Justice League - The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews

• The Edge of a New Frontier

  
  By A1F1FOR46702YF on 2008-02-25
  The creative team behind "Superman: Doomsday" and "Justice League Unlimited" explore the origins of the Justice League in the latest action-packed animated adventure "Justice League: The New Frontier". Set in the 1950s, the US Government has taken serious actions against superheroes despite their heroic efforts. When a powerful entity threatens to exterminate all mankind, the world's greatest heroes must put their differences aside and band together to form the ultimate fighting force, the Justice League of America. Based on the award-winning graphic novel by comic book writer Darwyn Cooke, "Justice League: The New Frontier" is an amusing 75-minute animated feature that pays tribute to the Silver Age of DC Comics. Its strong and mature storylines are inspiring. The character designs, action sequences and slick animation style are among the animated film's strongest points. "The New Frontier" features the fine voice talents of David Boreanaz, Lucy Lawless, Jeremy Sisto, Neil Patrick Harris, Miguel Ferrer, Brooke Shields, Kyra Sedgwick and Kyle Maclachlan.
  
  "Justice League: The New Frontier" 2-disc Special Edition blows away any previous DC Universe direct-to-video DVD. The animated adventure is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The picture quality is excellent. Its 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is clear with good surround effects. The DVD includes the revealing "Super Heroes United", "The Legion of Doom" and "Comic Book Commentary" documentaries, two in-depth audio commentaries with filmmakers and comic book writer Darwyn Cooke, three bonus "Justice League Unlimited" episodes (The Dark Heart, Task Force X & To Another Shore), trailers and an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming "Batman - Gotham Knight". Overall, "Justice League: The New Frontier" scores an "A-".
  
  

• A Nostalgic Treat for Silver Age DC Fans...

  
  By A31I3HXMD5H1EL on 2008-02-29
  I admit, I'm a child of the Silver Age of DC Comics! I grew up on Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom, Adam Strange...and especially the Justice League of America. So I admit, "Justice League - The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition)" brought a lump to my throat...it was like being a kid, again!
  
  Based on Darwyn Cooke's remarkable, nostalgic reworking of the birth of the Silver Age heroes during the transitional 1950s, the animated film homages the characters I grew up, loving (especially test pilot/Green Lantern Hal Jordan, the Martian Manhunter, and police scientist/Flash Barry Allen), in the context of the era, a decade of Communist paranoia, McCarthy witch hunts, the birth of the Space Age, and struggle for racial equality. One element Cooke 'lifted' from Frank Miller's "Dark Knight" epic, that of the government ordering superheroes to 'stand down', fits this saga exceptionally well, with Superman as the only 'approved' hero, Batman refusing to, thus becoming a wanted fugitive, and the 'Golden Age' heroes forced into retirement (I was disappointed not seeing more of the JSA, other than in the opening credits, but there are a LOT of characters that DO appear!)
  
  Of course, a new, unstoppable, super-powered villain (the primeval, immortal 'Centre') picks this time to eradicate the human race, quickly knocking Superman out of the battle, and requiring the new generation of heroes, teamed with Batman and Wonder Woman, to save the world.
  
  There are SO many touches I loved! A reworking of Hal Jordan's origin as Green Lantern; the romances of Supes and Lois Lane, Jordan and Carol Ferris, and Barry Allen and Iris West; heroes I hadn't seen in years (the Challengers of the Unknown and the Blackhawks), fighting along side Adam Strange, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and even a pre-Atom Ray Palmer; the superhero 'Air Force', with Wonder Woman's invisible airplane, and the Bat-plane and Arrow-plane. Admittedly, many characters don't get much screen time, but with a cast this large, it is understandable (it would be a problem of the ever-growing JLA of the comics, as well).
  
  I have to mention the voice talent involved, as the casting was dead-on! David (TV's 'Angel') Boreanaz as Jordan, Neil Patrick Harris ('Doogie Howser') as Allen, Kyle ('Twin Peaks') MacLachlan as Superman; Lucy ('Xena') Lawless, a PERFECT Wonder Woman, Kyra ('The Closer') Sedgwick as Lois, Brooke Shields as Carol, Vicki Lewis as Iris...this is truly an all-star affair! Two voice performers deserve special recognition; Miguel Ferrer is exceptional as the Martian Manhunter, combining an alien aloofness with compassion; and Jeremy Sisto has, arguably, the BEST voice for Batman I've ever heard...he really IS the Dark Knight!
  
  While I admit Darwyn Cooke's original story far outshines the film (original stories nearly always do), as someone who only sporadically looks at comics, these days, "Justice League" is a fabulous 'blast from the past'.
  
  Thank you, DC!
  
