WONDER WOMAN (2009)

"I'm an Amazon. We're prepared from birth to give our lives in battle."

One of the biggest complaints surrounding DC's successful series of direct-to-video animated features is that there are so few that don't focus mainly on Batman, Superman, or the Justice League. While Wonder Woman, alone, may not be as popular as the above three, I think her first solo outing is easily one of the best in the series. It succeeds by offering more variety by way of adding elements of Greek mythology and some interesting commentary on gender politics to the usual superheroics.

Centuries ago, a bloody battle took place between Queen Hippolyta and her Amazon warriors, and Ares, the god of war, and his undead army. Toward the end of the struggle, Zeus stopped Hippolyta from killing his son, and blessed her people with everlasting and a place to isolate them from the destructive world of Man, the island of Themyscira, as compensation. Cut to the present day, where their culture has completely stagnated. There have been no advances in technology, and no one has entered or left the island. Ares is locked away in a small prison cell, with his godlike powers sealed away. The only change brought to their way of life was the daughter that the gods had blessed Hippolyta with: Princess Diana.

During a fierce dogfight over the ocean, U.S. military pilot Steve Trevor crash-lands on Themyscira, and causes a massive panic. While the Amazons are busy interrogating him, learning about the modern Man's World, and planning to return him to the States, Ares has his sights set on revenge, and plans to achieve it, no matter the cost.

First off, I can't praise the casting choices enough. Keri Russell (Felicity) and Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) add a surprising layer of emotional depth to Diana/Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor, respectively. The biggest surprise, though, was seeing in the credits that Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spider-Man 2) played Ares. He just came off as much more sinister and demonic than in any other roles I've seen him in, and it was definitely something to behold.

What I liked most about Wonder Woman was that it wasn't afraid to shake up the DC animated movie formula a little. It felt less like a superhero movie and more like a classic Greek epic. At its core, it's a story about a warrior who ventures to distant lands on a quest, learns more about herself and the world around her, and eventually comes to realize her own power. There were parts of the story, particularly those taking place on Themyscira, that reminded me of "The Epic of Gilgamesh", in how they portray Diana's journey toward becoming a hero. It also added some social commentary to the mix, bringing several gender issues to attention through Diana and Steve's interactions with each other. For instance, Diana, having only lived around women her whole life, is quick to dismiss all men as being vulgar and womanizing through her unpleasant interactions with Steve. However, through working together to stop Ares, they both learn to communicate their problems with each other better in order to work together.

As much as I enjoyed Wonder Woman, I did have a few problems with it. The first being that for a movie that's filled to the brim with swords and dismemberment, there's a very noticeable lack of gore. I kept wondering if there were some shots that had been removed for the final cut to make it more accessible, which I found out was actually confirmed by producer Bruce Timm. Also, for a film that spends a lot of time criticizing the "male gaze", it's not afraid of showing off the occasional cheesecake shot of Diana and the other Amazons, which felt kinda jarring. Finally, while the writers did a great job providing updated explanations for many of Wonder Woman's classic trademarks, like her red-white-and-blue armor, they never explain how she got that damn invisible jet!

It's a real shame that Wonder Woman isn't getting the same respect that many of her contemporaries are these days, but this updated take on the classic character should change some minds, and change the world!

Wonder Woman was directed by Lauren Montgomery, and is the fourth film in Warner Bros. Animation's successful DC Universe Animated Original Movie series.

CLIP SHOW: Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.

During the late 80s/early 90s, it was almost impossible to think of an R-rated action movie that wasn't adapted into a children's cartoon. During an era that spawned such shows as Rambo: The Force of Freedom, Highlander: The Animated Series, and Conan the Adventurer, a short pilot was made for a kids' cartoon based on Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., a particularly bizarre movie, even by Troma Entertainment standards. While the movie focused solely on the titular hero, a cop who became the unwilling recipient of ancient Kabuki powers, and his mentor as they fight to defeat "The Evil One", a group of sidekick characters were created for the show. Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. would have been Troma's second attempt at children's television, following the short-lived Toxic Crusaders, but it inexplicably never went into production.

