2015 #59
Kenichi Shimizu | 83 mins | streaming (HD) | 16:9 | USA & Japan / English | 12 / PG-13
Kenichi Shimizu | 83 mins | streaming (HD) | 16:9 | USA & Japan / English | 12 / PG-13
Anime take on Marvel properties. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow teams up with vigilante Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, to investigate a threat to global security.
A clichéd, heavy-handed screenplay and stilted line delivery tell a rote story through talky exposition scenes and uninspired action sequences, with little joy to be found in the design or animation either. Some bigger-name Avengers turn up for the climax, but they’re a motley crew of random choices (Captain Marvel?), most of whom don’t even get any dialogue.
Marvel may own the live-action superhero arena right now, but DC remain the clear frontrunner in animation.
Avengers Confidential featured on my list of The Five Worst Films I Saw in 2015, which can be read in full here.
I’ll never understand the point of these animated shorts/movies when the live action stuff serves so well. Not that the DC stuff ever appealed to me either. Most of the time the animation is very sub-par. Still I suppose it saves the kids from actually having to make the effort to read the comics.
Remember the Animatrix, those anime tie-ins with The Matrix film? I thought they were pretty good.
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The Animatrix had its moments, but I thought it was a bit of a mixed bag. Always the way with anthologies, I guess.
I’ve enjoyed most of the DC movies I’ve seen, though I suppose them being such faithful adaptations lessens their point and/or makes them more watchable. As far as I’m aware Avengers Confidential is an original tale, but it’s an unmemorable and poorly-told one. At least if they’d adapted a well-regarded storyline it would’ve had a good tale to tell.
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