Movie Review - All Star Superman

All-Star Superman

2011

DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Premiere : Warner Home Video

8 / 10

This is probably the best adaptation of a comic book to date.  Director Sam Liu and writer Dwayne McDuffie take the best elements of Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly's graphic novel from the story, feel, and pace and bring them to the screen expertly with the help of the animators and the vocal talents of the actors.

The animation is up to the high standard of the Warner Bros. Animation but I cannot help but wish that the studio would catch up to the way that the comics are now being rendered in high intensive colours and shading.  This would just add that extra oomph to the movie.  They've done a good job of bringing Quietly's artwork to life.  Their Superman is of the same mountainous physique as Quietly's but it's the subtleties of his artwork that add a depth of warm feeling adding to the reader's enjoyment.

That's about all I could find wrong with it.  James Denton does a wonderful job of adding warmth and feeling to the man of steel in his final days.  While Anthony LaPaglia adds a cool and calculating air to Lex Luthor.  Edward Asner is perfect as Perry White.

The only reason this didn't make a full 10/10 is because it isn't the best Superman story, it's good, though I did have issues with it, such as the Sampson character and his sidekick which turns up.  I found this to be an annoying and pretty irrelevant section and I still feel the same way after seeing it in the movie.  I've never been able to understand why Morrison chose this character when there were so many others to choose from.

If you've read the graphic novel you don't need to see the movie, though you should enjoy it.  If you haven't read the novel then check out the film if you like superheroes or animations, then read the novel, it's better.

Movie Review - Justice League: Doom

Justice League

Doom

2012

DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Animation / Warner Premiere : Warner Home Video

9.25 / 10

This has to one of the best DC Stories of all time as it shows the Justice League has faults.

Here we have the ultimate bad guy Vandal Savage recruiting his crime syndicate to help him with his plan to defeat the Justice League so he can reign over the human race.  So who will help him to defeat the superhero team?

None other than Batman.

The story helps to give depth to The Batman as he's devised strategies to render the other members of the Justice League powerless, should they end up on the dark side, this is how far ahead the Dark Knight thinks.

The story is strong as DeWayne McDuffie has done a great adaptation of the comic book and Lauren Montgomery directs it just as strongly, keeping the pace fast and entertaining while allowing the characters to shine.

To be honest, there's not much wrong with this film.  I love the fact they decided to go with the known voices of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tim Daly as Superman, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern, who are the voices of the main characters who had their own series, then the rest of the voices are the actors from the original Justice League series; Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Carl Lumbly as The Martian Manhunter, and Michael Rosenbaum as The Flash, so right from the get-go you're in familiar territory.  This is one of the reasons the movie is so good.

If you like the DC Superhero's then this is one film you need to watch.

  

Movie Review - Justice League: War

Justice League

War

2014

DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Animation / DC Comics : Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group / Warner Home Video

7.5 / 10

This is a strange little film in the fact that it has so much wrong with it... but it also has so much right.

So what's wrong?

Batman's voice.  There's just no conviction, power, or menace in it.  This is one of The Bat's main features, other than his lack of super powers.  It's one of the main talking points when a new Batman a character is cast.  Everybody loves Kevin Conroy from The Animated Series, I really liked Anthony Ruivivar in Beware The Batman (it has the best vocal talents of the Batman series), now Will Arnet has done a brilliant job in The Lego Batman Movie.  Unfortunately, Jason O'Mara doesn't do the character justice.

Cyborg's origin.  Though it follows the lines it's blue goo which I didn't like as it took the blame off his father, Silas Stone creating The Cyborg out of his dying son.  This made Victor Stone more a casualty of Darkseid's attack rather than the love of an estranged father.

The appearance of Shazam, who wasn't in the original story.  The choice to use Shazam instead of Aquaman, in my eyes, was not a good one.  Aquaman was instrumental in the defeat of Darkseid and his Parademons. There's also the brilliant scene when he has the whales and sharks erupt out of the ocean to devour the Parademons.

The Parademons.  I really do like the original design, the ones in the movie are too bulky and appear to be more machine than living entity.

What's right with the film?

The Green Lantern, voiced brilliantly by Justin Kirk, has the right amount of bravado and ego and his relationship with The Batman and The Flash helps to give the movie more power and a sense of humour.

Christopher Gorham does a great job of voicing The Flash and adds the joy and wonder that the character exudes in the comic.

Wonder Woman, though you don't know her origin story for the New 52 in the movie this could make her strong character feel a little strange, to begin with as she's like a child in a toy shop... if you knew that she's new to the real world after leaving Themiscyra would've helped there - however it's this scene which gives the character heart but as soon as the Parademons attack, her sword starts swinging and the no-nonsense female warrior we know and love come to the fore, and Michelle Monaghan who does a great job at voicing all aspects of the character.

Though the thing that really makes this film work is the story and the action, for which Director Jay Oliva does a great job.

These elements nullify the bad ones make the film enjoyable and watchable, though it isn't the best of the Justice League films.  Still worth a watch though.