When HYDRA is trying to drain the power from gamma beings, they hire the Hulk’s nemesis, Abomination, who’s hired to fight and capture the Hulk. When Abomination is double-crossed and caged like Hulk, the scientists aren’t able to control the reactor they built. When the reactor has a meltdown, the implosion creates a villain that’s living electricity named Zzzax. On his flying carrier, Iron Man is alerted by Jarvis and is immediately on the scene but maybe Hulk doesn’t want his help.
The all new direct to video movie is animated in a cell-shaded style and, like most of the newer animated shows/movies, it has a minimalistic feel. This is a new trend with releases made for a younger audiences but it does put more attention on the main characters. On the other hand with the lack of people and characters, it ends up feeling disconnected from the story. Overall, the feature is a missed opportunity of one of the best team-ups in the Marvel Universe. There is also a point where the main story veers off into another story during the second half of the feature that just doesn’t make sense why it’s there.
Cast
Adrian Pasdar – Iron Man / Tony Stark (voice)
Fred Tatasciore – The Hulk (voice)
Dee Bradley Baker – Dr. Cruler / Zzzax (voice)
David Kaye – Jarvis (voice)
Heroes United is a very clean 1080p AVC transfer that’s highly impressive. The video is brilliant and bright, creating colorful images on the screen. The varieties of hues that are used throughout the feature really look spectacular in HD. Also, the black levels are very deep and there’s not any noticeable crushing in the transfer. The images are clear and artifact free but the animation itself is somewhat choppy. With that being the only negative, Marvel really took advantage of the blu-ray format in maximizing the picture quality.
The audio mix is a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and it sounds amazing. The audio is crisp and all of the intricacies are present. Everything such as the dialogue, music and effects are balanced so well. The LFE is rich and heavy, making the effects earth shattering. Especially with the Hulk smashing things during the whole feature, the subwoofer never gets a chance to relax. Another plus is there is plenty of sound in the rear of the home theater, creating a lively mix. The use of all the channels makes the directionality smooth and seamless. It’s a flawless mix
The supplements are a little light but appropriate for the release. Kids aren’t usually interested in bonus features unless it’s a game but the Marvel Mash-ups are absolutely for the younger viewers.
Supplements
- Marvel team up: Ryan Penagos and Joe Quesada – This featurette is a little sit down with Penagos and Quesada, who is the chief creative officer for Marvel Entertainment.
- Marvel mash ups – These are the same mash-ups that can be seen on Disney XD and they’re parody shorts made from the old Iron Man and Hulk cartoons. They can be watched on the disc as a bonus or they’re what are being shown during the pause menu.
- Previews – These are previews for upcoming theatrical and home releases. They include Disney’s Frozen, The Jungle Book Blu-ray Diamond Edition, Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, and Hulk: Agents of S.M.A.S.H! Only on Disney XD.
Edition Ratings
Rated PG
Disc Details
1 blu-ray
1 DVD
iTunes Digital Copy included
slip cover
Limited time offer for Iron Man Mini-Mates
Video Resolution
1080p MPEG-4 AVC
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
English
English SDH
French
Spanish
When it comes down to it, the release is completely targeted at a younger audience that watches Disney XD. The coloring and the style of the animation looks incredible and there’s a solid audio mix. Being someone that watches a lot of animated shows and movies, I, unfortunately, find the animation to be a bit choppy. It feels like a collection of cut scenes from a video game meshed together to make a feature length movie. Even though this may not be one for the die-hard comic book fan, it’s a good pick up for the kids.