  

• The Beginning of The Justice League

  
  By A2F7CCPK4QL359 on 2008-04-15
  First of all, I will say this about this production...They cram a lot of DC comic history in less than 80 minutes of cartoon. The question is "Is it worth it?" I dont know
  
  Second, I will say this has a big name cast to fill the boots of these Characters. Kyle Maclachlan bring a different to Superman. Neil Patrick Harris (who did the MTV version of Spiderman) is the Flash. Lucy Lawless (Xena) proves she is a vocal amazon as Wonder Woman. David Borenaz (Buffy's favorite vamp Angel) lifts the chracter of Hal Jordan to new heights. Miguel Ferrer and Kyra Sedgwick are wasted in the roles of the Martian Manhunter and Lois Lane. Law and Order Jeremy Sisco put a new spin on Batman.
  
  They also have vocal stunt casting of great audio talent who have a throw away line or three. People like Joe Mantegna, Phillip Morris and Brooke Shields are part of this large cast, but are wasted with a few throw away lines.
  
  The story is faithful to Darwyn Cooke's two part graphic novel. He also does one of the two audio commentary tracks. It still seems too rushed. Bruce Timm could have taken a bigger risk and done this as a three hour cartoon project, but I will take what I have
  
  The production is a higher standard then most cartoons made for video, but when you push the envelope like Superman Doomsday (aka the Death of Superman), you need is push the time and the story past 80 minutes.
  
  There is a trailer , on this DVD, for the next made for DVD animated feature, Batman Gotham Knight...It looks good! Dont forget to watch this!
  
  On the Whole, it is worth giving this animated feature an airing
  
  Bennet Pomerantz Audioworld
  
  

• fantastic until the 45 minute mark

  
  By A5PYFSTLM2KLW on 2008-01-27
  Like another reviewer mentioned, if you saw the first 20 minutes of the film, you would have high hopes for the rest, but around the 45 minute mark, things fall apart.
  
  I've never read the graphic novel it is based on and my comments are on the film itself.
  
  The film starts off promisingly with a mysterious man writing about the end of humanity before killing himself. It is 1953, and the US is coming off yet another war, and the start of the cold war. The Justice Society has been disbanded, with members hunted by the government in an era of McCarthyism. People are suspicious of each other and their motives. Even the super heroes question what is right and wrong.
  
  Despite all the turmoil, heroes like Batman work underground as a mysterious cult envelopes the world and clues about something or someone called, "The Centre" may spell doom for man kind. Along the way, characters such as Hal Jordan, the Martian Manhunter, Flash, et al, are introduced, eventually coming together to face whatever this "Centre" is.
  
  The action builds at a great pace, as more and more about the characters and this "centre" are revealed until the 45 minute mark when the centre just appears. Then it becomes an all out battle, with all the superheroes of the world uniting under superman who reminds the world that in the grand scheme of things, all the bickering is petty when the fate of the world is at stake.
  
  unfortunately, this battle is the downfall of the movie. It's as if halfway through, the funding was cut and the movie had to end quickly. The fantastic build-up of the "centre" plot are dropped as if it was of no consequence. He or It, just becomes another bad guy. No explanation is giving to why "the centre" appears out of nowhere, how he effects people psychicly, and where he came from. A detective character, who is implied to be the Martian manhunter in disguise, or maybe not, is dropped. Why the martian manhunter goes after the space shuttle launch is not made clear, and his assimilation happens too quickly.
  
  You know the good guys win in the end, but the climax is all too deus ex machina and cliched that it is a disgrace to what preceeded it. If you've seen the, "hero knows nothing about his powers, but at the pivotal moment becomes more powerful than all the other superheroes combined and able to take down the evil entity that was previously too much for all the superheroes" in at least 30 of the recent justice league cartoons, this will feel tired.
  
  Voice acting is solid. animation is great. But the first 45 minutes are so well done, that you may feel bitter and angry the remainder is so disastrously poor.
  
  

• Great source material, Great Direction

  
  By A3D5S2VMDDCHWW on 2007-11-28
  The source material for this DVD is among the best takes on the Justice League I have ever seen (I was a kid when I read the first issue of the Justice League). This, combined with Bruce Timm who did the wonderful Justice League TV series, convinces me to give this 5 stars without even seeing the DVD. I understand the problem of taking a written work and putting it on screen given the time constraints however if anyone can take the best and put it on screen it is Bruce Timm. This will be a late present for my 57th birthday.
  
  
• Near-Perfect Adaptation, Awesome Silver Age Heroes!
  By A2IJNHLEREFGNP on 2008-02-25
  Before anybody starts on me, yes I saw it at my friendly neighborhood Wondercon and no I don't own the DVDs nor the graphic novel, but I'm solving those problems shortly.
  
  Although not necessary, it really helps to have a knowledge of American History (Korean War, McCarthyism, Kennedy) to follow the storyline. Some of the kids giving low-star reviews just don't get the fun and thrill of a Silver age comic book. This film was on the mark, rarely deviated from origin stories, fit them in when they could and made it all the more fascinating to a Silver Age comic book freak like me.
  
