It's been awhile since I bought or even viewed a DC animated feature. I was a huge fan of the Justice League cartoon about 10 years ago, and still hold everything else up to that standard of excellence since then. I am an uncle who babysits, so I watch a lot of cartoons. I've been a somewhat regular viewer of the Teen Titans Go show for several years now, and it always amuses me, often with laughter. It's a fast paced dose of silly and crazy and I don't think kids catch half the humor, but it's entertaining for a babysitting adult.It was somewhat jarring to see Starfire as <more> this mature, sexy woman who is now the leader. But I like it. She is not as indestructible as the TV version, but she had some good moments in battle. I think the ensemble of Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire and eventually Robin made for a nice match up against Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Cyborg and Flash. Their eventual clash was an interesting and satisfying display for fanboy appetites. The only somewhat disappointing display was the first fight scene, where Wonder Woman is, of course, matched up with Cheetah.Seriously, Cheetah? DC needs to make up their minds about the Amazon princess. Is WW on par with Superman, as she was portrayed in the Justice League cartoon series Justice League Paradise Lost Part 1 ? Or is she barely able to subdue a snarling acrobat like Cheetah? I DO like that they gave her back her ability to fly, something that they denied her in the Dawn of Justice debut. And it makes for an interesting dynamic to reintroduce the notion of Diana and Kal/Clark having a relationship, where in most other JL iterations there are romantic tensions between Diana and Bruce.I think this movie as a whole worked well because the story took its time to go broad and deep, revealing character backstory, character motivations, and character flaws -- something Batman vs Superman Dawn of Justice failed miserably at. Speaking of which, in comparison to that hot mess, this cartoon feature shines brightly, because of its ability to successfully flesh out the characters and the plot. I like the tension between Robin and Batman. It's palpable. The big- brotherly affection from Cyborg and big-sister warmth of Starfire are both welcome, without which the story might just ring a bit hollow and 2-dimensional.I know there are others who are severely disappointed and critical of this release, but I found it to be a rewarding 2 hours of entertainment and a beacon of hope that the creative minds in the DC engine can possibly turn the live-action franchise juggernaut around to something more gratifying on par with the Marvel body of work. That oeuvre is a great example and standard to reach for, and if it's too late to save the live action DC storytelling on the big screen, at least it's being done right in the animated universe. I give this video a B/B+. <less> |