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Ultimate Avengers 2 picks right up where the first movie left off. Again, It's simply a brilliant rendition of Marvel's (and Earth's) Mightiest Heroes. What surprised me is the fact that this second film establishes the characters better and has substantial character development. I know that sounds strange when describing a cartoon but these characters really shine this time around.

Like with the first film, I've read different reactions and I've heard from both sides of the adaptation debate. Some serious Ultimates fans wanted this movie to be an exact reenactment of the comic book. Marvel instead made a conscious decision to infuse the old school Avengers in to the Ultimates mix. It's still a good call and a masterful decision. The combination works very well. Gone are the overblown and, quite frankly, juvenile elements of the Ultimates. Having a horny Hulk or an outrageously abusive Henry Pym may work to capture the teenage comic crowd (which is exactly why the Ultimate Universe was created) but it doesn't play with main stream audiences. The ONLY reason the Ultimates succeeded as a book is because of the incredible artwork of Bryan Hitch (which is on ample display in the Ultimates bonus featurette). The characters that made the Ultimates possible in the first place shines through. Captain America is still perfect. You can really see why Marvel is lining up to give him his own live action movie. The introduction of the Black Panther is perfect as well. Iron Man steals the show and his shift to War Machine armor will have long time fans grinning from ear to ear. My only two problems were with the treatment of Henry Pym and the lack of substantial Hulk action (Hulk does smash but not near enough) but those are just minor quibbles. Overall, this is a wonderful movie.

PS- I can't wait for the Iron Man solo movie they previewed on the DVD. The jury is still out on Dr. Strange, however.

The third X-Men film is more sophisticated and has a better story than the first one, and better action then the second. Here, the characters previously introduced but under used are utilized in a comprehensive and cohesive manner, and the newly introduced characters are blended in seamlessly with the story. The music is very good as is the acting. The cast-selection is still perfect.

Last Stand continues the work of X2 as genre-defining. It is a work of art/comic book pulp fiction never before seen on the silver screen. The . Everything in this movie is exceedingly better in the sequel then the first two films. Like X2, the acting is superb. The dialogue is rich. Every character feels believable. No cartoonish villains, every side of the issue is presented by people who believe they are the ones who are in the right and the underlying message of tolerance and bigotry only add to the depth of this film. What's better then its predecessor is X3's action, FX and pace. It restores the sense of epic adventure and grand-scale storytelling that's been absent from far too many of today's alleged blockbusters.

I can't imagine a better movie.

At a time when Hollywood is pushing witches and warlocks, hobbits and dwarf's, this movie flips that and circles around and produces a classic that illustrates the true meaning of power and might. The obvious symbolism to Jesus The Christ and His message of pure sacrifice and love are worth emulating more than anything secular Hollywood can put out.

An absolutely magnificent film. Powerful, emotionally intense, gripping. The film was well made and kudos to all the actors who performed in this film. When I viewed it the first time, I left with a huge smile on my face and I wasn't alone. It's a shame that the Oscars didn't take greater notice of this film but I'm glad the general public did. It KO'd the giant ape at the box office for a reason. It's simply a wonderful movie.