The classic cartoon ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992) celebrates its 20^th anniversary September 5, 2012 with 109 episodes. The series was the first in Warner Bros’ Animation lineup that went on to make ‘Superman: The Animated Series’ (1996), ‘Batman Beyond’ (1999), ‘Static Shock’ (2000), ‘Justice League’ (2001), ‘Justice League Unlimited’ (2004), and several feature-length films based in the same continuity. For twenty years, ‘Batman’ has been one of the best animated series on and off the air, with four Emmy awards under its belt and an entire generation of followers.

The show began with the talented work of developers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and then flourished under several different writers, such as the critically acclaimed Paul Dini, Michael Reaves, and Alan Burnett.

The dark tone and beautiful painted backgrounds were inspired by Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ (1989), which returned the Dark Knight to his original comic book status: that of a brooding detective, rather than the campy hero Adam West made popular in the 1960’s. The team used influences from film noir to create the crime-infested city of Gotham, and gave it a unique look that few people had ever seen before.

One of the most memorable things about the series is Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman. To date, Conroy holds the record for most performances as Bruce Wayne. He has been voicing the character since 1992. In addition to the 109 episodes of this series, Conroy went on to voice Batman in all of the DC Animated Universe shows, as well as in the highly popular ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ and ‘Batman: Arkham City’ games.

He also voiced the Caped Crusader in the animated features ‘Batman: Gotham Knight’ (2008), ‘Superman/Batman: Public Enemies’ (2009), ‘Superman/Batman: Apocalypse’ (2010), and ‘Justice League: Doom.’ (2012)

Renowned voice casting director Andrea Romano cast Conroy almost immediately after he gave his first reading, because of his striking baritone voice and his amazing ability to make a distinction between the voice of Bruce Wayne and the voice of Batman. His utter devotion to the character and his understanding of Batman’s mission is why many fans consider him to be the quintessential Batman, despite Christopher Nolan’s excellent film trilogy.

In addition to Conroy, there are a few other voice actors who have continued with their characters throughout the years. Mark Hamill, who most know as Luke Skywalker, voiced the Joker, and continued to fill the role of the Clown Prince of Crime in other animated series, and joined Conroy in the ‘Arkham’ games. Arleen Sorkin, the voice of Harley Quinn, grew to love her character and lent her voice for several other performances as well. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. stayed on as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s faithful butler, from ‘Batman’ to ‘Justice League.’

‘Batman’ is also noteworthy for its gorgeous animation style, which had a fluidity and style that few other cartoon series did in the early 1990’s. Most of the backgrounds were painted by hand, and the studio hired the most cutting-edge companies to animate the episodes, because they knew the visuals were just as important as the writing.

Another notable aspect of the series is the writing. ‘Batman’ was one of the first cartoon series to take its audience seriously, and provided gripping, intelligent, and compelling episodes that did not shy away from important issues. Its fans were blown away by its respect for them in telling the tales of the Dark Knight’s struggle against crime with plenty of laughs, impressive and creative fight scenes, and even a couple of truly amazing dramatic moments.

The series also released a film, ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’, that made it to the big screen in 1993. Though its gross was modest, it was one of the most highly praised animated films, and continues that legacy to date. IGN listed the film as the 25^th best animated film of all time in 2010.

It is for all of these reasons that the show has endured for twenty years. Everything about it was memorable, from the voice acting, to the animation, to the writing. It inspired children to believe in heroes, and taught them that they could overcome anything if they had the willpower and the determination to make it happen. It is by far one of the most respectful adaptations of Batman to date and will continue to delight audiences for years to come.

‘Batman: The Animated Series’ currently reruns its episodes on The Hub. If you have never had a chance to watch it, there is no better time than the present.

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The DC Animated Universe has found its 14th original film in ‘Superman vs. the Elite’, which was released this past Tuesday, June 12, 2012. As reviews for the movie begin pouring in from excited fans and critics alike, it would be a good idea to take the time to look back at the films before it. Of the fourteen DC Universe Animated Originals, Toonari Post submits the Top 5 Favorites to honor the stories of heroes who have continued to surpass our expectations as they fight to keep the world safe.

5. Justice League: Doom (2012). As mentioned in our full review, ‘Justice League: Doom’ tells the tale of power hungry immortal Vandal Savage (Phil Morris) stealing encrypted files from the supercomputer of Batman that contain contingency plans for neutralizing each member of the Justice League if they ever went rogue. It is also noteworthy for being the unofficial Justice League reunion, as most of the voice actors from ‘Justice League’ (2001), including Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Michael Rosenbaum, and Carl Lumbly are in the film. It also included the voice talents of geek god Nathan Fillion and newcomer Bumper Robinson.

