10) Justice Society: World War II
Certainly, many of you are reading this review to see if it is even worth watching this film about an outdated superhero team. I know, because I too felt like this was probably a DCAU feature that could easily be skipped. But I am so glad that I didn’t, as this is one of the strongest movies to come out of DC that didn’t involve the Dark Knight. As shocking as that may sound, watch and find out for yourself. This film will pleasantly surprise you.
9) Injustice
This animated feature is a well-done exploration of a defining DC story. Fans who have yet to explore what Injustice has to offer will be blown away with this Coles-notes version. And for the existing fans, this will forever be a great way to explore one of their favourite stories without needing to invest a dozen or so hours. No matter who’s watching, this is a winning piece.
8) Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms
I needed a good gargle rinse of blood from the nasty taste left in my mouth from the awful HBO MAX live-action Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms delivers this in spades and even improves upon the animated predecessor in most ways except plot, but we haven’t needed that anyway.
7) Chuck Steel
Honestly, when pressing the play button, there was noticeable uncertainty about the execution of this film. There was a significant chance that Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires could be overly corny and one-note. Thankfully, the feature blends enough originality and enthusiasm into this genre-specific satire to make it naturally entertaining. Chuck Steel understood the assignment and went above and beyond in its delivery.
6) Cartoon Carnival
Cartoon Carnival is an important timepiece that helps us remember all of the roads that have led to the eventual development and growth of a medium that has since matured and continues to do so. The uncensored archive of these art pieces are paramount, and a testament to the importance of the exploration of art without consequence needs to be remember even now as it is constantly under attack. I would liked to have seen the film touch upon the importance of being uncensored and why choices were made for specific artistic endeavors, but the film still has enough substance to make for important instruction.
5) Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1
As an adaptation, this film hits everything necessary to give credit to the source material. As a Batman story, The Long Halloween offers everything a fan could ever want. And as a DC Animated feature, these films will stand out as something slightly different from the standard flash and bang. Part One sets a high bar, but given the follow up can maintain the momentum, these may be the most excellent DC animated films that we have seen. And that is saying a lot considering the calibre of some of these movies.
4) Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two
Overall, this wrapped up the double feature with big bangs and satisfactory pay-offs for the underline mystery. As an adaptation, DC has been getting stronger and stronger at having these animated features emulate the source material. But this piece takes bringing comic books to life to new heights. And in the growing collection of Batman films, this will stand out for its intelligent and dark portrayal.
3) South Park: Post COVID
A number of strong themes show up here, and I love the hour because trying to do any of these plots on the normal 22-minute, and even the TV-hour time slots, often feel rushed and are heavily censored. South Park: Post Covid shows us a much more attractive franchise future that sees the brand go directly to streaming which provides for more ample time in story-telling laced with crass dialogue that hasn’t even been fully explored just yet. The ending makes me want more, and a special is supposed to happen for Christmas, making this a very happy holidays, indeed.
2) South Park: Post COVID: The Return of COVID
South Park: Post COVID: Return to COVID is a fantastic follow-up to the previous specials and once again, a great return to form for Trey Parker and Matt Stone. South Park has benefitted from taking time off to figure out how to direct itself in this new era of uncertainty, but absence makes the heart grow fonder and if the quality of future specials can be inferred from this one, I’d say the future won’t be so bad.
1)The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Netflix really knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s a good film in its own right and does a great job of building hype for the upcoming second season of The Witcher. This is a definite must-watch for anyone who’s a fan of The Witcher whether it’s the series, books, or the games. Even if you aren’t a fan of the franchise yet this is a great entry point as it explains a lot of the different points of the world. I can’t recommend this movie enough, it’s a great companion piece to any part of the series you enjoy.