Herr Kleiser, a member of the Third Reich, was thought to be dead in 1945 by the hands of Captain America. Unfortunately, he survived, just like Captain America, thanks to the fact that he is really a shapeshifting Chitauri, an alien race ready to conquer the Earth. Just like Captain America, he is considered to be their version of the “super-soldier”. And now he is back to create more havoc in Wakanda, an isolated land situated in the darkest part of Africa, as he seeks the Heart of Wakanda.

The young prince of the land, T’Challa, has returned home after his studies in the outside world, but his homecoming his interrupted by an attack from the Chitarui. Throughout the melée, Herr Kleiser murders his father. As a result, T’Challa assumes to position of king and as the Black Panther, protector of Wakanda. He realizes that this situation may be more than he can handle and he needs all the help he can get. His first mission is to recruit the man who has dealt with Herr Kleiser back in 1945… Captain America.

The mystery of the Chitarui’s invasion on Earth is revealed in Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther, a direct-to-video animated movie based on the Marvel comic book by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch, and it doesn’t look good for the Avengers as they face this alien menace.


A Score to Settle

Captain America has been a driven soldier ever since his resurrection from his suspended animated state. As a man displaced from time, the only thing familiar to him is to be a soldier and serve is country. There is no time for a personal life for Steve Rogers who feels he doesn’t understand today’s world. It becomes even worse for him when he learns that Kleiser is still alive from the Black Panther. The two have a score to settle with him as they have both lost friends and loved ones to this monster.

Obviously, this doesn’t sit well with a lot of other people as well. General Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., realizes that the Chitarui threat requires the attention of the Avengers, but his field commander, Captain America, is not focused at the entire situation at hand. This could prove to be a liability for those under his command.

The rest of the team is also having their share of personal problems as well. Giant Man and Wasp (Hank Pym and Janet Van Dye Pym) are still having some marital problems, mostly having to due with Hank’s ego. He is too self-absorbed with himself, always playing the victim and blaming everyone else for his problems. Iron Man (Tony Stark) has a heart problem that needs to be addressed on a regular basis. Thor is having family problems, as his father Odin, king of the Norse gods, wants him to leave the mortal plane and go back to Asgard. Black Widow (Natalia Romanov) is secretly falling in love with Captain America and doesn’t know how to help him.

And what about the Hulk? Bruce Banner has been neutralized and locked away in a solitary confinement that prevents him from turning into the Hulk.

Even Black Panther has his own problems from the people of Wakanda as he has broken a sacred rule by allowing outsiders into the land, regardless if they are there to help. This mistrust of the outside world stems all the way back to 1945 when Kleiser first arrived to the lands and brought an invasion force to Wakanda. Surprisingly, the people of Wakanda stopped him thanks to the secret they have been harboring for many years. The Heart of Wakanda is really a mountain of unrefined Vibranium, a substance that is almost near-impervious and unstoppable. The people of Wakanda have been mining this meteorite to make weapons in order to stop this alien armada, but even the sheer numbers of the invading force out powers them.

The Chitarui finally pull out a full-fledged invasion on the entire planet. To make matters worse, their Vibranium armour is unstoppable. Well, almost unstoppable. Fortunately, Bruce Banner has figured out Vibranium’s weakness. Unfortunately, the Chitarui know this, too, and set their sights on killing Banner, or rather the Hulk, for it is his gamma-radiation that weakens Vibranium and turns it brittle.

As if the battle in Wakanda and the manhunt against Banner wasn’t enough, the team also has to deal with the Chitarui mothership ready to decimate anyone in its path from obtaining the Vibranium meteorite. The Avengers are stretched thin in many directions and, when all is said and done, one of them will not survive the outcome. Will the heroes actually prevail or will this sacrifice be in vain?


Marvel Animation Making Strides

Lions Gate Home Entertainment take the reins of Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther and delivers a solid story from beginning to end, an improvement from Ultimate Avengers: The Movie. I think it worked better because the writers had carte blanche with this particular storyline; it wasn’t an adaptation of anything already published in the comic books. What made this work was the sense of continuity with the first film that advances the story even more with better interpersonal play between the characters.

The most startling revelation was the introduction of the Black Panther into the Ultimates' world. This is significant because he hasn’t appeared in the comic book realm yet, at least not in the Ultimates universe; hence, this is the first appearance of the Ultimate Black Panther. I liked the fact that the producers hired original Ultimates artist Bryan Hitch to come up with a design for him. What they wanted was to keep the look of this world consistent and what better way to do it than to hire the guy that created the entire look in the first place. This was an excellent choice and I really loved this interpretation of a classic character.

Actually, I should state the most starting revelation was the violence. I know this is a “PG-13” rated movie but I was still shocked to see it. Case in point: Kleiser, by knife wounds, kills T’Challa’s father. The actual stabbings are shown with knife protrusions coming through the body. Usually, in an animated feature, this would be done cleverly through shadows or off-camera shots. Not with this scene. It was all out there with nothing to hide. Captain America also took bullet shots to his body and they were shown as well, complete with blood and wounds. I know this may not seem like anything in a “PG-13” movie, but for animated one it still takes some getting used to.

The story was an improvement as well as the animation. I was really noticing the camera shots and use of angles in this film. It definitely felt more like a cinematic comic book. Characterization was also improved with more personal drama brought to the forefront. Each character had a story to tell, but the one I felt for the most was Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Banner has been ostracized thanks to his alter ego’s uncontrollable rage; he is look upon as a leper, even by his ex-girlfriend. All he wants is to be useful and accepted. It’s funny how he is the one to crack the code in defeating the aliens.

The voice acting has improved a bit but it still doesn’t sound natural to me. I think hiring some known actors could help with that situation. I noticed that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Trilogy and Joker on Batman: The Animated Series) and Dwight Schultz (“Howling Mad” Murdock on The A-Team and Reginald Barclay on Star Trek: The Next Generation) lend their expertise to this mix, even if they are only small, bit parts. I wish Samuel L. Jackson was cast for the part of Nick Fury. Why? Because the look of the character was based on his likeness. It would have been a natural fit. I think he could have brought a nice rough edge to the general of a military group.

Little Easter eggs were also thrown in as well, such as the unnamed group Captain America was fighting at the beginning of the movie; they looked like HYDRA agents. There was even the appearance of Stark’s War Machine, a black armour that is fitted with a lot of guns, and I do mean a lot of guns.

The extras such as a preview for the new Iron Man and Doctor Strange animated films look very promising and I’m excited by the prospect of seeing what can be done with these characters.

The Marvel animated studios is heading towards the right direction and Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther indicates just that. I’m not a big Marvel fan though I am quite familiar with all the characters and do enjoy the stories. Here’s hoping succeeds in its venture because it’s a win-win situation for everyone.


Special Features
• "The Ultimates" featurette
• The Ultimate gag reel
• First look at Iron Man
• First look at Doctor Strange
• "What Avenger Are You?": DVD-Rom game
• Animated Interactive Menus


Related Reviews
Ultimate Avengers: The Movie

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older