Justice League Unlimited - Season Two (DC Comics Classic Collection) (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Several SPOILERS here.
Well, the ride had to end sometime. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is the culminating season to this excellent animated series and serves to put a capper on the DC Animated Universe, which consists of BATMAN: T.A.S., SUPERMAN: T.A.S., BATMAN BEYOND, STATIC SHOCK, and ZETA PROJECT. While the current THE BATMAN and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES continue the tradition somewhat, these new shows do not follow the same continuity.
This "second" season is, technically, the third season of JLU (or, even more comprehensively, the fifth season of JUSTICE LEAGUE) as JLU's "first" season dvd set actually contains Seasons 1 and 2. Hopefully, that wasn't too confusing to follow. Anyway, this dvd set offers the final 13 episodes in glorious wide screen and continues to showcase lesser lights from its expanded superhero roster (Hawkman in two episodes, the Warlord, Deadman, Green Arrow, the Huntress, etc.) as they are teamed up with several of the original seven founders.
Several episodes pay homage to CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERFRIENDS by updating the Legion of Doom, a haphazard collection of supervillains put together to combat the JLU, which then becomes the season's major story arc. Yes, there's even a Hall of Doom here. And, when we aren't privy to Gorilla Grodd and Lex Luthor engaging in power plays as they vie for the leadership of the Legion, we get to see highly diverting, self-contained episodes such as "Chaos at the Earth's Core" (I used to collect the Warlord), "Flash and Substance" (featuring a Bats/Flash team-up), "Patriot Act" (which salutes the Seven Soldiers of Victory and, in a way, resuscitates the defunct Cadmus Project), and "Far from Home" (on her 21st birthday, Supergirl, with GL and Green Arrow are transported to the 31st Century and meet the Legion of Super-Heroes).
Meanwhile, the superb "The Great Brain Robbery" (which has Luthor and Wally swapping minds) is a favorite Legion of Doom episode of mine. The Legion of Doom storyline, by the way, climaxes with the last two episodes, "Alive" and "Destroyer," as the writers throw out all the stops and bring back powerhouse villains Brainiac and Darkseid. By the way, the monumental clash between Superman and Darkseid is a must-see.
In my opinion, there isn't a lot of bad moments in this season (or in the entire series, come to think of it). Like a reviewer already mentioned, the disappearance of the Martian Manhunter for a significant portion of the season and the somewhat inconclusive resolution to Shayera and GL's often turbulent relationship are two which fall more in the negative category. And whatever happened with Batman and Wonder Woman's flirtations? Also, I wish the Blue Devil or Blue Beetle had been featured in a show (after all, Ted Kord's best bud, Booster Gold, starred in his own episode). On the positive side, the stories and the animation continue to be amazing. The stellar voice actors maintain their high quality work as they consistently add depth and resonance to their characters. Much as the Batman, as voiced by the iconic Kevin Conroy, and the Joker, by the versatile Mark Hamill, have been firmly embedded in my brain, so, too, now, are Michael Rosenbaum's Flash, Phil LaMarr's Jon Stewart, Maria Canal's Hawkgirl, Carl Lumbly's J'onn J'onzz, Susan Eisenberg's Wonder Woman, and Clancy Brown's Lex Luthor. George Newbern ends up being pretty good as the Man of Steel, but I still prefer Tim Daly. Sorry.
What started out, innocently enough, in 1992's definitive BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES has, over the course of 14 years, expanded into an animated universe in which so many significant DC costumed players have made an appearance. It's been such a sweet ride. I just want to state that never in my wildest dreams did I expect the JUSTICE LEAGUE (UNLIMITED) to be this good and this addictive. Thinking back, I probably was basing my expectations on the fun but ultimately shallow and juvenile Hanna-Barbera's SUPERFRIENDS. This current reincarnation offers so much more in terms of depth, emotion, story, scope, and creativity. The characters in JL and JLU are multi-layered, have inter-personal exchanges and conflicts, and do change and grow like real people (Hawkgirl being a prime example); the writers (Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, etc.) did such a fantastic job of making the viewers care for their product, the sum of 91 sincerely produced episodes. I'll miss the Justice League on television very, very much. Just thank goodness for dvds, huh?

