Cars 3

Cars 3 ~ Once you get past the truly dark first teaser trailer that led children, and some adults, to believe Lightning McQueen was dead, this isn't a bad film, and on par with other Disney Pixar flicks, unlike the other Cars sequel and spin-offs like this and this.

Cars 3 does what all good third installments of trilogies do best, it brings the story full circle, and to a lesser extent not only closes the circle but also introduces a new beginning.  As Lightning McQueen finds himself falling behind younger and faster cars with newer and higher technology after a near crippling accident in track, he trains a new contender - just as Doc Hudson, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, did for him in the first movie.

Speaking of Doc, there is wonderful use of Paul Newman's voice acting from the first movie used in flashback and memory.  It's almost as if Paul was here in this one.  Larry the Cable Guy is back as are all the regulars from the town Radiator Springs, but in greatly reduced roles.  Even Lightning's girlfriend is back, but not as his girlfriend so the story can concentrate on his trainer Cruz. 

This is a good movie, with all the proper Disney Pixar buttons for emotional targeting.  We get new characters aplenty including Armie Hammer's smug rival Jackson Storm, Lightning's smarmy new boss voiced by equally smarmy Nathan Fillion, and a killer school bus from the demolition derby.  Yeah, this one doesn't kill Lightning as the teaser suggested, but it does get dark in places. 

And there're none of those weird human dwellings in this film that made Cars 2 seem so creepy, and made me wonder what happened to the people.  I still maintain that Cars happens in the same universe as Stephen King's "Trucks," just after all the humans are gone. 

All that said, this was a good flick, and better sequel, well worth seeing. 

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis ~ Throne of Atlantis is the first sequel to Justice League: War, which in turn was a result of the New 52 continuity created by The Flashpoint Paradox.  Confused?  Don't be.  Suffice it to say, the DC Comics Universe used to be different and fun, and now it's not.  These are the adventures of what passes for the Justice League in that new world. 

This is a Justice League that doesn't get together for meetings, doesn't look like themselves from the comics (or the ones I fondly remember), and doesn't particularly even like each other - except for Superman and Wonder Woman of course, who are romantically involved.  This team dynamic is a darned shame because the cast has great chemistry.  Nathan Fillian's Green Lantern joins Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Jerry O'Connell as Superman, and Sean Astin as Shazam (who is again sadly neither the wizard nor the real Captain Marvel). 

Thankfully this is not really a story about the Justice League, but more of a(nother) retelling of Aquaman's origin, something done much better in the comics, and in the animated "Justice League" episodes "The Enemy Below."  I really didn't care for the re-jiggering of characters like Mera, Black Manta, Atlanna, and Ocean Master however.

I liked the pseudo-anime style animation and the majestic score by Frederik Wiedmann, who had previously composed for "Beware the Batman" and the much-missed "Green Lantern: The Animated Series."  But that's really about it.  Like previous entries in this new series of animated features, there's a lot of violence, both bloody and lethal, not something I watch superhero cartoons for, at least not to this extent. 

Look for a cameo by pre-Steel as John Henry Irons and a reference to "Mercy Reef," the cool Aquaman spin-off from "Smallville" that never got past the pilot stage.  Not recommended unless a hardcore fan, or you like the New 52 Justice League. 

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox ~ Flashpoint is both the last storyline of the old DC Comics universe, and the prologue to what's become known as The New 52 DC Comics universe. It's a time travel tale that centers on The Flash, alters his past and sets into motion an entirely new timeline, and not necessarily a good one. In the comics it is the fixing of this time travel tampering that creates The New 52.

I find it really odd that this would be a story the folks at DC would want to make an animated movie of. It's complex, it's confusing for newcomers, and in that the Reverse-Flash murders young Barry Allen's mother as the catalyst, and I'm not even including the bloody war between the Atlanteans and the Amazons - this is not for kids. Why this? I'm not even sure it was all that well received sales wise. Nevertheless, here we are.

The animation has a very anime feel, much like Superman Vs. The Elite, not that I mind it, but let's just say I've been spoiled by the Paul Dini DCAU. It starts with Nora Allen's murder, although we don't see it and moves to present day with a regretful Barry Allen. He's still the Flash and heads over to Flash Museum to fight a handful of Rogues.

I dug this part a lot. It made me wish for a straight Flash animated series. The scarlet speedster takes on Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, surprisingly The Top, and of course the original Reverse-Flash. Some of the costumes are tweaked a bit, I hate Mirror Master's chunky suit, but the rest are cool. Look close and have a finger on your pause button and you'll see Inertia. Too bad the Justice League had to show up.

The voice casting is classic, some of it dating back to the Dini days. Kevin Conroy returns as Batman; Hynden Walch, the voice of Harley Quinn, plays Yo-Yo, her new timeline alternate; Dana Delany reprises Lois Lane; and Nathan Fillion plays Hal Jordan again. Also on tap this time are Ron Perlman as Deathstroke, Cary Elwes as Aquaman, Kevin McKidd as 'Batdad,' and C. Thomas Howell as Professor Zoom. Starring as Flash/Barry Allen is Justin Chambers from "Grey's Anatomy."

While it is a bit violent for my tastes and it gets a bit tedious toward the middle (obviously from trying to squeeze in ever detail from the comics), all in all, it's not bad. The beginning in the Flash Museum and the end in the Batcave are my favorite parts. And while it is not said aloud, the Batman and Flash seen at the end are The New 52 versions, which marks the division for later animated movies to come. The New 52 is now the status quo for the DCAU.

