Legion of Super-Heroes (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
DC and Warner Bros. Animation keep churning out hit after hit with their animated films. While some are certainly better than others, this line of films seems to do quite well in the direct-to-disc format. The first DC Universe film this year is Legion of Super-Heroes directed by Jeff Wamester. Wamester is no stranger to the animated scene as he previously directed Batman: The Long Halloween and Justice Society: World War II, just to name a mere few from his lengthy resumé.
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Film 
When the tale begins, we get yet another look at Krypton blowing up. I am typically not one to start delving into spoilers, yet between this catastrophic event and that of Bruce Wayne losing his parents in the Batman films, I don’t know how many more origin flashbacks I can take. If you don’t know what happened to Krypton by now, go watch the original Superman film from 1978 to get caught up. This repeated use of reflecting on what we’ve all seen several times before gets a little taxing, but, I digress so back to the disc at hand.
While Superman certainly makes an appearance, this story is largely focused on his cousin, Kara Zor-El, better known as Supergirl. The character succeeds in carrying the film and her development is well done in a short amount of time. Kara goes from barbaric klutz to a force to be reckon with and it was done gradually. She knows her powers, she just needs to be able to take them from mosh pit to ballet, which is an ongoing struggle for her. That and living in her cousin’s shadow.
Actress Meg Donnelly voices the Kryptonian and does so quite proficiently as the casting for this film seemed to find a groove from one hero to the next. Dialogue is to the point, yet not dumbed down by any stretch. Effective character relationships are built throughout the story as it carries viewers through the ominous dealings of a terrorist cult determined to stop at nothing to achieve their goal, even if that means time traveling. At the end of the day, however, this particular story just isn’t engaging enough to deserve repeat viewings. Is it good? Yes. Is it Super Sons good? No.
We cannot conclude the film section without mentioning the animation, which is of that top tier quality that we have come to expect from WB Animation. While that’s something we’ll go into a bit more detail on in the Video section of this review, it is an undeniably fluid and beautiful look that successfully compliments the storytelling.
Oh, and stay tuned after the credits. The story isn’t over.
Video 
Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
What’s not to like here? Warner Bros. Animation found their groove in this area long ago and they’ve maintained a level of visual excellence on these discs. Legion of Super-Heroes is no exception. As always, the color palette is a lively one and everything is a spectrum-fest. Bright costumes, big explosions and colorful characters certainly make the most out of the visuals here. In the words of Clark Griswold Sr., “It’s a beaut, Clark!”
Audio
The DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound is a force and does not let us down. As can be expected, lines are clearly delivered through the front speakers and those little rear channels pack a wallop when the action gets heavy. There’s not much else to review here that hasn’t been said about any of the other animated DC films’ audio. They excel at their technical aspects, sound being one of them.
Extras
Included with the 4k disc is a standard Blu-ray which, oddly enough, houses the extras while the 4k disc is devoid of them. That aside, there are a enjoyable number of extras to be had here. Some cover background on the Legion of Super-Heroes film, while others are glimpses into what’s next in DC’s animated lineup. All are in HD with the exception of the two Superman: The Animated Series episodes, which are standard definition.
- The Legion Behind the Legion (4:40)
- Down to Earth: The Story of Supergirl (8:21)
- Meet the Legionnaires (9:24)
- Brainiac Attack: The Intellect Behind the Super-Villain (8:14)
- From the DC Vault – Superman: The Animated Series – “Little Girl Lost, Part 1” (21:17)
- From the DC Vault – Superman: The Animated Series – “Little Girl Lost, Part 2” (21:30)
- Preview of Justice League vs. the Fatal Five (9:26)
- Previous of Superman: Man of Tomorrow (8:34)
Summary
When it’s all said and done, Legion of Super Heroes is an enjoyable film that clocks in at one hour and 23 minutes. As stated earlier though, I just don’t see this movie getting a lot of repeat viewings. I find a lot of that having to do with some rather forgettable characters. The problem is rentals or downloads won’t contain the small treasure trove of extras this disc has. Because of that, I’m on the fence to say run out and buy it, though I’m equally apprehensive to say “don’t” to any comic book fan. It has a decent story and Supergirl does well in carrying the majority of the movie.
