Batman: Under the Red Hood Review

While I'm in the review writing mood, I may as well get to writing about something that came out at the end of July, the (sort of) latest DC Universe direct-to-DVD animated film, Batman: Under the Red Hood. I say sort of, because Superman/Batman: Apocalypse released just two weeks ago, and while I bought it day 1, I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. Here's to catching up!

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the latest film in the DC Universe series since Februrary's Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, which while I liked at the time, doesn't really hold up with repeated viewings. And unlike Crisis on Two Earths, Under the Red Hood returns to adapting an actual DC Comics story arc, in this case Judd Winick's "Under the Hood," making it the first full length animated adaptation for a Batman comic, as opposed to Gotham Knight, which was just separate stories that very loosely filled the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

The Movie
The films centers around the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, and his subsequent rebirth and rise to criminal power as the new Red Hood (a mantle once held by the infamous Joker, the man responsible for Jason Todd's death) and how Batman and company must deal with him.

I never read the "Under the Hood" stories because when I was younger, Batman: A Death in the Family was one of my favorite collected comic books; and when I learned that they basically retconned the events of those books to bring back an already dis-likable character, it honestly just pissed me off. So I can't really speak of this as a good adaptation, but I still think the process of bring back Jason Todd was a terrible decision and the movie still hasn't changed my opinion at all. Call me bitter, but it's just one of those thing I can't let down, and I only bought the film as a collector in the slightest sense.

However, stylistically, the film was more appealing than some of the more recent DCU films, and I found most of the voicework to be believable and close to the characters' personalities. It's not that I hated the film as a film, but the deep ties it has still bother me to say much more.

Jonah Hex
Speaking of mediocre films that came out in the summer, Jonah Hex. Now, thankfully this 12 minute short has no connection to that other Jonah Hex feature film, lead character aside of course. Presented in a traditional western fashion, the animation and character designs here are neat and far more mature than the lead title on this disc, and you could probably even argue that Thomas Jane makes a better Jonah Hex than Josh Brolin, but I refuse to take the time to find out. Plus, it's got Sarah Conner, that's kind of cool right?...

Extras
This section is slowly appearing to be a sign of the times, as the DVD sets slowly lose material to the Blu-ray editions of these films. And while I do have a Blu-ray player, I still prefer the DVD sets because all the packaging matches when placed on my bookshelf, and generally these films aren't that stylistically great that I need to see them in true HD.

What do I mean by this? For one, this is the first '2-disc special edition' DC Universe film to not include a Digital Copy (since the introduction of that feature at least), and the discs don't even have colored labels any more (I noticed this first on the new Superman/Batman, so maybe I'm wrong). And aside from that, there's just a brief look at the history of the Robin character, but more so Jason Todd as the likes of Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne aren't mentioned. Plus there's a Batman: The Animated Series 2-parter, but, I could do without things I've already seen.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Batman: Under the Red Hood isn't a terrible film, but it doesn't blow me away either. It works better as an overall story then the previous Batman-centric DCU release, Gotham Knight, but the reasons for that are pretty obvious. However, I have deeper annoyances with this film than the actual film itself, which may have been one of the major factors preventing me from reviewing this, and not just my busy schedule. And when it comes to the extras, DC is clearly trying to make it more apparent that the DVD releases are becoming more and more inferior, which sucks.

Overall Score: 7/10

This Week in Lost - Final Edition?

The Complete Series of Lost, as well as the Season 6 box set, arrived on DVD and Blu-ray today. And while everything on the set has obviously been seen before, the Season 6 collection adds one extra special feature: a 12-minute epilogue that takes place after the on-island events of "The End". So, despite "The End" being... the end, this is truly the last Lost 'episode'.

Epilogue: "The New Man in Charge"

Zach says: The 12 minutes let us see a few glimpses of what Ben and Hurley are up to, although there is nothing TRULY revolationary (if that's not a word, it should be). We get a couple of answers to questions that weren't really important, or that we really already knew the answer to. "Why are there polar bears and where did they come from!?!?!?" Well, obviously the Dharma Initiative brought them to the island for research... you really couldn't figure that one out on your own?

The more important thing we see though, is Walt, and we see what things COULD possibly happen in Lost's near future, assuming there is one for the series, which isn't likely. So, it's kind of weird that they show us these things, which they aren't planning to elaborate on in any form of media. It's not that it's a bad 12 minutes of footage, but it would have been fine if they left it alone, as these don't really add anything to the mythos. But, it's still more Lost, and it's a bit tongue-in-cheek, and fun to see, but overall, it's pretty meh
Zach's Score: 7/10

JDW says: Well, I really loved "The End" and found it to be a really fitting ending to such a wonderful, smart, and mysterious series. But, not everyone was a fan of it, and I can understand that, especially with all those 'unanswered questions'. So what "The New Man in Charge" does is serves the purpose of pleasing those fans that want answers, but also rubs it in their faces.

Most the short is taken up by a lost Dharma video with Dr. Chang that talks about the origin of the polar bears on the island as well as the background behind Room 23 at the Hydra Station. At the same time Ben visits the Dharma food supply HQ, and gives the two workers there a chance to ask one question each, and when one worker asks "How does the island move?" Ben smirks and tells him he only gets one. Which was an amusing nod to those people that complained about not getting enough answers.

However, the best part of this was getting to finally see Walt again. Sure, we still don't know why he's so special, and the ending to this was so vague that really this could go anywhere, but it was great to see his character getting some sort of closure after a long absence. But seriously, all this was was a major tease. "The End" gave the series a great ending and closure, but all this short epilogue did was leave me want more. So really, is this 'the end'?
JDW's Score: 7.5/10

Overall Score: 7.3/10

While we've reviewed this 'episode' by itself, we don't have any immediate plans to review the complete series or Season 6 box sets as a whole. It's not that it wouldn't be worth your time, but it's just a lot to go through on our limited schedules, and this epilogue is the real attraction of the sets for a lot of people.

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths DVD Review

After a couple of lack-luster films (lack-luster in comparison to the VFH Seal of Approval winning Wonder Woman film at least), Warner Bros. Animation's DC Universe line is taking another crack at a completely original animated film, instead of adapting a pre-existing comic book story-arc, this time with the Justice League. Note, this is a review of the DVD edition, as have all the other DC Universe films on DVD and collector's OCD won't let me go Blu.