  Yeah, we have the Center bad guy, but it's not really about him. It's about relationships between friends who just happen to have super abilities and coming together for a common goal.
  
  Martian Manhunter, teleported from Mars, wants to go home. How? An ancient force buried into the earth (thus the name, "Center" or "Centre" if you're English) follows Man's history and decides it's time to wipe this bugger off the map.
  
  Barry Allen, unsure of his choice of being the Flash, being persecuted by the very government he wants to uphold. Hal Jordan, Korean War pilot, gets shot down. Intense scenes of Wonder Woman crashing her invisible plane, glass caked with blood ---- !!
  
  Yeah, I would have liked a little more fill story on how the heck Adam Strange, the Blackhawks and Ray Palmer (the Atom) got there, but what the heck? Abin Sur, the ring, the lantern, it's all here!
  
  The story is fast-paced and exciting! Buy this, especially for Silver Age fans who want to see a popped-out version of what it might have been like as the Golden Age heroes get phased out and what the Silver Age DC heroes do to be accepted again.
  
  Intense!
  
  
• Another Awesome DC Animated Release!!!
  By A17CP110C6E9KF on 2008-01-16
  I was lucky enough to've gotten a screening copy with the 1st 20 minutes of the film & already being a fan of the original source material let me just say WOW!!! This is one of the closest adaptions from comic to film that I've ever seen & it transfers over nicely! The animation is great, though maybe not quite as crisp as the Superman/Doomsday recently released. One thing is for sure, it still blows the pants off any of Marvel's animated features. The scenes from the film come right out of the book, from the Hal Jordon being shot down over enemy skies, to Martian Manhunter mimicing Groucho & Bugs Bunny, to the Flash racing through Vegas looking for the 6 hidden bombs planted by Captain Cold. Not everything is included from the original book, but almost everything is at least touched upon & acknowledged with there only being a few exceptions. All the voice acting seemed pretty well spot on, Supes voice is gonna take a little getting used to & Batman didn't have a speaking roll (only seen fighting off the cult who'd kidnapped the boy when John Jonnz comes to help). All in all if the first 20 minutes is any indicator of the rest of the film (which I can only imagine will be) this is gonna be an amazing film!!! Definately a must own item for any comic fan!!!
  
  
• A more than solid take on Cooke's New Frontier
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-02-28
  The New Frontier, Darwyn Cooke's loving homage to DC's Silver Age, gets the animated treatment in this highly anticipated DC animated movie, Justice League: The New Frontier. Taking place in the early-mid 1950's, at the height of McCarthy-ism and America's fear of communism, an evil force called The Centre (voiced by Keith David) is coming from the underground to wipe out all of humanity. In the middle of all this is jaded pilot Hal Jordan (voiced by David Boreanaz), who will soon discover his destiny as the Green Lantern; then there is Barry Allen (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris), known as The Flash, who finds himself being hunted by the government; and then there is the Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onzz (voiced by Miguel Ferrer), the last of his kind who feels The Centre approaching. All of whom soon enough stand united with Superman (voiced by Kyle MacLachlan), Batman (voiced by Jeremy Sisto), and Wonder Woman (voiced by Lucy "Xena" Lawless, which seems like a no-brainer) with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. For fans of Cooke's original New Frontier series, you'll be pleased to know that this animated take retains much of Cooke's visual art style and atmosphere. What really hurts Justice League: The New Frontier is that cramming all of Cooke's smart and intelligent take on the Silver Age into one 75 minute feature is really noticable. The feature just feels overly rushed after the first 40 minutes or so, and never really lives up to the potential that gets set early on. Also, other heroes like Adam Strange and Green Arrow pop up out of nowhere, although Aquaman's appearance ends up being surprisingly enjoyable. That being said though, there is still much to admire here for older comic fans and fans of Cooke's work as well, and there is a horde of voice talent including John Heard, Joe Mantegna, Kyra Sedgwick, and Brooke Shields in supporting roles. All in all, while not perfect, Justice League: The New Frontier is a more than solid take on Cooke's work, and the surprisingly good special features on this two-disc edition (two commentaries including one by Cooke, an insightful documentary ranging from the Golden Age to today, a handful of Justice League TV episodes) really make The New Frontier worth picking up.
  
  
• Justice League at It's Finest
  By A38S7MPDRBLN1T on 2008-02-01
  This is single handedly the best animated short movie in ages. It's gritty, holds no punches, lacks the weak dialogue that normally plagues the classic super heroes and has a clean style.
  
  Keep in mind this is NOT for a younger audience. There is mild language, and a good amount of blood. This is meant for an older audience, and it benefits from it. Instead of wasting time overly explaining things it just jumps in and expects you to follow. It sucks you in and doesn't let you out.
  
  It's so quick at getting you information, and so efficient that by the end you are amazed how much information you received in an hour and seventeen minutes.
  
