Tech Blog

[#1]

The Feature 

Justice League Crisis on Two Earths (1:15:21, VC-1 HD Video, Dolby Digital 5.1)
Crisis on Two Earths tells the story of a cross-over between dimensions. In a parallel Earth the Justice League is run by a good Lex Luthor, fighting villains like Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, and other villains of the Crime Syndicate. When Luthor steals the Quantum Trigger–the catalyst for a world destroying bomb called the QED–and vanishes into another dimension to seek aid, the worlds collide. 

The action is intense, and the plot is straightforward. The dialog isn't Shakespearean, but it gets the job done. The twist in the plot comes from a nihilistic Owlman bent not only on the destruction of his own planet, but of all reality. His insanity has a cold logic that's some of the most balanced of a DC villain ever. Overall, I enjoyed Crisis on Two Earths.

Video and Sound

Crisis on Two Earths is presented in 1080p high definition video, with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The picture quality is incredibly high, with clean lines, bright colours, and phenomenally smooth animation. Comparing it to the Justice League television series is a great way to see how much work has been put into this feature, as the video quality is remarkably good.

The sound quality is good; that's on a relative scale with animated features with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks. Compared to older DVD releases, the quality is excellent, but it doesn't quite have the same oomph that you'll find in a DTS-HD MA track. The surround channels are used well, and the dialogue channel is crystal clear, but I was still a little disappointed in some respects. Then again, the only reason I could fathom for feeling any disappointment is because the bar has been set so high by other animated features; I do home that the next DC/Warner collaboration will see a DTS-HD MA audio track in our future. I will state, for the record, that I'm still wigged out whenever I see Batman and I don't hear Kevin Conroy's voice coming out of him. Just sayin'.

Special Features
DC Showcase - The Spectre    (11:51, VC-1 HD Video, Dolby Digital 5.1)
This special feature is one of the most enjoyable I've ever seen; this take on The Spectre plays like a Bronze Age exploitation flick from the 70s, right down to the funk soundtrack, the noir dialogue, and the faux film-grain laid over the animated material. I liked Crisis on Two Earths, but I absolutely loved The Spectre. I'll state, on the record, that I will pay good money for a series or a feature length film based on this interpretation of the character. It's positively the best thing about this Blu-ray disc, and that's on a disc full of very good things.
 

Bruce Timm Presents 4 Bonus Justice League episodes (1:31:00, VC-1 SD Video, Dolby Stereo)
The topic of parallel Earths and conflicts on other worlds is covered in these two two-part episodes. Presented in standard definition, and in stereo, they're great stories from the Justice League animated television series. These classic episodes are a great addition to the disc at no extra cost. They also serve to show how high quality the video of the main feature is.  The two episodes are Twilight and A Better World.

DC Pilots: Wonder Woman and Aquaman
I'm shocked to see these two pilots were included on the disc; running an hour and thirteen minutes and 41 minutes 23 seconds, there's simply a huge amount of content here. These two pilots offer fascinating insight to the type of television at the time, one from 1975, the from 2006. I remember watching episodes of Wonder Woman when I was a kid, but didn't really get into it; seeing them it here is both bizarre and rather fun. 

Aquaman is a product of the Gough/Miller team that has brought the world hits like Smallville - and it's set in the same universe. Look for a sweet cameo from Lou Diamond Phillips as Tom Curry. The production values are quite high and it's pretty awesome to have this included on the disc.

A First Look at Batman: Under the Red Hood

DC's next project is a based on the events that take place immediately the story of A Death in the Family, depicting the final moments of Jason Todd as Robin. It's a violent story that's unlike anything we've seen from DC Comics and Warner Home Video before. Starring  Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) as Red Hood, Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike from last year's Star Trek) as Batman, and Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, How I met your mother) as Nightwing, Under the Red Hood has a star studded cast ready to bring this story to life. The preview didn't have any actual video, but the concept sketches and talking heads do a good job of capturing the look and feel the movie is going after. Be warned: the video quality on this isn't very good–if you're watching it on a high def display (and who wouldn't be, on Blu-ray) you'll notice a great deal of video artifacts. It doesn't detract from the experience, but it really feels like someone used the wrong compression setting when encoding this.

Other DCU movie titles

There are three other previews on the disc: A First Look at Green Lanter: First Flight, A First Look at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, and Wonder Woman: The (competitor) Princess. This isn't the first time these previews have been seen before, but if you haven't seen them, they're worth a watch. They're fantastic mini-documentaries.

Conclusions

Justice League Crisis on Two Earths is about more than just the movie; it's a great value with just the flick, but adding in a metric ton of extras makes it a must have for DC animation lovers. This is an incredibly well produced and well put together package that offers hours of entertainment on a single disc. Warner Home Video and DC absolutely get the concept that the Blu-ray experience is about more than just the movie and they totally deliver here.

Justice League Crisis on Two Earths releases tomorrow, February 23, 2010 and is available online at futureshop.ca and in-store at your local Future Shop. 

[#2]

Sorry sir, but I have to disagree again. 

This wasn't the worst of the DC animated features; that honour goes to last year's Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. But it was very close. This wasn't a story, it was an excuse for a 90 minute slug-fests. And I have to say I really disagree with you regarding Owlman. Villains are only effective if you buy their motivation. His motivation boiled down to: I'm unhappy, you're unhappy, so let's try to ensure that no one ever exists. Not only that, but the voice over work doesn't come close to the bar usually set by Andrea Romano. She usually avoids the celebrity voice thing, so I'm really surprised to see her fall victim to that easy out with her voice choices in the last few DC movies.  The last 2 DC films are no where near the quality of Justice League: The New Frontier, or even Wonder Woman. Here's hoping the recent changes at DC helps them get their act together. 

I'll be more than happy to agree with you on The Spectre. Awesome version. I've never been a huge fan of Steve Niles' comic work, but his approach here reminded me of John Ostrander's Spectre series: Less superhero, more horror. Fantastic little surprise of a film.