I just viewed Justice League: The New Frontier (***.5/****) tonight, the second in what looks to be an ongoing series of Direct-to-DVD movies from DC Comics (the next will be a collection of Batman short-stories entitled Gotham Knight). While I wasn’t a big fan of the first title, Superman Doomsday, this one not only gets it right, but tells a pretty great story as well. This direct adaptation of the recent classic DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke isn’t perfect, but it’s just right for fans. If you don’t know who Batman is or can’t get over the fact that superpowers exist, you’re gonna be in trouble. The film focuses mostly on Green Lantern (Hal Jordan version), with Martian Manhunter and the Flash getting sizable roles as well. In fact, the film oftentimes seems to be a Green Lantern origin story (Martian Manhunter is also supplied with an origin). The more well known characters like Batman and Superman have much smaller roles, supporting the new guys and lesser knowns. My favorite thing about the movie? The 1950′s time period is left intact from the original comic (which was published in 2004). Set right between The Golden Age of comics and The Silver Age, The New Frontier takes place in the midst of the space race and McCarthyism. If I’m going to watch Justice League, I prefer it to be retro.

The voice acting is strong, but the main one I’d like to talk about is Jeremy Sisto (Law and Order) as Batman. No Kevin Conroy? No Conroy indeed. And yes, the first time you hear him speak it does through you for a loop. Undoubtedly this is a bigger problem for fanboys like myself who’ve been listening to Conroy exclusively for over 15 years now. And Conroy isn’t done, he returns as the Caped Crusader in this summer’s TDK tie-in Gotham Knight. But Sisto does a good job. The voice fits and I’d like to see him return to the character in a future project. Perhaps more animated Justice League movies will be on the way, giving us another chance to hear his take on the character. While I’ll never turn down Conroy, perhaps there is room for another voice actor.

The costumes are wonderfully retro and the Martian Manhunter’s story is probably my favorite of the film, aside from the few scenes we get with Batman of course. Thankfully, the two characters manage to overlap a bit. Overall, this is how the Justice League should be done and it even makes me wonder if I ever want to see the JLA in live action. Obviously the current version of the project Warner Bros. is prepping would be a disaster, but I might still like to see a film done in the future. The Justice League is a tough nut to crack. You’ve got to get it just right, or else it all falls apart. Rest assured, The New Frontier got it right. Let’s just hope those live action folks do the same.

My movie viewing slowed in the past month, dropping a full 50% from February.  Despite this, it was a good month averaging 3.2 out of 4 stars, up impressively from 2.4 in February but down from 3.6 in January.   Even with the slower month, I remain well ahead of my movie count from 2007, with 23 new movies having been viewed since the new year began.  I saw no 2008 releases and all but one film was from 2007.  Sunshine and Michael Clayton both lived up to expectations, while Into the Wild disappointed and The King of Kong soared to among my ’07 favorites.  My sole classic was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a fine film that didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  I think I’d like it more on repeat viewing.   Oddly enough, all three of my rewatches were 2007 films.  My only theater experience of the month was a rewatch of the superb No Country for Old Men, a very worthy Best Picture winner.

’70s: 1

’00s: 4

I am continuing with the first season of The X-Files and began Barack Obama’s memoir, Dreams from my Father.  I also watched the first, and so far only, season of the HBO series Flight of the Concords.  It is probably worth its own blog entry.  A terrific musical comedy, it came out of nowhere for me.  You can blame some of my movie-less nights on the new Nintendo Wii system I finally got my hands on.  After, literally, months and months of searching the Wii was found.  I am currently playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.  Thanks to school, things are moving slowly on that front.

Rewatches:  The Darjeeling Limited, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton

This month I saw a surprising 10 films for the first time. Most of the films I saw (6) were from 2007 as I continue to catch up on the year and prepare my top 10 list. Like January, I saw only a single 2008 release, this time Semi-Pro, a movie I would recommend to Will Ferrell fans and only Will Ferrell fans. It is definitely in the lower tier of Ferrell movies.

’50s: 1

’00s: 9

Not much diversity in time periods this time around, mostly reflecting my desire to see all of the ’07 releases I can before starting any sort of top 10 list. Three films were seen in theater, while two came from regular television with commercials. For the first time, I saw a film through Netflix’s Instant Watch option. The rest came through DVD rentals.

Sadly, I was unable to finish North by Northwest, what was to be my first complete Hitchcock viewing. The biggest surprise of the month was easily Gone Baby Gone, while Atonement was a massive disappointment. I feel I may have rated that particular film too high. In better news, There Will Be Blood finally arrived in my area. A great film showcasing an incredible performance from Daniel Day-Lewis.