  The visual style is superb, looking like a modern cartoon with a lot of classic styles to them. Namely Superman who looks straight out of the original comics. This film is a great origins story for multiple characters and won't let any fan down.
  
  Ontop of all of this you have a stellar voice cast all of who match perfectly to their characters. This is worth purchasing and watching for any Justice League fan, or any fan of the animated series, or super hero films in general.
  
  
• People actually liked this movie?
  By A32S5SNHK4IY7N on 2008-01-29
  In my honest opinion, this was a terrible movie. I agree with that other post that said that the Marvel releases were bad (although I did like the Dr. Strange one), but this wasn't any better. If anyone has seen the animated Justice League/ Justice League Unlimited cartoon on Cartoon Network, they are sure to be disappointed with this release. If they had at least used the same voice actors and artists from the cartoon series, this might have turned out better.
  
  
• Great DC movie!
  By AUIUGLURY9AQI on 2008-02-06
  It was drawn to symbolize the GOLDEN age of comics it's not that they couldn't do it in a newer style (notice the word newer not better.) it's paying homage to how and why comics where and still can be good with meaning behind their stories and not just mindless violence,
  Very good movie. 9/10
  
  
  
• Wham Bam, no thank you, Maam
  By A3PT2YYAY0CHV2 on 2008-02-24
  On its own, JL: New Frontier is a low-budget, cameo-laden cartoon. Because I've already seen television Justice League, it's impossible for me to not compare those productions with this one. The tv version of Justice League ALREADY had a retro-look to it, so I have no idea how much MORE retro they wanted to get in terms of character design. Honestly, the designs look cheap, bland. The voices seem sterile and lifeless, the plot is much too vast for a 90 minute film. Worst of all, this cartoon (I refuse to call it a film or "animation" has NO ambiance, no atmosphere to it).
  
  I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It's obviously a WB ploy to milk their print archive without having to come up with anything original. Skip this and watch JLU. OR better yet, read the excellent graphic novel.
  
  
• Old School Fan
  By A10VD2KFMVS1ZK on 2007-12-23
  Like the first reviewer I've been a fan of the JLA ever since I was a small lad. They were my sole purpose for getting up on Saturday mornings and watching TV in the afternoons during the week. I've seen them all from early JLA with only Superman, GL, Flash, and Hawkman, to Superfriends, to Justice League. It's just one of those creations that no matter when it come out it's going to excite me and give me somthing to look forward to that will bring me an hour or so of nastalga. Can't wait to see what they've done to continue the story.
  
  
• A Fantastic Retelling of an Alternate Justice League World
  By A1U360OMVQRPUB on 2008-03-08
  Comics scripter and artist, Darwyn Cooke, created quite a splash when he wrote the mini-series, JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER. Those issues have been gathered into a graphic novel.
  
  When I first read the issues, I have to admit to being a little put off. The story seemed to meander a little and took too long to develop in some ways. But it was really interesting seeing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash during the paranoid times of McCarthyism. The art seemed a little too unfinished for my taste for the first couple issues, but it was the first time I'd ever seen any of Cooke's work. His writing and his art grew on me. By the third issue, I was won over by the storyline and the different look of the characters.
  
  JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER is the second of DC Comics' and Warner's direct-to-DVD efforts. The first was SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY. Hopefully there will be a lot more to come. The special editions have the trailer for the Batman animated feature that will be coming out soon.
  
  The movie strikes the same tone as the graphic novel. The mid-1950s to 1960 are represented in a number of ways. The suspicion of anyone from outside the country - including of Superman - is well-defined. Hal Jordan (voiced by David Boreanaz, ANGEL, BONES) as a Korean Air Force fighter pilot is well done and sets up his eventual recruitment by the Green Lanterns.
  
  The Martian Manhunter (voice by Miguel Ferrer, CROSSING JORDAN, THE BIONIC WOMAN) seizes a big part of the story as both an alien newly arrived to our planet, a detective, and an outsider viewing the strange and politically suspicious world of the 1950s. One of the best parts of the movie for my son and I was watching the Martian Manhunter change into various characters while he watched television. When he unexpectedly changed into Bugs Bunny, we both lost it.
  
  I really missed the opening segments of the comic book where the Losers comics heroes took on the dinosaurs of Dinosaur Island. I didn't like the ending the Losers experienced, but I really noticed them absent from the continuity.
  
  Like the comic series, you have to watch the movie closely to figure out everything that's going on. The original Justice League origin story featured an alien menace to the world. The retelling of that origin, in the Justice League series recently on television, features a threat from Mars. And this movie also features an otherworldly menace, although it takes a while to build to that threat.
  
  I loved seeing so many of the lesser known heroes of the DC universe in action: the Challengers of the Unknown, the Blackhawks, the Metal Men, Adam Strange, and others. When Darwyn Cooke wrote the original comics, I knew that he loved the characters and was paying homage to so much of their roots. That same kind of care and consideration is evident in this DVD production.
  
