Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics Blu-ray Movie Review

An otherwise solid villains' doc undone by a short runtime and a speedy study of comicbook evil...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 15, 2013

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics earns its name, tackling the biggest, baddest Big Bads of the DC Universe and demonstrating just how crucial the super-powered madmen, assassins, anarchists, opportunists and power-hungry tyrants are to the likes of Superman, Batman and the heroes of the JLA. It doesn't quite live up to its promise, though, offering an introductory survey to comicbook villainy rather than an in-depth, fleshed out dissection of the delusions, impulses and psychological damage that makes each nemesis and arch enemy tick. Key villains steal precious screentime from lesser known criminals and creatures, and the hundreds upon hundreds of more obscure nasties of the DCU are lucky if they're given a split-second appearance, much less mentioned by name. The result is a much too short, much too broad, but oh so gorgeous Survey of DC Villains 101 course newcomers and casual fans will find more revealing and insightful than longtime comic readers or those familiar with the towering titans of Metropolis, Gotham and beyond.

Lex Luthor, Darkseid, Joker, Sinestro, Reverse Flash, Black Manta, Captain Cold and The Rogues, General Zod, the Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, Black Adam, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke, Catwoman, Doomsday, Paralax... these are but a few of the heavy hitters Necessary Evil devotes the lion's share of its attention toward, with Batman's colorful cast of ne'er–do–well's ultimately dominating the proceedings. Structurally, the documentary is smartly compartmentalized into villain types and tropes, ranging from agents of chaos to mad geniuses to interdimensional entities. (DC's femme fatales get their own section too, albeit at the expense of being shortchanged elsewhere.) At each stop along the way, the film's focus is split between the various villains' motivations and the role they play in giving our dutiful heroes both a purpose and a stage. The chief question asked and answered ad nauseum isn't exactly new -- without antagonists, what would even the best protagonists really be? -- but enough reasonably thought-provoking points are raised that at least attempt to flip the traditional ideas surrounding heroism and villainy on its head.

With veteran screen villain Christopher Lee lending gravitas to the documentary via narration, a semi-decent assortment of talking heads offer their perspectives on villainy, including a number of familiar industry faces and a few notable filmmakers from comic adaptations past. Man of Steel's Zack Snyder, Superman: The Movie's Richard Donner and Hellboy helmer Guillermo del Toro are on hand (despite the Pacific Rim director having never directed a film based on a DC comicbook), but only del Toro offers observations of any substance. Dark Knight mastermind Christopher Nolan is sadly nowhere to be found, and film clips from Nolan and Donner's films are in surprisingly short supply. Included is a handful of Bane and Catwoman clips from Dark Knight Rises, a Gene Hackman bit from Superman: The Movie, and a few shots of Sinestro and Paralax from Green Lantern, but that's about it.

On the comic industry and DCU animated original movie front, a who's who of insiders and experts offer a more engaging study of DC Comics' necessary evils. Among them is DC Entertainment co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee, DC Comics COO Geoff Johns, DC Comics editorial director Bobbie Chase, Warner Bros./DC Comics animated series producer Paul Dini, Necessary Evil producer/co-director JM Kenny and producer/co-writer/co-director Scott Devine, DCU Animated Universe producer Alan Burnett and casting director Andrea Romano, and comic writers Marv Wolfman, Scott Snyder, Len Wein. A number of clips from the DCU original movies and television series are sprinkled throughout, only a few of which, specifically those from Batman: The Animated Series, are presented in standard definition. Elsewhere, psychiatrist Andrea Letamendi and author Travis Langley hold their own -- Letamendi actually pops up quite often, and typically with something of value to say -- while Kevin Conroy, Clancy Brown, Kevin Shinick and Scott Porter do their best to represent a vast cast of DCU animated voice actors. (And inadvertently beg the question: where's everyone else?)

Unfortunately, Necessary Evil shows signs of splitting at the seams almost at the outset. At a lean 99 minutes, there just isn't enough time to dig into everything the documentary touches on. The speakers talk fast but editors Ryan Halferty and Shay Thompson cut faster. Entire origin stories and defining encounters appear and disappear in a flash of gorgeous splash images. Monumental milestones and major storylines rocket past. And when things do slow down and take a bit more time with a particular baddie or topic, it isn't long before Devine and Kenny stomp on the gas again. The documentary flies by at a blistering... scratch that, exhausting pace, and what should have and could have easily been a three-hour affair is robbed of its impact. It's by no means a failed feature-length doc, but given just how many villains' documentaries have appeared as special features on various DCU Animation releases -- most, if not all of which offer far more extensive and fascinating histories and analyses of their comicbook icons -- it is a bit of a disappointment. Worse, it makes the Blu-ray edition's pricepoint seem a little steep. Had Warner included all of the previously released villains' featurettes and documentaries alongside Necessary Evil as bonus content, it might seem like a more value-packed release. If nothing else, it would give comic fans a one-stop-shop of villainy worthy of more consideration.

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

If nothing else, Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics delivers an at-times stunning glimpse into the dark heart of villainy. Backed by a heroic 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation, the documentary is brimming with striking splash-page images of each beast and baddie, most of which feature subtle animation, perspective shifts and movement. Colors are brave and bold, primaries pack super-powered punch, black levels are rich and inky, and detail is superb. Interview segments boast lifelike skintones and a nicely saturated palette as well, although some rather noticeable crush does creep into the starkly lit studio courtesy of some rather unforgiving shadows. Thankfully, significant artifacting, banding and errant noise are held at bay, ringing isn't apparent, and aliasing is kept to a bare minimum. (A few instances sneak through, but are presumably inherent to some of the trickier motion-comic animation.) All told, I'm not sure Necessary Evil could look any better. Pause at any given moment and feast your eyes on a work of comicbook art some fans would kill to have hanging on their walls.

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner's Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo mix actually offers something of a decent documentary experience, despite the fact that the rear speakers and LFE channel aren't in use. Christopher Lee's narration is clear, weighty and nicely grounded in the mix, and the various interviewees' voices are clean, intelligible and neatly centered at all times. Methodic Doubt's music is restrained almost to the point of being swept beneath the proverbial rug, but it adds some ambient flavor without becoming overbearing. It's ultimately a very flat mix, of course, but, at least here, it's not enough of a reason to shrug off a purchase.

Note: The back cover incorrectly lists the documentary's audio mix as a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless track.

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Necessary Evil doesn't include any special features.

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pound for pound, punch for punch, Necessary Evil doesn't leave a lasting mark. Too short, too brisk and stretched much too thin, it's more akin to an introductory survey of the terrible titans of the DC Universe than a revealing, fully realized, thought-provoking documentary. It covers a lot of ground, sure, but it doesn't stop long enough to spend a significant amount of time exploring any of it. Warner's Blu-ray release is at least remarkable in one regard, thanks to its gorgeous video presentation. Its lossy Dolby Digital stereo mix leaves something to be desired, though, and there isn't any bonus content to speak of, leaving the 99-minute documentary (which ironically plays like a glorified special feature) to single-handedly justify its cost. If you're hungry for all things DC, take the plunge. If you're a more casual fan, watch for this one to go on sale this holiday season and pick it up when the price is right.