The year is 1945 and Hitler’s Nazi regime has ended with the death of its Fuhrer, but the danger isn’t over thanks to Herr Kleiser. There is still one mission left that could be catastrophic if not stopped immediately and who better to lead the charge than America’s own superhero, Captain America.

A nuclear warhead is aimed at Washington, DC utilizing technology far advanced than anyone has ever seen at the time. Captain America discovers Kleiser is more than what he seems to be. Plus, an alien race known as the Chitauris has been behind the entire orchestration. Cap does prevail but at a heavy cost as he plummets into the icy depths of the North Atlantic. He is lost and presumed dead.

This alone makes for a great Captain America story but this is only the prelude to Ultimate Avengers: The Movie, a direct-to-video animated movie based on the Marvel comic book The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch.


The World Needs a Hero

General Nick Fury is on an expedition of great importance for the American military. Along with Betty Ross, they venture into the depths of the Atlantic and find Captain America encased in a block of ice, frozen in suspended animation for over 60 years. They revive him in hopes to recreate the Super-Soldier serum that created him in the first place.

Bruce Banner is excited by this prospect as he hopes this new development will help restore his reputation in the scientific community. In essence, Banner hopes to crack the Super-Soldier serum for his own personal needs. Lately, he has needed to take a series of drugs in order to keep his alter ego in check, but it also hampers his performance to work properly. The Super-Soldier serum is his last hope to get it all under his control.

Fury, in the meantime, wants Captain America to lead a new team of superheroes to stop this alien invasion of Earth by the Chitauris. It’s Captain America’s job to unite Iron Man, Giant Man, Wasp, Thor and Black Widow to work as unit. Easier said than done.

Thor is only interested in environmental issues that plague the world. There’s even talk that he might be a bit off his rocker as he believes he really is the Norse god known as Thor. Giant Man and Wasp domestic marital issues get in the way of their work. Iron Man doesn’t have any interest working with anyone else, preferring to do things on his own. Even Captain America is feeling out of place in the 21st Century ever since his revival. The world is a lot more complicated to him, not like the simple world he left. The only thing he knows how to do the best is being a soldier.

Even if Cap rallies the troops and tries to get them working on the same page, the Chitauris is a dangerous foe to contend with, especially if they have survived this long in the world. But the defeat of the aliens won’t be easy, not when a rampaging Incredible Hulk decides to join into the mix. The problem just escalates even more with his presence, and becomes much more dangerous when he gets out of control. Two problems on either side with the Avengers stuck in the middle. Will there even be a world left to save after all is said and done?


Marvel Animated: Another Beginning

Lions Gate Home Entertainment does a good job at bringing Ultimate Avengers: The Movie to fruition. This is the first of many direct-to-video animated features that Lions Gate will be producing and a start to Marvel’s stab at the animated world, something that has been greatly dominated by DC Comics in the past 15 years. It’s interesting that Marvel is using The Ultimates rather than the classic version of The Avengers for this inaugural project and I wonder why they made such a decision.

The Ultimate universe is similar to the mainstream Marvel version, only updated using today’s sensibilities. The basic elements of the classic Avengers are present but used in ways that make sense for today’s audience. I can understand why the producers took this route but it’s also very misleading. The Ultimates comic book surprised and shocked everyone with its innovative storytelling. It is also deals with very adult themes and violence, something that would be considered as a rated “R” movie if it were extracted from the pages of the comic book, panel by panel. This movie has toned down a lot of what is in this book to garner it a “PG-13” rating. Domestic abuse, alcoholism, and jealousy are a few things that have been touched upon in Ultimate Avengers, but only on the surface level, surprisingly. So for those expecting to see a straight translation from comic to film will be disappointed. This is, of course, addressed to the hardcore fans. What may be good in the comic book may not work on the screen, and I can see why with this movie.

I also think using both “Ultimate” and “Avengers” in the title is confusing. Granted, no one save the fans would know what The Ultimates were about, but the general populace is more aware of The Avengers in some capacity. Amalgamating the two signifies that this is an Avengers movie but not the classic one everyone is expecting. I don’t mind the treatment of using the Ultimates storyline but something does get lost in the translation. It’s a watered down version of the comic book. I think it would have been easier if the classic story was translated instead in some form. Plus, histories of the characters vary from either the Ultimate or mainstream version. It feels like the producers are trying to be edgy but want to play it safe at the same time. It doesn’t necessarily work all the time.

The voice actors were just okay, nothing to spectacular in nature. The only big name I recognized was Olivia D’Abo (Black Widow) but the rest are foreign to me. The animation falls in the same boat as well… just okay. I guess the DC Animated Universe has spoiled me for so long that I expect the same level of quality when it comes to any superhero animated feature. I know this is harsh but my perception has been skewered as a result of this revelation. Still, Marvel has tried something different so I applaud them in this venture. It can only get better with time. Familiar names such as Boyd Kirkland and Curt Geda give me some hope. They were involved with Batman: The Animated Series in its infancy so they are quite familiar with the massive undertaking of creating a believable yet impressive world.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, with the featurette titled “Avengers Assemble”. It features the current creators of The Avengers comic book as they discuss how the Avengers got to where they are now. It was a treat to listen to one of my favourite artists, George Pérez, talk about how his art evolved from his time on the book. A nice segment, obviously geared towards the comic book fan.

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie makes a good attempt to showcase its premier superhero team, just like DC Comics did with Justice League Unlimited. However, Marvel still has a long ways to go before reaching that level of excellence. It took DC Comics 15 years to create their animated universe and make it spectacular. I wonder how long it will take for Marvel to do the same.


Special Features
• “Avengers Assemble” featurette
• The Ultimate Voice Talent Search
• Avengers Trivia Track
• “What Avengers Are You?”: DVD-Rom game
• First look at Ultimate Avengers II


Recommended:
Yes

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