LITTLE WITCH ACADEMIA (2013)

The direct-to-video animation market in Japan used to be a hotbed for up-and-coming animators to be able to spread their wings and show off the full extent of their talents by either creating their own independent short films or adapting comic and novel series'. From the eighties to the mid-nineties, video stores were flooded with many different genres and styles of Original Video Animations (OVAs). Some of my favorites from this era include The Guyver (1989), Riding Bean (1989), and M.D. Geist (1986).

Unfortunately, with the turn that the Japanese economy's taken since then, animation studios have become much more averse to taking any risks. These days, the only DTV animated features being released in Japan are either TV show tie-ins or pornography. Thankfully, an annual project conceived two years ago, called "Anime Mirai", in which the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs funds on-the-job training for new animators, has been resulting in more independent OVAs being released lately. The short film that I'm writing about now, Little Witch Academia, is 2013's entry from Trigger, the animation studio that brought us the amazing Inferno Cop.

After attending a magic show by the dazzling Shiny Chariot, a brash, starry-eyed young girl named Akko enrolls in an academy for witches, but soon discovers it's not as easy as she hoped. She falls asleep in class, her spells backfire on her, and she's bullied by a girl named Diana, who both looks and acts like she might as well be Draco Malfoy's younger sister. When Akko tells her friends that she wants to be like Shiny Chariot, they say that she has a reputation for giving off the wrong impression of what witches do, and is probably a fraud. When it comes time for an exam that requires the students to navigate a labyrinth and seek out treasure, Akko jumps at the chance to both prove her worth and vindicate her idol.

Little Witch Academia sports a nice, safe story that doesn't break any new ground whatsoever, but it's competently written. The plot's solid, and it gives the audience enough of a reason to cheer on its hero. However, an original story was not the intended goal here, since it was created solely as a way for a young artist to put his talents on display, which it greatly excels at. The character designs are original, the colors are vibrant, and the animation is very fluid, which makes it really stand out from what's considered the norm for anime these days.

This was what the OVA movement was all about: letting artists showcase their talents by allowing them to take risks and not feel the need to conform to the industry standard in order to sell home video copies and merchandise. Little Witch Academia oozes that sense of artistic freedom, and in doing so, feels like a breath of fresh air. At only twenty-five minutes, it's able to maintain a good pace and doesn't drag on at all. I recommend it to those who like independent animation and want to show their support for it.

Little Witch Academia is Trigger's submission for the 2013 "Anime Mirai", and was animated and directed by Yoh Yoshinari (FLCL, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster).

CLIP SHOW: "At The Movies" Animated Film Reviews

BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993)

GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995)

GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)

R.I.P. ROGER EBERT

 An outstanding film critic, who viewed animation as a medium instead of a genre.

PLANET JACKSON (1997)

"Mr. Jackson, we officially present your new home in space."

To say that Michael Jackson has done it all would not be that big of a stretch. Aside from a multi-platinum music career, he has also starred in film, television, and even video games. Michael made his animation debut in the classic 1991 episode of The Simpsons, "Stark Raving Dad", where he played a large white man at a mental asylum who believed he was MJ. In 1997, MTV Animation released a short made-for-TV film centered around the King of Pop called Planet Jackson, which stands as one of the most heartfelt, as well as obscure, works based on his life. It was thought to have been lost because MTV discarded the sole film reel after a lack of publicity resulted in staggeringly poor Nielsen ratings. This may also be due to the fact that Jackson did not voice himself in this feature, presumably because of scheduling conflicts that arose while he was filming the movie, Ghosts.

 

In order to escape unwanted media attention, the King of Pop hires a large crew to build him his own space station, far out of the public's eye. Isolated out in space, Michael is finally able to rediscover true happiness now that nobody's trying to leech off of his success. However, his euphoria is cut short when he is visited by a fleet of enemy ships, commanded by his siblings, who have all become white in an effort to emulate their famous brother. Now, Michael must make the difficult, heartbreaking  decision of whether to fight his own family in deadly starship combat, or be forced to bend to the wills of everybody around him for the rest of his days.

