Posted by Chris on March 03 2010 18:07:01
When Justice League:
Crisis On Two Earths was first announced, fans had hoped that it would be a continuation from the two previous Justice League television series. Though initially conceived by writer Dwayne McDuffie as a bridge between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the final product was tweaked so as to make it a standalone feature. Now I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I was really going to like this once I heard that it wasn't related to the Justice League Series. Some have wondered whether similar artistic designs are meant to imply that perhaps this film is tied to the cannon established in Wonder Woman or Green Lantern: First Flight but even that is never explicitly stated and is best left up to the viewer's own interpretation.
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Extended News
When Justice League:
Crisis On Two Earths was first announced, fans had hoped that it would be a continuation from the two previous Justice League television series. Though initially conceived by writer Dwayne McDuffie as a bridge between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, the final product was tweaked so as to make it a standalone feature. Now I have to admit, I wasn't sure if I was really going to like this once I heard that it wasn't related to the Justice League Series. Some have wondered whether similar artistic designs are meant to imply that perhaps this film is tied to the cannon established in Wonder Woman or Green Lantern: First Flight but even that is never explicitly stated and is best left up to the viewer's own interpretation.
But yet despite my reservations, I really liked this movie a lot . I think it's the best product DC Animation has put out so far. In the past, these action packed super-hero flicks have ranged from good to not-so-good but this entry is quite different from the rest. It's not all about fighting and throwing punches. It's more 'high-concept' if you will.
A heroic version of Lex Luthor (Chris Noth) from an alternate universe appears to recruit the Justice League to help save his Earth from the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the League. What ensues is the ultimate battle of good versus evil in a war that threatens both worlds and, through a devious plan launched by Batman's counterpart Owlman, puts the balance of all existence in peril.
Now, the League may get top billing, but in some ways this is very much a Batman story. Though he appears only briefly in the beginning and is not seen again until closer to the end, it's Batman that truly shines and ultimately saves the day. But as I mentioned before, he doesn't do so by simply showing up and roughing up the bad guys (though there is plenty of butt-kicking to go around). Batman defeats the evil League analogues by using his mind and quick thinking abilities. And in doing so he is forced to outwit his own equally matched parallel counter-part Owlman - which he does quite well in an overall thrilling and exciting climax.
One thing that I was surprised with was the sheer caliber of names they managed to get for this feature. There are some genuine stars in this line-up! Mark Harmon, James Woods, Chris Noth, Gina Tores! The whole cast did great in portraying their animated counterparts.
Mark Harmon really nailed Superman. Though perhaps not as virile as some might expect a Superman actor to be, his slightly smoky voice makes the Man of Steel seem experienced - not old. In all honesty after watching this, Harmon's portrayal of Superman has become one of my all-time favorites. In my opinion he's right up there with Tim Daly or George Newbern.
Vanessa Marshall did a good job as Wonder Woman. Even Chris Noth (best known as veteran detective Mike Logan on TV's Law & Order) put together a fine performance as the "good" Lex Luthor. The only qualms I had with the voice casting were the Flash and Batman.
For whatever reason Josh Keaton is not the Flash. At least not the wise-cracking Flash we're all used to from the television shows. Just as Daly or Kevin Conroy have raised the bars for the portrayal of their respective characters, Michael Rosenbaum's previous performances as the Scarlet Speedster just set the standard for what to expect out of that character. And sadly Keaton just doesn't live up.
This leads me to my only other problem with the voice casting and that's William Baldwin as The Batman. Now, despite what some fans might have you believe, the exalted Mr. Kevin Conroy shouldn't play every iteration of the Bat. I've gone on record before saying that in cases of Batman: Gotham Knight or Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Conroy's voice just didn't quite fit that particular film's version of the character. But here, in this case, it would have. And his absence is sorely missed.
That's not to say that Baldwin did a bad job by any means. But like Keaton, Baldwin's performance just somehow pales in comparison to others who have gone before him. Perhaps he could have taken a few notes from James Woods whose Owlman (Batman's aforementioned evil-twin) was spot on how you'd expect a Batman analogue to be. He was calm, cool and collected as he plotted his nefarious scheme and pitch perfect in just about every way.
It would be an absolute joy to see more solo features in DC Animated's lineup in the future. Stars like Flash, Aquaman or even Green Arrow arepractically begging for a treatment. But honestly this film has convinced me that I'd almost rather see more team-ups. Perhaps with last month's Justice Society appearance on Smallville, the folks at WB will be more inclined to give us exactly that. Though the next project has already been confirmed to be the Batman-centric Under the Red Hood, the future is wide open for another team movie. But one thing is for sure, whatever they do is going to have to be pretty great because Crisis on Two Earths is the best yet.