  The Blu-ray video was fantastic. The colors were bright and varied. King Faraday's gray eyes were arctic and really distinguished him. The audio was just as impressive.
  
  As for special features, the disc comes fully loaded. There are two different commentaries and several features regarding the making of the film. One of the best pieces was the preview of Batman: Gotham Knight that's supposed to come out in July. The anime style artwork looks breathtaking. There are also three of director Bruce W. Timm's favorite JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED episodes on the disc.
  
  Although JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER is a cartoon and is about characters familiar to kids, parents need to know that the violence is at times very graphic and the language can be occasionally coarse. All in all, though, this is a great movie to own, especially in the high-def versions.
  
  
  
• Great cast. Weak story. Weaker Animation.
  By A25G6T8FK6KHNL on 2008-01-31
  Lucy Lawless is a great talent for genre films. In general, there is some great voice direction and acting. The music composer did a great job with moving the film forward. It is too bad that these voices and music are giving life to a story with no "center". The subtext has a good morality play for our times, but this is lost among the mess. The saddest part is the lack of quality control on the animation. In one scene some detectives looked like they had no waists. My kids do better (they are young animators themselves). They consistently got things as basic as Superman's uniform wrong. A travesty. Hopefully they didn't spend much money on this...because there are soooo many more worthy projects.Justice League - The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition)
  
  
• Quite possibly the worst animated movie ever, huge disappointment.
  By A1R88CQ3BVD5KP on 2008-02-27
  How do you describe this movie? Disgraceful, Sloppy, and No excitement, No Drama, No Humor, No Interest. This movie is quite possibly the worst I have seen in my lifetime.
  
  Storyline: F ----. Boring as vanilla. Introduce the characters for the first 3/4th of the movie. Alien tries to destroy the world. Within about 10 minutes, world saved.
  
  Graphics - Horrible. When I first saw this movie, I thought I must have ordered the wrong one, the character models, and the coloration is dull and looks like it was produced in the 1970s, as if it were drawn by crayon.
  
  Other Notes: They spent way too much money on hiring name actors to voice over the characters. So much so, that it seems like they were expecting the credits would drive sales and make up for the nauseating content.
  
  
  Value - Zero. They should pay us to watch this movie. You will wish you could get a refund on the time lost from your life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Everything feels rushed, which is the main reason why the movie is average at best.
  By A1AUOVXPT5MYX4 on 2008-04-12
  The opening couple of minutes gave me a lot of hope, but nothing has time to resonate. A major moment will happen, and then a split second later something unrelated happens, and it deflates the importance of whatever had just occurred. The editing is really poor in this regard... with four or five stories occurring at the same time, everything seems chopped together and unfocused. Way too much is packed into 70-minutes.
  
  That's not the only problem here, though.
  
  In a lot of the other DC animated material (while more mature than most cartoons) the target audience is usually still very young. In something like Batman: The Animated Series there are flaws that can usually be forgiven because it is understood that the cartoons are intended for a younger audience. They often make things way to easy, fast, and simple considering the circumstances. But that show is not made for the mind of a 30-year old. Its made for a kid. And I go in understanding this... so my expectations are different. I can totally respect and thoroughly enjoy those shows.
  
  THIS movie, though, is too violent and adult themed to be intended for children. The PG-13 rating they went for backs up that this was not intended for young children... yet the simple, easy, clunky stuff that I often forgive Batman: TAS for doing is still present. The producers should have made a decision... either the movie should have been geared towards a younger audience (but in a way that adults could still appreciate, like most of their shows), or the movie should have been consistently mature... meaning that if there is going to be , violence, coarse language, and decidedly adult situations the storytelling and editing should be respectful of that audience. Since this movie IS supposed to be intended for adults and young adults, they really insulted my intelligence by using the same easy methods that they do on children's programming.
  
  I saw a comment that said "I loved the movie and fans of the DC: The New Frontier comics all seem to love it."... I think there's a reason for that. People who were fans of the comic were able to plug in all kinds of ideas that were missing from this sloppy production. Ideas are introduced, and never followed up, over and over again in this movie. Important moments never have time to breathe. Maybe it works on some sort of a "companion" level to those who are fans of the original work, but as a standalone movie it leaves a lot to be desired.
  
  The performances are generally fine, with the exception of Jeremy Sisto, who may be the worst incarnation of Batman I've ever heard (the only one I'm not familiar with is the THE BATMAN interpretation). His voice just does not have the tonal qualities I'd like in a portrayal of the Dark Knight.
  
  Go in without your hopes too high. There are individual sequences that have their merit (such as when Batman makes a threat towards Superman that long-time comic fans will appreciate, or the scene where Wonder Woman returns after a long absence), and for many it will be worth watching for those good sequences... but as a whole it doesn't work.
  
