Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Mr-Fusion "The Justice League: The New Frontier" has some exemplary roots. The original comic miniseries is one of my very favorites. It's a great story, sure, but Darwyn Cooke's art is what really sells it. Thankfully, the movie takes a lot of inspiration from that, his post-war Americana especially. and the cast is impressive; seriously, some of the names on that list.My problem is it's too damn short. New Frontier told a far-reaching story in two separate volumes. This should've done the same instead of jamming it into 75 minutes. I mean, really, if WB could stretch The Dark Knight Returns into two movies, this should've been a no-brainer.6/10

Helio Copter Justice League: The New Frontier is basically a love letter to the classic "Silver Age" DC Comics superheroes, and an inspirational journey back to the mid-century, post-WWII America in which those characters were created. A powerful destructive force arises amidst the backdrop of Cold War McCarthyism and the early space age of scientific pioneering. Every major DC superhero is included in the plot, and this film more even than most Justice League stories that I've seen on screen manages to achieve an epic, cinematic feel. It really is a big story, and it feels like it has some true storytelling magic in it.The character depictions are not the modernized ones that can be found in most current comics or television series. I love the portrayal of Wonder Woman in particular. I am a big fan of updating things to fit into the aesthetic reality of the present, which often involves getting "gritty" and/or "dark." However, I find New Frontier to be beautifully nostalgic. The art style, animation, costume designs and of course the setting and subject matter all evoke a simpler time when there were certainly big problems to be dealt with, but when the horizons seemed endless and optimism was less cynically complicated. The final "outro" segment of the film plays a series of scenes and images over a John F. Kennedy speech, and is one of the most genuinely moving things that I have ever experienced while watching an animated film.As far as content, there is a good deal of at-times-graphic violence, and no small amount of blood during the most intense parts. There is also a little bit of language. What does that mean? Maybe it is not well suited for young children, but I appreciate the serious human tone of it, and for kids who are old enough not to be psychologically messed up by animated violence, this is a great film to watch, very thought-provoking and inspiring. It is something of a history lesson both in terms of the much-loved comic-book characters and in terms of American history (albeit within a fantastical context here). Of all the recent Warner Bros/DC animated films, this one is my favorite. I think that it feels the most like an actual epic, full-length film, and the story has more than enough heart to go around. Highly recommended.

Matthew Kresal The time is the 1950s: full of Cold War tensions, McCarthyism paranoia plus the beginnings of both the space race and the Civil Rights movement. Imagine that caught in the middle of all this are superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and potential ones like test pilot Hal Jordan, Barry Allan aka The Flash or the Martian Manhunter who hides away as Detective John Jones to name a few. Now imagine that a mysterious primordial being known only as the Center threatened to wipe humanity off the Earth and led these heroes to come together to form the Justice League? All these elements come together in the animated DVD film Justice League: The New Frontier.The film features a phenomenal cast of voices for its characters. They include Kyle MacLachlan as Superman, Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman, David Boreanaz as Hal Jordan, Miguel Ferrer as the Martain Manhunter, Neil Patrick Harris as the Flash, Phil Morris as government agent Faraday, Brooke Shields as aerospace executive Carol Ferris and Kyra Sedgwick as Lois Lane. There's only one mis-casted voice in the form of Jeremy Sisto as Batman whose voice seems rather odd for the role. Yet overall the voice cast all breathe a huge amount of life into their characters and properly compliment the animated versions of their characters.As mentioned above, this is an animated film and it is all the better for it. Animation is all too often written off as being just for children but this film is far more then just that. The animation allows for the film to be visually retro yet exciting. This retro feel is not only in terms of how characters look with nods to the comics of the 1950s but with the design work that match the era well. The film has a PG-13 rating which means it has a bit more blood, mild language and violence then one might expect to see in an animated film though it should still be okay to watch with kids around. Perhaps the best example is one of the film's best sequences: its epilogue which combines JFK's "new frontier" speech with a montage of DC comic images and a stirring piece of music from composer Kevin Manthei. In short, the animation is a strength not a weakness of the film.Last but not least is the story. Adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke, the film puts these superheroes into the 1950s and watches as they live through, and are effected by, the events of that time such as the beginning of U.S involvement in Vietnam (when it was still known as Indochina). McCarthyism paranoia and the beginnings of both the space race and the Civil Rights movement. Yet no superhero movie would be complete without a super-villain and action sequences and this film has both. Its villain is the Center, a mysterious primordial being who slowly makes its presence known as it works towards humanity's destruction. The film features a lot of action including a Korean War dogfight, Flash saving Las Vegas, an attempted Mars mission, battles with dinosaurs and all that's leading up to an epic climatic battle off Cape Canaveral. This combination of fact and fiction works to create a truly an epic tale.While it may be animated, to be perfectly honest I'm not sure a live action version could improve the film. With its combination of a phenomenal voice cast, retro design work, superb animation and an epic story. The result is a superhero film that is head and shoulders above many of its live action counterparts in the genre. If you want to see your favorite superheroes in a new light, then look towards The New Frontier.

3xHCCH I did not know what to expect from this animated film. I am a Justice League of America fan since childhood, and I jumped at this when I finally got a copy. Honestly, I thought this was a special episode of the recent Justice League animated TV series. From the start though, you knew that it wasn't going to be the same. In fact, someone commits suicide with a gun even before the credits rolled. It was so unexpected, I was not even able to shield my kids' eyes! This JLA movie is not for children at all. Aside from that shocking opening scene, there were plenty more bloody violent scenes. Most notable is a scene where Wonder Woman's invisible plane became visible because of her blood. The language can also be quite sharp. Carol Ferris (Hal Jordan's love interest) crisply said "You son of a b***h!" as she slapped some guy.The setting of this movie was in the 50s, and the look and feel of the locales, language and the costumes were all apt to that time. The heroes were all drawn according to how they were originally drawn back in those Golden days. In particular, here, Wonder Woman was really a true Amazonian woman both in size (she looked taller than Superman) and attitude (she tells Supes, "There's the door, Spaceman")! The scope of the movie was truly epic. The main focus of the story were on three "lesser" heroes: John Jones (Martian Manhunter), Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Barry Allen (Flash), instead of the big 3 (Superman, Batman and WW). I also liked the cameo appearances of Green Arrow, Adam Strange, Ray Palmer (pre-Atom) and Aquaman. There was also an impressive line-up of voice talents behind the characters.On the debit side, I did feel that the main villain called "The Center" (a flying island with dinosaurs) was a tad on the corny side.