I'm really late on this review. I saw it months ago, but I'm only getting around to writing this up now:
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After an onslaught of ''mature'' (and I use the term loosely) DC Animated features, JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time was a refreshing change of pace. Not since Batman: The Brave and the Bold has there been such excellent all-ages entertainment from WB/DC. This movie is of course inspired by the Super Friends cartoons of the 70's and 80's, but it is also interested in telling a fun and engaging story that all can enjoy. Like many people, this movie took me by surprise, due to WB choosing to give this a bizarre 'stealth release', but it is a product that all DC Animation fans should have on their shelves.
The story is, naturally, a simple one. Lex Luthor has been frozen for a thousand years and is set free by the reckless behaviour of two teen heroes, Karate Kid and Dawnstar. Luthor takes control of the downright scary Time Trapper and heads back to his own time. His plan? To rewrite history and make sure that Superman (and therefore the Justice League) never comes into existence. So it's up to our two young protagonists and the Justice League to somehow save the day. Personally, I'm not too keen on the notion that this world of heroes revolves precariously around the Man Of Steel, but it works well enough in the movie. I wonder if Volpe had a longer runtime and a larger budget, would we have seen trips into Batman and Wonder Woman's past as well?
Due to this being released at roughly the same time as Justice League: War, I simply can't help but compare them. In terms of characterization, I'd gladly watch this movie any day of the week. Superman was ''Superman'', Wonder Woman was ''Wonder Woman'' and Batman was ''Batman''. There was no attempt to modernize them or dilute their essence in order to make them relatable or interesting to children. These characters often work best as the mythical creatures they are. Sometimes it's fun to just let them be SUPERHEROES. On the other hand, the teen heroes were given the more intricate personalities and in this case, it worked quite well. With the wrong writers, teen heroes can be more than a little annoying (I still shudder when I think of Jubilee from X-Men) but Michael Ryan handled them with ease. It's two characters I certianly wouldn't mind seeing more of.
All of this was wrapped up in a pretty darn good production package. The character designs were unique and suitably cartoony, without going overboard. I particularly enjoyed the designs for Batman and Wonder Woman, although it was a tad strange to see Bats with the pants again. Thanks to DR Movie, the animation was top notch for what I imagine was quite a limited budget. I've always liked this particular studio since their days on The Batman and Justice League Unlimited.
The voice cast were strong across the board. For me, the stand outs were Laura Bailey as Dawnstar and, of course, Diedrich Bader as Batman. He has certainly become one of my favourite Bat-voices and is absolutely perfect for a project like this. This is a cast I'd be more than happy to hear again, especially Grey DeLisle as Wonder Woman, who didn't get much to do but sounds like she has bucket loads of potential in the role.
Once again, I find myself praising Frederick Wiedmann, who pulled off another highly imaginative and effective score. I imagine this was produced entirely without an orchestra, which makes him all the more impressive.
Overall, this was a fantastic piece of work. Both Michael Ryan and Giancarlo Volpe should be very proud of this little 53 minute gem. It's certainly not the best that DC has had to offer but it's a fun diversion for kids and adults alike. Between the sex and violence of the DC Animated features, the serialized seriousness of Beware the Batman and the stoner humour of Teen Titans Go!... it's great that parents have something both fun and entertaining enough to watch with their kids.
For what it set out to do... this movie deserves a 4/5.