‘Doom’ is one of the most action packed films in the franchise, but it is also one of the most emotional because the heroes deal with their anger at Batman for betraying them. Over the years, the League members have become good friends and thus cannot believe that Batman would even consider having a plan to neutralize them. The voice work is simply stunning, combining all of the familiarity from ‘Justice League’ with a new, brutal storyline. ‘Doom’ proved that heroes can indeed be broken, but what does not kill them only makes them stronger.

4. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009). ‘Public Enemies’ is based on the comic book of the same name and once again employs the voice talents of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Tim Daly as Superman. The story centers around a giant meteor hurtling towards the Earth, threatening to destroy a large portion of the world’s population. Lex Luthor, currently President of the United States, finds out that the meteor is largely composed of Kryptonite and claims it is causing Superman to act irrationally. Therefore, he places a huge bounty on Superman’s head, which means all kinds of villains come out of the woodwork to claim it. Batman partners up with Superman to find a way to stop the meteor after Luthor’s attempts to stop it fail, all while fighting off both of their Rogues Gallery.

‘Public Enemies’ shows off the best of the dynamic between Batman and Superman. Both men are smart, dedicated, and heroic, but the differences in their personalities are delightful to watch. It is a heartwarming, amusing friendship that has evolved over the years to be one fans love.

3. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008). ‘Gotham Knight’ is a tie in with Christopher Nolan’s masterful ‘Batman Begins’ that includes six short vignette-style films put together by different writers and animators. However, instead of Christian Bale, Kevin Conroy reprises his role as the Dark Knight as he continues learning how to deal with the violent criminals plaguing Gotham City. The stories vary from humorous to spiritual to emotional and all of them show Bruce Wayne coming into his own as a new hero. They also include familiar faces from Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery like Killer Croc, the Scarecrow, and Deadshot, to name a few.

The unique animation styles and fast-paced plotlines tie in well with Conroy’s solid voice acting. The end result is an exhilarating experience that does justice to both the animated myths of Batman as well as the Batman that Nolan envisioned.

2. Wonder Woman (2009). ‘Wonder Woman’ is one of the most unique films in the original movie lineup because of its mythological setting as well as its perfect infusion of humor and action. It tells the story of Diana of Themyscira (Keri Russell) from birth to adulthood in the midst of a war between the gods and mankind. A handsome, lecherous pilot named Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion) accidentally stumbles onto Themyscira, Diana’s home island where no men are allowed, and she decides to escort him back to America and research how to stop Ares (Alfred Molina), the God of War, from getting his powers back and conquering the world.

The selling point of this film is the dynamic between Diana and Steve. Steve is smitten with Diana on sight, but she refuses his advances because she has been taught that men cannot be trusted. However, as they fight together, she learns that her perceptions of men are inaccurate because he is kind, brave, and determined to help her on her quest. Furthermore, the fight sequences are breathtaking and should not be missed.

1. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010). ‘Red Hood’ is a fantastic film based on the comic book written by Judd Winick. It recounts the story of a new criminal named the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) taking over the criminal underbelly of Gotham. However, he is unlike any other villain Batman (Bruce Greenwood) has faced because he seems to have a disturbing knowledge of Batman’s fighting styles and methods of operation. Furthermore, Red Hood’s presence in Gotham has stirred up trouble with crime boss Black Mask (Wade Williams) and the Joker (John DiMaggio).

‘Red Hood’ can be considered the best of the DC Universe’s original animated films because of the exceptional voice work, the gorgeous animation, the compelling storyline, and the brutal emotional implications between the characters. Once the face behind the Red Hood is revealed, the stakes become so much more important than simply stopping a new threat in Gotham. It affects Batman on a level he has never encountered before and makes him question whether his actions have done more good or harm for the city and its people.

Each of these films does something stunning and worthwhile within the original animated franchise. Be sure to check them out.

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Here are the Top Movies You Never Watched But Should, continued.

5. ‘Meet Joe Black’ (1998)

‘Meet Joe Black’ is a fantasy drama inspired by ‘Death Takes a Holiday’ (1934) about Death (Brad Pitt) inhabiting the body of a handsome man and shadowing a wealthy media mogul Bill Parish (Anthony Hopkins). Bill’s sixty-fifth birthday is coming up and he was scheduled to die, but Death, who is given the name Joe Black to blend in with other people, promises to let him live a few more days if he shows him what life is like as a human being. During his journey, Joe falls in love with Bill’s lovely youngest daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) and she falls in love with him, causing bad blood between Joe and Bill and complicating all of their lives even further.

