Ranking the DC Animated Films

To mark the recent release of The Killing Joke, and the soon-to-be release of Suicide Squad, I’m going to rank the DC Animated films. But I’m keeping this to a top 13 instead of ranking them all as there’s a large number that come out as equally so-so, and not worth my time to rewatch or yours to seek out. None of those are horrible (though some have some horrible moments); they just aren’t very good. So, I’ll group those altogether in a great big 14th place where they all aren’t worth paying for, but if they show up free, they are OK to keep on in the background. Also, I’m ignoring the videos that were essentially part of an animated TV series. (Updated for Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay)

 

First, Dishonorable mention: Batman: The Killing Joke

This one is a step below the rest. The Killing Joke was not a great comic, which made it not the greatest source material for a film. Yes, something big happens, but that doesn’t make it good. And what they added for the film does not help. The Killing Joke is uncomfortably sexist, not like focusing on hot Harley (which I think of as very comfortable sexism), but in that it is filled with sad stereotypes of weak women and cold men. If the story was better, that would be less of a problem, but it isn’t. It is cruel and dark, just for the sake of cruelty. It doesn’t say anything with that cruelty. It doesn’t do anything. It’s cruelty porn with a sexism chaser.

#14:

Tie: All-Star Superman, Batman: Bad Blood, Batman: Gotham Knight, Batman vs. Robin, Batman: Year One, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Green Lantern: First Flight, Justice League Dark (full review), Justice League: Doom,  Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, Son of Batman, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman: Doomsday, Superman vs. The Elite, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (review).

 

#13 Superman: Unbound

A robot probe arrives on Earth and Supergirl recognizes it as belonging to Brainiac, the being that took the city of Kandor when she was a child. Superman takes off into outerspace to find Brainiac to destroy him and find Kandor.

I’m not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I wanted Lois and Kara to slap Clark–a lot. He needs to be slapped for how he treats the women in his life and for his pathetic plan that leads Brainiac to Earth and his even more pathetic follow up. He’s not a clever guy. While it is a so-so version of Superman, it is the best Lois in any animated version, making her an actual character, as well as being a superior take on Kara. I could have used less of the Man of Steel and more of the two women.

The animation is interesting. The style works well for some characters, such as Supergirl, but looks bizarre on others, like Superman, who needs to eat, or have his jaw repaired.

 

#12 Justice League: Gods and Monsters

The first of three alternate reality films on this list (four depending on how you see silver age comics) looks at what if Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman were assholes. Not evil, but right-wing and nasty, with no problems with killing and few problems with fascism.

These less-then-heroic Justice League members are being framed for the murders of major scientists. It’s a tricky balance, trying to get us to care and even root for these unpleasant “heroes.” It isn’t entirely successful with that, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t amusing.

 

#11 Batman and Harley Quinn

This looks and feels like Batman: The Animated Series, though with more comedy. The plot is kid’s show simple, as are the villains. The bad guys have an over the top and unlikely plan to kill everyone and our three “heroes” just have to reach them and punch things. That’s it. Even with the addition of swearing and implied sex, this is juvenile. What it lacks in story and character, it makes up in humor. If you need your superhero films to be serious to justify your childhood, you are going to hate this movie.

Harley dominates, though Nightwing and Batman have their moments. She’s cute, with every other line a joke, and every third of those a really solid one. The linear story pauses from time to time for unrelated gags which tend to be a better use of time than anything that progresses the plot. The henchmen dance bar is the high point of the film; DC has never used music so well, in animation or live action.

 

#10 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns [Parts 1 & 2]

Comics are often accused of having no meaning. Well, that’s not a problem here. This is just short of three hours of message. If you are looking for message fiction, you’ve come to the right place. It would be nice if Frank Miller, writer of the comic, was less of a regressive nutbag, or if he was a bit more subtle. But he’s not, so expect to be bashed over the head with politics. If you have a high tolerance for that, you’re in for a pretty good time.

The basics: Batman is old, unstable, but morally right. Everyone else from the earlier days is also old, except for Superman, and for no reason, The Joker. Society is rotten. 99.9% of all people are sheep, ready to follow any strong leader. Every government, particularly ours, is somewhere between a joke and evil, and Superman is the lapdog of the Government. Yeah, don’t watch this for a happy story. It is all anger. But anger can be fun and the battle between Batman and Superman is far superior to the one in the live action flick.

 

#9 Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

A new vigilante is in town right as Bruce Wayne is dealing with an old romance.

OK, so this one is mildly connected to the animated series, but in this case, I’ll make an exception and count it anyway. The animation is just too spectacular not to. The music is also a high point in the animated films.

It’s let down a touch at the end, where WB was more interested in a fan service Joker/Batman fight than in the plot, and by Batman being a dip, but those aren’t huge flaws in an otherwise clever story that goes deeper into Batman than any of the live action films.

 

#8 Batman: Assault on Arkham

The Suicide Squad runs the razor’s edge between fun and meaningless. It’s hard to side with any of the characters in the squad, and anyone outside of it isn’t central enough. So it is up to how enjoyable it is just hanging with the squad and the wacky, violent things they do and are done to them. This time, fun wins out.

