There have been 25 DC Animated films made since 2007. Some have been outstanding and some have been anything but. Let me rank the 25, starting with 25-21…
25. Green Lantern First Flight (2009)
Remember how excited we all were when the Green Lantern film was being made starring Deadpool, I mean Ryan Reynolds? Then reality happened. Preceding the highly anticipated film project, DC Animation made First Flight to quench our thirst till the film hit theaters 2-years later. Here we see Hal Jordan joining the Green Lantern Corps and get paired off with Sinestro. What the Guardians didn’t know was Sinestro’s plan to overthrow them and create his own world order ruling the universe with fear. As a good premise as it was, it overall fell short and comparing it with the other 24 films that have come before and since it, this is my least favorite.
Voice actors: Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan, Victor Garber as Sinestro, Kurtwood Smith as Kanjar Ro, Tricia Helfer as Boodikka, Michael Madsen as Kilowog and John Larroquette as Tomar Re
24. All-Star Superman (2011)
Based on the very popular series written by Grant Morrison, All-Star Superman fails to capture in animation what the comic book series was able to do. After Superman was poisoned by solar radiation, he decides to fulfill lifelong dreams that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Enter Lex Luthor who takes advantage of the situation and unleashes a plot to take over the world. Now, the Man of Steel must muster up his remaining strength to try and stop him. Again, story wise the concept is solid but it works better in comic book form and feels lifeless in this boring animated feature. This is by far, my least favorite Superman story.
Voice actors: James Denton as Superman, Anthony LaPaglia as Lex Luthor, and Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane
23. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
And speaking of least favorite things, Batman: Gotham Knights, which is actually a 6-story anthology, is my least favorite of all the Batman films that has been released to date. While it’s nice to see different stories involving many of Batman’s other rogue’s like Killer Croc, Scarecrow and Deadshot, nearly half of these shorts were boring at best and the ones that did work well, wasn’t good enough to save it from being a bottom dweller.
Voice actors: Kevin Conroy as Batman, Gary Dourdan as Crispus Allen and David McCallum as Alfred.
22. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)
Here’s another Green Lantern entry and it’s a shame because I genuinely enjoy the character of the Green Lantern. He is after all one of the founding fathers of the Justice League. But between one live action film and two animated features, they’ve yet to bring a compelling story that gives Hall Jordan justice. In Emerald Knights, it’s more of the same. Here the villain, Krona threatens to destroy the planet of Oa and the Guardians of the Universe look to evacuate. Hal takes on a new recruit, Arisia and shares with her stories of some of the other Lanterns. It’s through these stories that Arisia plays a key role in defeating Krona. There was just too much talk and not enough action.
Voice actors: Nathan Fillion as Hal Jordan, Elizabeth Moss as Arisia, Henry Rollins as Kilowog, Jason Issacs as Sinestro, Roddy Piper as Bolphunga and Arnold Vosloo as Abin Sur
21. Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)
There’s a special place in my heart when it comes to the Teen Titans. So when I heard that the Teen Titans were being showcased in this 25th animated feature, that same excitement I experienced back then was in full force now. Unfortunately, that excitement fizzled when viewing Justice League vs. Teen Titans. After clashing with the Justice League, Batman sends his son Damien/Robin to work with the Teen Titans. There he learns what it means be part of a team but in a way, Damien learns what it takes to be a leader. Lots of potential but honestly the weakest part was the inclusion of the Justice League. I hope we see more of The Titans in the future but I much rather see them work alone on their own adventure.
Voice actors: Jason O’Mara as Batman, Stuart Allan as Damian Wayne/Robin, Jerry O’Connell as Superman, Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Shemar Moore as Cyborg, Taissa Farmiga as Raven, Sean Maher as Nightwing, Jon Bernthal as Trigon, Jake T. Austin as Blue Beetle, Kari Wahlgren as Starfire and Christopher Gorham as Flash
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