  
  
• Ignore the Haters
  By A1CM7HNN4JSH13 on 2008-02-25
  Saw this movie on Saturday and was blown away.
  YES if you have not read the book things may be slightly confusing but like the creators said at Wondercon, this was made for the fans. People who appreciate DC, Bruce Tom and love serious and faithful takes on these characters. I shall be purchasing this bluray disc version the day it comes out.
  Also thumbs WAY UP on the killer soundtrack.
  Overall it may be a bit too stylised for some haters but people who love or appreciate atomic age/pulpfiction/Superhero style visuals and love Superman/Batman Wonderwoman/Greenlantern should take a look at this.
  Also one of the coolest interpretations of Batman, from his voice to is lines, just wicket.
  4 stars, minus one for possible confusion among non DC/comic readers. This is a super faithful adaption of New Frontier and a trillion times better than the Superman Doomsday which I did not like.
  
  
  
• Bait and Switch
  By A1GQ7AFCN7OZMK on 2008-02-26
  Take a look at the box. The three most prominent characters are the DC heavy hitters, Superman, Batman, and Wonderwoman. Why? Because those are the characters that the fans want to see. Those are the characters that are going to sell the movie. Unfortunately, the big three are merely supporting characters in this film, their roles little more than cameo appearances. This film brought back unpleasant memories of "The Superfriends". Week after week I would tune in to see Batman and Superman, only to find that the actual story centered around the insipid Wendy and Marvin.
  
  The actual story of this film centers around Green Lantern, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. I feel that potential buyers should know that before deciding to purchase. While not as stupid as Wendy and Marvin, they are not nearly on the same level, in terms of popularity, as the Big 3. I can see why DC sought to obscure that fact with their deceptive marketing. Nobody wants to buy a DVD about Green Lantern (Green who???).
  
  I gave it 3 stars, because it actually is a decent movie, but I feel burned.
  
  
• DC Comics' most famous superteam in an exciting, stylish, complex adventure
  By A3GRN6J64F2C3X on 2008-02-27
  Generally excellent animated film about the formation of DC comics' premier superhero team, the Justice League of America. Two elements make this movie rather unique: 1) The origin of the League is actually an incidental element in a story that's really about paranoia, prejudice, and a country losing its way, and 2) the story is set in the 1950's. On that second point, the choice of timeframe isn't as strange as it sounds, because the initial Justice League comic book stories were set in that same period.
  
  Here, however, subject matter such as McCarthyism and the other serious elements mentioned above are liberally included when they were nowhere to be found in the original comics. What's interesting is that everything combines fine: the more serious themes aren't at all at odds with the superhero action, which actually becomes more dramatic knowing that dark government mechanisms and motivations are possibly influencing our heroes' obstensibly heroic actions.
  
  My single-disc version of "Justice League: The New Frontier" includes the 75-minute film; two commentary tracks; an excellent 41-minute documentary about the various comic book and television versions of the Justice League that have appeared over the years; and a generous preview of the upcoming direct-to-DVD animated "Batman" film now in the works. I understand that the two-disc version of this film includes an additional documentary about the artistic choices made in adapting the original "DC: The New Frontier" comic book mini-series (yes, the original work had a slightly different title) into the animated film; three episodes of the "Justice League" animated TV show (which is not set in the same 1950's time frame/continuity as the film); and one or two other small things. The one-disc version was generous enough for my tastes.
  
  "Justice League: The New Frontier" is perhaps not blazingly original. Superhero stories have grown up over the years and story elements such as the government wanting to register and control all superheroes, superheroes having to deal with relevant social issues, etc. are things that are now seen fairly often in comics and movies. Still, seeing these elements employed with DC's usually upbeat and optimistic heroes, in a bright, stylish 1950's setting, no less, is very interesting. And the action, music, and voice characterizations are top notch, too.
  
  If you're a fan of comic books or superhero stories, you'll enjoy this DVD. If you're a fan of both of those things, you'll really enjoy it.
  
  
• Dead Frontier
  By A1YQLMUURMRS2C on 2008-03-01
  A complete waste of money. Some of the worst animation I have seen in many a year. The voice acting was very poor. The name actors and actresses came across wooden and stiff. After the brilliant animated DC JLA series this was a true come down. The New Frontier comic book had its problems, Twenty-First century attitudes grafted on to the 1950s, but it was much better done than this. The villian was true to the type of end of world threats that the JLA did fight in its first incarnation, which is about the most that I can say for this mess, except for the hilarious Martian Manhunter watching TV scenes. Only for die-hard JLA collectors. Language and violence make this definitely unsuitable for kids. It is also too boring for the average kid. The JLA deserves a much better animated treatment than this drek.
  
  
  
  
• NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN!!!
  By A3VOJBCQ9QN7Y2 on 2008-04-12
  I rented this for our children, ages 5-13. I quickly found out that even though this is marketed for viewing by children (despite a PG-13 rating), it is anything but appropriate for kids.
  