As stated, Crisis On Two Earths isn't based on a pre-existing DC book or story-arc, so it requires a bit more explaining. It should be noted that the general idea for this film was penned back when he Justice League animated series was on television, and a TV-movie, titled Justice League: Worlds Collide, was written as a bridge between that series and the then-upcoming series, Justice League Unlimited. But obviously that never came to fruition, and we now have this film, which follows a similar story as planned, but completely removes itself from the series by having new character designs, voice actors, and characters (i.e, no Jon Stewart Green Lantern, it's Hal Jordan).

The Movie
The film mainly centers around an alternate world's Lex Luthor, who has come to the familiar Earth after losing the final member of his Justice League to the Crime Syndicate, evil parallel versions of the good Justice League. The primary Justice League is a bit weary of this Luthor, but is soon in agreement to save his world, all except for Batman.

But, once in this alternate world, our Justice League learns that things are much different from their world, and this Crime Syndicate isn't afraid to use lethal force, even against the President of the United States and his family. But what seems like a regular Justice League TV plot soon gets a bit heavier, when the evil universe's anit-Batman, Owl Man, carries out his plot to not only destroy the good universe, but reality as we know it.

Overall, the film holds together pretty well, even if it does feel over-reminiscent of the television series, albeit a bit heavier and more mature in tone. I also found that due to the diversity of characters, there's never a big focus on just one, other than Owl Man (James Woods), and you end up forgetting that these characters have completely new voices from what you're used to. Like I'd like to say that Mark Harmon and William Baldwin did good jobs portraying Superman and Batman respectively, but you never even get to hear them that much. Even Nolan North, playing both the Green Lantern and his evil version, Power Ring, who you may be tired of by new after playing games like Uncharted, Prince of Persia, and Dark Void, isn't on screen long enough to even have an opinion. But, James Wood's Owl Man, who does get plenty of screen time is perfect, as the subtle, menacing mad man that he is. As for character design, gone are the super-bulked up characters from the animated series and Public Enemies, and these trimmed down designs move a bit more fluidly.

My only complaint about the movie is that there's some subplots that really don't have time to flesh out in this 75 minute film, and would have to rely on an unlikely sequel movie to make sense of their inclusion. I also found that the characters a persuaded a bit to easily, perhaps to make up for the short run time. And, please, some of the lines in this are just stupid, "well, I'm a murdering psychopath..." the whole thing that makes a murdering psychopath a murdering psychopath is that they aren't aware that they're a psychopath; you should know better Super Woman.

The Spectre
For the first in what I assume will be a regular feature on these DC Universe animated release, is a DC Showcase short, which focuses on lower-tier DC characters. The first one, included here is The Spectre, a ghostly crime fighter at night, and a detective by day. Running at just over 11 minutes, the film doesn't really have time to express itself storywise, but visually this short was awesome. It takes a page from Grindhouse, adding in film grain/scratches, lo-fi sound track, funk music, and surprisingly gory violence. It's a really nice treat, and hearing Gary Cole trying to be menacing in what is essentially a 70s noir is just awesome. Definitely worth watching.

Extras
As usual, the first disc extras are crap. Other than The Spectre short, you have re-hashed previews for previous DC Universe films, an interesting preview of the next film, Batman: Under the Red Hood, and trailers for other Warner Bros. projects, like the recently released Halo Legends. Otherwise, no commentary whatsoever.

The second disc is of course the actual special features disc, well at least you'd think it was. But when you boot up this disc, you'll be surprisingly shocked to only see two options on a bare menu. First is a 25 minute documentary called DCU: The New World which focuses on the various "Crisis" story-arcs in the DC Universe as well as the people and background behind the major events in the DCU. It's really informative if you're looking into the back-story of major comic book stories, but if you're someone that just likes the DC characters in film/animation, and don't care for the actual comics, then you might not have much interest here.

Then there's he two-part Justice League episode, "A Better World," which features a similar parallel universe storyline and is one of the better episodes of that series. But it also feels like a cop out for new content. If you want features, like more JL episodes and un-aired TV pilots, get the Blu-ray.

Final Thoughts
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths is definitely a step above Green Lantern: First Flight and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, both in visual appeal and storytelling, and just overall is a better film. However, it still falls flat in the extras department. Sure, The Spectre short film is worth the asking price, but the somewhat alienating Crisis documentary and the Justice League episode being the only features on the second disc is really upsetting. If there's one thing DC should learn from what made Wonder Woman so good it's that not only was the film great, but the extras were both informative and plenty. And it's a shame that a good film like Crisis On Two Earths suffers from a lack of proper supplementary material.

Overall Score: 8.3/10

FLCL comes to Funimation

It's rare, and I mean RARE, that I give a crap about anime these days. It's nothing against the medium, I really liked anime back in the day, along with other animation, what ruined anime for me (and if you're a fan of ours and a fan of anime, you might want to look away)... it's the people. The fans of anime are some of the most.. I don't even know how to explain my frustration with people that ONLY like anime. I've lost interest in anime because I was annoyed with being associate with such an awful group of people that liked what I liked.

Regardless, back when I was big into anime, there was one series that really got to me, Gainax's FLCL. Even though it was just six episodes, there was something just so fantastic/imaginative/bizarre about the show that I really connected with. Sure, I might not like anime as much anymore, and I can't say I seek out new anime series anymore; but if it means anything there's only two anime series I ever bought on DVD: FLCL (yes, even at $30 per 2-episodes) and Samurai Champloo (Bebop is great, but Champloo oozes style). Not that it's an achievement, but the fact that I only bought those two kind of says something.. maybe.

Back on topic, the reason I'm rambling here is because, for whatever reason, Funimation now owns the distribution rights to FLCL, which was previously released by Synch-Point. I can't say I'm blown away or anything, but because of Synch-Point's small size, the FLCL DVDs were always incredibly hard to find, and EXPENSIVE. Now that Funimation is in control, that means wide distribution and perhaps affordability. The best news however, is that not Funimation is in control, no. The best news is that the series will be re-released on DVD (yes, all six in just one set) ... and Blu-ray! I'm not one to re-buy something just because it's on a different medium, but, if the Blu-ray contains the commentary, extras, and even more than what Synch-Point's DVDs had, I may consider it.

Man... that is like the most informal writing I've done in a long time. See what anime does to you?

See Funimation's announcement for, not too much news. And you can also visit their teaser website, for a picture.

UP Blu-ray/DVD review

There's no denying it, I really enjoyed Disney/Pixar's latest film, UP, surprisingly more so than WALL-E (but only slightly), heck, I even gave it a VFH Seal of Approval. So of course, like WALL-E, I had to get it on Blu-ray to appreciate the film in glorious HD from the comfort of my own home.