Planet Jackson is a perfect metaphor for all of the hardships that Jackson was going through during the late 1990s. It does a very good job of getting across the idea that no matter how hard he tried to hide from all of the negative attention he was getting, stemming from his divorce with Lisa Marie Presley and the many child molestation allegations, he couldn't escape. It is a tragic tale that pulls you in with its bright animation style, courtesy of acclaimed sci-fi animation director Toshihiro Kawamoto (Macross Plus/Gundam 0080), and then silently tugs at your heartstrings, showing just how high the price of fame can really be. It's truly unfortunate that not many people have had the pleasure of watching a production so worthy of Michael Jackson's name.

Although Planet Jackson was once so obscure to the point where many doubted its existence, a few years ago, somebody came forward with a VHS recording of it that had been taped during the film's initial broadcast on MTV, and uploaded it to YouTube. Now here, for all of you to enjoy, is Planet Jackson:

Planet Jackson aired as part of an episode of MTV Animation's Cartoon Sushi during its anime parody-themed Ultra City 6060 segment, and was created using stock footage from the direct-to-video series, Mighty Space Miners.

CLIP SHOW: "Flight of Icarus" by Iron Maiden

While the original music video for "Flight of Icarus" was released in 1983, this alternate version was released alongside it on Iron Maiden's 2003 compilation DVD, Visions of the Beast: The Complete Video History. This edit, along with five others featured on Visions, was animated by the now-defunct flash animation studio, Camp Chaos. It was brought to life by interweaving shots of the band from the original video with newer animation meant to evoke the image of the 1983 EP cover:

CASSHERN: ROBOT HUNTER (1993)

"It was the dark ages when Braiking Boss and his robots ruled the Earth. Some found the courage to resist this tyrant. Among these freedom fighters, one stood out above the rest."

Tatsunoko Productions is a famous animation studio that is probably most recognized for its many superhero characters created during the 1970s. Among them is the Neo-Human, Casshern (romanized as "Casshan" in the original Streamline Pictures release of this series), who was the human son of a scientist that developed androids to try to benefit humans' needs, only to have them turn on their masters. In the wake of this worldwide catastrophe, the boy, named Tetsuya, volunteered to be turned into a cyborg so he could defend humanity. Together with his girlfriend, Luna, and his transformable robot dog, Friender, Casshern wanders post-apocalyptic landscapes, saving villages and fighting the robot armies of the android who originally started this rebellion, Braiking Boss ("Black King" in the Streamline release).

In this iteration, Casshern is portrayed as an amnesiac Jesus allegory whose strength is determined by whatever the writer feels will prove more exciting at the time. Unfortunately, the big problem with this incarnation is that it never actually does feel exciting. Even with an endless supply of exploding robots and a theme song from Mr. Exciting himself, Hironobu Kageyama (Dragon Ball Z/M.D. Geist), this miniseries was unable to elicit any sort of reaction from me. I say this because it just feels like there's far too much emphasis on providing exposition than giving me a reason to care about these characters and why their struggle is so important. Too much tell, not nearly enough show.

The backgrounds and character designs are all really good, but it becomes hard to care once you realize that Casshern has only slightly more fluid animation than a motion comic. The animation was another reason I couldn't get absorbed in any of the fight scenes. There was very little movement during the action, and the fights were kept very short, presumably due to budget constraints.

What could have been a cool, action-packed series about a cyborg superhero karate-chopping robots in half turned out to be surprisingly dull. Casshern: Robot Hunter is a story with a lot of potential that was ultimately squandered by its tendency to put world-building before anything else and its lame animation. I spent most of its run time wanting to just stop it and pop in The Terminator instead, since it explores very similar themes without making me constantly want to check the clock. For a far less mediocre take on this character and his quest to save mankind, I would recommend you watch the original series. The more recent remake, Casshern Sins, is also pretty good, if a fair bit melodramatic.

Casshern: Robot Hunter is based on the 1973 television series, Neo-Human Casshern, created by Tatsunoko Productions.