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Green Lantern: First Flight (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Green Lantern: First Flight is an awesome film. It doesn't waste a lot of time on the origin (which takes place in the first few minutes) and heads straight to the action. Some people might see this as detrimental, but I like how the DC animated projects a lot of the time will just assume that you know the basics of what is going on. It saves a lot of time and allows the movie to start getting to the point.
First off, I was surprised at how brutal some of the violence was for this cartoon. I know that these releases are not necessarily tailor-made for children, but this is no JLU episode. People are impaled, shot, torn through walls into the vacuum of space, and there is pretty much non-stop fighting through most of the 120 minutes. I don't have any problem with that, but it might not be to everyone's liking.
Plot-wise, it's not Shakespeare, but we are talking about an action cartoon here. There is a hero, a villain and lots of cool use of the Green Lantern rings. Those were the only prerequisites I was looking for going in to this thing, and I was not disappointed.
The voice cast did a great job as well. If there is one thing that DC always does right, it is casting their voices. Michael Madsen as Kilowog was my personal favorite. Too bad he didn't have more voice time.
This might possibly be my favorite DVD project of theirs, which is saying a lot considering the fantastic Wonder Woman, New Frontier, and Gotham Knight DVD films. I sincerely hope they continue putting out quality releases like this one.

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Batman Beyond: Season Three (DC Comics Classic Collection) (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)The third, and last, season of Batman Beyond was a big step above the decline in quality that was found in the sub-par second season of the animated series, and thank God (or Paul Dini and Bruce Timm) for that. As the third season begins, Terry McGinnis (voiced by Will Friedle) has his hands full as the Batman of the future as old villains Ink, Zeta, and the Royal Flush Gang return. It gets better though, as Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, returns and makes a stunning offer to the aging Bruce Wayne, with huge results and an even bigger twist. This episode is worth picking this DVD collection up for alone as we get to see Bruce and Terry side by side fighting. It gets better with the two-parter "The Call", as Terry gets the call of a lifetime from Superman (given a great new futuristic look) to join the Justice League in an effort to uncover a traitor, with even more shocking results! Batman also takes on Big Time, a former friend from Terry's past, and then goes toe to toe with KOBRA. Sadly though, the series comes to an end with these episodes, but there would be more Batman Beyond. The Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (the director's cut that is) was an excellent film which saw the return of Batman's greatest enemy, and as a previous reviewer already mentioned, we would see an older Terry in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue" in which Terry learns a shocking secret about his real origins (and yes, it would have been oh so nice if that episode was included in this et, because that is the true end of the series). That aside, the third season of Batman Beyond is a fantastic pick up for fans of the series or Batman in general, and if you've never seen "Epilogue", you should pick up the first season of Justice League Unlimited for that alone.

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As the new Batman, Terry has all the high-tech gear and gadgets he needs, plus Bruce Wayne's research skills and instincts. Season Three became the final season for the series, as Terry joined forces with the JLU (Justice League Unlimited) The series ended with the episode "Unmasked" which told the story of one of Terry's first missions under the cowl. Experience all the suspense and excitement of the final 13 gripping adventures in a 2-disc collection featuring the fiendish villains of the city's gritty future -- and the one hero who can stop them! DVD Features:Interviews:"Close-Up On" -- Sit down with the creative minds behind BATMAN BEYOND as they discuss their favorite moments from key episodes of the series final season: "Out of the Past"; "The Call, Part 1"; "The Call, Part 2"; "The Curse of Kobra, Part 1"Other:"Inside Batman Beyond: Volume 3'- Join the producers of BATMAN BEYOND (Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini & Glen Murakami) and moderator Jason Hillhouse for the last installment of their in-depth panel discussion, focusing on the spectacular final season of the superhero series.

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Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part One Review

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(More customer reviews)My review will cover two parts. First let's talk about the show. When I first heard about it, I had my doubts. I grew up on the great "Batman: The Animated Series" and loved "The Batman," especially at the end. But when this came out I first thought they had ran out of ideas for Batman. I was wrong, it mixes action like from the last two shows and adds in humor in such a perfect amount for Batman that it comes off as enjoyable instead of cheesy.
Now as for the release. I agree with everyone else here, this should be the FULL season one. I hate when the studio release half a season of a show. Disney did it with "Gargoyles: Season Two," and Warner has done it with "The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest: Season One, both of which may never see the rest of their season on DVD. Warner has also done it with other shows like "Tiny Toons"and "Smurfs." Is it a cheep underhand move to try and force the consumer to fork over more money then they would for releasing these seasons whole? Sure is. Is it right? Nope, in fact it turns consumers off. But that fact is the way these studios think, if this set does not sell, good luck seeing much more of this show on DVD, even if it is Batman. "Gargoyles" and "Real Adventures of Johnny Quest" have shown that already.
Bottom line, despite how wrong it may be, if you love this show and want to see more of it on DVD, buy this release.