Now, since the WALL-E Blu-ray release, Disney has taken a different approach to Blu-ray releases. Instead of the standard 2-Disc set, you have four... but there's a catch. There are two Blu-ray discs, the movie and the extras, then you have a DVD version of the film, and another disc that's used to install the Digital Copy. So really, it's two discs of real content, and 2 more of the same content. But I'll get to that later...

Blu-ray Disc 1
As assumed the main feature of this disc is obviously the actual film, UP, which in my opinion is certainly one of the best films of this past year, animated or otherwise, and by far Pixar's most mature film to date. In fact, I still can't watch the opening moments of the film (or much of the rest) without getting teared up a bit. But I won't repeat myself, if you want to read the rest of my thoughts of the film, read the original review. Most notable about the film though, is that unlike the theatrical release, this Blu-ray version is not in 3D, which doesn't really bother me since I saw it in 2D to begin with. In fact, even in the special features and commentary, the aspect of 3D isn't even brought up, showing just unnecessary the feature was for the film. But it is something to take not of for those looking to see this film in 3D again, or for the first time, because you can't.

But there's more to the disc. My personal favorite is Cine-Explore, which is a commentary track with Pete Docter and Bob Peterson that also features pop-up images as you watch the film; it's really interesting commentary and the images just enhance that experience. You also have Partly Cloudy, the short that played before UP in theaters, and a video-release exclusive short, Dug's Special Mission. Sadly, unlike WALL-E, there's no picture-in-picture storyboard feature for these shorts, and you only have the one Cine-Explore commentary, instead of two commentaries like WALL-E had.

But what this does include is a really interesting 22-minute featurette of how the creative team actually went to South America and how they based the environments of the film on this trip, and there's another interesting video of the development of the film's villain Charles Muntz. Lastly are the BD-Live features, but once again, unlike WALL-E, the BD-Live features aren't really robust, instead acting like an information channel for Disney's other releases instead of a dedicated online hub for the film. I can't say I used the feature on WALL-E very much, but the lack of proper inclusion is strange.

Blu-ray Disc 2
The second disc of this Blu-ray set is somewhat of a mixed bag. The main aspect is this series of seven short documentaries which focus on the films assorted characters and locations, about 5-9 minutes each. These range from character inspirations, character designs, the way they move, the way they act, the way they sound, and more, it's all here, and it's all really interesting and insightful, especially if you're into that aspect of film and animation, like I am.

Also on the disc is a short documentary/storyboard of an alternate take on the film's opening segment. Which I'm glad was changed to what it is in the film because this alternate take doesn't have the same emotional impact. There's also a six-minute montage of the characters floating around, two trailers for the film, and an interactive game that has you naming states and countries, with a BD-Live leaderboard. The game is OK... if you're teaching your kids geography, but most people probably won't touch it. While the documentaries are insightful, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed with the rest of this disc, as it's just not as jam-packed like the last Pixar release, WALL-E.

DVD
I'll say this, UP is the first film I've ever owned on two formats, because it just never made sense to me. So the fact that Disney includes a DVD with this Blu-ray set (as well as all their other recent releases) just doesn't make much sense to me. This disc features everything that's on the first disc, except Cine-Explore, instead it's just audio commentary, and overall it's just not as nice looking. Even the menus are down-scaled for the medium, using cartoon cutouts of the house and balloons, instead of the expected 3D models. I can't really hold it against this set, because really, the inclusion of this disc is completely unnecessary, but the DVD quality is just ugly in comparison to the beautiful Blu-ray quality.

Digital Copy
The last disc of this set is the Digital Copy, which thankfully unlike the Warner Bros DVDs I've been getting recently, actually works on both PCs and Macs, giving you the option to download the movie via iTunes or Windows Media Player. However, I chose not to install the disc, since, much like the DVD in this set, I just don't need it, despite being included in the standard Blu-ray pricing. When WALL-E released last year, there was a version with a Digital Copy, and one without. I chose the one without it for a reason, and I just wish such an option was available this time around.

Overall
As a film, UP is fantastic; and now that it's available to buy, there's no reason you shouldn't have this in your film collection (unless you hate puppies). If you have the means to watch Blu-rays on an HDTV, then hands-down, this is the way to go. However, those that can only get the DVD version, I'm sorry, the film in itself is still spectacular, but the DVD quality just doesn't do UP and its luscious color and detail any justice. And while the inclusion of a DVD and Digital Copy version of the film is nice (considering it's at no extra cost), it also just feels like a waste of space, since the 'Four Disc Set' being advertised is really only two, being repeated. I could continue to be negative by saying this set may not be as feature-full as WALL-E, but it certainly still has enough interesting features to keep lovers of UP, Pixar, and film/animation very happy, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Overall Score: 9/10

The Waters of Mars coming December 19th

Well consider this to be awesome news for Doctor Who fans living in America, instead of waiting a whole year to catch the upcoming Doctor Who special, "The Waters of Mars," we only have to wait a month! Yes, it's still a decent wait but, it's not the seven month gap between the UK and US airing "The Next Doctor" and the four month gap for "Planet of the Dead". This next special will be premiering on BBC America on December 19th at 9 PM ET/PT, just over a month after it plays on November 15th on BBC One in the UK .

The release from BBC America also goes on to say that David Tennant's two-part finale as The Doctor, "The End of Time," will be airing during the Holiday season, with airdates being released in early December. This two-part special will notably be what ushers in new-comer Matt Smith as the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, with his episodes (Series 5 of the current Doctor Who series) airing sometime later in 2010.

Lastly, BBC America mentioned the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the specials, all set for release on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

- Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars" - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: "The End of Time" (2-disc release) - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: Specials Collection (5-disc release) – DVD/Blu-ray - contains "The Next Doctor," "Planet of the Dead," "Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time"

No prices were given, but if I was to go by current BBC America DVD collections pricing, I'd say they're going to be damn expensive... But the Specials Collection seems like the best buy if you already own the previous Doctor Who series' DVDs, as the specials pretty much make up their own Series 4.5.

I think it's time to start getting excited Doctor Who fans!

via BBC America on Facebook

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies DVD review

Despite each hero already having their own DC Universe release (Superman Doomsday and Batman: Gotham Knight), not to mention both appearing in Justice League: The New Frontier, Superman and Batman return to the direct-to-DVD scene with a film of their own. After the disappointment that was Green Lantern: First Flight, have Warner Bros. and DC Comics stepped up there game? Or has this DC Universe animated movies series lost its fuel?

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is actually an adaptation of the first story arc of DC Comics' monthly Superman/Batman series, "The Worlds Finest," which released in 2003. Myself, I never actually read the series, but I do remember when it came out, as I wasn't particularly fond of all the characters' obnoxiously muscular, bulky designs. And coming into this film, I still retained the same distaste, as the animated adaptation designed itself after the comics, giving Public Enemies a much different appearance than any previously release DC animated projects.

