Justice League: The New Frontier
Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke and produced by the multiple Emmy award winning animation legend, Bruce Timm, The New Frontier is the epic tale of the founding of the Justice League. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all here of course, and so are Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Flash - whose incredible origins will be told for the very first time. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman can not stop it. If they fail, our entire planet will be "cleansed" of humanity.
Member Reviews
Just as good as the - themagicrat
Book. It's rare to find a good adaptation of a book, and a comic adaptation seems to be even more difficult, but this does the job really well.
It's an interesting take on the origin of these well known super heroes and placing them in the 60s worked really well with the retro style art.For true fanatics - JAZA
Based on the 2004 limited comic book series of the same name, the story, set in the mid-50's, features classic DC superheroes having to band and stop the threat of a powerful entity known simply as The Center.
There are a few bulls-eye hits in the film itself, starting with the art and visuals; classic costumes and drawing look absolutely great with modern animation techniques, giving us a glimpse at something that looks completely new when in actuality its been around for ages. The costumes themselves were bold choices: dressing up Wonder Woman like a Visigoth, Batman the way he was in Bob Cane's mind and superman looking like George Reeves. The soundtrack is inviting and pitch perfect just as the editing and the production is chock-full of references and wink-wink moments to delight any big kid.
The first big problem though, is that the targeted audience are those who know this universe and its denizens inside-out; the film acts as if we all grew up reading every single DC comic book, meaning there's no room for character development, just look backs and references. While the book form was much more expanded and rich in principal and orbital storylines, this adaptation cuts quite short - just over an hour long. Thus the story drags aimlessly until there's 10 minutes left. Let’s not forget the Dinosaur-sweating faceless villain with no back-story and clear motif, and don't get me started on the very cheesy and thinly veiled use of 50's patriotism to promote humanitarian values...
Then there's voice casting, which was bold but still falls short. Kyle McLachlan playing Superman DOES remind of George Reeves and Jeremy Sisto manages to surprise with his cynical and nuanced Batman. But Sisto can't quite erase the work of Kevin Conroy, same with any of the other performers.
New Frontier deserves an A for the effort and sentiment, but feels like either the unfinished pilot for a potentially great series, or a gift to uber-fans.A five star comic book - a four star adaptation - Mookie
If you are a comic lover, go out and buy Darwyn Cooke's original graphic novel. It starts slow but ends up being one of the best reads and art experiences I have had for a long time (in the comic book genre).
This animated direct to DVD movie does an excellent job of capturing the art and feel of the book while stream-lining its story without sacrificing the details. Anyone who loves superheroes or was a fan of the recent Justice League Unlimited series will enjoy this film. There are also some nice extras to enjoy as well.
If I have one complaint, it is that the disjointed nature of the story makes it a little hard to follow in the film format.
Member Reviews
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Just as good as the - themagicrat
Book. It's rare to find a good adaptation of a book, and a comic adaptation seems to be even more difficult, but this does the job really well.
It's an interesting take on the origin of these well known super heroes and placing them in the 60s worked ...For true fanatics - JAZA
Based on the 2004 limited comic book series of the same name, the story, set in the mid-50's, features classic DC superheroes having to band and stop the threat of a powerful entity known simply as The Center.
There are a few bulls-eye hits in the film ...A five star comic book - a four star adaptation - Mookie
If you are a comic lover, go out and buy Darwyn Cooke's original graphic novel. It starts slow but ends up being one of the best reads and art experiences I have had for a long time (in the comic book genre).
This animated direct to DVD movie does an ...