Stan
Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings
(2014/Cinedigm Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B/B- Sound: B/B- Extras: C Film: C+
Stan
Lee is a living legend; crafting some of the most memorable comic
characters ever created. Characters that will live long beyond his
time here this earth;and furthermore, way beyond anyone living today.
I wish the same could be said for Stan Lee's latest venture of Stan
Lee's Mighty 7,
but quite frankly it is weak and formulaic. In the end, the feature
film is lacking the ingenuity of his past creations.
Originally
premiering in print and digital comic form in 2012; Stan
Lee's Mighty 7 showed
promise. It featured a group of aliens arriving (crashing in the
dessert) on earth only to meet up with Stan Lee. Stan Lee goes on to
mentor them; honing their power and ultimately becoming superheroes.
The aliens are being chased by Mr. Cross (voiced by Jim Belushi) the
head of a UFO research military group. The alien's enemies also have
them battling the evil reptilian Taegons who look to destroy planets.
The voices for our heroes features a host of creative and talented
actors; including Armie Hammer as Strong Arm, Terri Hatcher as Silver
Skylark, Sean Astin Kid Kinergy, Darren Criss as Micro, Flea (Red Hot
Chili Peppers) as Roller Man, Mayim Bialik as Lady Lightening, and
Christian Slater as Lazer Lord. The problem is the 90 minute feature
is a bit silly and recycled, watered down versions of existing
heroes. It also feels like Stan Lee is the focus of the series; as
he grandfather of comics making one long cameo. Sure it is cute to
see Stan pop up in every Marvel film for 10 seconds, but a feature
length animated film in which he trains superheroes…not so much.
The
animation is very stylized and seeming was all computer generated;
with a certain cel
shading
design. The animation isn't bad, but far from inspiring. The voice
acting is admirable as it has a solid line up and a ton of energy.
The plot is simple and is merely establishing the characters, plot,
and getting its toes wet for future ventures. This is said to be the
pilot movie for future movies or an animated series, but I don't see
much excitement here.
The
technical features are nice. The picture is a solid 1080p 1.78 X 1
high definition that boasts of brilliant colors, somewhat inky
blacks, and no grit or grime. The lines are smooth and crisp without
distortion; but with a very styled animation infusing cel shading and
a degree of anime. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 sound
mix is a well done with a solid bass track and good use of surrounds
for the high action series. Dialogue comes through crisp, clean and
clear. Not the best audio track as panning is a bit weak and
prioritization could use some work. The DVD is a downgrade of the
nice Blu-ray from its weak anamorphically enhanced image to its lossy
Dolby Digital sound.
Extras
are short and to the point and include the following:
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
