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Category:    Home > Reviews > Superhero > Animation > Comedy > Drama > TV > Animals > DC League Of Super-Pets 4K (2022/4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Naomi: The Complete Series (2022/Blu-ray set)/Krypto The Superdog: The Complete Series (2005 - 2006/DVD Set/all DC Comics/Warner)

DC League Of Super-Pets 4K (2022/4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Naomi: The Complete Series (2022/Blu-ray set)/Krypto The Superdog: The Complete Series (2005 - 2006/DVD Set/all DC Comics/Warner)



4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B/B+/C+ Sound: B+/B+/C Extras: C/C/D Main Programs: C-/C+/C+



Here's the latest DC Comics releases on video....



Jared Stern's DC League Of Super-Pets 4K (2022) is a big disappointment, one of the poorest theatrical animated releases in years, has more cliches in it than I could count and proves that name actors who are not necessarily good at voice-overs and bad directing of them with an ultra-formulaic screenplay proves that the Superhero genre is not invulnerable and can do wrong.


Krypto (Dwayne Johnson for some reason and doing more than one voice here, sadly) and Batman's dog Ace (an out-of-his-element Kevin Hart) have to step in when the entire, human Justice League are kidnapped (!?!?!?!) so since Jimmy Olsen, other humans and characters from other worlds (but certainly NOT other comic book companies) are nowhere to be found, the Super-Pets will save them! What!!!???!!!


I like actors Kate McKinnon, Keanu Reeves, John Krasinski, Thomas Middleditch, Diego Luna and Ben Schwartz much more than these 'leads' and yet, even they come across flat in this project that happens a few decades as the child-friendly/child-only Krypto TV series (see below) and this project that should have gone straight to streaming and video tries to make it both funny and then, way too serious for the setting and insanely silly set up. In the end, it plays like something that was made based on some kind of checklist pumped pout by a computer program designed to sell toys and other tie-ins.


The result is a cynical sellout that is almost the nadir of any DC Comics tie-ins (this makes the original SuperFriends series in its early seasons play like Akira!) that is as awful as the 1950s Superboy pilot, the even more bizarre Superdog pilot from the same producers and 1967 Diana Prince pilot, all of which were thankfully not put to series. This is down there with Superman III, Superman IV, the underrated Helen Slater in the unfortunate Supergirl and misguided Steel film with Shaq. Add all the bad Marvel movies pre-Blade with Wesley Snipes and you see the genre only started getting good in recent decades. This animated film is a throwback of the worst kind.


Unless you are really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really interested in seeing this one, don't!


Extras are few and include:

  • How to Draw Krypto

  • Behind the Super Voices

  • Super-Pets Animation 101

  • Find the Easter Eggs

  • The World of Super-Pets

  • Deleted Scenes



Naomi: The Complete Series (2022) lands on Blu-ray from Warner Bros. and DC Comics. Based on the critically acclaimed comic series from Brian Michael Bendis, Jamal Campbell, and David F. Walker, Naomi (Kaci Walfall). A seemingly normal high school teen, who was adopted, is obsessed with Superman and even has her own fan-site dedicated to him. As she navigates high school, we learn that she is a smart and star student and certainly popular amongst her peers. But when a bizarre incident, which involves the Man of Steel, happens down the street from her, she feels affected by the atmosphere surrounding it and soon feels different after said encounter. She then begins a journey of self discovery and learns that she is actually an alien with super human abilities - a superhero herself. As she embraces her powers, she faces off against the people responsible for bringing these new found abilities to light.


The series also stars Cranston Johnson, Alexander Wraith, Mary-Charles Jones, Mouzam Makkar, Daniel Puig, Camila Moreno, Will Meyers, Aidan Gemme, and Barry Watson.


Naomi: The Complete Series contains 13 episodes spanning three Blu-ray discs which includes Don't Believe Everything You Think, Unidentified Flying Object, Zero to Sixty, and Enigma on Disc One. Disc Two includes Shadow Ridge, Homecoming, I Am Not A Used Car Salesman, Fellowship of the Disc, and Keep Your Friends Close. Disc Three includes Fallout, Worst Prom Ever, Ready or Not, and Who Am I?


Naomi is a fine superhero drama for young kids or teenagers and has a lot of modern music and skits that are made to appeal specifically to that audience. The characters aren't bad, but it all feels kind of been there done that and has a lot of predictable plot points that unfold. Kaci Walfall does a nice job as the lead and is a relatable character that you kinda feel for at times. Having not read the source material, I cannot say how close it was for the comics series, but I don't think the older comic movie audiences will really gravitate towards this.


Special Features (on Disc 3):

Naomi: From Page to Screen

A Hero Will Rise: Kaci Walfall

and The Adaptation of a Hero


Naomi is fine for what it is, but will most likely appeal mainly to a young / teenage audience more than it will some of the fans of the more adult oriented DC properties.



Last but not least, we have Krypto The Superdog: The Complete Series (2005 - 2006) which was the first to take the various 'DC Family' pets (inspired by the Shazam!/Captain Marvel/Fawcett Comics of the 1940s) and give them both talking voices and comedy. That was an approach absolutely is aimed to be for young children and not for serious, older kid and adult DC fans. The result was a moderate hit with some decent tie-ins and is fine for what it is. I also like its animation moire than the DC League Of Super-Pets feature film with its forgettable CGI animation (as reviewed above).


Sometimes charming, 39 episodes (with two tales a piece) have their moments and the show has some heart, but even the makers had to understand this would only be able to continue so much and they ended it before it could have gone as wrong as the recent feature film. The unknowns do good voiceover work and has human characters with its Superman-origins-like similarities that do not hurt the show. Nice it is on disc for young and new fans and it is not bad.


There are sadly no extras.



Now for playback performance. The 2160p HECV/H.265, 2.35 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on League is barely better than the 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on the regular Blu-ray because it is not a full 4K production, so the 4K disc is upscaled, though I liked its slightly better clarity and color. Both discs have lossless Dolby Atmos 11.1 (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) that has a few good moments, but is nothing special otherwise, save being professional at best.


Naomi is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and an English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. The show has a polished more cinematic look and feel than most of the DC shows that were seen on the CW. It feels more like a long movie, but has at times some questionable digital effects moments. Still, for what it is, the end product looks and sounds fine on Blu-ray disc.


And the anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on the Krypto episodes have good color and look good for the format. Fans will be happy, though it should get a Blu-ray version at some point. The sound is lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and it is a bit weak, making one wonder why no 5.1 mix or is it just the show was not produced that way? Either way, its well-recorded for what it is and that work does hold up.



- Nicholas Sheffo (animation) and James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/



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