Hello again readers of this series!

It has been getting hard to keep up with the series but I am so happy to keep this going. This year of DC movies is highlighted by one film in my opinion and I will let you find out which one. Following this post, I will be 5 years behind on DC movies and I believe that this is where Warner Bros Studios really gets going and starts producing top shelf animated movies with quality storylines. Not to knock this year, there were some fun and great movies produced. Enjoy!

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 (2013) ****

Starring: Peter Weller, Ariel Winters, Michael Emerson

This is a case of an excellent story and great script but not my top choice for voice actors. Michael Emerson is a great actor but when it came to his portrayal of the Joker, I don’t think he was the right choice. I would have gone with Troy Baker who played the Joker in Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014). Once the Joker’s story line was wrapped up, the last bit of the movie felt rushed and almost like they forgot that they had to resolve the Superman vs Batman storyline. 

Superman: Unbound (2013) ****

Starring: Matt Bomer, Stana Katic, Molly C. Quinn

I really enjoyed this movie. It felt like a sort of continuation from Superman/Batman Apocalypse (2010) as Kara Zor-El enters the movie as still new to the scene of being a superhero while trying to understand what that kind of status means in the public eye. I am a huge fan of Matt Bomer and his voice fits perfectly as the Clark Kent character but can be stern as Superman. I liked the idea that the city Kandor survived but I wasn’t in love with it. To me, Kara and Clark sharing the pain of a loss home was what made that connection better. Giving Kara her home back while Clark is still orphaned doesn’t seem fair. 

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)*****

Starring: Justin Chambers, C. Thomas Howell, Michael B. Jordan

Just like Justice League: War (2014), this movie also serves as a starting point for a new storyline, just not as long. I loved this movie for multiple reasons, but the main reason is how dark it is. The use of blood and gore in an animated movie was well done. This story has also been used in the tv show The Flash but it doesn’t dive deeper into the effects of Barry Allen’s decision like this. This movie also shows how powerful the army of Atlantis and Themyscira is if they went to war. The casting choices were superb as they went with new actors for the superheroes vs the traditional ones heard in animated shows to this point. 

JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014) ***

Starring: Diedrich Bader, Laura Bailey, Dante Basco 

This movie was made for a younger audience. I could see this plot being pulled into a Justice League tv show multipart episode but not stretched into a full length movie. The animation was fairly good but some of the physical features were over-exaggerated like the size of Superman’s muscles and how they drew some of the faces. I did enjoy Diedrich Bader’s Batman and enjoyed his take on the character in “Batman The Brave and The Bold.” They introduced two new characters from the future and they weren’t bad but weren’t great, just okay. There were some corny lines in the script for the villains. 

Justice League: War (2014)*****

Starring: Sean Astin, Michelle Monaghan, Jason O’Mara

For a movie that serves as the launching point for the Justice League and a new storyline, this was a great movie. Starting off by introducing Darkseid and not one of his generals is bold because he is well documented as the ultimate baddie of the DC Universe. The storyline is memorable as all these solo heroes are joining forces while trying to manage their egos to save the world. The interactions between Green Lantern and Batman are by far the best moments as they trade jabs at each other. They drop a potential romantic interest between Superman and Wonder Woman but I don’t believe gets addressed in future films. 

Son of Batman (2014) ****

Starring: Jason O’Mara, Stuart Allan, Morena Baccarin

Stuart Allan’s Damien Wayne steals the movie. His lines have a good balance of humor as a young teen with dramatic and serious tones. With this being Jason O’Mara’s second film as the Batman, it still takes a moment to get used to it after hearing Kevin Conroy for all those years. O’Mara still does a great job as Batman as his delivery is dark and gritty with a hint of rugged. The main storyline is forgettable as it seemed that they were trying to cram in as many rogue gallery villains as they can and give a crazy evil plan to Deathstroke when it goes against his usual plots. 

Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)*****

Starring: Kevin Conroy, Troy Baker, Hynden Walch

This was a soft five stars for me. The movie felt more like a spinoff from the video games than its own film. The same logo used for the video game would be used in the opening credits. The movie should have given the main title to the Suicide Squad instead of Batman as they had the most character growth and most of the screen time. Batman was great in the film as an imposing figure but was one tracked and nothing special. Troy Baker’s Joker along with all the other members of the Suicide Squad steal the movie.