, because the potential for a better animated film was definitely there, but it just wasn't utilized. Still, the outtakes in the special features section were pretty funny.

Ultimate Avengers 2 picks right up where the first movie left off. Again, It's simply a brilliant rendition of Marvel's (and Earth's) Mightiest Heroes. What surprised me is the fact that this second film establishes the characters better and has substantial character development. I know that sounds strange when describing a cartoon but these characters really shine this time around.Like with the first film, I've read different reactions and I've heard from both sides of the adaptation debate. Some serious Ultimates fans wanted this movie to be an exact reenactment of the comic book. Marvel instead made a conscious decision to infuse the old school Avengers in to the Ultimates mix. It's still a good call and a masterful decision. The combination works very well. Gone are the overblown and, quite frankly, juvenile elements of the Ultimates. Having a horny Hulk or an outrageously abusive Henry Pym may work to capture the teenage comic crowd (which is exactly why the Ultimate Universe was created) but it doesn't play with main stream audiences. The ONLY reason the Ultimates succeeded as a book is because of the incredible artwork of Bryan Hitch (which is on ample display in the Ultimates bonus featurette). The characters that made the Ultimates possible in the first place shines through. Captain America is still perfect. You can really see why Marvel is lining up to give him his own live action movie. The introduction of the Black Panther is perfect as well. Iron Man steals the show and his shift to War Machine armor will have long time fans grinning from ear to ear. My only two problems were with the treatment of Henry Pym and the lack of substantial Hulk action (Hulk does smash but not near enough) but those are just minor quibbles. Overall, this is a wonderful movie.PS- I can't wait for the Iron Man solo movie they previewed on the DVD. The jury is still out on Dr. Strange, however.