"Justice League vs the Fatal Five" is DC/WB's newest animated feature: a time-traveling, titanic clash between good and bad, delivered by a tested trio: producer Bruce Timm, director Sam Liu and scriptwriter Alan Burnett.
The premise: Five, super-terrorists from the future drop back in time to snuff out our present-day superheroes and terminate the human race. The vanguard consists of Emerald Empress, Tharok, Mano, the Persuader and Validus. (The beguiled Bloodsport guest stars in the mayhem's early phase, but doesn't link to the invaders. Various Arkham personas also cameo.)
Fresh faces figure into the conflict: Miss Martian, Saturn Girl, Mister Terrific and Jessica Cruz, Limelight of the Green Lantern Corp. Star Boy, aka Tom Kallon also occupies the action in an absorbing but complicated way. These fine folks assist the JL in the struggle, led by (no surprise) Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. (In the process, Batman takes a fatherly shining to Miss Martian, making them this chapter's official, dynamic duo.)
Focus ultimately falls on Star Boy, who proves himself a power-pulsing, black-suited enigma, but is cool enough when in the JL's grasp, despite his erratic outbursts.
In the process, Star Boy comes to terms with his origin. Though the staging is "12 Monkeys" anguish-wracked, it's more convincing and satisfying than any self-discovery found in Marvel's "Captain Marvel". (With the latter, we're talkin' a longer, no-excuse-to-cut-corners, theatrical feature, too.)
The drawback? "JL vs Fatal Five'"s framework feels a lot like "JL vs Teen Titans" and "JL Dark", to name but two. If DC's filmmakers want to lengthen and strengthen their acclaimed, animation track record, they might consider rewiring the favorite formula.
Now, don't misunderstand: The DC mythology (the moral heart of it) shouldn't be tampered with or disrespected: The damn wheel needn't be reinvented here. It's also evident that not every animated film will reach the melodramatic heights of "Death of Superman" or "Killing Joke". Still, the cozy practice of sameness will dull even the best franchise, and no Best Buy, comes-with-action-figure gift set is gonna change that.
With that said, "JL vs Fatal Five'"s results should serve their purpose, but let's hope that the ensuing DC/WB animated adventures take things to the next level.
On Christmas Day 1993, the first, full-length Batman animated feature occupied theaters. Though it wasn't the financial success of Tim Burton's live-action, Caped Crusader movies, "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" still made a favorable impression on those who viewed it. Over the years, the film's reputation has only grown, making it one of the most applauded submissions in the Dark Knight's decades-spanning canon.
On November 12, 2018, for one night only, Fathom Events will once more project "Mask of the Phantasm" upon theater screens to mark its 25th anniversary release.
Written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves; and directed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, "Mask of the Phantasm" sprung from the popularity of the WB's "Batman: the Animated Series", though granted greater depth than the show's half-hour slots could generally contribute. The movie remains of particular interest to fans for its origin segments of Batman and the Joker, which hold their own with subsequent, acclaimed retellings.
Like Burton's '89 film, "Mask of the Phantasm" depicts Gotham via symbolic dilapidation, as Batman is accused of a string of mobster murders. Though Joker dominates the backdrop and the film's finale, the actual murderer is a spectral, blade-clubbed vigilante named the Phantasm, who Bruce Wayne comes to discover is an individual near to his heart. The reveal may not be that huge a surprise, but the poignant way in which it's rendered has rarely been matched in any Batman movie, whether animated or live action, not to mention the printed page.
Shirley Walker's soaring score is on a par with Danny Elfman's memorable orchestrations, and the movie makes effective, extended use of Kevin Conroy's Adam West-esque vocalization, as well as Mark Hamill's Blue Meanie-mimicked Joker. (Dana Delany, who would later enliven Lois Lane on WB's "Superman: the Animated Series", acts as the haunted Andrea Beaumont, with Efrem Zimablist Jr as Alfred Pennyworth; Robert Costanzo as Harvey Bullock; Bob Hastings as Jim Gordon; Hart "Supergirl '84" Bochner as Arthur Reeves; Abe Vigoda as Salvatore Valestra; Dick Miller as Chuckie Sol; and Stacy Keach as both the Phantasm's commanding voice and Beaumont's gangster-tied father, Carl.)