Story is simple, Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown) becomes President of the United States, declares Superman (Tim Daly) as a threat with a $1 Billion on his head... oh, and a kryptonite meteor is heading towards Earth. Along the way Superman enlists Batman's (Kevin Conroy) help, as they fend of DC villains and heroes alike and try to save Earth and stop Luthor. The film is just a predictable as any other Superman vs. Lex Luthor story, but it's still a fun watch. Design wise, I was surprised by some of the fluidity in the bulky characters, but then there's parts where it all just seems stiff. I still can't get over how ugly some of the character and CGI designs are though, that bothered me the most.

In terms of extras, the first disc, like the last few DC Universe releases before it, just rehashes the mini-previews for previous direct-to-disc releases, and nothing more, sadly. And once again, there's no movie commentary and the Digital Copy is Windows only (seriously, iTunes/Mac support is that hard?).

The second disc however, again like previous releases is where the real extras come in. There's two main features here, the 19-minute, "A Test of Minds: The Psychology of Superman and Batman," which is a pretty interesting comparison of DC's two big heroes. Next is the 26-minute "Dinner with DCU and Kevin Conroy," which has DC Universe's main people in charge, along with Batman himself, Kevin Conroy discussing the film at the DC animated history. Also on the disc is the first previous of the next DC Universe animated film, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, which looks pretty interesting and is wholly original story. Lastly, there's two episodes of Superman: The Animated Series, which happen to feature Batman. It doesn't sound like much, but considering what was lacking from their last release, this is a nice return to form.

Overall, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies isn't a bad film. It's certainly better than Green Lantern: First Flight, but not really near the caliber of Wonder Woman. Also, for my tastes, I felt the film was a little too much of a Superman story rather than a real combined Superman/Batman tale; so, Warner Bros., next time you try this, at least let us see Gotham City, OK?

Overall Score: 8/10

Green Lantern: First Flight review

After Wonder Woman's stellar direct-to-DVD film, does DC's fourth ranked superhero reach the same level of success that the previous film did, or should Green Lantern: First Flight have been left on the drawing board?

As usual, I picked up the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD version (the bonus one from Best Buy actually, as it comes with a little Green Lantern figure), as I still have yet to be convinced that I need a 2D film in high-definition. The only difference between the Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release though is the addition of more Justice League episodes; so regardless of which you pick up you won't miss anything.

One dilemma that probably came to the minds of DC Universe fans was just how was this film going to work when Justice League: The New Frontier already focused heavily on Hal Jordan and his origin story as the Green Lantern. Thankfully, First Flight covers the origin story quickly, before the opening credits actually, and then rest of the film is completely off of Earth, which was interesting to see.

Because the film completely takes place in space, the film heavily revolves around the Green Lantern Corps, from the Guardians, to the Green Element at the center of Oa, it's all here. But essentially the film is a tale of "Good Cop / Bad Cop" between Hal Jordan and Sinestro; and if you're like me, and have a large awareness of the Green Lantern storyline and background, then the film doesn't feel very new, and in fact you can probably guess where it ends up long before the film starts going anywhere. Seriously, there's really no need for me to explain anything because all you need to hear is "Hal Jordan's first duty as Green Lantern" and "Sinestro" and you can pretty much get it you're first try.

But it's not just the story that fell flat for me, but it was the visual style too. While as intricate and stylized it may be, it reminded me way to much of Men In Black: The Series and Jackie Chan Adventures for me to really enjoy the film; it's the same reason I couldn't get into The Batman. I'm sure someone will enjoy the style, but when characters like Abin Sur and Kanjar Ro are completely unidentifiable from their traditional look, then something is definitely wrong.

For Extras, the first disc (what you get in the standard edition) of First Flight has a few offerings: a first look featurette at the next DC Universe animated film Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, some rehashed featurettes for Wonder Woman, The New Frontier, and Gotham Knight, some trailers, and a new featurette on the current Green Lantern comic story-arc, Blackest Night. But there is no commentary this time around, sadly, as it would've been nice to get an explanation on some of the creative decisions for the film.

AS for the second disc, that's where the real features are at. First off is an 8-minute long featurette on the Green Lantern's mythology, more specifically on Hal Jordan, obviously, so there's nothing about the other four Green Lanterns of Earth. Then there's two short background videos for Sinestro and the Guardians. Then there's an episode of Duck Dodgers, "The Green Loontern", and it's in my opinion the only decent episode of that show; and then there's the two-part Justice League Unlimited episode, "The Once and Future Thing", which is one of my personal favorite JLU episodes as it melds Justice League, Batman Beyond, and Static Shock, and even has Hal Jordan step in for a brief moment. And yeah, that's about it, no fancy 30 min featurettes, commentary tracks, its a nice variety, but nothing special. Oh, and like Black Frieghter, the digital-copy is Windows only, leaving us Mac users in the dust again...

Overall, despite being a decent film, I'm pretty dissapointed after watching Green Lantern: First Flight. Perhaps it's just due comparison of what DC Universe animated films have brought in the past, or that my expectations were set way to high after watching Wonder Woman, but there seems to be a lot missing this time around. There's no commentary, or cast interviews, really there's just no explanation for the creative decisions for the film, and they're what bothered me the most, particularly the visual style. As a Green Lantern fan, it pains me to say that this is the worst of the current DC Universe animated films, but it really is when compared to the rest and I hope the next outing fairs a bit better.

Overall Score: 7/10

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

With the release of DC Comics' next DC Universe direct-to-disc (because it's now DVD and Blu-ray releases) animated movie, Green Lantern: First Flight, just a week or so away, it seems that Warner Bros. is silently gearing up for their next release: Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, based on the "Public Enemies" story-arc from the first six issues of the 2003-present Superman/Batman comic series.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies website and trailer

Based on the trailer alone, I can say that this is certainly the most visually different work that DC and Bruce Timm have released in recent years. Other than Batman: Gotham Knight, which was made by anime studios, Superman-Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier, and Wonder Woman all resembled past DC work, albeit slightly tweaked. Public Enemies (not to be confused with that new Johnny Depp as John Dillinger film...) instead aims to look like its source material, giving the character designs that very comic-booky, unreal design. Personally, it bothers me, because I've always liked the look of Bruce Timm's animated series/films for DC Comics, and this just seems to stray too far from that for me to visually enjoy. I'll be the final judge of that when it releases on DVD and Blu-ray this September 29th...

