7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
A desperate solution for a troubled country: Lex Luthor for President with the Justice League in the service of the government. Only Batman and Superman stand against the new regime – and their disloyalty proves to be exactly what Luthor intended. Using their outcast status to instigate a scandal against Superman, Luthor finally tastes a victory in his vendetta against The Man of Steel.
Starring: Brian George, Clancy Brown, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Xander BerkeleyComic book | 100% |
Action | 97% |
Sci-Fi | 75% |
Animation | 75% |
Adventure | 74% |
Fantasy | 72% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It's not easy being a fanboy. You might think the prospect of an animated film featuring a team-up between DC Comics' most popular characters would be a godsend; particularly one adapted from artist Ed McGuinness and four-time Eisner Award-winning writer Jeph Loeb's satisfying six-issue run on the ongoing "Superman/Batman" comic series. Alas, it merely makes a mildly entertaining actioner like Public Enemies all the more disappointing. What works on the page doesn't always work on the screen; what functions in a panel doesn't necessarily function in motion; what pushes a reader to flip a page doesn't always pull a viewer from scene to scene. Add to that a truncated script, inconsistent character animation, and dialogue stripped of Loeb's wit and intelligence and you have an unfulfilling letdown. Is it any wonder then that I walked away from Public Enemies and dug out a few issues of "Superman/Batman" to ease my pain?
Superman and Batman survived many a foe... until their abs turned against them.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies swings onto Blu-ray with a satisfying 1080p/VC-1 transfer that showcases the film's vibrant palette and sharp lines. Even though the action largely unfolds beneath night skies and amidst heavy shadows, the bold primaries of Superman's costume and the inky blacks of Batman's cape and cowl are as beautiful as they come. Splashes of green and purple evoke Ed McGuinness' original art even further, infusing the picture with enough compelling color to propel it through its most dreary sequences. Detail is equally impressive... albeit to a fault. Striking as it may be, the presentation's unforgiving clarity reveals every flaw in the tight lineart and every pixelated edge that pops up throughout the film (and believe me, there are quite a few). While it serves as a testament to Warner's technical transfer, it also leads to some distracting anomalies, some of which may yank videophiles out of the experience. Thankfully, the image is a treat despite such inherent shortcomings. A handful of faint, arguably negligible artifacts make appearances (typically in areas where splashes of color meet the animators' fine lines) and some moderate banding haunts the skies, but severe macroblocking, ringing, noise, and other digital issues are nowhere to be found.
Ultimately, Public Enemies isn't quite as refined as Green Lantern: First Flight, but it's yet another strong showing from Warner and DC Animation that thoroughly thrashes its DVD counterpart.
Sadly, the Blu-ray edition of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies stumbles with a bland and bulky Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track (640kbps); one that combines the shallow, subpar sonics of Green Lantern: First Flight with the sort of standard lossy mixes that have plagued Warner's recent direct-to-video releases. But this isn't Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins... this is an explosive, action packed animated flick that would really benefit from a TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio track. Dialogue is clean and intelligible, but isn't nearly as crisp or clear as I hoped it would be. Likewise, LFE output is sometimes strong (particularly when Batman takes control of a towering robot) but often pudgy (as it is during the duo's clash with a parade of second tier super-villains), the rear speakers are rarely tasked with anything substantial, and directionality is as two-dimensional as the hand-drawn animation it accompanies. While it amounts to an adequate sonic experience, I frankly expect much more from a high definition release. Warner's Dolby Digital track doesn't capitalize on Public Enemies' potential nor does it enhance the film's chaotic battles. At best it's a passable offering; at worst it's a major disappointment.
The Blu-ray edition of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies includes all of the supplemental material that appears on the standard DVD release, as well as an extended version of its best offering, an engrossing roundtable chat featuring Batman himself, Kevin Conroy. While I would have enjoyed an audio commentary and a production-specific documentary, the majority of the content is worth watching.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies slapped a permanent "meh" on my tongue. Fanboys will bemoan its inferiority to McGuinness and Loeb's original work, newcomers will shrug their shoulders, and casual comic fans will only enjoy the film enough to justify the cost of renting the disc. Sadly, the Blu-ray edition is just as uneven. While it boasts a commendable video transfer, its lackluster Dolby Digital audio track and relatively short special features leave too much to the imagination. It isn't the worst animated release I've endured, but it certainly doesn't stand alongside the best.
with Figurine
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