Amanda Waller activates her worst of the worst team (it’s implied that she’s done it before and some of the members didn’t make it back), this time with Deadshot, Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang, Black Spider, and Killer Frost. Their job is to retrieve some revealing documents from inside Arkham Asylum. Simultaneously, Batman is trying to find a dirty bomb that The Joker—currently an Asylum inmate—has hidden somewhere around Gotham City.

If there’s a flaw, besides the drawn-out battle in the third act, it is making Deadshot the protagonist. He’s just not an interesting character. Harley Quinn takes up the slack (though her child-like routine does grow old) as does Killer Frost/King Shark, and the plot goes in some nice directions.

While the live-action Suicide Squad had some pluses, I wish they would have looked more closely at this film, which while not perfect, avoids most of the structural problems that plague the newer work.

 

#7 Wonder Woman

All they need to do for the live-action Wonder Woman is remake this. The story, leaning on the mythical over the superhero, is fantastic. There’s plenty of action and plenty of jokes. The voice work is good all-around, but is particularly excellent from Keri Russell in the titular role, Nathan Fillian as Steve Trevor, and Oliver Platt as a joy-bringing Hades.

Wonder Woman would rank higher, possibly on top, but it is a little too simple. Aiming at kids, everything is straightforward, with emotions popping out of nowhere, and entire new life perspectives jolting up instantly. And the politics, while agreeable, are even less subtle than in The Dark Night, which is quite a feat.

 

#6 Justice League: War

Once again, it is an origin story for the Justice League. It’s also a fairly solid tale, without wasting too much time (except for some unneeded drama with pre-Cyborg Victor Stone). Batman and Green Lantern make for a pretty good comedy duo, and it is nice seeing Shazam used well.

Most of the other high ranked DC Animated films are either big on message, or on character, or do something very different. Not this one. This is just a superhero action flick. Nothing deep here. But there needs to be at least one of these that defines what a normal superhero movie is. It is also the funniest of the lot.

 

#5 Batman: Under the Red Hood

Here is the best story of any of the animated films, and the most emotional, playing better than the source material. It would be the top rated except the film wants you to empathize with Batman first, and the Red Hood second, and that’s not the emotional force of the film. The comic book morality and faux psychology brings it down a peg. But there’s plenty of emotion to be had and plenty of action. This is a fast moving piece that manages to care more about character than punches. It also manages to show that The Joker is truly evil without turning into cruelty porn as happened with The Killing Joke.

 

#4 Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

The Flash goes back in time to save his mother, and by doing so, changes the world. In the new reality, Atlantis is at war with Themyscira (that’s the Amazons) and both Aquaman and Wonder Woman aren’t too worried about destroying the planet and are well on the way toward that end. Flash is powerless, Superman has been locked up underground his entire life, and Batman is not Bruce Wayne, who died in an alley as a child, but his father.

This one is theme low, but emotion high. It’s also jammed with action. Normally I’d think it has too much, but it works in this case as a majority of the punches are between people we know, and how those fights end makes a difference.

 

#3 Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

You have to be a bit of a fan to want to see The Justice League verses the anti-Justice League (called the Crime Syndicate), but if you are watching DC animated movies, you are probably a bit of a fan. Crisis on Two Earths is a big, gleeful, “what if.” What if there was a universe where Lex Luther was good and Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and Batman (all with slightly altered costumes and names) were the bad guys? Lex drops by our universe to get a helping hand and the battle is on.

The stand out is Owlman (the other universe’s version of Batman), who has a notch up on cool over Batman. A true nihilist is a rare villain and this one takes it all the way. James Woods’ voice fits perfectly. And he gets the best line: “It doesn’t matter.” Trust me.

The animation isn’t the best but the sheer joy of the story makes up for the failings.

 

#2 Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

A Suicide Squad movie needs a lack of restraint. If you are going to make a film about villains being forced by a villain to fight other villains, then you need to wallow in it. Forget juvenile comic book morality as well as redemption arcs and heroics. Everyone involved is sick and twisted, so let them show that off in all its grunge-tainted glory. And that’s exactly what we get here. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is exploitation gold and a schlocky, gory, violent good time. It’s just about taking a road trip with some disturbed people as they run into even more disturbed people.

This is the busiest film yet from DC Animation, but it isn’t rushed. There’s a large cast of characters, all with their own personalities, motivations, and ticks, multiple battles, intertwined story lines, a great deal of movement, and even non-violent character interactions, and it fits together nicely. The trick was giving us only what we need. There’s no fat. This is the Suicide Squad film to see.
(Full Review)

 

#1 Justice League: The New Frontier

This is the best, and it isn’t close. The Justice League has never been better, in any format. We get a ‘50s/‘60s-era origin for the League and a great deal more insight into the period than one would expect in either an animated film, or a superhero one.

The big bad is a bit generic, though voiced with great drama by Keith David, and the cults he inspires are fine opponents. The focus is on Green Lantern, who rarely looks good in film of any form but here is sympathetic, and Martian Manhunter, who’s always had the potential to be a great character but has rarely been given the chance. This is his best appearance in film, TV, or comics. But so many characters are covered, and so much plot, in a short time, and it all works. The script is a masterpiece of precision. Nothing seems slighted.

There’s a lot of politics in The New Frontier, but it is delivered with skill. It is also delivered via wonderful animation that calls back to ‘40s styles. I only wish Synder would watch this and take it to heart before finishing his live-action Justice League.