Plot: What’s it about?
The idea of alien beings has been talked about since man first saw the stars, but is there some kind of life on one of those other planets? J. Allen Carter was an astronaut deployed to Mars and while he didn’t find any little green men, he did stumble across an unusual door. He was able to open the door after some time, but what was behind it only he knows and two years after that incident, we join him in the United Nations. His efforts as a Senator are focused on disarming nuclear weapons and he has even asked for the help of Superman, who of course supports this also, so he agrees to lend his assistance. But Superman just had a strange encounter of his own, when he and Batman were unable to ward off some unusual humanoid creatures, who destroyed a communications control center. Now however, Superman spends his time visiting other lands and dealing with nuclear weapons, until something unbelievable happens, that is. An alien invasion soon begins on Metropolis and unless Superman, Batman, and the others can somehow fend off the aliens, it could be the last days of mankind.
As a fan of the old Super Friends cartoon, I was excited when Cartoon Network announced a new Justice League series, though I did have some reservations. As it turned out, I had good reason to be concerned, as this new series has been a disappointment, from execution to direction to pretty much all aspects. I do like the animation and it is very cool to see some of these characters back together again, but once the novelty wears off, we’re left with a mediocre cartoon series that should have been much, much better. This release contains the first three episodes of the series, which gives us a full length storyline session, focusing on an alien invasion. I just don’t think the writers have the knack to pull off this kind of series, as dialogue seems forced and the characters fail to be as interesting as they’ve been before. Perhaps future storylines can improve on this lame start, but since this selection of episodes is rather tepid, I can’t recommend this disc to very many people, and to no one as a purchase. If you simply have to see these episodes, then catch them on Cartoon Network, as this disc just isn’t worth the cost involved.
Video: How does it look?
Justice League is presented in a full frame transfer. This is sure to spark some debate, as while you might assume full frame is the intended aspect ratio here, the show is animated with a widescreen presentation in mind. So unless the creators asked for this full frame edition (and why would they?), then Warner has burned us with yet another full frame hatchet treatment, which just plain sucks. As if that wasn’t enough, the image is less than stellar also and considering how new the material is, that’s inexcusable. The compression work leaves behind shimmers, jagged edges, and more, while the print used even has some defects present, seems like a rushed transfer by Warner in this case. I will say the picture here is more than watchable, but it could have and should have been much better than this.
Audio: How does it sound?
A solid, but not too impressive 2.0 surround option is used here, which spices up the experience a little. I’ve heard some excellent mixes on animated television releases (ala Samurai Jack or Return of the Joker), but this one never reaches those lofty levels, though it does have some spark and never disappoints. The surrounds are used here & there to enhance action based scenes or just build some atmosphere, but on the whole, this is a front channel audio presentation, which works well enough, I think. The dialogue is clean and no real problems seem to arise, so I think most folks should be pleased with this treatment.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as brief bios of some of the characters involved.
