Captain America Jr. and his pint sized pals battle Ultron to save the future of the world. Before the big showdown we first learn that the original Avengers were victorious in wiping out supervillainry worldwide.

With the, ahem, mission accomplished some Avengers members hooked up, got busy and produced heirs. Things go from serene to dismal when super-robot extraordinaire, Ultron, decides to take a crack at the heroes. I guess family life made the Avengers soft because apparently they were all defeated. Thus, Ultron was able to begin his lifelong dream of taking over the planet one piece at a time.


Iron Man VS Ultron (Gee, wonder how that ends?)

However, not all the Avengers met their demises on the battlefield. Iron Man whisks the kids away to a secret facility out of the reach of Ultron’s eyes. Now “Uncah Tony” is charged with rearing these Avenger spawn into proper adults and capable superbeings. One thing leads to another and the kids end up busted outta their haven and thrust into an adventure that could cost them their lives. How’s that for a Graduation Day?

Instead of being based on the Marvel scriptures like the previous DVD flicks “Doctor Strange” and “The Invincible Iron-Man” this newest release is virtually an original creation with a few nods to the Avengers mythos. I know continuity freaks might instinctively frown upon this. I know your pain but I encourage you to look at “Next Avengers” as an issue of “What If…?” or an alternate reality story. That mindset helped me to enjoy the movie more.

It’s really not such a bad idea. I mean, if I was a superhero and I eradicated all the evil in the world and helped usher in an era of peace & goodwill then I would probably start thinking about what to do with myself. Instead of doing reality shows, the Avengers made babies. The concept really isn’t that farfetched.

Viewers should also rest assured that this is not “Avenger Babies”. The situation is dire and the danger is quite palpable. The scenario is that Ultron has taken over the world and keeps it in his grip by possessing every piece of tech on the planet. So, yes, even your toaster could be a spy for Ultron. The human race is nearly wiped out. Most of the other heroes are dead and any survivors might as well be assumed dead. The Next Avengers are the only force that stands between Ultron and his complete domination of Earth.

Despite the youthful cast, "Next Avengers" is very similar to the style of the previous Marvel/Lionsgate features. The movie is light enough so kids don't get traumatized but heavy enough so adults don't fall asleep. If you enjoyed the other Marvel features, then "Next Avengers" should be just as entertaining.

That’s the skinny on the plot. Hopefully, I didn’t spoil too much. Now I would like to focus on the members of Next Avengers. You got James (Captain America Jr.), Torunn (Thor-ette), Azari (Black Kitten), and Pym (Giant Wasp) all living with Uncle Tony Stark.


Avengers Assembled (Just try to take their lunch money!)

James is kind of the leader with plenty of defensive and offensive battle skills. He’s got his mother’s hair (Black Widow) and his father’s shield (Captain America). Azari is the product of Black Panther and Storm. So not only can the young Wakandan prince flip around like an actual feline he can also generate electricity. Pym, son of Wasp and Hank Pym, inherited the same size altering gifts as his folks. He also acts as the team wiseguy. Oh, and the lovely Torunn, daughter of Thor. She steals every scene with her Asgardian speak and her urge to smash things.


Azari, Son of Black Panther & Storm

Okay, I must confess that as cool as the kids are they can get a bit annoying at times. One of the things that got my nerves was when one of the tykes was told not to go into a room or flip a switch and what do they do? The complete opposite. Sometimes the disobedience works in their favor but most of the time the decision gets the group into more trouble. "Do the opposite of what adults tell so you can put yourself in danger". Yeah, that's a great moral to teach the children, ha ha.

Other plot secrets include a fifth Next Avenger member and a little help from a former hero. And that’s all I’ll say on that. You’ll just have to see the movie on your own time. Sorry.


Vision (The Past) Meets Pym (The Future)

Special features include a sit down with the storytellers such as Christopher Yost and director, Jay Oliva, explaining the creative process behind “Next Avengers” and trailers for other Marvel/Lionsgate releases. The most exciting features for me were the sneak peeks at the upcoming DVD flicks “Hulk vs Wolverine” and “Hulk vs Thor”. Both projects look and sound fantastic.

“Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow” was released on 9/2. Look for it wherever DVDs are sold (or rented). For more information go straight to the source at www.lionsgate.com or www.marvelkids.com.