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Review

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is the best fighter on the Xbox 360. Okay, so that's not really a claim I can honestly make considering I haven't gone in depth with many of them, and the selection is quite varied. Hell, even personal taste comes into play. But it did get your attention didn't it?

None the less, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is Arc System Works' first foray in the fight genre for next-gen consoles, and should be considered as the spiritual successor to the popular Guilty Gear series of fighting games.

Story
If you're like me, you expect a very sparse storyline with your fighters. Yet, quite to my surprise, with BlazBlue that is just not the case. All 12 characters have very interesting stories to be told through their individual story campaigns. The setting of Kagutsuchi is an intriguing one, and the BlazBlue world is very fleshed out as whole. One problem though. The story mode is played out through a series of character portraits accompanied by text. Those familiar with any older RPGs should know what I'm talking about. It's a little slowly paced, and for those of us without HDTVs, the letters are a bit too small.

Through each characters stories, you have the ability to make choices and see a different part of the story. There are a few branching paths for each character, and all of the ones I've played so far are very interesting. Yet, no matter how interesting they are, it's a bit of a pain to have to go through each multiple times to see the persons entire story. Though, be forewarned, despite all of the flaws with the games storytelling method, I think the story is interesting enough to motivate you to play around the minor quirks. I definitely recommend looking into the story with this one, don't ignore it like you may with other fighters. If nothing else, think of it as a bonus aside from all the standard modes.

Gameplay
Despite the story elements, BlazBlue is first and foremost a 2D fighter. As a spiritual successor to Guilty Gear, a lot of people will know exactly what to expect. Yet for the rest of you, let me explain a bit. BlazBlue is a single planed, extremely fast paced, 2D fighter. You have your super moves, one hit finishers, and much much more. But before I get to all that, I'd like to touch upon perhaps the biggest innovation in BlazBlue. The Drive button.

The drive button is essentially the special button (Think Super Smash Bros.). One press and you're doing a character specific special move. This is touted as “a easy way to do something cool”, and not only is that true, but the one button special adds even more intensity to the already mind blowing intense battles. Being able to fly across the screen, or control the wind, or even shoot swords with just the press of a button really changes things. It both makes the game more accessible to newbies, and adds depth for veterans. If you're new you start off being able to do at least 1 special. If you have experience, you have a quickly accessible move that has more flexibility and freedom then it would if you had to input a button sequence.

But besides the drive attacks, BlazBlue stays fairly close to Guilty Gear. There are Distortion attacks, which are basically super attacks. They take up various amounts of your heat bar (which I will get to later), require a button sequence to perform, and do large amounts of damage.

You also have the option of doing one button air recoveries, which stop you from being helpless while airborne, barrier defense, which depletes your barrier meter yet completely blocks damage, barrier bursts, which push your opponent from you and can break combos, yet deplete your entire barrier meter, lowering your defense. You also have what is referred to as the Guard Libra. This is a meter in the middle that moves to the side while you defend. If it hits your side, you lose your barrier, and are stunned. Another feature to keep you and your opponents active is the penalty you get when you don't attack for a certain amount of time. The opponents damage will do a bit more.

To keep you from spamming these specials, you have your heat bar. The heat bar depletes with special actions (as mentioned above) and is replenished by attacking your opponent, or gradually if your hp is under 20%. Speaking of under 20%. If it's the last round of the game in your favor, and your opponent has under 20% left, you are able to use your Astral Finish. This is a flashy one hit move, and you really wont see many of these, but they're still worth mentioning.

OK, now I haven't even scratched the tip of the iceberg here, and I bet it already sounds overwhelming. But don't worry, it all comes naturally after a few rounds. If it doesn't you can hone your skills in training, or do a few playthroughs of Arcade Mode, just to get the hang of things. Maybe pop in story mode on those slow days, switch it up with a score attack every now and then. The game is packed with different modes. But the most important one of all, is the Network mode. [See below]

Finally in the gameplay department, I'd like to talk about that extremely comprehensive training mode. You can pretty much toggle everything on and off. Display command, regenerating health, damage, set heath at certain points, record actions for the computer, play against AI, set repeated commands to the CPU, toggle special character power-ups to last forever, all of it. It's all you could ask for, and more.

Online
You can play online with your friends, join 6 player lobbies in player matches, battle it out in ranked matches to move up in the rankings, or just go around and spectate matches. You gain experience based on performance in fights, and level up/rank up accordingly. You won't unlock anything new by leveling up, but it is nice to be able to quickly tell a players experience with a glance.

Your records are kept on a very easy to access D-Card. You can look at yours, or your opponents at just about any time in the lobbies. It keeps track of rank, your main character, your secondary, your wins and losses in ranked and player, and a few other stats like that. It's a nice little thing to have so you know what to expect from the other players.

Another big part of the online is the ability to save and upload your match replays. You can save any online match's replay, or go to the leader board and pick up some matches, then watch them in the replay theater. You can go frame by frame, slow, fast, you name it. It's a very nice, very welcomed feature, and coupled with the extremely comprehensive (extremely comprehensive, it must be said twice) training mode, it makes for both good entertainment, and a good way to improve your game.

Graphics
The game is beautiful. Downright gorgeous. The sprites are big and clean, the backgrounds are just plain breathtaking on certain stages, and the character designs are all crazy, and very interesting. All the characters personalities show through their art, and even can be seen in their battle animations. Which reminds me, the animations, they're amazing too. I simply cannot express to you how gorgeous the entire game is. Even the menus are a delight. Something I've neglected to mention thus far, is the gallery. By accomplishing certain tasks, you unlock art and videos, and it's all stunning. This is high resolution, breathtaking stuff. All of it is worth checking out, and it may in fact turn out to be your driving force for playing the game. It's one of mine right now.

To finish off the graphics section, I thought I would tell you, I have always been a big fan of 2D games. It's what I grew up on. So if 3D is more your thing, then you may be a little put off at first, but I beg you to not expect realism, and to love the anime inspired, beautiful artwork.

Sound
Sound is another area where BlazBlue excels. The soundtrack which comes with the Limited Edition is more than worthy of being a regular in my cars CD player, or getting a playthrough on iTunes every once in a while. It's mostly rock, and it does an amazing job of giving the furiously fast and action packed battles a little more umph.

The voice acting is decent overall, and the option to choose the Japanese tracks is very welcomed. On top of that, something that really struck me as impressive was the ability to control settings for each individual character. Hate so and so's voice? Well you can turn it off! This is something I would have loved to have in many, many other games. I'm glad to see it show up here.