The film showcases one of Brad Pitt’s best performances as Joe, struggles with understanding the simplest emotions and later the more complex ones, especially love. The love story sets up a beautiful, heartbreaking examination of each character and how they are affected by Joe’s sudden intervention in their lives, though only Bill knows his true identity. The phenomenal supporting cast populates the film with a great spread of characters and everything is set to a sweet yet haunting soundtrack.

4. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)

‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ is an animated film born from the award-winning cartoon ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ It tells the tale of a mysterious entity called the Phantasm who appears in Gotham City and starts killing several crime bosses. Batman (Kevin Conroy), who is currently under fire from the new district attorney, starts investigating the murders and bumps into his first love, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany).

The two become entangled once again as he suspects her father is responsible for the murders. Things become even more complicated when one of the crime bosses who fears he is next to be killed hires the Joker to kill the Phantasm, creating even more danger for the Dark Knight and the city he protects.

‘Mask of the Phantasm’ is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans of Batman, but the general public has little exposure to the animated adventures of the Caped Crusader. While Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the character is nothing short of genius, ‘Mask of the Phantasm’ deserves just as much praise for handling Bruce Wayne with such care. The film, like the cartoon series, deals with many mature subjects that appeal to adults while still being entertaining enough for younger audiences. Furthermore, it is beautifully animated and features a powerful soundtrack.

3. ‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ (2003)

‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ is an animated adventure film about a pirate, Sinbad (Brad Pitt) who wants to steal the Book of Peace, a magical book that wields untold power, a noble prince of Syracuse, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes), who wants to protect it, Proteus’ beautiful fiancée, Marina (Catherine Zeta Jones), and the evil goddess Eris, who also wants to steal the book to cause chaos among the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the film came out right around the time when most animated films were switching to 3D rather than the traditional 2D and so it did not perform well, but the box office does nothing to reflect the quality of the film.

Its strength comes from the talented voice work of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Joseph Fiennes, the thrilling adventures the characters undertake, and the fantastic script that switches from hilarious to heartwarming with relative ease. Fans of animated film ‘The Road to El Dorado’ (2000) will find immediate kinship with the movie as it has a similar tone and attention to detail with its animation and well-rounded characters.

2. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ is a crime noir comedy about small time crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) who accidentally stumbles into a role as an actor and is flown off to Hollywood to consult with Perry van Shrike, aka “Gay Perry” (Val Kilmer), a snarky private investigator. While in LA, Harry bumps into his high school crush, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose sister is murdered and she asks for his help to solve the case. Harry agrees and the three become embroiled in two violent murder cases that are more related than they think.

The film is a dark comedy that pays tribute to the classic crime noir stereotypes but remains self-aware throughout, featuring wicked humor from Downey Jr. and Kilmer, as well as a fast paced, action heavy plot that keeps the audience guessing. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Kilmer is its true selling point and the script is nothing short of brilliant.

1. ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ (2006)

‘Lucky Number Slevin’ is an action thriller about a down-on-his-luck guy named Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who goes to visit his friend Nick Fisher and is mistaken for him by two warring crime bosses, The Boss (Morgan Freeman), and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). He is recruited by The Boss to kill The Rabbi’s son and then forced to come up with a huge amount of money by the Rabbi. The Boss and the Rabbi also hire an assassin named Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) who suggested forcing Nick Fisher, whom they mistake Slevin for, to take each other out. Meanwhile, Slevin bumps into Nick’s sweet neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), and the two slowly fall for each other while Slevin tries to figure out how to stay alive in the middle of all the chaos.

‘Slevin’ is simply the kind of film that gets everything right. The casting, the action, the humor, the cinematography, and the dialogue are all sublime, perfect, and unforgettable. There is something here for everyone—comedy, action, adventure, mystery, and a truly sweet love story. Furthermore, its ending is by far one of the most amazing, unpredictable ways to finish a film in years.

Do yourself a favor: check these films out. You won’t regret it.

The article Ten Movies You Never Watched But Should (Part 2) appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The DC Universe’s animated titan ‘Justice League: Doom’, based on the comic book ‘Justice League of America: Tower of Babel’, was released today, February 28^th, 2012 to a smashing success.

‘Doom’ is the 13^th film in the DC Animated Original films by the creative team behind the magnificent shows ‘Batman: The Animated Series’, ‘Superman: The Animated Series’, ‘Batman Beyond’, ‘Justice League’, and ‘Justice League Unlimited.’ The movie also reunites nearly all of the original cast from the Justice League cartoon series, making it both an exciting new adventure and a nostalgic trip into the past.

