Justice League: The New Frontier (Blu-ray + HD DVD/DVD Combo Format/Warner Bros./DC
Comics)
Picture: A-/A-/B Sound: B+/B+/B Extras: A-/A-/B Film: B-
This
reviewer is one of the biggest Batman and Justice League fans that you can
find, so the prospects of a new full length Justice League film was almost too
much to handle. Justice League: The New Frontier takes the crime fighting
conglomeration to a new level by revisiting the heroes’ pasts. We could delve deeply into the comics that
inspired this Justice League adaptation, but we will keep it simple by saying
that Darwyn Cooke (who previously worked on Batman: The Animated Series) is the true visionary behind this
particular variation of the Justice League mythos. Cooke’s comic book ideas were always
innovative and only furthered by his smooth and crisp animation style. Other comic book visionaries (like Bruce
Timm) obviously recognized his genius and decided to adapt his New Frontier comic into a full length
feature. Cooke drew inspiration in his New
Frontier comic series from his love from the 1950’s
comics and the culture that surrounded them. The main difference between
the comic series that Cooke created and Justice League: The New Frontier
is that the film is incredibly compact and rushed, rather than using Cooke’s original intention of sprawling his comic series
over multiple comic volumes to build intensity and depth.
The basic
premise of Justice League: The New
Frontier is that as the people of post-Korean War America become enamored
in the anticommunist mentality, they also become wary of the masked men and
women who have been protecting them.
Superman and Wonder Woman have signed a loyalty oath to America, but the
Flash and Batman still run free as vigilante heroes. While the old heroes of earth work out
personal issues, as well as worldly criticisms, two new beings arise on the
earth’s surface. The first being has
arrived from a distant planet after a scientist sent out an encrypted message
for the being to intercept, the being arrived on earth (the details are
sketchy) to respond, but in turn scared the scientist to death with his Martian
appearance; this being was Martian Manhunter.
Martian
Manhunter apparently sits around for awhile watching television and learning
the ‘human ways,’ before becoming a heroic detective (in disguise, of
course). Another being arises from the
depths of earth as an entity that has always been and has watched the violence
that humanity brings grow out of control and now sets out to destroy the evils
of man (yea that means everything); this being is The Center. So the film now chooses to focus on an array
of storylines all at once. You have the
Martian Manhunter, Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, The U.S.
Government, a Super Villain (who is not even present until the end of the film;
besides mind control), and a distressed war hero; all of which who have
different storylines that only SLIGHTLY connect. The heroes eventually all get together to
fight the ‘evils of the world,’ but by that point the viewer is confused at the
surplus of unresolved storylines.
This
reviewer felt that Justice League: The
New Frontier had an insanely good comic foreground to work from and it
could have been a great film. New Frontier, however, turned into a rushed
project that was not spaced out enough and the creators tried to fit way too
much into a 75 minute space. The 1950’s
edge that the film utilized, as did the comics, is a great concept that works
well and brings something fresh to the table.
Along with the 1950’s inspiration it is more than obvious that the
1960’s comics were also a source for the creators to look back to as far as
style and artistic edge. The voice
acting fell somewhere between great (The Flash) and horrible (Batman), the
creators and artists have free range to try new things, but some things should
not slide by so easily as passable. Does
this reviewer recommend the film? Yes. Is it the best Justice League adaptation?
No. Was it fun nevertheless? You bet you last Gotham Dollar it was.
The
technical features on this superhero fueled feature are not out of this world
but are very nice. The picture is
excellent on the Blu-ray and HD side of the HD-DVD Combo in its 1080p High
Definition 1.78 X 1 presentation (enhanced for 16 X 9 televisions)
demonstrating vibrant and fluid colors throughout the film with little to no
other distorting issues. The DVD side (anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1) does not demonstrate the same degree of clarity and vibrant
colors that are found on the HD side, but still remains a solid
presentation. The sound is not quite as
good as the picture but has its own merits in its Dolby TrueHD English 5.1
Surround presentation that is a bit softer in the action sequences than it
should have been and the voice work at times did not always demonstrate the
‘punch’ that was needed, but that is just this reviewer being picky. The DVD side is nice in its Dolby Digital 5.1
Surrounds but does not hold up next to the Dolby TrueHD. This reviewer was still hoping for a DTS
track, but both the Blu and HD seem limited by 16-bit ceiling. Otherwise, the mix is good.
The
extras are very well done in that they give a full fledged commentary attack
from creators, producer (Bruce Timm), voice directors, DC Comics Vice
president/Creative Affairs Gregory Noveck, and many more. If that one commentary track was not enough
the feature also offers a second track by comic book writer and artist Darwyn
Cooke, who is simply fantastic for creative input. Besides the amazing commentary tracks there
is also a comprehensive documentary entitled Super Heroes United!: The Complete Justice League History that is
insightful, interesting, and a big treat for long time comic and cartoon fans.
All the
following extra features are available on both the Blu-ray and HD/DVD Combo
releases. The extras on the High Definition releases contain various
exclusive features that include a second full length documentary entitled The
Legion of Doom: The Pathology of a Super Villain that is interesting in
that it is the opposite end of the spectrum from the Justice League United! documentary
as far as mythology goes and there is a second featurette on the HD side
entitled Comic Book Commentary: Homage to a New Frontier that explores the
transformation of turning a comic book into a full length animated feature. If all those features were not enough the HD
side also gives the fans 3 fantastic bonus episodes of Justice League (Dark Heart,
To Another Shore, and Task Force X) to enjoy in HD. The episodes have some picture and sound
issues of their own, but this reviewer is assuming we can expect better from
the series once it is released in Season sets on Blu-Ray.
Justice League: The New Frontier was not exactly what this
reviewer was expecting, but was still pleased to a degree with the overall
presentation and concept. There are
storyline and character issues that this reviewer feels could have been
executed in much better and solid way, but it is a nice start to a new era of Justice League features and possible series. This reviewer doubts The New Frontier story arch will be involved in any future Justice
League ventures (at least any time soon), but it was still an excellent and
interesting model to use. The idea of
throwing back to the past is something that is being emphasized everywhere from
football jerseys to Starbucks’ cups these days, so fans being interested in
seeing their favorite heroes back in their hay day is no surprise either. Here is to a new frontier of superhero
appreciation!
For more
on the film and a more enthusiastic review, try this link to the DVD version:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6645/Justice+League:+The+New+Frontier
- Michael P. Dougherty II