Limited Edition Material
This portion is over the Limited Edition material, so if you're not into looking for a LE copy, then go ahead and skip this. Basically, this version of BlazBlue comes in a large cardboard box with two DVD cases. One with BlazBlue (and its full color instruction booklet), and another with 2 CDs and a DVD (on PS3 it's a Blu-ray). The case itself has a nice cover, and the CDs and DVD all have nice art on them. The CDs have, as far as I can tell, all of the game's soundtrack, and a few remixes. The DVD shows combos and strategies for each character, as well as some exhibition matches. It's a great way to introduce you to more advanced techniques. I'd really recommend finding the LE version of the game, especially since it comes at the same price. The CDs are kickass, and the DVD is a great help.

Overall
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is as of now, my favorite Xbox 360 game. Before now I was never serious in any fighters, but BlazBlue is about to change that. The game is just so full of content, depth, and personality. The game is a prime example of 2D fighters at their best, and SHOULD NOT be missed by any fighting game fans (whether you own a 360 or PS3).

Overall Score: 9.5/10

A Seal of Approval. You saw this coming didn't you? I'm awarding BlazBlue the second VFH Seal of Approval to go to a video game. Believe me, it's well deserved. The sheer amount of content itself is astounding. Wrapping all that up in the best 2D fighting system around, sprinkled with lovable characters, and you have a recipe for win.

Green Lantern: First Flight trailer

Warner Bros. has released the debut trailer for the next DC Universe animated film, Green Lantern: First Flight, set for release on July 2st, 2009:

Looks promising, and has a style different from that of the previous DC Universe films. Let's just hope it can surpass the stellar Wonder Woman film, just as that topped the previous direct-to-disc movies.

Tales of the Black Freighter DVD review

When Zack Snyder's Watchmen released earlier this month, there was a notable exclusion from the film adaptation: Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic book within the Watchmen universe that parallels particular events of the comic's story.

However, due to budget reasons, and at the risk of having too long of a theatrical film, this aspect of the book was removed from the film, instead opting for this stand-alone DVD (and Blu-ray) release. Also with Tales of the Black Freighter is another aspect of the graphic novel excluded in Watchmen's theatrical release: Under the Hood, which is Hollis Mason's book that tells of his times as Nite Owl.

Tales of the Black Freighter
Despite being the "main feature" of this disc, Tales of the Black Freighter is actually the short of the two segments, having a run time of only 26 minutes. Now, while that may sound short, viewers should take note that what you're watching is based of a part of the graphic novel that only appears every so often, and for only a few panels. So, if roughly three quarters of a 400+ page graphic novel translates into a 2.7 hour movie ... you see where I'm going with this? There's only so much that could be adapted before the animated film becomes much more than what the original book intended.

As for the film itself though? It more or less adapts the frames from Watchmen directly, however, a lot of the dialogue is reworded, and the colorful palette from the book is disregarded, opting for an overly dark, red palette instead. Stylistically though, I can see how the designers aimed for a very "comic-like" style, but to me it looked very Æon Flux-ish, a style I never really got into. But it's not all bad, Gerard Butler's voice is quite fitting for the unnamed Sea Captain, and by itself, Tales of the Black Freighter is a nice animated film if you're in the mood for brutal violence and gore, with a nice touch of hallucination. Though, from a personal stand-point, I don't think the animated film really stands up on its own without the support of the actual Watchmen universe, and really should have been kept in the actual movie.

Under the Hood
While it's not the focus of the DVD, Under the Hood outlasts Tales of the Black Freighter, running at 38 minutes. While the original version in the Watchmen book was entirely text based, this version of Under the Hood is a mockumentary, taking place in an episode of a fictional 1985 TV show, "The Culpeper Minute," which looks back at 1975 interviews with Hollis Mason/Nite Owl (Stephan McHattie), Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), and other "old" characters from the Watchmen film reprising their roles.

The film is set in a 4:3 aspect ratio, as opposed to Black Freighter's 16:9, in order to authenticate it's 1985/75 look; film grain and scratches are also added to "earlier" footage to further the effect. Personally, I found Under the Hood to be more enjoyable then the Black Freighter, mainly because it actually can stand on its own. The interviews gave a much deeper look into the characters that the Watchmen movie didn't give much focus on, and offers more history than what was given; as was the purpose of the text in the original graphic novel. I also liked how they utilized real DC Comics as inspiration for Hollis Mason, showing issues of Superman, All-Star Comics, and the Blue Beetle (the actual inspiration for the Nite Owl character). Another nice touch, and more or less a comic releif, were the comercial breaks during the "show", to really push that "old" feel. While, much like the film, many viewers may find themselves bored by this; but if you left the theatre wanting more, this may be your best bet till the Watchmen DVD releases

Extras
The main extra on the DVD is "Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen," which is a 25 minute featurette with the cast and crew of Watchmen, as well as DC Comics staff, discussing the importance of both Tales of the Black Freighter and Under the Hood, in not just the contect of the book, but with the film as well. It's quite the informative piece, and in a sense, may actually have been better to watch before seeing the film and/or the films on the DVD, if only for those who haven't actually read the book to have a good idea as to what they're getting into ... without actually reading. What I loved especially though, was that during the featurette, there were some clips from the film set showing the two Bernards as well as Hollis Mason's murder, two aspects of the book that were excluded from the theatrical release (and mentioned so in my review) that I at least have the comfort of now knowing were actually filmed.

Also included is the first chapter of the Watchmen Motion Comic, which I actually got for free a while back; and is now available on DVD/Blu-ray. And also included is the first look at Green Lantern: First Flight, which was already included on the Wonder Woman DVD, and is readily available online. So in terms of special features, this disc is pretty lacking in new content, which is a shame. The Blu-ray edition includes the same features, as well as two BD-Live exclusive features, which in my opinion have no reason to be BD-Live as they're not interactive content, and just seemingly a way for Warner Bros. to cheapen production costs by not printing it on the discs. And another gripe, the Digital Copy is Windows only, which makes no sense when the Digital Copy for Wonder Woman was PC/Mac accessible.

Final Thoughts
If you're a fan of Watchmen, both the book and the film, then chances are you'll have already picked this up. But for those who have only seen the film, but wished to get more out of the experience, this DVD will be your best chance at getting a deeper experience, without actually reading. But, buyers be warned, Zack Snyder has said it more than once that Tales of the Black Freighter would be incorporated into a Watchmen Director's Cut, and that fact alone may turn some people off from buying this now. But, nothing yet has been said about Under the Hood's fate, so if anything, you should check Tales of the Black Freighter out just for that.

Overall Score: 8/10

Wonder Woman review

After years of taking a back seat to Batman and Superman, Wonder Woman finally gets her own spotlight in the animated DC Universe. But will her film stand tall against the work of her fellow heroes?

