LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie Review

"Are you... TWINS!?!?"

Three things this grumpy middle-aged dad learned while watching Justice League vs. Bizarro League. 1) My son loves Bizarro. All things 'zarro, actually. Batzarro, Bizarra, Greenzarro, Cyzarro... take any hero, dial down their intelligence and tolerability, give 'em funny voices and silly costumes, and let the flip-flopping, criss-crossing, backwards-mumbling hijinks ensue. My son will laugh, without fail. 2) My son's friends love Bizarro, perhaps even more than he does. Packed four-wide on a three-cushion couch, the ten-year-olds in our family room were having a blast, and without one complaint about the animated movie's short 45-minute runtime. Finally, 3) I do not love Bizarro, at least not in the LEGO-verse. Whereas the LEGO shorts, specials, videogames and movies target wit, clever references and all-ages entertainment, and generally strike center mass, the latest DC Super Heroes flick is too obvious, without much in the way of spark or invention. It's all in good, harmless fun, mind you, and certainly watchable, if that can be called an endorsement. I didn't want to flee the room screaming or tear out my eyes either, and, yes, found myself chuckling on a few occasions. But I also would have been more than fine with missing it altogether and letting my son and his friends happily trudge through every second on their own. *Apathetic shoulder shrug*

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blu-ray release of Justice League vs. Bizarro League features a crisp, clean, colorful 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video encode with very few issues. Just one, really: exceedingly minor aliasing, which can be seen in a handful of screenshots but is almost impossible -- if not completely impossible -- to spot when the animated film is in motion. Banding and other anomalies are nowhere to be found, and detail is excellent, particularly in close-ups where the bumpy texturing of LEGO blocks, the fabric of capes and other nuances are refined and wonderfully resolved. Edges are razor sharp, but not too sharp (ringing isn't present), and clarity never dips or dives. The movie's Carnival of Superheroes-palette doesn't falter either, with bold, vibrant hues, powerful primaries, and deep, inky black levels. Junior videophiles will award the presentation their stamps of approval.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track has is playful, impish even, despite some general front-heaviness that flattens scenes that don't involve super-powered fisticuffs, energy blasts, villain attacks, and citywide destruction. (Though that's essentially 80% of the movie.) Voices are clear and intelligible, and prioritization is spot on. LFE output isn't exactly remarkable but it certainly gets the job done, and the rear speakers have their fun, with light, engaging directional effects and smooth pans. It's all very expected, but also more than serviceable, complementing the video presentation nicely.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Me Am BIZARRO! The League of Opposites (HD, 10 minutes): DC Comics' Mike Carlin (Creative Director, Animation), writer Michael Jelenic and producer/director Brandon Vietti offer a brief history of Bizarro's comicbook origins and take a look at the use of mirror-dopplegangers in the new animated LEGO movie. Though short and overloaded with movie clips, this featurette is similar enough to the comicbook dissections found on every DCU animated release to make it worth watching.
• Batman Be-Leaguered (HD, 30 minutes): A LEGO "DC Comics Super Heroes" TV special starring the JLA, this time with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman. It's a fairly significant addition that comes close to making this Blu-ray release a Double Feature disc. It's not that significant, though, but kids will be thrilled to see there's more adventure to be had after Justice League vs. Bizarro League hits its end credits.
• Be-Leaguered Bloopers (HD, 2 minutes): Tongue-in-cheek animated bloopers from the TV special. There's nothing dedicated to the feature movie, which is strange, but fun is fun.
• Trailers (HD): TV and videogame previews for LEGO: Legends of Chima, LEGO Batman 3, Teen Titans Go and The Tom and Jerry Show.

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Justice League vs. Bizarro League didn't catch me by surprise (as I hoped it would), nor did it inflict me with the uncontrollable laughter with which it cursed my son and his friends. But in terms of appealing to its target demographic, it gets everything right, and even helped this cold heart warm to Bizarro and his team of misfits. I still walked away unimpressed, but I didn't say anything. The boys were having too good of a time, and who wants to spoil that? Warner's Blu-ray release is much better, with a bright, vivid video presentation, a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a small but kid-friendly selection of extras that includes a 30-minute "DC Comics Super Heroes" TV special in HD. Will Justice League vs. Bizarro League leave the whole family laughing? Probably not, but the kids will have a grand ol' time. A few moms and dads will too, making this low-priced BD easier to recommend.