Rating:  -
This DVD serves two purposes: it concludes the television series, as fans know it, and sets the stage for the new incarnation known as "Justice League Unlimited". The movie is a fitting end to a show that has more winners than losers.
"Star Crossed" features the same exemplary voiceover work from Kevin Conroy (the voice of "Batman" since 1992), Carl Lumbly ("Martian Manhunter"), Phil LaMarr ("Green Lantern"), Maria Canals ("Hawkgirl"), Susan Eisenberg ("Wonder Woman"), George Newburn ("Superman") and "Smallville's Michael Rosenbaum as the fun-loving "Flash". Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. reprises his "Alfred" role from "Batman" and Hector Elizondo and Victor Rivers add their respective talents to the production.
The action is swift and the story line benefits from moments of character interaction, especially the romantic triangle among Hawkgirl, Katar Hol, and Green Lantern.
While the animation is not as stylized as that featured in "Batman: The Animated Series", it still has the contemporary blend of traditional and computer animation.
This is a film for the comic fan in all of us!
Rating:  -
I haven't watched much of the Justice League series (probably only three or four episodes), so I didn't come to this story with knowledge of character histories and events other than what I know from comics and other shows. Still I throughly enjoyed this DVD. More than enjoyed, my mouth was hanging open in shock and amazement through most of the movie.
Every aspect of this movie is terrific. The scoring is very exciting and moving, the voice actors do a phenominal job, the writting is top-notch giving everyone a chance to shine while staying focused and believable, the animation was beathtaking and hallelujah, it's offered in both widescreen and full screen! The bonus material is OK, with the Hawkman featurette being the highlight.
Story wise, I was surprised over and over again by new revelations about characters. This is a character dirven plot which is a refreshing break from all the senseless "let's just get our heroes to the next battle" sensibilities of many other shows. Not to imply that there is little action in this story (quite the opposite in fact), but all the action evoles from character motivations and personalities. It's obvious that the creators of this movie care for the characters they are representing. No fan of these characters should miss out on this powerful story.
The biggest complement I can give this DVD is that it's convinced me to begin watching the series on a regular basis. If this level of sophistication and excitement is the norm for this series, we're all in for one amazing ride!
Rating: -
There are times when mainstream animated series outdo themselves. The Simpson's softball episode, the X-Men's Phoenix saga, and the Mr. Hanky episodes of South Park are great examples of this. 'Star Crossed' is on that level.
This episode is really intended for fans 'The Justice League' animated series, and makes a number of references to past events and relationships. If you're in that category, know this: this episode brings the heat from the first few minutes through the dramatic (and somewhat unexpected) conclusion.
The plot and dialogue are tight, and the animation strong. This is a phenomenal jumping off point for the upcoming 'Justice League: Unlimited' series as well.
I don't want to spoil the story with too many details, but the plot is actually somewhat reminiscent of the series pilot, and brings each of the heroes' personalities into clearer perspective. And for those of you who only watch for the fight scenes, this episode ought to satisfy you as well.
One of the toughest aspects of writing stories for a team like the Justice League is that some characters render others redundant. For example, if you have Superman and the Green Lantern, what do you do with the Flash and Hawkgirl? In order to make for a truly interesting story, then, you have to introduce a conflict that will really tax ALL of the characters. This does--trust me.
I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because new viewers would likely miss the significance of many of the character interactions. With that in mind, I would say people who have no familiarity with the Justice League series should at least watch the pilot, 'Secret Origins' before viewing this. I'd also recommend the episodes 'Paradise Lost', and 'In Darkest Night' if you can find them. But the bottom line is that this is the best DC animated episode to come along since "World's Finest". 'Nuff said!
Rating: -
Finally, Warner Bros. is learning! Not only does "Justice League: Starcrossed" feature amazing animation, a great story, dazzling battles, terrific character interaction, and my favorite member of the League, Hawkgirl, taking center stage, but this disc offers fullscreen and widescreen versions! There's also a great featurette on Hawkman, another favorite character. Now if only Warner Bros. would stop double-siding DVDs. Over the years, I've had to ask Amazon for way too many replacements, like "Superman: The Movie", "The West Wing": Seasons One and Two, and most recently "Challenge of the Super Friends": Season One. At least "Wonder Woman": Season One was fine. And since Warner Bros. seems to be listening to their customers about releasing boxed sets of great animated shows like "Batman", maybe they'll finally release seasons one and two of "Justice League".
Rating: -
I just saw this episode this past week and I have to say I LOVED IT! Quite a twist to the Hawkgirl/Green Lantern romance to reveal that she was engaged to one of the Hawkmen! Also, seeing BatMan openly reveal some of his secrets to the JL was also surprising. I hope the next version goes deeper into the relationships as well as the action (particularly the budding relationship between BatMan & Wonder Woman).
While it may or may not be the best episode for JL (that's a debatable point), its definitely top 10 material. Would love if Warner would release all the episodes from this series as they are starting to do with BatMan: The Animated Series! Worth the buy!
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