As a first note, I'm reviewing the two-disc DVD edition of the film; which is the same as the Blu-ray, but not in HD. The standard edition of the film only contains the movie, and few special features. On with the film shall we? The film opens up with a very 300-esque battle, which is actually in the past, setting up as to how the island of Themyscira came to be. Though unlike the previous DC outings, the battle lacks the blood we're used to seeing, despite overly brutal violence. And yes, I mean brutal, like beheadings, and axes to the face; don't let the title fool you.

It is soon after that the tale of Princess Diana (voiced by Keri Russell) is told. It's all here, from pilot Steve Trevor (voiced by Nathan Fillion) crash landing, to the famed contest to become Themyscira's emissary to the United States, even the invisible jet comes along; oh, and let's not forget Ares, the God of War (voiced by Alfred Molina), has escaped from his imprisonment. It is after this that Diana and Steve fly to New York, where Diana learns just how different man's world is from her own; and soon learns of Ares' plot to unleash Hell. And, as usual I'll have to stop there for spoiler reasons, but I assure you, the story will keep you engaged till the last frame.

As with previous DC Universe releases, Wonder Woman is not without a myriad of special features. On the first disc (same as the standard edition) you'll find audio commentary, and a new featurette on the next DC animated film Green Lantern: First Flight; the disc also includes rehashes of Wonder Woman, New Frontier, and Gotham Knight featurettes, as well as some trailers for other Warner Bros. films; a.k a. if you get the standard edition, sorry you.

However, the second disc is a whole other story, as it's specifically for special features (as well as the bonus Digital Copy). First on the disc is a 25 minute documentary, "Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream," which focuses on Wonder Woman's creator, Dr. William Moulton Marston, and Wonder Woman as an iconic symbol. It's actually a really interesting documented, and one to watch for those that are interested in the character's upbringing. Next on the disc is another documentary, "Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth," which focuses on the character's fictional origins, and is just as informative as the former. Lastly on the disc are two episodes from Justice League Unlimited, which focus on Wonder Woman's character, and are decent episodes in their own right.

Overall, Wonder Woman is not only a great addition to the animated DC Universe films, it's the best yet. The film excels in its storytelling in that it's straight forward and keeps you interested till the very end. In a sense, it work's better than the previous films, Superman Doomsday and Justice League: The New Frontier, in that the creative team isn't worrying about adapting a known story arc, they keep to the mythos of the character, but yet are able to do it, in a sense, without a boundary. But it's not just the story that does justice, the cast works really well too. Kari Russell sounds great as a serious Princess Diana, while Nathan Fillion counters that with his Captain Hammer-like charm and comedic sass that he channels into Steve Rodgers, and last but not least is Alfred Molina, who does just as menacing and foreboding a job as Ares as he did as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2. This movie stands well enough on its own, that I feel if a live action film of the character ever comes to fruition, this is the film to beat, hands down.

Overall Score: 9.6/10

I'll be honest, I didn't care much for Wonder Woman prior to this, but the film, as well as the two documentaries have given me a renewed respect for the character. However, I don't think I can explain enough how much higher the bar has been set for future DC animated films because of this. And the funny thing is, I actually planned to not purchase this, because of my disinterest, but I bought it anyways because I have the previous DC Universe films and felt it would be unfair to skip one. Sure, as an animated film, I've seen better visually, but it works for what it is, and excels everywhere else. Not to mention, we failed to give out a VFH Seal of Approval for February; so we'll just call this belated, but much deserved.

Green Lantern: First Flight

With Wonder Woman hitting stores today, Warner Bros. and DC Comics decided to shed some light on its next direct to disc animated feature: Green Lantern: First Flight. Along with an official website, a featurette about the project is also now available:
Green Lantern: First Flight - Behind the Scenes


Full press release at SuperHeroHype

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder review

After 72 episodes, and three direct-to-DVD films, Futurama comes to it's second finale, does it go out with a bang or get lost in space?

Into the Wild Green Yonder opens up in dazzling Mars Vegas, which is soon blown up in order to build a new Mars Vegas, thus upsetting some "Green" activists. Soon after, Lela gets a leech attached to her, while Fry's brain gets a necklace embedded into it, causing him to hear people's thoughts. And once New Vegas opens, Bender falls in love with The Donbot's wife, causing him a load of potential trouble. As confusing as it may sound, it was nice to have aspects of the plot to be revealed early, as I feel the last two Futurama films suffered from poor storytelling.

Early on in the film, Lela uses the f-word (a first for the show), but sadly it's bleeped out. I say sadly, because for a direct-to-DVD release, there's no excuse for censorship, at least in my mind. As for the rest of the film, it's not without its usual pop culture and science fiction references, but I wouldn't expect anything less from the series. None the less, it all comes down to the usual story of only Fry being able to save the universe, a little dry, but it works for the film in the end.

Extras on the disc include: audio commentary, a storyboard animatic, deleted scenes, "how to draw" lessons, 3D models, and a Futurama "making of" featurette, which covers the steps of how the show is made, though in a very tongue in cheek manner, but while it may not be factual, its worth plenty of laughs. Also included are a short with Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller), another short with Matt Groening and David X. Cohen going into space via a Zero G flight, a "Bender's Movie-Theater Etiquette" short, and lastly a "Zapp Brannigan's Guide to Making Love to a Woman" short. There's also an interesting easter-egg of Billy West as Zapp Brannigan muttering nonsense about something that happened outside the recording studio, and another easter-egg of Bender, animated on toilet paper.

Yes, quite the amount of extras, sure they're hit and miss, but you're here for the movie. While Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is available on both Blu-ray and DVD, I can't say there's a big desire to see this in HD, so the choice is yours. If anything, I will say this is definitely my favorite of the 4 direct-to-DVD films. And for the ending, without giving away any spoilers, I will say that fans will be pleased, and if this truly is the for the series that would be just fine.

Overall Score: 9/10

Tales of the Black Freighter

Those anticipating the release of Watchmen, and have already read the book, know that there are some elements from the original pages not included in the film. Namely, Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic within the comic that tells the tale of a lone pirate while mirroring the story of Watchmen itself. The other part, Under The Hood, is a strictly written part of the graphic novel written by the character Hollis Mason a.k.a. the first Nite Owl, detailing the origins and tales of the Minutemen.

