Search - Justice League - Secret Origins on DVD

Lee B. (Lee) from HENRYVILLE, IN
Reviewed on 8/23/2010...

Great modern version of the old Superfriends I used to watch. I am 40 and I enjoyed it just as much as my 3 yr old.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Good animation and character interaction but...

Allen W. Wright | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 04/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As the ads for the original comic book said, Just Imagine! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more on one team. Well, actually as a child of 1970s, I can imagine it quite easily. On TV, it was called The Superfriends. But in the comics, these heroes were The Justice League. Now, they are back! This DVD is the first three episodes of a new cartoon series which at the moment isn't being shown in my country of Canada. First the good, the cartoon is exciting. It's a fast-moving plot -- which as others have stated owes a debt to Wells's War of the Worlds (as well as some Justice League comic books, where the invaders were White Martians and Apellaxians.) For an action-driven movie, the character interplay is very good. Flash is an impulsive joker, Green Lantern a military type, Hawkgirl a fierce warrior. Relatively simple characterization but they blend fairly well. And I like the composition of the team. With several Green Lanterns to choose from, they picked John Stewart. I see that a former reviewer complained about this. Well, essentially, GL is just a name and a power. So, why not pick the black (or African American, as Americans say) one? The same with Hawkgirl? I really don't see the big deal here. It makes sense. After all, Kryptonians and Thanagarians and Martians --- well, that really isn't diversity. My problems? Well, the plot is a bit thin. I think this comes from being a "widescreen" (well, full frame in this case) epic battle. But the bigger problem? I know who John Stewart is (originally a social activist with a chip on his shoulder, and an architect). I know who the Wally West Flash is. But I doubt the non-comics reader does. Sure, the DVD has a character bio section. But I think with newcomer Wonder Woman, someone could have given her a brief description of the heroes. It's called Secret Origins, but really, the only origin we get is J'Onn J'Onnz's origin. I'm not even sure anyone ever calls Green Lantern by his superhero name once. But if their names don't come through, their characters do. Much more sharply than they did on the old Superfriends. Still... my biggest problem? That it doesn't contain all those cool adventures I've been hearing about? Manhunters? The Injustice Gang? A Pseudo-Earth 2? Metamorpho? Bring them on!
Oh, and as for the person who said this was DC's answer to the X-Men? Well, the Justice League came first."

Not your father's Superfriends.....I mean Justice League

Hazen B Markoe | St. Paul, MN United States | 05/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After the success of its Batman, Superman, and Batman Beyond cartoons, it was only a matter of time before Bruce Timm and the rest of the Warner Brothers animated unit tackled the DC superhero team known as the Justice League. Created for the Cartoon Network, this DVD covers the hour-long premiere episode which introduces the superteam. In order to protect Earth from an alien invasion, Batman, Superman and new ally Martian Manhunter must enlist the help of some of their fellow crimefighters to stave off the threat. But can the heroes mesh their rather different personalities in time to work as a team before it's too late? Despite having to juggle 7 main characters, JUSTICE LEAGUE proves to be another feather in Warner Brothers' cap. As always, the animation is especially vivid and the voice acting is solid. By now, Kevin Conroy can voice Batman in his sleep, but he still turns in a definitive turn in the role. Michael Rosenbaum (aka Lex Luthor in TV's SMALLVILLE) is fun as the smart-alecky Flash. Carl Lumbley (Jennifer Garner's agent partner on TV's ALIAS) is appropriately enigmatic as the Martian Manhunter. Obviously, because of the more globe-trotting/space-hopping nature of the series, this series is a tad brighter in tone from BATMAN:THE ANIMATED SERIES. But Timm and Co. never talks down to the audience. As a result, we get a series that provides solid entertainment. Despite the rather skimpy DVD features, this is definitely something for the comic-book hero fan to enjoy. Definitely recommended."

Let's give credit where credit is due!

Reginald D. Garrard | Camilla, GA USA | 03/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Inasmuch as we have become a world of readers whose reading is limited to the latest offering from J.K. Rowling, John Grisham, or Stephen King, we seem to have forgotten the authors of classic literature. Obviously Lukic and company realize this and decided to loosely adapt the "Justice League" pilot on one of the greatest novels in science fiction history: H.G.Wells' "The War of the Worlds." Making variations in Wells' original, the invaders are not Martians, but unnamed aliens that decimated Mars years before, thus enabling the storyline to introduce J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. Each of the remaining superheroes is more familiar to the viewing audience; due to their various television incarnations of the past, little "introduction" is required.The animation is adequate; the voiceover talent is comparable to the exemplary acting of the previous WB animated shows of recent years. The brilliant Kevin Conroy returns as Batman, showing that 10 years under the "cowl" is still his domain.For lovers of comic books and quality-animated storytelling, this DVD is a worthy effort"