Justice League: Doom

Get out your magic rings and batarangs, we're reviewing Justice League: Doom!

Batman, the most important part of any Justice League.

This is the latest straight to DVD animated movie from DC and Warner Brothers. It's great. I gotta say, with the record they have with great straight-to-DVD animations they've been putting out, I have to wonder, WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR WARNER BROTHERS TO MAKE A DECENT NON-BATMAN DC SUPERHERO MOVIE?! Or hey, here's another thought, why can't they just make animations and release them in theaters with 3D and everything? Why is that off the table? Anyways, on to the review!

The Justice League, consisting of Batman(Kevin Conroy), Superman(Tim Daly), Wonder Woman(Susan Eisenberg), Green Lantern(Nathan Fillion), Martian Manhunter(Carl Lumbly), the Flash(Michael Rosenbaum), and now Cyborg(Bumper Rombinson), have just encountered the Royal Flush Gang who has some strange new technology. It's revealed that Vandal Savage has some terrible things in store for the Justice Leage, as he creates the new "Legion of Doom".

This is one of the better DC animations they've put out. It's fun, action-packed, has a great story with some nice plot twists, and stellar voice acting.  Can we talk about the voice casting? There's all of the original voice actors from the Justice League cartoon, including Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly reprising their roles as Batman and Superman respectively.  And Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern!  Let me say that again, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. He is fantastic!  Can we just reboot the Green Lantern movie with Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern? And just let Ryan Reynolds be Kyle? Please?

NATHAN FILLION DAMNIT. 

The animation is outstanding. The action is fast-paced and all the designs do justice(I'm sorry) to the original characters.  They're different from the original ones from the Justice League series, but they're still inventive.  Seeing Metallo again with a new body is a pleasure.  They make a lot of callouts to other series, including Batman TAS, Superman, Justice League, and even Batman Beyond.

Martian Manhunter and others have new costumes!

The only problem I have is that it's too short. It's only 77 minutes long, and it feels it. It never feels like a full movie, only like one of those hour and a half long specials for a TV show. And really, there's only seven justice leaguers with only one female on the team, with seven respective villians. I feel like they could have had more, but they do manage to give appropriate time to all characters(with the most time given to Batman because he's Batman). Also, a Legion of Doom without Lex, Joker or Gorilla Grod? Can you even call that a legion? That feels more like a club, really.

I really liked the story in this and it has a nice plot twist, though every imdb page and movie description seems to ruin it, so maybe don't look at any descriptions beforehand.  That way you will enjoy the full surprise of the twist!

Even though it's a bit short, it's enjoyable throughout.  it's one of DC/WarnerBrothers better straight to DVD animations with a great story, animation and voicework.

THE GOOD: Great Animation, lots of action, great story, original voice actors, Nathan Fillion.

THE BAD: short, doesn't feel like a full movie, small team.

THE VERDICT: $$$$$ Definitly pick this one up if you're a fan of DC and animated movies. It's worth owning as part of your Justice League collection.

MOVIES LIKE IT: Justice League, Crisis on Two Earths, Public Enemies, The New Frontier, Doomsday, The Red Hood, Green Lantern: First Flight


ONE-SCENE METAPHOR: Batman and the Justice League fighting the Royal Flush gang.  It's fun to see all their powers and it's nice animation, but really, shouldn't' Batman be able to take these guys down himself?