Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie Review

"Ahhhh!!! Like a string of firecrackers... my f***ing baaaaack!!!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 9, 2014

There's never enough Robot Chicken. Never. The end of an episode, the end of a season, the end of a special... never enough. Even after laughing myself into the villainous clutches of a headache with the DC Comics Special and its special features, I wanted more, more, more. In fact, if there's any real criticism to be leveled here it's that it's all over much too quickly; the price of a rapidfire, sidesplit-a-second comicbook-reference goldmine. But it's hard to fault the series for having such deadly aim, and even harder to fault Warner for releasing a single 23-minute special on Blu-ray given just how much extra value has been pumped into the disc by way of its superpowered supplemental package. DC fanboys will be overcome with glee. Marvel junkies will love it for entirely different reasons. More importantly, comic geeks of all stripes will unite over the sheer hilarity and utter insanity that is Robot Chicken's roasting of the DC Comics Universe.

Out on the town with Fillion and the Man of Steel...

What irreverent stop-motion zaniness awaits Robot Chicken zealots? The story loosely follows Aquaman (Seth Green) and his pitiful quest for acceptance. When he doesn't find respect among fellow heroes Superman (Breckin Meyer), Batman (Green), Wonder Woman (Alex Borstein), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Flash (Matthew Senreich), Cyborg (Abraham Benrubi), Martian Manhunter (Green) and the other members and sidekicks of the JLA, he turns to their sinister nemeses. And with access codes to the Justice League Watchtower, Lex Luthor (Alfred Molina) and his fellow supervillains -- Brainiac (Senreich), Black Manta (Neil Patrick Harris), Captain Cold (Tom Root), Sinestro (Zeb Wells), Mr. Freeze (Fillion), Solomon Grundy (Benrubi), Toyman (Green), Two-Face (Harris), Giganta (Borstein), Scarecrow (Green), The Riddler (Paul Reubens), Mirror Master (Meyer), Catwoman (Borstein), Gorilla Grodd (Green) and Mister Banjo (Aaron Paul) -- can't resist. Surprise parties and trojan unicorns follow, as does the ultimate battle between the forces of good and evil.

Highlights? It'd be easier to rattle off a sketch-by-sketch rundown of the special. But in the interest of brevity, a few favorites. Pranks at Aquaman's expense. Superman's realization that memory-erasing kisses are invaluable. That's Baaaaane! Icy heist conflict with Mr. Freeze and the snowy villains of the DCU. Botched nightclub runs with Supes and the gang. Luthor's managerial failings. Two-Face's indecisiveness. Everything Green Lantern. B'Dg, Firestorm and Mister Banjo in the spotlight. Batman's mounting frustration. Martian Manhunter's lobster feast... it all flies by so fast, and yet it's all hilarious, perfectly paced and masterfully timed. If the sketches were any longer, they'd drag. Any shorter, they'd fall flat. Yes, there's a whiff for every three or four big hits. And yes, longtime comicbook fans will reap the greatest rewards. But with such a high laugh-per-minute ratio, it hardly matters. If you have any love for Robot Chicken, the DC Comics Special will not disappoint.

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner's 1080p/VC-1 presentation suffers at the hands of minor but frequent aliasing and banding, but both seem to be source-based, nothing more. The worst of the aliasing plagues the Megos' paper mouths (although other instances are apparent, particularly along the edges of costumes), and the most egregious of the banding sticks to the backgrounds. It's all distracting, sure, but relatively harmless on the whole. Otherwise, all is as it should be. Colors are bright and bold, primaries pop, black levels are deep, and detail is revealing enough to showcase every tiny stitch, plasticized imperfection, knick and dent that give the figures and dolls so much personality. All told, laser-eyed videophiles will scowl every so often, but most fans will be too busy laughing to note the flashbang presentation's weaknesses.

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

RCDC's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track is the Aquaman of lossless audio. No punch. No muscle. No real power. And while that's no doubt a fine representation of the special's sound design, that doesn't make it any less underwhelming. Flat and front-heavy, with minimal rear speaker activity, the mix at least boasts crisp, clear voices and spiffy effects. Music is rousing and dynamics are serviceable too, but little else impresses. LFE output is merely passable, directionality is directionless, and the soundfield is thin and weak. It's decent enough I suppose, but had the special been granted raw sonic strength and presence, the resulting lossless track might've been unstoppable.

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Writers' Commentary: Geoff Johns, Tom Root, Ed Wells, Mike Fasolo, Matt Beans and Kevin Shinick talk faster than the special barrels ahead, which allows the group to take jabs at each other, touch on each sketch and discuss everything from the script to the voicework, references and easter eggs.
• Actors' Commentary: Matthew Senreich, Abraham Benrubi, Alfred Molina, Tom Root and Seth Green do the same, and without retreading ground covered in the writers' commentary.
• The Making of the RCDC Special (HD, 10 minutes): A brief but revealing trip behind the scenes that offers a glimpse into the genesis of the special's Aquaman through-line story, its writing and development, the cuts and changes, the actors' dialogue recording sessions, storyboarding and animation, and more. Too short at ten minutes, but fun all the same.
• Chicken Nuggets (HD): This option plays the Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special with access to sketch-by-sketch video commentary. A chicken icon appears at various points on screen that, when clicked, pauses the special and hops to full-screen conversations between executive producers Seth Green, Geoff Johns and Matthew Senreich. Better still, the collected video commentary bits are much longer than the special itself. The only downside? The constant icon-clicking and babysitting the feature requires. I had to rewind several times to catch an icon I narrowly missed.
• Cut Sketches (HD, 15 minutes): Deleted scenes comprised of behind-the-scenes footage, actors' voicework, writers' interviews and storyboards. Sketches include "Deadman Waits for No One," "Teen Titans Prom," "Ice Cream Headache," "Booster Gold's Politics Are... Complex," "Joker Phone Call," "Black Manta Helmet," "Etrigan Orange Rhyme," "Hawkman Birdman Elevator," "Hourman Runner," "Red Tornado," "Captain Boomerang Gives Up," "Mister Terrific Golf" and "The Spectre Gets a Smartphone."
• DC Entertainment Tour (HD, 7 minutes): Johns gives Green an all-access tour of DC Entertainment, including the comics library, abandoned toy storeroom, videogame test room, merchandise storage, DC archives, the writers' room, and other hotspots.
• RCDC's Aquaman Origin Story (HD, 2 minutes): A plot is born and Aquaman is the star.
• Stoopid Alter Egos (HD, 4 minutes): RCDC costume party.
• Outtakes (HD, 2 minutes): An in-booth actor gag reel.
• 5.2 Questions (HD, 2 minutes): Green, Johns, Senreich answer seven questions.

Robot Chicken: DC Comics Special Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

More Robot Chicken releases on the horizon? Keep 'em coming, I say. Even at a scant 23-minutes, even with AV issues in tow, the Blu-ray release of the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special is well worth owning. The main attraction is nothing short of hilarious, the special features extends the disc's content to three hours, and both the video presentation and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track are solid enough to help it all go down nice and smooth. Recommended.