Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 1st, 2021
Superman: The Animated Series was partly made in the same fashion as the massively popular Batman: The Animated Series. The tone was a little more serious, and the stakes were raised in order to create a sense that Superman might just have met his match. It was first produced in 1996 and made 54 episodes through the year 2000. The show received high praise for raising the bar but at the same time keeping what was important to the mythos of Superman. In fact, it even received a nomination for an Emmy. Besides Smallville, this probably stands out as the best television adaption of the one known as Superman, the Last Son of Krypton and hero to the planet Earth (and beyond).
(Summaries taken from previous DVD review; the rest applies to the new Blu-ray version)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on October 28th, 2021
“How many people? Husbands, wives, and children, will you kill for peace, Clark?”
Needless to say, when Superman goes bad, it’s a bloodbath. And not just civilians, but heroes as well, as the Justice League is divided, and several are killed in what becomes a civil war between Superman and Batman. When the Joker tricks him into murdering the love of his life, Superman breaks his most solemn vow in pursuit of what he believes to be justice, and this act sends shockwaves throughout the world. Batman, Superman’s most trusted ally, finds himself in the impossible position of having to stand oppose the hero, as Superman proceeds to impose his will on mankind in order to keep them safe. All in the name of justice, or is it Injustice? This 43rd installment in the DC Animated Universe is based on the popular video the popular 2013 video game of the same name, which takes place in a separate continuity from the main DC Universe. Justin Hartley takes quite a step up in his return to the world of DC movies, going from portraying Green Arrow in television series Smallville to voicing Superman for this animated film. He is in good company, as he is joined by Anson Mount, voicing Batman, as well as Edwin Hodge, Oliver Hudson, Gillian Jacobs, and Anika Noni Rose.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Jeremy Butler on September 9th, 2021
It would seem that the animated film and the 2021 live-action film suffer from the same issue: more time is dedicated to setting up the tournament than the actual tournament itself. I suppose I should take solace in the fact that the two are consistent; however, I’m afraid that is not the case for me. I would have much preferred that proper time be allocated to what is supposed to be the main plot of the film. The whole point of this franchise is to show champions fighting to protect the Earth realm, but it would seem that more time is shown depicting the underhandedness that the other realms attempt to use in order to secure Earth realm by other means. If that was the case, hell, why even have a tournament, if our fate is going to be decided through other measures. OK, that is my little rant about the film, but in truth, it is not a great film, but I wouldn’t go so far as to categorize it as terrible one. There are a few things to enjoy about it. Want to know more? Keep reading.
So the film maintains a good measure of continuity with its preceding film (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge). Following Earth triumph, there should have been peace, but of course that wouldn’t make for a good movie. So to resolve this disharmony, we are thrown back into the thick of it. Basically, Shao Kahn, as expected, is a sore loser about losing the tournament, so he declares war on Earth realm. He sends his Outworld army to take the Earth realm by force. Also as expected, Earth’s champions rise up to defend humanity. Though initially succeeding in holding back the forces of Outworld, Lord Raiden agrees to Shao Kahn’s demand that another Mortal Kombat be held in order to determine the fate of Earth realm once and for all.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 1st, 2021
When I was in grade school, I remember reading High King, the fifth book in the Prydain Chronicles, as part of a reading assignment (since it was a Newbery Award winner). I also at some point watched Black Cauldron in my youth, but I'm pretty sure it was on a crummy VHS tape. Anyhow, many years later, with an old friend, I was gifted a treasured copy of Prydain Chronicles (all five books in a hardback format). Being much older, I took the time to read the entire hardback collection, and ever since then I've been tracking down related items including the Black Cauldron movie from Disney to revisit. It might not be the wonderful series of books, but it's still an excellent movie on its own accord. Let's explore the recent release from the Disney Movie Club.
