Review of Justice League: The New Frontier (2008) by Sean F — 02 Feb 2008

In fan circles this is getting a heap of hype. and to go with that hype its getting a heap of postive reviews.

The classic silver age tale of the justice league set on the back of 50's fuelled macarthyism. whilst reds under the bed serves as a inspiration for public perception of everyones favorite superhero troupe, a troupe splintered and torn apart by mistrust and differing agendas, casting aside public opinion the once awesome group must band together to thwart a threat unlike anything the world has ever seen. a threat so absurd it can really only exist in the pages of comic lore.

Animated films gunning to be as epic as this are few and far between. I think there is a belief that audiences cant handle extended running times so the need to condense and simplify is overwhelming. this wouldnt have suffered from being longer. a lot longer. the introduction of characters seems like a role call more than anything, it feels a bit like a chore as each are rattled off doing what they do as if to remind us theyre superheroes. unfortunately projects like this arent going to get much play from the general public, and thats just fine, so the filmmakers need to realise what the fans want is more. not less, not dumbed down, they want more. they want the characters to leap off every panel and onto the screen. they want to see every panel from every page reproduced and presented as if theyve never been seen before.

The film starts in a blaze of glory with the opening credits a fitting tribute to the silver age, art deco, fleischer inspired designs that bring a smile to your face. the film is set in a different era and made to feel as though it was made in a different era too. and that works brilliantly.

The film falters because it doesnt take enough time. everything seems rushed and the climax seems too absurd even by comic book standards, granted it was from the comic itself but it just doesnt work as well as it should. its something more or less made for fans by fans, and its a loving tribute for sure. but, unfortunately, there just seems to be something amiss...something that leaves me a bit worried about george millers proposed JLA flick. although it looks good, is fun to watch, is scored well...it just seems a little bit hollow.