Animated Reviews – DCs Earth-9

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis Review

For this animated movie we head to the seas and meet Arthur Curry who is down and out while mourning the loss of his Dad. This film should be used as a template for origin films. It was so much fun, so entertaining and what I appreciated the most is that as someone who hasn’t ever really been that interested in Aquaman as a character, it changed my perspective.

Throne of Atlantis takes place after the affects of Justice League: War and there’s commotion in the ocean as Prince Orm (Ocean Master) believes they have been attacked by land dwellers. He teams up with Black Manta to over throw Queen Atlantis but perhaps takes things a little too far. One thing I always appreciate about these DC animated films is how the animation, story telling and actors come together so well and once again there’s some perfect casting with Sam Witwer and Henry Lennix as Orm and Manta. The two of them together make a great double act.

As soon as Arthur meets Mera you can feel the spark. Their connection is instantaneous and this film does a brilliant job in conveying this really subtly. Matt Lanter and Sumalee Montano inject these characters with loads of personality and allow them to become people you connect with and care about. Arthur’s journey is pretty similar to Jason Mamoa’s live action version but the biggest difference is that both his parents are dead. The fact that he was minutes away from meeting his Mum properly for the first time really saddened me. Portraying just how strong and powerful he is and how awesome his trident is, makes you take him seriously which may not have always been the case and now I’m on a mission to read more about him.

As always, I love having the other Justice League members along for the ride. They’re just finding their feet as a team, avoiding bad team name choices and making connections with each other. Superman and Wonder Woman particularly make a strong connection which again follows on from what we saw at the end of Justice League: War. I loved the scene with Lois crashing their date and the under tones of jealousy both these women have towards each other. The other stand out character for me was Green Lantern and Nathan Fillion wonderfully breathes so much fun and humour into him.

Throne of Atlantis really is a superb DC film which brings Aquaman to the forefront and shows him off fabulously. I genuinely can’t think of a reason why anyone wouldn’t love this.

Animated Reviews, DC Animated Movies

Son Of Batman Review

There’s an extension to the bat family in this animated movie as Bruce Wayne meets his secret son. Damian has already lucked out in the gene pool and he follows quite the legacy. With Batman as his biological father, and Talia al Ghul his Mim and in turn, R’as al Ghul being his grandfather you’d be forgiven for assuming his life would go down a certain route.

Of all the DC animated movies I’ve watched this would probably rank as last place on my list. That doesn’t mean it’s terrible but I felt like it just didn’t reach its full potential. I enjoy The League of Assassins but they didn’t come across as the huge threat they pose to be. Talia was highly sexualised and while of course its completely plausible there’s more sides to her character than just being kick ass, seeing her go all Jessica Rabbit kind of took away from her character. I felt like there were issues with the dialogue which at times made the movie seem unpolished. Lastly, Damian just comes across as hugely unlikeable. A pompous brat in fact. We often like characters who are villainous and do bad things but with Damian there just didn’t seem to be any redeeming qualities. I couldn’t help but just feel annoyed every time he was on screen.

Having said all that there were also many good things about this. The bat suit and batmobile had a real classic look which drew me back to my childhood and a Batman I’m very familiar with. I think Jason O’Mara does an ace job in bringing Batman to life once again. Alfred was pure joy and delivered many one liners which were pretty funny. I’d have to actually say this would be one of my favourite appearances from Alfred. Nightwing featured in the movie and who doesn’t love seeing Dick Grayson!! I also really enjoyed Deathstroke and his part kind of served as an introduction to him without giving us a huge backstory.

While Son of Batman isn’t the strongest DC movie out there it’s still worth a watch and hopefully serves as a set up for greater stories to come.

Animated Reviews, DC Animated Movies

Justice League: War Review

Based on the Justice League Origin comic, this film introduces us to The Justice League in quite a spectacular way. This is 79 mins of non stop action as we see some of our favourite DC heroes meet each other for the very first time, take on a huge villain and eventually come together as a team.

As the film starts we discover that this is set in a period of time where heroes are just surfacing and the general public are not keen on them at all. After a few sightings in public they think Batman is an evil vampire and as Wonder Woman takes a more public stance, she’s labelled a whore and bimbo. What I enjoyed most about this was the interactions between all of these great characters. Most of them do not like each other to start with and they don’t realise that they shouldn’t be fighting each other as they actually have a common goal. Each character’s skill set is really shown off which serves as a great introduction to viewers who aren’t so familiar with them.

