Post by humanbelly on Jun 5, 2011 8:38:50 GMT -5
Heya drew-- I thought I'd move this bit of discussion to its own new thread, as I'm sort of getting lost in the omnibus that we're unwittingly creating in the Animated Avengers thread (a state that I have, admittedly, been instrumental in bringing about. . . 
! Oy. . . )
Anyhoo-- I did pick up the Ultimate Avengers & Next Avengers "movies" yesterday, and watched the former along w/ its special features. And it wasn't a bad bit o' superhero entertainment. Solidly adequate-- with some definite strengths.
The musical score was particularly good-- which goes a long way towards enhancing the dramatic experience. Certainly on a par with a lot of mainstream (smaller) film scoring.
Voiceover work was generally quite good-- particularly liked Bruce Banner, as his was an unusually authentic, "real" sounding voice-type. Not at all the standard american-male-hero type at all (which most of the other guys still fell into. . . but at least they sounded unforced and natural).
Animation was fine-- although it's a little startling to see a sexually alluring Black Widow, Betty Ross, and Wasp transferred from comic page to onscreen "cartoon" form. I particularly liked the opening WWII sequence.
While I thought the (somewhat loose-ended) alien invasion squad was too easily dispatched, the resulting Hulk vs Everyone battle at the end was TERRIFIC! I'm never a fan, personally, of flat-out, homicidally-rampaging Hulk, BUT-- it was a great fight, and brother, he was moppin' up the floor with the entire team. Realistically, Steve & Jan should have been dead, and Hank crippled for life---- but, that's comics, folks!
What I liked most? This DVD actually felt far more AVENGER-y to me than Millar's own comic did. That series never wasted even the smallest opportunity to be dark, unpleasant and, well, seedy, for want of a better word (although that may be the best one). The characters were relentlessly unsympathetic and always best kept at arm's length, and never gave me a reason to become invested in their world or their story. Not so w/ this film. Yep, we see the flaws-- but they're not as cripplingly severe, and thus we're able to relate to the characters (Marvel's original Prime Directive, as it were) and care about their fate, rather than just watch them like a slow-motion train wreck.
Pacing could be quite sluggish at times. Dialog's "naturalism" in the talkier scenes often doesn't work well with an animation style where very subtle facial nuance is largely inaccessible. And the plot/storyline is kind of an unexplained mess upon my single viewing. What are these aliens after, again? Are they stranded here, or are they invaders? Where, exactly, are we at different points in the story?? But one must recognize that the entire plot is really a big ol' MacGuffin (see: Alfred Hitchcock) created to get this superteam in place.
Grade: Very watchable B-minus.
(Ask me about the Special Features, if you like).
HB
! Oy. . . )Anyhoo-- I did pick up the Ultimate Avengers & Next Avengers "movies" yesterday, and watched the former along w/ its special features. And it wasn't a bad bit o' superhero entertainment. Solidly adequate-- with some definite strengths.
The musical score was particularly good-- which goes a long way towards enhancing the dramatic experience. Certainly on a par with a lot of mainstream (smaller) film scoring.
Voiceover work was generally quite good-- particularly liked Bruce Banner, as his was an unusually authentic, "real" sounding voice-type. Not at all the standard american-male-hero type at all (which most of the other guys still fell into. . . but at least they sounded unforced and natural).
Animation was fine-- although it's a little startling to see a sexually alluring Black Widow, Betty Ross, and Wasp transferred from comic page to onscreen "cartoon" form. I particularly liked the opening WWII sequence.
While I thought the (somewhat loose-ended) alien invasion squad was too easily dispatched, the resulting Hulk vs Everyone battle at the end was TERRIFIC! I'm never a fan, personally, of flat-out, homicidally-rampaging Hulk, BUT-- it was a great fight, and brother, he was moppin' up the floor with the entire team. Realistically, Steve & Jan should have been dead, and Hank crippled for life---- but, that's comics, folks!
What I liked most? This DVD actually felt far more AVENGER-y to me than Millar's own comic did. That series never wasted even the smallest opportunity to be dark, unpleasant and, well, seedy, for want of a better word (although that may be the best one). The characters were relentlessly unsympathetic and always best kept at arm's length, and never gave me a reason to become invested in their world or their story. Not so w/ this film. Yep, we see the flaws-- but they're not as cripplingly severe, and thus we're able to relate to the characters (Marvel's original Prime Directive, as it were) and care about their fate, rather than just watch them like a slow-motion train wreck.
Pacing could be quite sluggish at times. Dialog's "naturalism" in the talkier scenes often doesn't work well with an animation style where very subtle facial nuance is largely inaccessible. And the plot/storyline is kind of an unexplained mess upon my single viewing. What are these aliens after, again? Are they stranded here, or are they invaders? Where, exactly, are we at different points in the story?? But one must recognize that the entire plot is really a big ol' MacGuffin (see: Alfred Hitchcock) created to get this superteam in place.
Grade: Very watchable B-minus.
(Ask me about the Special Features, if you like).
HB