The film tells the tale of power-hungry immortal Vandal Savage (Phil Morris) stealing encrypted files from the supercomputer of Batman, that contain contingency plans for neutralizing each member of the Justice League, if they ever go rogue. Savage employs each of the team member’s arch nemeses: Cheetah for Wonder Woman, Star Sapphire for Green Lantern, Metallo for Superman, Bane for Batman, Mirror Master for The Flash, and Ma’alefa’ak for the Martian Manhunter.

The villains execute these plans in order to eliminate the Justice League, so that Savage can put a larger plan in the works, allowing him total world domination. As expected, the voice acting is simply off the charts. Kevin Conroy, the original voice of Batman in the 1992 animated series, holds the record for most performances of the Dark Knight, as he has played Bruce Wayne at least eighteen times in his career.

He brings the perfect amount of darkness, depth, pain, and drive to the Caped Crusader, which is especially important because this movie thrives on Batman’s decision to make a plan to stop his most trusted friends. He is by far the most talented voice actor of the bunch, and shows every bit of suffering that Batman goes through, as he fights to stop villains from killing his friends and taking over the world.

Superman is played by another veteran, Tim Daly, who has voiced the Kryptonian for many years as well, starting with ‘Superman: The Animated Series’ and continuing  in several other animated films. His compassionate voice solidifies the friendship he shares with Batman and the other members of the League, and adds a layer of emotion over the film that is hard to resist.

Michael Rosenbaum, who most know as Lex Luthor from ‘Smallville’, reprises the role of The Flash, although this time he is playing Barry Allen rather than Wally West. Rosenbaum’s lighthearted voice is a welcome addition to the cast, and he slips easily back into the heartwarming role of the Scarlet Speedster.

Susan Eisenberg returns as Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman, and assumes the same strength and poise as expected of the warrior princess. She works especially well against Claudia Black, who voices Cheetah, because of the contrast between Wonder Woman’s noble tone of voice versus Cheetah’s cold accent.

Carl Lumbly also returns as J’onn J’onnz, the Martian Manhunter, and fills the role with a compelling sense of mystery. J’onn often struggles with the normalcy of pretending to be human when he is out of costume, and Lumbly emanates the feeling so completely, that it is easy to sympathize with the Martian’s struggles to overcome his archenemy, Ma’alefa’ak, whom he also voices.

Nathan Fillion, the geek god known mostly for his roles as Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s ‘Firefly’ and Richard Castle in ABC’s Castle, steps into the tights a third time to play Hal Jordan. Fillion has had experience with the DC Animated Universe multiple times: first, as Greg Saunders, aka Vigilante, in ‘Justice League Unlimited’ and later as Hal Jordan in the animated film ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.’

Hal Jordan’s scenario of defeat is perhaps the most crushing aside from Bruce Wayne’s, as he is tricked into believing he is responsible for the deaths of two people: one of which remind him of his doomed romance with Star Sapphire that led to her becoming a villain. Fillion brings a powerful performance of sorrow and guilt that is liable to make one shed a tear.

Finally, Phil Morris returns as Vandal Savage, whom he played in ‘Justice League’, and does a remarkable job of being smug, while still being an intelligent warlord orchestrating the end of the world. He holds up well against the incredibly skilled voice actors playing the Justice League, due to his long career of voice work.

Bumper Robinson plays Cyborg, who was brought into the team to help stop Savage, and is a welcome new addition to the cast, as he has a wealth of experience in acting and voice work throughout his career. Cyborg fits in well with the members and proves his valor, while still maintaining a fun, upbeat role within the team.

As always in the DC movies, the film is beautifully animated and action packed. The fight choreography is brutal and the script is tight, precise, and gut-wrenching, as the League tries to deal with their anger at Batman’s betrayal, while also trying to stop Savage from destroying the world.

The emotional damage is just as serious as the physical damage by the end of the movie. However, it manages to end on a hopeful note that reflects the years of friendship shared by the characters and by their voice actors. It is no surprise that the writing is sublime, as it was the last work of the late great Dwayne McDuffie, who passed away February 21st of 2011. It is also directed by DC animated veteran Lauren Montgomery, who has done five DC animated films prior to this one.

‘Justice League: Doom’ is definitely not a movie you want to miss. It holds up well to the other animated films before it, and will beckon fans of the cartoon series as well as those who enjoy the original animated movies. Don’t sit this one out.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/justiceleaguedoom

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