I began watching The X-Files from the beginning and also read The Great Gatsby for the third time in my life. The first was in high school, the second in college, this was the first time I’ve read it simply for pleasure.

Rewatches: Ghostbusters, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (’07)

It is technically Christmas Day, but for me it is still Christmas Eve. In my life, 2006 marked the end of my traditional Christmases, the final Christmas of my childhood in a way, even though I was quite old for that. Life is very different now, and Christmas will never been the same. But I’ve tried to hold close to a few of my Christmas traditions and even start some new ones, despite being slightly thwarted this year.

The ones I missed:

David Letterman – Thanks writers’s strike. No Dave for me this year. No meatball atop the Christmas tree or any of those other beloved, annual traditions. Not even a rerun. Maybe next year.

Love Actually – I’ve watched it in the run-up to the last two Christmases and planned to make it three in a row this year, but apparently Netflix shutdown around the holiday and I didn’t get my DVD in time. I’ll still watch it afterwards, but it won’t be quite the same. I’ll have to procure the movie earlier next year.

The Simpsons – The very first episode of the series is a Christmas special. Several years ago I was given my first DVD player on Christmas by my parents, and with that player, they gave me the first season of The Simpsons on DVD. So that Christmas night I watched the first episode, a wonderful oldie Simpsons episode, revolving around the adoption of Santa’s Little Helper. Then I left my DVD set at my apartment when I came home for Christmas, no go for this new stab at an annual event.

The Office – This, my favorite current television comedy, has already produced two Christmas episodes. Last year I watched both during the holiday season, but once again, I left my DVD sets. Thankfully I had season 2′s “Christmas Party” on my computer. So I got a little taste, if not a full helping. Again, thank the writers’s strike for the loss of any chance at a third Christmas episode.

Die Hard – One of my favorite films of all time, and it just happens to be Christmas themed! No dice. I’ve wanted to buy it for a couple of years now, but the multitude of DVD versions out there is slowing me down, along with the terrible reviews for the DVD transfer. Hopefully I’ll have it by next year.

Those Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes – You know the ones (I hope), love ‘em.

The one I made:

A Christmas Carol - I read Dickens’s classic when I was just a kid, too young to really appreciate the story. This year I bought the tale (along with his other works, The Chimes and A Cricket on the Hearth) and read it again in the days leading up to Christmas Eve. This is still the only Dickens I’ve been able to complete, and it remains a favorite of mine. For any swipes at sentimentality critics may levy at it, I find it to be a near, if not completely, perfect Christmas story. The tale is entertaining, moving, and chilling, while succeeding in making me want to be a better person. The world would be a much better place if people sat down and read this little miracle each year, and took it to heart.

The one I kept:

Christmas Vacation – Okay, this one is no masterpiece, but it’s still the best “Christmas movie” I’ve ever seen. Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie is a wonder to behold, and that infamous squirrel still gets me every time.

I don’t just watch movies, although those and my regular line up of television shows do occupy most of my entertainment time. I also read, although sadly not as much as I used to. I honestly can’t remember reading anything early in the year, aside from a reread of the sixth Harry Potter book. Since then, I have read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, On Writing, ‘Salem’s Lot, and parts of Skeleton Crew, including the short story The Mist. As you can tell, I got on a bit of a Stephen King kick. I started Pet Sematary (as well as David Copperfield earlier in the summer), but postponed my reading. I enjoyed what I read of it though and plan to pick it back up later, along with King’s The Stand. Right now, I’m attempting to read The Three Musketeers. I’ve managed to get about 50 pages in so far.

Aside from the final Harry Potter, my last few months have mostly been dominated by the television series I’ve been getting off Netflix. I watched Band of Brothers over the summer. It is a superb achievement. I can’t wait to watch it again. Upon wrapping it up, I started the first season of The Sopranos, and hope to finish it soon. So far, so good.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

No, I don’t know what it means either.? But it is a pretty cool title.? Very dark and ominous, it seems to reflect the direction this book series has been heading since at least the third novel, maybe before then.? While it doesn’t have the same ring to it that previous titles like THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE have, it does have a strangely fitting quality.? The titles of Harry Potter books have always been appropriate, if not always directly addressing the central storyline.? They are much more likely to hint, or rather derive their name from a small aspect of the greater story.? Just what the Deathly Hallows are, we’ll have to wait and see, but going by name alone, sounds pretty interesting.

Now…where is that release date?