Justice League Doom

Justice League Doom ~ This straight-to-DVD animated movie is the latest and quite possibly the final chapter in the "Justice League" series. With the death of guiding force Dwayne McDuffie, the Animated DC Universe that began with "Batman The Animated Series" in the early 1990s may be drawing to a close. If nothing else, it's the most recent reunion of the voice cast we all know and love.

This edition, based on the comic story "Tower of Babel" by Mark Waid, is a good note to end on, as it's one of the League's greatest adventures, and this animated version also includes a new version of the Legion of Doom, bringing things full circle in several ways. McDuffie takes Waid's tale of Batman at his most paranoid - building a contingency plan should the League go rogue which of course the bad guys get hold of, and spins it with the magic of the old animated series.

The new Legion of Doom, led by Vandal Savage holds few surprises - Metallo, Cheetah, Star Sapphire, but a new Mirror Master and especially Ma'alefa'ak are surprises, but Bane is a no-brainer as the baddie in this summer's The Dark Knight Rises. Despite the massive scale of this sinister plot, it's still a rather lame Legion of Doom in my eyes. I would have rather had more villains, especially for a final hurrah, and villains who would have done something more interesting than simply punch back.

The inclusion of Cyborg into the Justice League is an intriguing one, and copying the same move from the comics. I realize it's done for the sake of political correctness, with John Stewart out in favor of movie Lantern Hal Jordan, but really, are we now taking cues from the Super Friends cartoons of decades gone by? And there are other young heroes more deserving to graduate to the League before Cyborg in my opinion.



Justice League Doom is not a great animated feature, but it's not a bad one either. Kevin Conroy and Nathan Fillian are the voice standouts, and there are lots of special features. Good to own, better to rent.

Wonder Woman Animated Sneak Preview

On the first night of the 2009 New York Comic Con, folks got a very special treat – a sneak preview of the new animated Wonder Woman film. My day had been crazed and I didn’t think I would make it but I did, just in time to see it – and I’m damn glad I did.

Before Wonder Woman there were a couple previews, and the one that drew the most response from the building audience was Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li starring “Smallville”’s Kristen Kreuk. Loud booing roared throughout the theatre. Wow, Lana Lang is not well liked at all.

Next up was a Dark Knight action figure commercial, a la Mego from the 1970s, that just kept getting more and more gruesome. Luckily it was a joke. And yeah, the kids saying, “Holy s-” and the Harvey Dent figure half-melting were both pretty sick, but also dead on and damned funny too. heck, Christopher Nolan should’ve made action figures…

And then the real movie started. It begins with the Amazons fighting against the forces of Ares, and specifically Hippolyta vs. Ares. It’s an interesting rewrite of history and continuity. Apparently Polly and Ares were at one time lovers and had a son, one that she slays in battle now. She then turns on the father. When Zeus forbids her from killing Ares, Hera gives her an island to protect her people from man, and a child of her own. When the little baby of clay starts crying and titles roll, the crowd cheers.

We jump to the present, and Artemis and Princess Diana sparring. There is a lot being done to individualize the Amazons here, which is a nice change of pace. We learn about Artemis and Alexa and others. There are tidbits shown that are terrific, like the Magic Sphere. When I saw that I was hoping for the Mental Radio, but I guess that’s asking too much. We do get a nice redesign of the Robot Plane/invisible jet/Wonderdome (what is it called these days anyway?) later on though that rocks.

There’s no war going on as this is present day, but Steve Trevor’s introduction is nearly intact, voiced by Captain Hammer himself, Nathan Fillion, who also intro-ed the showing of the film itself. The entire voice cast is phenomenal, but his humor as Trevor comes through loud and clear. Trevor caught in the grip of the golden lasso is like a perfectly timed and damn hilarious Abbott and Costello routine. You’ll never think of the word ‘crap’ the same way again.

The interaction between Steve and Diana jumps back and forth like dueling Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. This is a light-hearted battle of the sexes done smart for today’s generation. If anything I am reminded of the equality of the sexes argument between Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood at the end of The Great Race. And speaking of sex, and violence for that matter, and a zombie or two or three – this is not for the kiddies, but the grown-ups will love it.

A few closing observations – Dian can kick serious butt in her bare feet, and she’s invulnerable to tequila. The only fault I can find is that toward the end a statement is made that the Amazon lifestyle itself may be inherently flawed. Wtf? Let’s just throw the whole mythos of the character in the trash, shall we?

In summation, holy crap, pun unintended, this has been the best so far of the DC animated films. I really mean that, and yes, I’m including New Frontier. I can’t wait ‘til this comes out and I can buy my own copy. How long until March 3rd?

Dr. Horrible on DVD

Now finally on DVD, you can watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog anytime on your TV. For those of you living under a rock for the last year or so, Dr. Horrible is quite possibly the best entertainment to come out in and around 2008. While not exactly a movie or a TV show, it’s a new form of entertainment that is - up until the DVD release – was dependent on the internet.

Available in iTunes, this metahuman drama/musical/online vlog tells the tale of Billy aka Dr. Horrible, a wannabe mad scientist/super-villain out to join the Evil League of Evil, and get the attention of Penny, a girl at the Laundromat he crushing badly on.

Former Dougie Howser and current star of "How I Met Your Mother," Neil Patrick Harris brilliantly fills the title role, with Felicia Day as Penny, and Nathan Fillion of "Firefly" as Horrible’s arch-nemesis superhero Captain Hammer. Speaking of "Firefly," the whole shebang is the brainchild of Joss Whedon. If you liked his work with that short-lived series or his "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," you’ll love this. I think this is the best thing Whedon has ever done, and that’s saying a lot.

See it here, with, as they say, ‘limited commercial interruption.’ See it, buy the DVD, live the blog – you’ll love it.