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RISE OF THE BLUE BEETLE,TERROR ON DINOSAUR ISLAND,EVIL UNDER THE SEA,INVASION OF THE SECRET SANTAS,DAY OF THE DARK KNIGHT,ENTER THE OUTSIDERS,DAWN OF THE DEAD MAN,FALL OF THE BLUE BEETLE, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE BAT,EYES OF DESPERO,RETURN OF THE FEARSOME FANGS,DEEP COVER FOR BATMAN,GAME OVER FOR OWLMAN

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Wonder Woman 2009 (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Warner Bros. Premiere have been putting out DC Universe animated features revolving around the Detective Comics characters. First came Superman: Doomsday based on the record selling comic book story in which Superman is actually killed, second came Justice League: The New Frontier based on award winning graphic novel's about the earliest beginnings of the Justice League, then Batman: Gotham Knight was animated with strong anime influence and told several stories set between the two latest live action films (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). Now we can finally experience the animated DC Universe depiction of Wonder Woman's origin.
The plot is about the amazon princess Diana, on the secluded Island Themyscira, first meeting Steve Trevor, a pilot who crash lands on the island of no men. After fighting in a tournament against fellow competing amazons for the right to escort Trevor back to 'man's world' Diana dons the Wonder Woman outfit for her first time and heads on her first outing. As she tries to understand the world of man Diana must deal with the threat of God Of War Ares, who has escaped from a centuries long imprisonment and is looking to start trouble.
Voice casting includes Keri Russell (Famous for Felicity, and more recently Waitress, August Rush and Bedtime Stories) as the young Wonder Woman. Nathan Fillion (co-starred with Russell in Waitress) as Steve Trevor. Alfred Molina (Doc Oc in Spider-man 2) as God Of War Ares, Virigina Madsen (Co-star of Jim Carrey in Number 23) as Diana's mother Queen Hippolyta and Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds with Will Smith) as Dianna's rival amazon Artemis.
There are three versions released. The Blu-Ray, the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD (with Digital Copy) and the Single Edition DVD. Features included with the Two-Disc DVD and Blu-Ray will be:
Disc 1- Commentary by the creative team, also as is customary with these releases a first look at DC/Warner's next animated feature project 'Green Lantern'.
Disc 2- 2 Documentaries- Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream, and Wonder Woman Daughter of Myth: Historical Amazon Lore and it's Evolution into the Modern Day Wonder Woman Character. Also as usual with these releases two episodes selected from the Justice League series are included as Bruce Timm's favorite picks: To Another Shore and Hawk And Dove.
The feature itself has a running time of 74 min. and is presented like the other features in widescreen format. These features are PG-13 and this one works hard to earn that rating. There are nods to adult situations (often occuring in brief passing or to provide humor) as well as alot of action scenes and killing but only a few specific uses of blood. This is not something recommended for children but is perfect for preteens and teenagers. Still parent's are capable of using their own discretion.
About the quality you can expect if you haven't seen the other recent features, DC/Warner have been delivering top notch animation on these features rivaling that of Disney's straight to DVD releases and I think this one has the best animation yet. The stories are always well written and stay true to source materials that the characters are taken from. Another thing these new features have done well is providing alot of well staged action scenes and still delivering fine moments of character development/exploration that I haven't seen since Batman The Animated Series.
This is the first solo animated feature for Wonder Woman and I feel it portrays her with the dignity DC's third biggest icon deserves and the same respect she was granted in the Justice League series, which to me is the most believably she has been depicted thus far (if only because of her lack of exposure in this medium to date). I hope there will be some sort of sequels developed for this film as it was such a good starting point for the character that it seems a shame to leave off here when she has really only just begun her role as Wonder Woman as the feature reaches it's end.
Overall the animation was spectacular, the best Warner Premiere has done yet. The story while suffering some pacing issues (to be expected in a 74 min. feature trying to tell such an epic story), was true to the character and is overall well done and enjoyable. The score was worthy of a summer blockbuster and perfectly matched the epic tone. The voice actor's were for the most part spot on and made me believe the character's and think of them as seperate entities from the actor's voicing them. There is even a fair amount of humor and a bit of a love story mixed into the plot that only adds to the viewer's enjoyment. As well the DVD has a fair amount of special features that I found enjoyable to watch. I definitely give it 5 stars on blue spandex, especially for anyone who is a fan of well depicted heroines or Wonder Woman herself. Thanks For Your Time.

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On the mystical island of Themyscira, a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons have raised a daughter of untold beauty, grace and strength Princess Diana. When an Army fighter pilot, Steve Trevor, crash-lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the god of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazonians and has decided to exact his revenge - intending to start a world war that will not only last for centuries but will wipe out every living being on the planet, starting with the Amazons! It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts and becoming the ultimate Wonder Woman!

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The Batman Superman Movie (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)This will be included on the Superman Volume 2 set from the Animated Series. So don't waste your money unless you want the special features.

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