Reviews -
Two-Disc Special Edition
Street Date: September 29th, 2009
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Run Time: 67
Rating: PG-13
Media Quantity: 2 (DVD9)
Packaging Type: O-Sleeve Double Amaray |
Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.78 Widescreen [16:9 Transfer]
Sound Quality:
Dolby Digital: English 5.1
|
Special Features:
● Exclusive Sneak Peek at DC Universe's
Upcoming Justice League Crisis on Two Earths
●
Explore the Dynamics of the Evolving Relationship Between Two
Classic Super Heroes in A Test of Minds: Superman and Batman
● Dinner with DCU and Special Guest Kevin Conroy
- The Voice of Batman Shares a Meal and Talks
with a DC Universe Creative Team
● Behind the Scenes of
Blackest Night, the epic DC Comics Superhero Event in Which the
Dead Shall Rise
● Bruce Timm Presents 2 Bonus Cartoons
●
Explore 4 other DC Universe Animated Movies
Synopsis: A desperate solution for a troubled country: Lex Luthor
for President with the Justice League in the service of the
government. Only Batman and Superman stand against the new
regime – and their disloyalty proves to be exactly what Luthor
intended. Using their outcast status to instigate a scandal
against Superman, Luthor finally tastes a victory in his
vendetta against The Man of Steel. From Executive Producer Bruce
Timm and voiced by the cast from both hit Batman and Superman
animated TV series including Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy
Brown, this DC Universe Original Animated Movie of Jeph Loeb and
Ed McGuinness’s popular graphic novel seethes with political
intrigue and action-packed battles between heroes all believing
they’re on the right side of the law.
Review (by James Harvey)
Featuring
Batman and Superman as headliners, fists fly and heroes come to
blow in the latest animated feature from the DC Universe
Animated Original Movie line. Based on the initial six-issue
"Public Enemies" arc from the Superman/Batman comic
series, Superman and Batman go toe to toe with a plethora of
friends and foes in an attempt to stop yet another evil plot
courtesy of Lex Luthor. And, yes, while this movie is just
filled to the brim with overblown action sequences and fight
scenes, it also doesn't try to be anything else but a big
"smash-em-up" with an assortment of different DC characters from
beginning to end. As much as that may be a hinderance for the
movie, it's also the biggest selling point for
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies as well.
First
off, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is fun. It's an easy
movie to get lost in, and one that definitely doesn't overstay
its welcome. Clocking in at 67 minutes, credits and all, the
latest installment from the DC Universe Animated Original Movie
line just zips along at a brisk pace. Probably one of the more
politically-minded animated features to come out of DC Comics
and Warner Home Video, writer Stan Berkowitz improves upon the
original comic book source material by giving us a more solid
foundation for the inevitable fisticuffs and jettisoning all the
stuff that doesn't essentially matter to the main story.
Admittedly, using the current global economic meltdown as a
starting point for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a
bit dark for this seemingly light-hearted movie, but it does
work in setting up and justifying some of the character actions
later down the road, as out of place as it may seem.
The
movie is enjoyable, yes, but is it groundbreaking in any way?
Not really, no. It's a pretty standard team-up story from start
to finish, to be honest, but a fun one drizzled in summer
popcorn nonetheless. It seems quite obvious that this movie was
never intended to be anything more than a fun diversion for
fanboys, an excuse to see the two biggest heroes from the DC
Universe hop from battle to battle, and it works as just that.
And while that really works for the movie, it does also work
against it, especially following on the heels of Wonder
Woman and Green Lantern First Flight, two films that
attempted (and succeeded to an extent) on feeling like epic
big-screen adventures. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
may seem like a bit of a smaller movie when compared to the
previous two installments of the DC Universe Animated Original
Movie line, even with the gigantic robot-laced finale, but it
still manages to be a rip-roaring fun time. I wouldn't be
surprised if this feature is one that fans will find themselves
revisiting many times, given how easy it is to just get into the
movie.
Also deserving a solid round of applause are the
character designers for the feature, who successfully catch the
look of Ed McGuinness' artwork from the original comic but with
a slight twist. Hats off to Lesean Thomas, Jeff Johnson, Jose
Lopez, and Thomas Perkins for blending their unique styles and
coming out with with a look that pays a respectful homage to the
source material. Sure, every hero looks laughably muscled-out
and ripped, but that's how the comics were and it's only
fitting, as awkward as it can look from time to time, that this
film look exactly the same. Every character looks just as they
should for this feature, with not a one seeming out of place,
which is heavy praise given the obscene amount of characters
that appear, even just for a few seconds. Not a single one looks
out of place.