Many believe that "Mask of the Phantasm" would have been as effective via live action. That's understandable, considering the story's engrossing execution. The concept defines the Dark Knight's complex, atmospheric essence, capturing the character's Bob Kane/Bill Finger foundation through the cynical, Neal Adams '70s and those later, pensive phases of Frank Miller and Norm Breyfogle. There's no question that, if any DC animated entry should strike one as good, it's because "Mask of the Phantasm'"s sophisticated influence has, in one way or another, paved the way.
There's no denying that "Mask of the Phantasm" is and always will be the epitome of what Batman was meant to be, could be and will forever be: an anguished, poetic blueprint that fans, creators and eager idealists continue to relish and revere.
Revisit "Mask of the Phantasm" when you can, if not on the big screen, then on VHS or disc in the privacy of your home. The movie has more than demonstrated its noteworthy status and if for that reason alone, deserves a revived period of dutiful devotion.
The latest in the DC/WB animated-movie line is "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay": a bad-guys-on-a-mission, quasi-sequel to all those wild adventures that have come before, featuring any number of coerced misfits.
In this case, the headliners are Harley Quinn (Tara Strong); Deadshot (Christian Slater); Bronze Tiger (Billy Brown); Captain Boomerang (Liam McIntyre); Copperhead (Gideon Emery); and Killer Frost (Kristin Bauer van Straten). They're "assigned" (of course) by governmental Amanda Waller (Vanessa Williams) to find a little item of special interest: a mysterious, "Get out of Hell Free" card that an exotic dancer named Steel Maxum (Greg Grunberg) possesses. (BTW: Maxum has a indirect connection to a mystical entity named Dr. Fate, in addition to a tyrannical one named Vandal Savage. Neato!)
Produced/directed by DC faithful, Sam Liu and written by now retired DC/Disney great, Alan Burnett, the R-rated "Hell to Pay" delivers the off-the-beaten-track thrills with zinging zest and terrific, Tarantino-tinged set-ups. At this point, the formula is nothing new, but its unpretentious, roadhouse fervor makes it worth a whirl or two around the block. (Heck, I'm gonna give it a third run tonight.)
Most of the film's success (and I must confess I'm biased in this regard) comes from the use of Harley Quinn, who was last featured in the comedic "Batman and Harley Quinn" (see Aug '17 review). That entry gave us some '90s Dark Knight pizzazz, but in this instance, gorgeous Margot Robbie's movie influence can't be denied: a wise move on Liu and Burnett's part. After all, one can never go wrong with a hot, crazy chick...I think.
Killer Frost is also a stunning sight for sore eyes and will give viewers a different interpretation from Danielle Panabaker's variant on CW's "The Flash". The fellows, particularly Deadshot (the script's hero, or rather anti-hero), are all fun, complex, and complement the justified gals-hogging-the-spotlight.
There are also significant guest stars and various cameos, which include Black Manta; Blockbuster; Count Vertigo; Knockout; Punch; Jewelee; Scandal Savage; Silver Banshee; Zoom; Two-Face; and Professor Pyg. In one scene, the latter is featured with the former in an nifty tribute to Rod Serling's "Eye of the Beholder".
Between these interweaving appearances, we're treated to unbridled bloodshed: some of it surreal and therefore amusing, but most of it raw and cruel, which will probably upset sensitive folks, but then "Hell to Pay" shouldn't attract those sorts, anyway, right? (For what it's worth, I think the featured violence makes sense within the frantic format.)
The "downside" to this endeavor, which has been my criticism of previous DC bad-as-good dealings, is that one can't help but identify (root for) characters we know are beyond redemption. (Okay, maybe Deadshot is that one exception, but to date, he still clings to his murderous ways and so...) If there was any sincere transformation among any of these characters, I'd be more at ease, but on the other hand, would I ever want such classic villainy altered? Get the dilemma? In my estimation, the ambivalence places the "Suicide Squad" missions one notch below traditional, good-vs-evil outings. Yeah, they're cool and all, but in the end, still not quite right from a moral vantage.
Even so, "Hell to Pay" will keep one glued to one's seat, eager to see what happens next. The story would have made for an excellent, live-action sequel, but as an animated endeavor, it pretty much holds its own with other DC/WB animated submissions; and considering how impressive most have been, that's quite a compliment.