In the mystic land of Prydain, there was once a king so evil and cruel that even the gods feared him. He was imprisoned in a crucible of molten iron since no prison could hold him. His demonic spirit was harnessed in the form of a great black cauldron. That Black Cauldron lay hidden while evil men tried to find it. The one man who did would be able to harness a power to resurrect an evil army which would then rule the world.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 18th, 2021
It started in 2013 with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. DC decided to follow the Marvel MCU model and release a series of DC property films in a 16-film phase that ended last year with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. After 16 films with a couple of branch-offs, that phase/story has come to a close, and a new phase begins with Justice Society: World War II. The stories were pretty much based on the New 52 reboot of the DC comics universe. There have been some exceptional films in the series and a couple of duds. The animation styles varied and conformed to the type of story being told. With the release of Justice Society: World War II we enter a new phase, and so far the theme or source of the new films hasn't been revealed. We know the next two films will be based on the Batman: The Long Halloween comic. After that it appears the DC folks' lips are sealed. While that two-part adventure looks quite enticing, the new series of films opens with a very average entry.
The film begins with President Franklin D. Roosevelt being briefed on a secret Nazi project. This is going to tempt you to fetch your Indiana Jones fedora and whip. You see, this secret Nazi project has Hitler sending teams out to look for "magical" or supernatural objects to help him win World War II. The film presentation gives us an idea of the kinds of artifacts the project is seeking, including... wait for it ... the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. No sign of Harrison Ford. FDR is also briefed on a special project the Allies are running. It's a group of superheroes who have been gathered to fight for the Allies. The group is led by Wonder Woman, voiced by Law & Order: SVU's Stana Katic with a rather humorous Russian accent. The team also includes Hawkman, voiced by Omid Abtahi, Hourman, voiced by Matthew Mercer, Jay Garrick's Flash, voiced by Armen Taylor, Black Canary, voiced by Elysia Rotaru, and Wonder Woman's main squeeze, Steve Trevor, voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos. We get to see them kick a little Nazi behind before we jump to the present where Barry Allan's Flash, voiced by Matt Bomer is helping Superman, voiced by Darren Criss, beat up on Brainiac, voiced by Darin De Paul. This is all pre-Justice League, and they go out of their way to let you know that this team-up is really something new. Barry tries to protect Superman from a Kryptonite projectile when he is suddenly thrown back in time and ends up on a World War II battlefield.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on March 29th, 2021
A year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to review a limited edition of Spirited Away, which was one of the pinnacles of Studio Ghibli animation, a film where the animation, story, and music were so well done that it warranted repeat viewings in appreciation. So, when I received today's movie for reviewing and it boasted the same production house as Spirited Away, well, then my curiosity is certainly awakened. But if I learned anything from other famous franchises, production is nothing without a good story and direction. Let's see how Earwig and the Witch turns out.
A red-haired woman (voiced by Sherina Munaf/Kacey Musgraves) is riding a motorcycle on a busy highway. All of a sudden, a car speeds up behind her. She proceeds to go faster; the other car keeps up as well. They are weaving in and out of traffic, and then suddenly the car behind her comes alive with a full set of teeth. The woman takes a couple of locks of red hair and transforms them magically into worms as she throws it at the car and is able to find her way out of the situation.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 9th, 2021
They say that timing is everything. When Dreamworks released The Croods back in 2013, it performed rather nicely both at the box office and on home video. The combined take brought the studio over a billion dollars and a bit of a comeback for their animated studio branch. It appeared to be the anchor for a new franchise that could hold its own against such juggernauts as Ice Age, Shrek, and pretty much anything Pixar puts out. I expected there to be a follow-up, but I didn't expect it to take over seven years. Kids have relatively short attention spans, and sequels really need to strike while the box-office iron is hot. That wasn't the case here. I'm not sure what the holdup might have been. The project was quickly greenlit by Dreamworks, and we should have seen something in a couple of years at the longest. Instead it took the better part of a decade, and the film faced a double whammy when it finally was ready for release. Of course, no one could have predicted the last year with its closed-down theatres and worldwide panic. The film just didn't have a chance to bring in anything close to what the original took. Now it's out on home video, which hasn't been hit quite so hard by the pandemic. It's a chance for the franchise to find some legs and allow for the chance that there will be more.
