The Film
There used to be only one way to adapt a comic book to the screen: transplant the character's entire universe in front of a camera and create a world in which a crimefighter in tights was no big deal. From the Superman and Batman theatrical serials to their popular live-action TV shows, little backstory was given, and law-abiders and bad guys alike simply accepted Batarangs and X-ray vision and Wonder Woman's golden lasso of truth, no biggie.
These were DC Comics heroes, simpler archetypes dating back to the '30s and '40s, and lacking the day-one complexity of Stan Lee's creations at rival Marvel Comics in the '60s. So whereas even Marvel's animated Spider-Man from my youth presented a flawed, conflicted protagonist, it was not until Richard Donner's original 1978 Superman--the best comic book movie in the history of everything--that a bigger-than-life DC star learned that living in the "real world" brought with it an inherent drama previously unexplored.
Taking the idea a step further, writer/artist Darwyn Cooke sought to find relevance not in the modern day but rather in the Cold War era which spawned DC's Justice League of America, a large-scale teaming of their existing characters. And instead of filling it with the usual smiles and flag-waving and admiring children everywhere, Cooke's bestselling comic book miniseries acknowledged the paranoia that gripped the planet at the time and made it essential to the story.
Beginning at the end of the Korean War, America is at a turning point where it can either embrace or denounce superpowered men and women in costumes who are just trying to help. The decision becomes a lot easier when a staggering destructive force threatens to wipe out mankind, and no one hero, not even Superman, is strong enough to defeat it. The title stirringly harkens back to what John F. Kennedy once referred to as a "new frontier" for America, the exciting new challenges of the future, only some of which we could have predicted at the time.
The characterizations are inspired and the voice cast uniformly spot-on, from a stalwart Kyle MacLachlan as The Man of Steel to a gloomy-yet-sensitive Jeremy Sisto as Batman to Lucy Lawless as an unapologetic Wonder Woman. Kyra Sedgwick, Brooke Shields, David Boreanaz, Neil Patrick Harris and all of the supporting players shine as well. Although direct-to-video, the movie is rated PG-13 for some disturbing images of violence, as well as frank language and reference to execution and even rape. For fans, little bonuses like glimpses of classic Silver Age villains (Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd) are priceless, while the brisk pacing and broader themes will keep non-fans entertained.
The Picture
Released day-and-date to DVD and Blu-ray, this production may look like traditional cel animation but the bulk of the tools are ultimately digital these days. New Frontier has the look of a '60s comic book come to life, with a certain simplicity to the faces but also a real beauty and expressiveness. The sharpness in the backgrounds is striking at times, the boldness of the colors eye-popping, and none of the subtlety of the lighting effects is lost, although occasionally some of the brighter areas of the 1.78:1 frame might wash out on inferior or poorly calibrated sets. Absolutely no flaws were detected in the movie or its encoding however.
The Sound
At first I credited the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack for its clarity more than raw power, as an explosion early on did not exactly rock my world, while the clatter of weapons or the tumbling of rocks displayed a genuine immediacy. But the bombast increased as the movie progressed, with some solid booms that perfectly underscored the plentiful action.
The climactic aerial assault (featuring the retro Batplane!) also exhibited an exciting 360-degree presence, including, front-to-back-channel firing of missiles. And as befits this ensemble of top-notch voice actors, the dialogue is always perfectly balanced.
The Extras
This is a no-holds-barred special edition, with a commentary by the writer, directors and producers, and another by Cooke himself, plus a separate comic book analysis hosted by the creator, another indication of how respectful this project was to his original vision. It will no doubt be fascinating to many to hear how he--obviously an extremely intelligent, highly articulate adult--reveres the DC mythology, and how he came to conceive his elaborate tale. We're also given a deep history of the Justice League chaired by many comic book luminaries of the past and present, as well as a study of villain psychology, narrated by Malcolm McDowell and starring a who's-who of DC baddies. Warner tosses in three producer-favorite episodes from the Justice League Unlimited TV show for good measure, in standard-def, a tad frustrating after just watching many of the same characters in HD.
Final Thoughts
Hats off to Warner for demonstrating the cajones to tell a powerful story the way it needed to be told. With above-average production values for a direct-to-video movie and generous bonus features, Justice League: The New Frontier is a winner across the board. The live action Justice League film currently in studio development has a lot to live up to.
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