However, in terms of animation, this movie
is a bit of a step down from Green Lantern: First Flight,
the previous title in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie
line. While that movie was absolutely stunning to behold, here I
find the animation to be a bit underwhelming. While not weak by
any means, it also doesn't seem to be up to snuff from the
recent efforts, particularly in the first third of the film
where we see an odd mix of both weak and strong CGI (sometimes
in the same scene, particularly some of the cityscapes). The
animation isn't horrible, far from it, but just pretty average,
even feeling a little rushed at the beginning before smoothing
out during the second and third act. Again, it's not bad
animation, and is barely worth noting really, but it's just a
noticeable step down from the near flawless animated execution
of Green Lantern: First Flight.
The directing for
this feature does a superb job at keeping everything together,
no matter how over-the-top the movie gets as it progresses
towards that big finale. The staging for the movie is
well-handled, particularly during some of the more complicated
action sequences. Superbly directed by Sam Liu, he brings the
same crazy intensity he used on Hulk Versus and really
invigorates this Superman/Batman buddy flick. This film would
have been an utter disaster without the right person directing
it, and Liu was the perfect choice for Superman/Batman:
Public Enemies. Whether it's a small fight sequence between
a handful of heroes or one featuring dozens of foes, Liu brings
a certain cohesion to it that keeps it on the same level of
excitement without going particularly overboard at any time.
The score by Christopher Drake is definitely worth noting. A
great follow-up to his epic work on Wonder Woman, Drake's
score manages to perfectly accent the entire movie, whether it's
a dramatic revelation or a wall-to-wall fight scene. Not a
second of music feels out of place or misdirected, it's just a
great score that fans should definitely consider adding to their
collection.
Bizarrely, this movie would feel right at
home in the DCAU. Likely due to the presence of the main voice
cast, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies seems like a
natural extension of the previous Batman and Superman team-up
episodes from Batman: The Animated Series and Superman:
The Animated Series. The voice work in particular gives the
viewer that extra sense of actually knowing the characters, and
aids in both filling in any gaps left open by the story itself
and providing a sense of familiarity. For the main cast, Kevin
Conroy is as brilliant as veer as Batman, with both Tim Daly and
Clancy Brown shining in their respective roles as Superman and
Lex Luthor. This goes to show just how important casting the
right voices for these features are, and how having an
absolutely ideal cast makes it a bit easier to overlook whatever
problems the film may have. Now, that's not to say this story is
riddled with plot holes, but the animated version of
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies manages to bring together
aspects of the story in a more coherent and sensible way than
the original comic version by famed writer Jeph Loeb. Writer
Stan Berkowtiz trims a major amount of fat off the original
story, leaving us here with a leaner, more enjoyable final
product.
Whether or not I've made it clear (highly
unlikely), I enjoyed this animated feature. By no means would I
call it the best nor would I label it the worst. While it is
deceptively average, it's also undeniably enjoyable, and makes
no attempt to hide what it is. Much like the comic series that
spawned it, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is an
animated "summer blockbuster," full of elaborate set pieces and
over-the-top superheroics. More importantly, it's also fun, and
I think that's really key here. There's an underlying hint of
fun to the proceedings that really gives the movie its charm.
Whether it's the playful yet respectful banter between the two
leads, the off-color yet hilarious joke that really kicks off
the entire movie, or the obvious references toward Power Girl's
assets, etc., the crew behind Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies never forgets to instill a little fun amidst all the
action and drama.
In comparison to the other features in
the DC Universe Animated Original Movie line, this film rank
does stand up in terms of execution. While the animation may not
be the best, especially coming after the absolutely stunning Green
Lantern: First Flight, it does feature probably the most
full-bodied script. Sure, the story is light, and perhaps that
is why everything feels fleshed-out as compared to some of the
other features. My main issue with all of the previous films in
this line is the fact that the writing seems to be a bit
hampered by the running time. That if each film had a just a few
more minutes, everything could be fleshed out nicely and given
room to breathe. For Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, I
find the writing works perfectly here. Not once did the short
running time seem to be a hinderance and, surprisingly, it
actually aids in movie not overstaying its welcome. While the
film may not surpass the likes of Wonder Woman or Justice
League: The New Frontier, it can stand proudly next to the
under-rated Superman Doomsday and enjoyable Green
Lantern: First Flight.
If you enjoyed the original
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies comic story-line, then
you'll love this without a doubt. This may not be the sharpest
film to date in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie line,
it's still flat-out fun from beginning to end. With the
appropriate banter between the two leads, nicely staged action
and the over-the-top summer blockbuster plot, it's definitely an
enjoyable ride. Toss in a good script, a great voice cast and
some nice animation, and it's easy to classify this as another
successful (if flawed) addition to the DC Universe Animated
Original Movie line. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies ends
up being a surprisingly good film even though it doesn't tread
any new ground whatsoever. It's not up to code with some of the
previous efforts as explained above, but it's still a welcome
diversion. I'll give this movie the Recommended stamp but
with reservations. I'd encourage renting this movie first for
the undecided viewers before opting to purchase it.