The film finds the Guy (Reynolds) pretty much becoming a part of the Croods’ family. It's a bit of an irritation to patriarch Grug (Cage), who doesn't appreciate that his daughter Eep (Stone) has become quite close to the newcomer, and fears the family will fall apart if the two youngsters decide to leave and venture off on their own. It's pretty much the same emotion most modern fathers get when the boys start to show interest in their daughters, and worse yet, when their daughters start showing an interest in the guys. That's the dynamic within the family when they come upon a huge obstacle in their path in the form of a gate, the likes of which they have not encountered before. A series of pratfalls finds the family inside what was believed to be an impregnable barrier where another family resides in a world that is paradise. There is plenty of food and water. There are no dangerous animals trying to eat them, and this land of milk and honey appears to extend out forever. And in control of this new world are the Bettermans. Phil (Dinklage) is the father and patriarch here. Hope (Mann) is the mother, and there's teen daughter Dawn (Tran). The Croods are mesmerized by their massive treehouse and abundant resources. Of course Grug feels threatened by it all. He sees his family tempted by this new life and sees the family traditions lost forever. Instead of sleeping in a giant pile, they have their own bedrooms. It appears the Bettermans have it all, but there's one Eden-like taboo. You can't eat any of the plentiful bananas. Just the kind of restriction that Grug is going to rebel against. So he eats ALL of the bananas and is told later that they appease a terrifying creature that leaves them in peace in exchange for the fruit. Yes, it's King Kong being told here, and with predictable results. The story leads to a moral of family, and for Grug, the ability to let go, at least a little bit.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2021
"The door to destiny is always open, for those who are brave enough. Now shut the door before you let the heat out!"
Cartoons are now called animated features, and just like the comic books that provide the source material for these DC Universe animated features, they haven't been for children since the 1970's. The latest and 40th entry into this animated series is Batman: Soul Of The Dragon. It's rated R, which means some pretty rough language and a few surprisingly chilling scenes. So while the film itself will bring you back to the 1970's in so many ways, this is strictly a modern-day animated film inspired by more modern-day comics. Most of these features are based on established comic story arcs, but this one is completely original, even if it borrows heavily from many sources including more recent Batman adventures. If you are old enough to remember many of the iconic elements of the 70's, this film is for you. And that means you ain't no stinkin' child.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 16th, 2020
"Look up in the sky..."
He's pretty much the oldest of the comic book superheroes still fighting for truth, justice and the American way. Sure, Superman has changed quite a bit over the years. From the black and white George Reeves television series and the early 1940's cartoons to several film versions over the years, Superman has been an American icon since the 1930's. With the series of DC animated features, we have seen many of the modern incarnations of the Man of Steel. But this time Warner Brothers and DC took a step back from their ambitious ongoing stories to give fans a little bit of nostalgia and a look back to some of the earliest days of Superman. It has quickly become one of my favorite of this series, and I think you're in for a treat. This one is for the fan who is still a kid, if not in body, then in heart. And while the story might be somewhat "old school", you get to take advantage of the best of 21st century technology at the same time as Warner Brothers delivers Superman: Man Of Tomorrow on UHD in 4K.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 29th, 2020
"Everyone in this country is getting dumber, and I wish marijuana was illegal again!"
If anything can push the weed cause back 20 years, it's Tegridy Farms. South Park starts its 23rd season with a bit of a new twist on things. For the entire first half of the season, the opening credits change to make it look like a Tegridy Farms show. It's cute and funny for like the first three minutes. I was sick of the concept already last season. So for the first half of Season 23, you're going down to Tegridy farms. In fact it's only the 10th season where the credits and show come close to returning to normal. After Tegridy Farms, there's PC Babies, which actually made me pine for Tegridy Farms for a few minutes. The season sees a few highs, and I don't mean in Randy March's pot farm. Mostly the boys appeared to coast this season, and with a new 3-year deal in place to keep South Park airing into its 26th season, I hope the coast was merely a break so that everyone could catch their wind just a little bit.