  Before the credits even appeared, the movie depicted a suicide. The movie shows a character picking up a pistol, turning it toward the camera (which is the viewpoint of the character), and pulling the trigger. There is a bang, and the screen goes black. Then there are credits.
  
  The next scene takes place at the end of the Korean war. An American soldier a Korean soldier are struggling with a knife. The American manages to pull his pistol, place the muzzle alongside the Korean soldier's cheekbone, and shoot the Korean soldier in the head. There is an explosion of blood and what appears to be brain matter. The Korean soldier falls back in slow motion as the blood flies, and the American lies on his back with his enemy's blood splattered across his face.
  
  The short bit that we watched before I turned it off also contained profanity.
  
  My kids are not fainthearted, and I am not a prude. This movie was just terribly inappropriate for kids and should be avoided by all parents who don't want their children exposed to scenes of gratuitous, bloody, explicit killing of human beings.
  
  
• The best Justice League Animated Film, Great Message
  By A2J57EQ9KPGXR9 on 2008-02-25
  This is an amazing film, and the message behind the story is something that a post 9/11 America needs to hear. Setting the story during America's Red Scare period (first communism, then terrorism..), this Justice League story about how the heroes band together to fight not just a powerful super creature but the fear and suspicion of ordinary people.
  
  Most notable is the juxtaposition of origins of the Martian Manhunter and Superman; the "Bad" alien vs. the "good" alien. The Flash subplot also reinforces this "judging by outward appearances" theme (a guy in a bar says "Flash must be a commie, always wearing red.."). The Red Scare is depicted here as well, Batman is treated as a villian and Superman and Wonder Woman are forced to sign "Loyalty Oaths" - deeds are not enough, formally stating that you are a "good American" is necessary.
  
  The best part of the film is the end, when all the heroes unite to fight "The Center" (a reference to William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"?), a giant monster with psychic powers. The heroes convince the army to drop the Left Wing-Right Wing arguments and unite with the heroes to fight the common enemy. A very good speech indeed.
  
  Buy this DVD, even if you are not a Justice League fan.
  
  
  
• Very well done, love seeing these characters treated so well
  By A25QJBK33C4O0R on 2008-03-23
  Like others mention in their reviews for this item, these are the characters and heroes that I remember from my youth. While I appreciate the work that goes into the new versions of Justice League or the Batman animated series, the characters in New Frontier are closer to the classics I read and so thoroughly enjoyed in the past.
  
  The story here is a bit weak and convoluted in the villian that must be fought, but the animation is top notch, the characters come with the history that I remember and seeing them come together to work as a team is quite fun.
  
  I hope this is just the start of more stories set in the same era and virtual world.
  
  5 stars for the nostalgia, 3 stars for the story, leaving a 4 star product for those that want to purchase it.
  
  
• The adaptation betters the original, in my opinion.
  By A73QPH7NGI0DJ on 2008-02-27
  This animated film is from the creators of the DC Comics Animated Universe ("Batman: The Animated Series", "Superman: The Animated Series", "Justice League Unlimited"), and based on Darwyn Cooke's famous miniseries "DC: The New Frontier", chronicling the emergence of the Justice League and the Silver Age DC universe in the 1950s.
  
  I wasn't a huge fan of the original story; I quite liked the idea of the story, but how it was actually told just didn't click for me, because of the art (which I found unsuited to the subject; it's hard to take seriously a story where all the women are cherubs) and the crowded, unfocussed story. However, I am a huge fan of the DCAU animation crew, so having them adapting it was a huge plus, and I figured that the need to cut for a 75 minute movie would actually work to the story's benefit. And, indeed, that's the case here.
  
  There's been a lot of characters and scenes excised, but what there is almost qualifies as a photographic/word-by-word reproduction of the book. Cooke was involved in the DCAU (Batman Beyond especially), so his work translates very well to the Timm animated world. On the stuff that was cut, principally:
  
  1. The Losers and the Challengers, apart from Ace Morgan.
  2. Minor cameos in the book are cut down to visual cameos here, including Green Arrow and Adam Strange.
  3. In particular, the really dumb scene with all the mystical heroes deciding not to help stop the destruction of the world because this is `a new age' isn't here, which is a huge plus.
  4. The only really notable scene from any of the kept plots that isn't here is Superman's visit to Themyscira and his conversation with Diana about leadership; instead, there's a scene with Lois that addresses basically the same theme.
  5. The `John Henry' plot, which is confined to a news report here.
  
  The story itself is still basically focussed on Hal and J'onn (it feels even more Hal-centric here than the book, maybe because they cut all the thought monologues, which affects J'onn a lot more than Hal). One of the things that I do credit the book for is writing one of the few versions of J'onn I've ever found interesting; conversely, the book-Hal is saddled with some truly horrid dialogue, which is absent here, so that's another plus for the film.
  
