Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (Special Edition Blu-ray with ‘Owlman’ Bonus Figure)

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1. D. Glassner "dah-boot"

   May 12, 2011 at 11:46 pm

   12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

   
   DC is Winning the Direct-to-Video War (v. Marvel), March 2, 2010

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   D. Glassner “dah-boot” (West Hollywood, CA United States) –
     

   This review is from: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (Amazon Exclusive with Litho Cel) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

   Although both Warner/DC and Marvel/Lion’s Gate have had their missteps, DC is definitely winning the direct-to-video war in terms of quality. The feature here is full of beautifully orchestrated and designed fight scenes (even if perhaps at the sake of plot) reminiscent of the best moments of the Justice League series. The new character designs look great and classic, although some of the original voices are to be missed. WB is very smart to be staying very close to Bruce Timm’s established DC Animated Universe with their releases (“Gotham Knights” not withstanding). It automatically lends anything done in this style a deserved sense of pedigree.

   For once, some of the “Added Value” material actually ADDS value.

   Pros:
   Great story/feature
   Bonus “Spectre” short is nothing short of amazing and wonderfully original. (A+++++)
   Four great episodes of the original Justice League. (Two 2-Parters.)
   Pilot of live-action 70’s “Wonder Woman” has apparently been remastered for HD. Looks very nice.
   Great A-List Voice talent.

   Cons:
   No Kevin Conroy, et al.
   Encode/video quality of the Justice League episodes is sub-par and WORSE than standard definition DVD. (All black ink outlines are terribly blurred & jagged.)
   Some added value already released on previous WB/DC animated releases.

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2. H. Bala "Me Too Can Read"

   May 12, 2011 at 11:07 pm

   50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Gardner Fox won’t be rolling over in his grave…, February 21, 2010

   By 

   H. Bala “Me Too Can Read” (Carson – hey, we have an IKEA store! – CA USA) –
     

     

   Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

   This review is from: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (Two-Disc Edition) (DVD)

   Parallel earths, an evil Justice League, and Batman being badasss… JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS gives the people what they want, and that this flick touts a PG-13 rating is yet one more treat. I’ve missed the Justice League since the series went off the air, and the solo adventures of Bats and Superman, Wonder Woman and GL are great, but I miss all the interaction.

   The plot could’ve been convoluted, but the clear storytelling makes things easy to follow. It starts with a bare-nekkid Lex Luthor seeking help from the Justice League. Luthor claims to be from an alternate universe, one in which that version of the Justice League calls itself the “Crime Syndicate,” and not because someone was trying to be ironic. The Justice League agrees to cross over to put a stop to their crooked doppelgangers, even though everyone’s pretty suspicious, especially Superman (because it’s still friggin’ Luthor) and Batman, who decides to stay behind. I think I’ll stop right there with the plot breakdown, other than to mention that, as it falls out, the stakes are much, much higher than mere world domination. The main bad guy spits at world domination.

   The pace really moves. The story’s good, and it’s big in scope. I’m a sucker for mirror universes. But the highlights are the action sequences, thanks to some sharp animation and a pretty good voice cast (although, I miss Kevin Conroy’s iconic timbre and I’m still not sure about Mark Harmon as Supes). There are several awesome battle royales, pitting the League against folks who can match and sometimes surpass them in power. Three pick of the pack moments for me: Aquaman actually not being a sissy; Wonder Woman demonstrating crunching warrior skills in her scuffle with Superwoman; and Batman’s extended contest of brawn and wits with Owlman. Owl Man, by the way, is about as dangerously unbalanced as they come and in him, Batman finally meets someone who not only can outfight him but is even more detached than he is. James Woods is superb as Owlman. I mentioned earlier that I love that the Dark Knight comes across as a bad mofo here, clearly the underdog in his tussle with Superwoman and then with Owlman, until he applies the underhanded technique of trickeration on them. And – maybe a SPOILER alert here for the rest of this sentence – for someone who doesn’t believe in killing, Batman sure has no qualms about offing off two of the more noticeable villains.

   It’s fun, also, to see how familiar faces are presented in this alternate reality, and can you identify each side character? That’s not a Barsoomian; that’s an alternate J’onn J’onzz with four arms. On the other side of that coin, I like that they’ve put the “real” Martian Manhunter in his more updated, much cooler threads. But poor Harley Quin…

   Other than the absence of Kevin Conroy and perhaps the presence of Mark Harmon, the only other beefs I have – and they’re very minor – concern Ultra Man speaking like a two-bit thug. I dunno, maybe I expected more gravitas coming from the most powerful despot on the planet. And I don’t know that the unlikely romance which surfaces halfway thru the film doesn’t feel like a filler.

   Also on this DVD is the first in a series of animated shorts which will hopefully go on to feature the more obscure DC superheroes. DC SHOWCASE, in its debut, presents the Specter. This 12-minute-long short reeks of that film noir vibe, bolstered by a first person narrative and a funky 1970s-type opening score. Set in Los Angeles, police detective Jim Corrigan investigates the murder of a film producer. If you’re not familiar with the Specter and his gristly brand of justice, then you’re in for a treat and for a great reveal at the end. Even if you’re already down with the supernatural, pasty-skinned Spirit of Vengeance, this short is still very well done, with excellent near-anime and sometimes purposely scratchy visuals and outstanding voice work done by Gary Cole and Alyssa Milano, who plays a femme fatale role.

   What I’ve got is the two disc set. Disc 1 has the feature film, the Specter short; an exclusive first look at the next direct-to-DVD film from DCAU, BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD, and previously released first looks at three other DC Universe Animated Original Movies: GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT; SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES, and WONDER WOMAN: THE AMAZON PRINCESS. There are also trailers for HALO LEGENDS and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: THE MOVIE. Disc 2 has: “DCU: THE NEW WORLD” – a 26-minute-long segment in which several of DC’s creative forces discuss the evolution of the modern-age superhero and the relevance of a shared superhero universe, from when Superman first appeared with Batman & Robin on the same cover in 1940 to ALL-STAR COMICS #3 and the JSA’s debut, from CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS to IDENTITY CRISIS and onwards. Also here are two bonus episodes from the JUSTICE LEAGUE television series, the pivotal classic…

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