Marvel Media Mania: Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther

Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther is the 2006 direct-to-DVD animated sequel to the first Ultimate Avengers film.

Direct-to-DVD animated film

This movie is very similar in style and writing to the first Ultimate Avengers movie. It features the entire Avengers lineup from the first film but also adds the Black Panther as well.

The story gets off on a slow start as each character is reintroduced one by one. Each character is given their own storyarc again. T'Challa, the Black Panther, is out to avenge his father, Thor is sees visions of the dead Avengers, Cap is going on missions hoping to die, Banner is locked up and thought to be insane, Iron Man is selfish, and Wasp and Giant Man are sick of each other. With all of this going on, the film feels a little over-full.

The villains in the film are the same as the first movie - the Shitari aliens, lead by the shape-shifting Kleiser. While there were only three ships in the first film now there is a worldwide invasion. What are the aliens after? Vibranium in Wakanda. I'm not sure why, though, because apparently all of their ships are made of vibranium. They've got literally tons of the stuff! And it isn't even that great since simple gamma rays make it worthless. Ultimately, when the mother ship blows up all of the alien ships shut down... but wait - what about the thousands of invading aliens? What happened to them?

Giant Man dies but I wasn't sad - he kinda deserved it for being a big jerk. The Avengers win... sort of. Every major city in the world is burning to the ground as a result of the alien invasion so I can't imagine the Avengers will enjoy any parades anytime soon.

Somehow, this film manages to make the unlikeable Avengers from the first film even more unlikeable, even if they try to do good in the end.

1LR Review - 9out of 20 - It's a Miss!