Ultimate Avengers 2 (2006)

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Overview

Ultimate Avengers 2 is a sequel to the diect to dvd feature Ultimate Avengers. It continues the story of the Chitauri, this time moving to the mysterious nation African nation of Wakanda. While the first Avengers was a introduction to the world Ultimate Avengers 2 becomes a full blown war movie.

Creation

Ultimate Avengers 2 had already begun production by the time Ultimate Avengers was released on DVD, enough had been completed for a quick look at it within the special features of the DVD. Boyd Kirkland Craig Kyle returned providing the story.Richard "Dick" Sebast Will Meugniot stepped into direct the film. Meugniot previously diected Time Kid and had worked on a majority of Marvel telivision shows such as Spiderman Unlimited,X-Men and Pryde of the X-Men.Sebast worked on many animated telivision projects from Winnie the Pooh, The Land Before Time series and Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos.

Plot Summary

In the heart of Africa lies the isolationist nation of Wakanda. It is protected by its King who takes on the mantel of the Black Panther and is enfused with the spirit of the Panther. The nations Prince is T'Challa finally returning from a education abroad. His coming home party is interupted by the Chitauri forcing his father T'Chaka to become the Black Panther. After initial sucess T'Chaka is over matched by Herr Kleiser and murdered infront of T'Challa. This assassination forces T'Challa to seek out Captain America Steve Rogers in New York City, looking for advice on killing Herr Kleiser.

Rogers offers the Avengers help but T'Challa refuses since Wakanda dose not ask for the help of outside nations. Fury seeing a way to finally get into Wakanda sends the Avengers minus Thor into Wakanda on a reconnaissance mission.Rogers is not in command of the mission due to his closeness to Herr Kleiser the Black Widow is put in charge.They are discoverd by Wakandian security forces. Though powerd by advanced technology Iron Man is easily over taken by the forces. Giant Man is covered in spears tipped with poison and the Black Widow is surrounded. The only one to escape is Rogers who gets T'Challa to except there help in stoping the Chitauri. With the Avengers discovered though T'Challa is forced to make the Avengers leave due to pressure from the Elders.

Thor had gone off the grid with SHEILD is unable to contact him. He is off in the mountains communicating with the gods receiving a vision of all of the Avengers dead. Freightined he seeks further guidance from his father Odin. His father shows him the caused of all the death a massive invasion ship carring the Chitauri. Wishing to help his friends he turns his back on his father who lectures Thor on the fact that the humans have turned there backs on them.

Bruce Banner remains locked up in a SHEILD holding cell being brought up on charges for his recent rampage as the Hulk. Betty eventually visits him and gives him some information that some of the Vibranium on the ships had mysteriously become extremely brittle. Banner thinks about that while being forced to watch his rampage as the Hulk over and over. During the viewing he discovers that Vibranium is weakened by gamma radiation, which the Hulk emmits. This theory is further proven by Betty who uses a portable gamma emitter on some of the scraps.

While leaving Wakanda the Avengers come across a wild Chitauri scout casuing Rogers to go rogue and attack it. With the help of T'Challa they subdue and bring the alein back to the ship. T'Challa reveals himself to be Kleiser in disguise and attacks the Avengers. During the commotion Janet is injured and the aircraft begins to crash.Thor saves them by teleporting them to SHEILDs base of operations.They arrive in time for Thor to warn them of the impending attack but it is to late and it arrives over Wakanda and begins sending a force feild around the world. The Chitauri than begin a full scale invasion of the earth. There goal lies deep in Wakanda since a ancitent meteor struck forming a mountain of Vibranium to form. This mountain of Vibraininum is the key to Wakands power and independence. T'Challa than contacts SHEILD asking for the Avengers full help in repelling the alein invaders.

The Wakandan defenses are initially sucesfull at replling the Chitauri due to there Vibranium powerd weapons. They are surronded however and soon over run. Iron Man runs off and returns with the War Machine armor.Nick Fury and Black Widow battle the aleins with Vibranium tipped bullets. Unable to stop the constant flow of enemies they realize they need to take out the forcefeild.Betty gives Iron Man the gamma generator and Giant Man shrinks down as his back up despite immense pain in reconstituting his size. Together they make it to the heart of the ship and Iron Man destroys the core bringin down the forcefeild and the ship. Iron Man and Giant Man are blown from the ship and Giant Man forced unconsious casuing Iron Man to spend the rest of his energy saving Giant Man and deflecting the falling ship. Together Rogers and T'Challa cover Herr Kleiser in molten Vibranium freezing him in a giant block. T'Challa orderes him buried and forgotten. The team gathers around Giant Mans body who had been fatally injured by changing his size from extremely big to small. Giant Man tells Janet that he could be the man she always wanted before dying.

The team leaves Wakanda with the thanks of T'Challa and its people. They morn however the loss of Giant Man and Bruce Banner who transformed into the Hulk and escaped during the Chitauri attack.

Production

Ultimate Avengers 2 was created with traditional 2-D hand drawn animation and dynamic CGI vehicles and set pieces. The CG is most seen is in the giant walker like Chitauri.

Critical Reception

Ultimate Avengers 2 recived mixed reviews by critics.

Todd Gilchrist for IGN gave it a higher score than the firstone saying "This satisfying sequel completely fulfills the promise of its animated predecessor"

Spengs from Forever Geek liked it but "The movie wasn’t terrible, just a little underwhelming. Better than the first installment, at any rate"

David Cornelius of eFilmCritic.com was not impressed by the sequel saying "Turns out the sequel's just as bland as the first."

Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed was not impressed by the scope of the film saying "If this story doesn't widen its ideas, it's going to get much worse..."