  My one real complaint: incredibly, despite the fact that her part is minor, the DCAU crew finds room to screw up Wonder Woman's mythos. In the book, the scene where the Centre overwhelms Themyscira is preceded by a snippet of Diana and some other Amazon cheerfully fencing; in the film, the other Amazon is angry with her, says that many of them want "new leadership", and then attacks her. For Heaven's sake, people, the DCAU's botching of the Amazons was already one of the few black marks on the whole enterprise, and you still haven't found time to actually read any of her comics? That does not fill me with hope for the WW animated movie in the works.
  
  Overall, though, this is a strong effort.
  
  
• More mindless blood and graphic language from DC
  By A203IGEMGBSHR3 on 2008-02-27
  Just like the previous animated movie Superman|Doomsday, there is mindless gore and graphic violence and a WEAK story.
  The main heroes(shown on the cover) are useless. The main hero(Green Lantern) does not show up until the tail end of the movie.
  The alien entity is a floating rock. Wow, excitement there.
  The PG13 is just another excuse for immature writers to justify using excessive blood and graphic language.
  WonderWoman lets people kill each other than has the audacity to criticize American government. LAME.
  The cynical self loathing attitude of this movie wears on you.
  The build up takes way too long.
  Not worth the hype, just boring lousy drawn anime with uneccesary blood and graphic words.
  I strongly recommend the Justice League episodes for that classic comic book feel and fun.
  Avoid this clunker
  
  
• Was I Supposed to Know What Was Going On?
  By A26O4ZLM3H7B3H on 2008-02-27
  I'll admit I never read the limited series, but I thought the point of making a movie was for those who hadn't read the books. While it was great to see the end of the Golden Age, and the beginning of the Silver, the plot completely eluded me. Here's what I got: some guy named "The Center" writes a book containing his manifesto, then kills himself. Years later, he is reincarnated as a sentient floating dinosaur island with planets inside of him? Huh? On top of that, we have a mysterious cult worshipping him, although we are never given any clue as to how they communicate with "it" or how it possesses their bodies to speak through them. We are also never told what this thing wants, like if it is alien, or trying to destroy the Earth, and why would other humans help it? The story could also have used a little more focus on the rest of the JLA, or simply call it a Green Lantern movie. The art style was great, recalling Jack Kirby, although I thought Wonder Woman came off looking more like a drag queen. Being a huge fan of the DC Animated Universe, I was looking forward to a fresh take on the JLA, but this came as a huge disappointment.
  
  
• Very Disappointed
  By A32BQ05RKMTCZI on 2008-02-28
  I'll give you this. The animation was nice. There was a nice cast. That was it. The plot was incredibly disappointing. I spent more time trying to figure out what each scene had to do with the overall plot than actually enjoying the flow of the movie. Every character had to be introduced with back story included and every character had to have his or her own showplace. Don't we already KNOW their backstories? Don't we already know what powers they have and what they can do? Do we need tacked on characters? Green Arrow, Robin, and Aquaman were just there for us to see how well animated they were and that was about it. After all the anticipation I felt when I found out this was coming, I feel severely let down.
  
  
• Spastic, flat and lifeless...
  By A21A6APNC914RL on 2008-02-28
  As a fan of the original graphic novel, I knew that there would be changes and edits made in the process of adapting it to the screen, but did they really have to be this drastic? Gone is the tapestry of characters interacting and growing with time, replaced by a spastic melange of mannequins roughly enacting scenes ripped straight from the comics with some minimal attempts to make then relate to each other through the use of heavy-handed exposition.
  
  It looked good (usually when the animation was taken directly from the comic) and the voice casting was a good fit (if a tad monotonous after a while) and there were some genuinely affecting sequences, but in the rush to condense things, the scope and soul of the source have been lost.
  
  
• A very well done film.
  By A2OCJNB6B46OKP on 2008-03-03
  Justice League was one of my all time favorite shows. I mean when you're in your early 20's with a full time job watching a show like Justice League it really makes people wonder about what this show is all about. With this brand new film Bruce Timm is really taking the step to keep the older fans interested in his work by maturing the story lines as well as the characters.
  
  The New Fronier is based on the forming of the Justice League through a writter and artist with a huge passion for the silver age of DC comics. With the film adaption Bruce Timm went out of his way to find new voices for his cahracters to really bring out the 50's theme with a little bit of takiness but at the same time really trying to bring out the thematic elements that revolved around the story. At points it can be a little confusing to the watcher, but for me the Cold War was a bit confusing all together.
  
  This movie will make a great addition to your comic film collection. It's a great story eventhough it doesn't involve all the characters in depth, it capture a bit history as well as the evolution of the comic book industry if you look hard enough. I am very excited for the next Bruce Timm film and I am so happy to know he and his staff are still not through with their work.
  
  

• Batman Gotham Knight (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
• Superman - Doomsday (DC Universe Animated Original Movie)
• Appleseed Ex Machina (Single-Disc Edition)
• The Batman - The Complete Fourth Season (DC Comics Kids Collection)
• The Batman - The Complete Fifth Season