Well, thanks to Warner Premiere, you'll be able to watch both of these stories after seeing Watchmen, as it will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 24th; that's just eighteen days after Watchmen releases in theaters on March 6th. The DVD will retail for $19.95 while the Blu-ray will sell for $29.95; the only differences being, other than picture quality, is that the Blu-ray includes a Digital Copy. Both editions feature the Tales of the Black Freighter animated film, Under The Hood (live action/CGI), "Story Within A Story: The Books of Watchmen" featurette, and a sneak preview at the next DC Universe animated film: Green Lantern.

Full details and box art at SuperHeroHype.com

Also, rumor has it, that when Watchmen releases on DVD and Blu-ray, there will be a "Director's Cut" of the film that not only includes more scenes, but would also add Tales of the Black Freighter and Under the Hood segments directly into the film. While it may sound like a fans dream, it would also push the film to a near 5 hour mark, and remember, it's still just a rumor.

Powerpuff Girls DVD Box Set

Hey there, guess what I got today? Oh ... the title gave it away didn't it. While I take some time to watch most of the episodes, and dive deep into the 30 hours of content, I figured I'd add some pack shots to our Flickr for you to enjoy.


Wasn't too keen when I found out the 6 discs were in individual cases, as I lack the shelf space for something so bulky that could've easily been changed otherwise. But it's the only way I'm getting all the episodes so I'll deal with it. Anyways, from the extras I've watched, it made the set worthy enough of a buy, but there's still alot more for me to go through before I can review it all. Stay tuned!

Powerpuff Girls' 10th Anniversary

Can you believe that? It's going to be 10 years since the Powerpuff Girls first premiered ... and about 5 years since Cartoon Network stopped airing the show just so that they could make a big deal about it later on. But enough of me ranting, onto the news!

In order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show, Cartoon Network will be doing three things:

First off is an all day marathon of series' creator, Craig McCracken’s favorite episodes. This will take place on January 19th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, because nothing says "equal rights" like three super-powered little girls.

This marathon will then lead into the first new Powerpuff Girls episode since 2004 titled, "THE POWERPUFF GIRLS RULE!!!" Which is actually kind of exciting in my opinion, as I'm curious if it will get the Flash quality of McCracken's current series, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, or if it will retain the traditional animation style the show was created in.

And on the day after, Tuesday the 20th, Cartoon Network will release The Complete Powerpuff Girls Anniversary Collector’s Set, a 6 DVD set that includes all 78 episodes of the show, as well as the made for TV movie, T'was the Fight Before Christmas. It is not stated if it will include the new episode, but it will not include The Powerpuff Girls Movie. The set will retail at an MSRP of $59.97

via Turner Newsroom

The set seems like a great deal right? But what about us suckers that bought The Powepuff Girls - Complete First Season DVD boxset?! Yeah, thanks a lot Cartoon Network, thanks for not releasing the rest of the seasons so that I can feel like I wasted 20 dollars.

Futurama: Bender's Game review

After the slight disappointment that was The Beast with a Billion Backs, can the third of the four direct-to-DVD Futurama films bring the series back up? Actually, yeah, it can.

As stated, Futurama: Bender's Game is the third of the planned four direct-to-DVD films of the series. Unlike the previous film, this one didn't seem to directly follow any events, so in a way it works as a stand alone film, and wont require you to watch Bender's Big Score or The Beast with a Billion Backs; which is a plus for casual fans. Oddly enough though, despite having this casual set up, the humor of the film is targeted towards hardcore nerds, which basically would exclude almost all casual fans. In fact the bulk of the film is based on Dungeons and Dragons, with a hint of Lord of the Rings. And if that wasn't enough nerd factor for you, there are references with LEGOs, Star Wars, a Star Trek gag with George Takei that made me chuckle a bit, even the title is a reference to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game. It's a total nerdgasm.

But how's this all fall into place? Well movie starts off with a trippy Beatles' Yellow Submarine-esque opening reel, but that's unimportant. The actual film starts of with Q-bert and Dwight playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends when Bender walks in, and shortly realizes he lacks an imagination. There's also a parallel storyline in which there's a dark matter crisis (much like our real world oil/financial crisis) and Professor Farnsworth wants to destroy Mom's monopoly of the industry. Eventually Bender finds that he's overly addicted to D&D, and after a strange mix of mindwaves and dark matter, the Planet Express crew is transported into a fantasy world, where everyone takes on a mythical persona. I can't explain it well, or without spoiling, but hopefully you get the point.

While the move as a whole was decent, and definitely a step up from last time, I still have my complaints. For one, the fantasy world that the movie introduces doesn't actually show up until later in the film, and almost feels like a lost opportunity. The fantasy designs are a great diversion from the futuristic setting we're used to, and its nice to see how the designs mix between "centuries", but seeing just a smidgen of it seemed like a waste. Also, I found the movie to end quite abruptly, with the story wrapping up really quick in what seemed like just a way to fit it into a 2 hour time slot. I understand there are budgets and what not, but if that was the reason for wrapping it all up so quickly, then A) shame on Fox for poor funding or B) shame on the storyboarders and writers for poor judgment of time.

Lasty are the special features; I have the DVD edition so I can't speak for the Blu-ray edition. You have the standard commentary, animatics, a Dungeons and Dragons featurette, deleted scenes and more. One feature I found neat was a character mash-up where you chose two characters and then saw a weird morph of them; nothing special, but some gave me a laugh. Also on the DVD is a trailer for the next film, Into the Wild Green Yonder.

So to reiterate, I enjoyed the movie, a lot more than the previous one. I enjoyed the fantasy take on the series, as well as the plethora of nerdy references. But it just seemed lacking, whether it was the late introduction of the fantasy world, or it was the film coming to such a quick, stale ending, it just felt like it need a little more of a push. As a Futurama movie, this is a good chance for someone to just get into it, while disregarding the events of the first two films; but the choice humor and references may not be for everyone.

Overall score - 8.7/10

Rocko's Modern Life on DVD

Finally, the first official Rocko's Modern Life DVDs are being released. While, sadly, they aren't season sets, there are 2 "Best Of" collections, each with 2 discs. You can see the full announcement by the show's creator at Joe Murray's Journal. Episode list is currently unknown.

You can buy them on Amazon.com

Just a note, if you read the fine print at Amazon, it seems the DVDs are made on an "on demand" system. Meaning, Amazon actually burns the episodes onto a DVD-R, which then creates some compatibility issues. I'm not sure what that means for the quality of the episodes, but it sounds kind of shady. It's really no excuse for Nickelodeon to not release a mass produced, legit DVD boxset with all the episodes, and not just picking and choosing a few; especially after all this time.

Also now available is Joe Murray's great e-book on how to make and release your own animated work, Crafting A Cartoon!, which can be purchased or previewed here: Crafting A Cartoon.