I really felt like I was watching a comic brought to life as the animation style is visually pleasing. Add this to some really great talent from actors like Sean Astin, Jason O’Mara, Michelle Monoghan and Shemar Moore, it s a winning combination. Shemar does a great job in portraying Cyborg’s origin story and the complexity of Victor’s relationship with his Dad gives the film some heart. Darkseid acts as the big bad in this and whilst he looks completely grimacing and indestructible, Steve Blum’s vocals make him appear even more threatening.

You instantly feel the connection between Superman and Batman and tracks are laid for a more interesting relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman (much to the upset of Steve Trevor). Whilst Cyborg is quite intense, The Flash, Shazam and Green Lantern provide some humour and light relief. Justin Kirk gives us a Green Lantern comparable with what we saw from Ryan Reynolds. It was also interesting to have some pop culture thrown in for laughs with references to things like True Blood and World of Warcraft.

Overall, Justice League: War is a really enjoyable animated movie which made me want to watch the next one straight away. It uses a fantastic villain to bring together a group of superheroes who figure out a way to use their awesome powers together and save the world. I loved it.

Animated Reviews, DC Animated Movies

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Review

Let’s rewind to 2013 and talk about an incredible DC animated movie. Flashpoint is probably The Flash’s most well known storyline and this movie is packed full of action as we witness Barry Allen thrown into an alternative world.

Causing a shift in the timeline by saving his Mum, Barry finds himself living in a reality where Nora West really is still alive but nothing is the same. The Flash doesn’t exist here and Iris doesn’t even know who Barry is. The Flashpoint Paradox throws you straight into the plot with a small introduction of what should have happened before we see the repercussions of Barry’s actions.

In a world where there is a full out war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman, it’s the first appearance of Batman which makes you realise something is not right. His physique, his costume and especially his eyes are all different and that’s before you see the change in his attitude as he’s clearly alright with killing. It was the reveal of Thomas Wayne being Batman in this version of reality that gave me the highlight of the movie as a flashback reveals that Bruce was killed in the alleyway that night and it was haunting seeing Martha Wayne go insane with grief and realising what she goes on to become.

Take everything you know about your favourite DC characters and forget it because in Flashpoint everyone is different. Heroes are villains and villains are trying to restore peace around the world. Speaking of villains, Eobard Thawne as Reverse Flash is portrayed so fantastically as knowing all of Barry’s weaknesses and how to use them to break him down. You’ll also be shocked when you see Superman. Whilst this would be a great starting point for people wanting to explore the world of DC, this story would have much less of an impact if you don’t already have knowledge of the more well known characters at least. Billed as a Justice League movie, The Flash definitely takes the lead and we are shown the more intricate workings of Barry Allen and what drives him.

The anime styled visuals really pay off and at times some scenes are so brutal. Some shots look like they’re taken right out of a comic. I think this makes it more appealing to an adult audience rather than young kids and a sex scene between Diana and Arthur and the tragedy it leads to proves that further. Some great vocal talent really help bring these characters to life and allow you to become immersed in this crazy, alternative world.

The Flashpoint Paradox is a lot of fun. What I love most about it is the ‘what if’ aspect. What if these heroes were not here to do good and what could happen if they used their incredible abilities for bad rather than good? That’s something that made the movie Brightburn so brilliant too. The butterfly effect is in full force as the story’s overarching message plays out. We have to learn to accept the things we cannot change and even if we are given the chance to change the past, the long lasting effect could be even worse.

Animated Reviews, Batman Beyond

Batman Beyond – S1 Ep4 – Golem Review

In this episode we have the classic tale of the bullied school nerd being given the opportunity for revenge and eventually going crazy with power.

There are a few events which lead to Willie Watt taking to the dark side. Rejection from his school boy crush Blade, being picked on by school bully, Nash and being antagonised by his Dad all add up to his anger. He steals a robot from his Dad’s work called The Golem which he can control by using a visor and first on his agenda is to hit Nash right where it hurts. His car!!

I really enjoyed this episode and it’s definitely the best so far. Subtle elements remind you that this is set in the future and I appreciate how these things aren’t thrown at you. It’s all very natural. We also see more of Terry’s personality and private life in this too which is important in us building a connection with his character. Even though they’re not friends, Terry springs to Willie’s defence several times which was nice to see. I feel like we are seeing Terry gain more control over his Bat-abilities too which again is portrayed subtly which doesn’t give you the repetition of watching someone’s ‘journey’.

As Willie increasingly gains control over The Golem he becomes another great villain introduced in the series. I must also mention that I loved the additional vocal talent of Seth Green as Nash and Scott McAfee as Willie for this episode. I’m quickly learning that this show is not going to disappoint!