Justice League: Doom [Blu-ray]

Description

Justice League: Doom, another feature-length
animated project from DC Universe, pits the League against a cadre of
supervillains intent on not only destroying them, but humanity itself. But
there’s also a second threat from within the JL’s own ranks, and one that
knows their deepest fears and hidden weaknesses. Based on Mark Waid’s story
arc “Tower of Babel” (of which part is included in this set as a digital comic
book), Justice League: Doom attempts to dig into the psychological landscape
of its heroes, though the feature’s relatively brief running time (75 minutes)
doesn’t allow it the luxury of exploring the moral and ethical ramifications
of the apparent betrayal within the Justice League. The story is well
populated by some of DC’s most favored figures on both sides of the good/bad
table, including Superman (Tim Daly), Batman (Kevin Conroy, returning to his
iconic voice role), and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) for the forces of
right, and Phil Morris (Vandal Savage), Olivia D’Abo (Star Sapphire), and
Alexis Denisof (Mirror Master) as their opponents. Action is plentiful, and
the voice cast, many of whom are veterans of both the Justice League series
and previous DCA outings, handle the material with skill. For casual viewers,
Justice League: Doom is a fast-paced, appealing actioner with a cast of
characters familiar to even DC novices, but for longtime JL fans, especially
those familiar with Waid’s original arc, the story streamlining takes away
much of the dramatic resonance, leaving a well-crafted but unfortunately
truncated project, not unlike DCU’s Batman: Year One. Extras are plentiful,
with the 36-minute documentary A League of One: The Dwayne McDuffie Story
leading the pack; it’s a heartfelt tribute to the writer-producer, whose love
and respect for the DC milieu led to his stellar work on the Justice League
series (and many other titles) before Justice League: Doom marked his final
screen credit prior to his death in 2011. The 20-minute featurette Guarding
the Balance attempts to address the moral issues touched upon by the film,
while Cyborg, a supporting player in Doom, gets his own short showcase as an
apparent launch pad for his own future status as a lead hero. There’s also a
pair of JL episodes and a preview of the next DCU feature, Superman vs. the
Elites. The extras are definitely worth a look, while the feature itself will
either intrigue or leave viewers wanting. –Paul Gaita

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Animation
• Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen, Animated
• Contributor: Various
• Initial release date: 2012-02-28
• Language: English, Spanish
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.2 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ MFR#VG
• Director ‏ : ‎ Various
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen, Animated
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 5 hours
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 28, 2012
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Various
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Studio Distribution Services