The DVD:
Along the line of Warner Home Video's
previous "Two-Disc Special Edition" DVD releases in the DC
Universe Animated Original Movie line, we pretty much get the
same treatment here for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
The two-disc DVD release features the standard Amaray case with
a reflective foil/embossed slipcover, housing a single insert
inside for the Digital Copy redemption code.
Looking
inside, let's start with the audio and video transfers. Warner
Home Video does a fine job with the audio and video quality here
for the standard definition DVD release. The video transfer is
great here, with the colors popping through quite nicely on all
fronts. There's some slight compression to be seen here and
there, resulting in some artifacting and interlacing, but
nothing too distracting. Moving on, the 5.1 Dolby Digital audio
transfer here is decent and does a good job at translating those
seemingly endless fisticuffs and booming explosions. Not as
aggressive as it could, mind you, but everything sounds clear.
The audio mix also isn't as immersive as it could be, with the
audio transfer feeling more front-loaded, but the result is
still just fine.
Moving on to the extras, Warner Home
Video again includes a mixed bag of content, bringing in both
new and old material. While there is roughly two and a half
hours of bonus material, as proudly stated on the packaging, a
good chunk of it is carried over from previous releases in the
form of bonus episodes and repeated featurettes, leaving roughly
an hour of new content. The bonus material breaks down to "A
Test of Minds: Superman and Batman" featurette, "Dinner with DCU
and Special Guest Kevin Conroy, " "A First Look at Justice
League: A Crisis on Two Earths," "Blackest Night:
Inside the DC Comics Event," ""First Look" at previous DC
Universe titles," and two "Bruce Timm Presents" bonus episodes.
The first disc features just trailers for other Warner
Home Video titles and the promotional features for some of the
previous DC Universe Animated Original Movie titles, as well as
the current Blackest Night comic crossover event. That's
it for that disc, folks.
Moving on to the second disc,
first up is the twenty minute featurette "A Test of Minds: The
Psychology of Batman and Superman," an interesting look at how
these two famed super hero characters tick. Looking at both the
why and how, a handful of authors dissect the relationship, both
apart and together, of the World's Finest super-hero team. An
interesting look at Batman and Superman, admittedly.
"Dinner with DCU and Special Guest Kevin Conroy" is next on the
list and, well, the title should say it all, really. Clocking in
at nearly a half an hour, this bonus feature joins Kevin Conroy,
Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, and Gregory Noveck as they, well, sit
around a dinner table and just chat away. And as vanilla as that
may sound to some people, it's the complete opposite here. I
would label this as required viewing for any fan of DC
Animation, specifically the "extended" version featured on Blu-ray
release of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The DVD
version here still includes a nice chunk of interesting tidbits,
however. Not just Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is
talked about, but Batman: The Animated Series, the DCAU,
and even the work of other key voice actors to DC Animation and
the Batman mythos. It's really interesting, even this half an
hour abridged version, but I strongly recommend fans seek out
the hour-long version included on the Blu-ray release of Superman/Batamn:
Public Enemies.
Moving on, "A First Look at
Justice League: A Crisis on Two Earths" provides a close
look at the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie title. A
reworked version of Dwayne McDuffie’s famed Justice League:
Worlds Collide script, the Justice League faces off against
villainous counterparts from another universe in what looks to
be another superbly designed feature. With McDuffie on script
and direction by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, this looks like
it could be the best title in this still young direct-to-video
line to date. It looks great, the voice cast is impressive, and
the pedigree behind it is staggering. Let's all hope for the
best come Spring 2010.
Rounding out the collection are
"Bruce Timm's Top Picks," featuring the two Superman: The
Animated Series episodes "Knight Time" and "The Demon
Reborn." Both featuring team-up stories with Batman and
Superman, both are work checking out even if they don't fully
exhibit the high quality of Superman: The Animated Series.
Nonetheless "Knight Time" remains a solid team-up mystery and
"Demon Reborn" an entertaining if typical duke-it-out team-up
jaunt.
As an overall package, Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies is a good release on all accounts. The main feature
is definitely worth checking out and the bonus features are
surprisingly entertaining. Even though the Blu-ray release for Superman/Batman:
Public Enemies is easily the best version of this title to
own, the DVD release is nothing to scoff at. While a good
portion of the bonus materials are repeated content, in terms of
bonus episodes and preview trailers, the original bonus content
is definitely worth a peak, even if it only provides roughly an
hour of new material. The Two-Disc Special Edition DVD release
of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is definitely
Recommended to pick up, but, as usual, I feel the need to
encourage readers to pick up the Blu-ray release over this one
if possible.
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