Ironically, for such a culture-centric production, DC's now 'non-canon' Blue Beetle is a pretty blandly paint-by-numbers Superhero Origins 101 outing that lands with an unsurprisingly shiny new 4K release.
The latest entry in the DC Animated Universe showcases yet again what makes these films so much fun…their fearlessness to take these very traditional characters and turn them into the very untraditional. Something their live action cousins really need to start taking lessons from…
Titans Season 4 (Netflix) - Final Season TV Show Review
by Cas Harlow
For those who stuck with it, Titans remains one of the better DC TV offerings, closing with a magic-infused final season that sends them out with a bang.
The death of the old? The birth of the new? DC's long-gestating, repeatedly delayed, baked in controversy adaptation of the seminal comic story, Flashpoint, is almost entirely relying upon the return of Michael Keaton's '89 Batman to get people on board - and it's not a bad gamble.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods reunites all the cast in an attempt to recapture the magic of the original, and misses by quite some margin - the disc is pretty good though.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace 4K Blu-ray Review
by Simon Crust
After flying so high we come crashing down with the forth and last outing of Christopher Reeves in his red pants: Superman IV - is there anything that can save this stinker?
Batman's latest imaginative animated outing adapts the 1920s-esque DC Elseworlds comic by Mike "Hellboy" Mignola for some H.P. Lovecraft-inspired gothic mutant madness.
The welcome blast of fun and humour into the dour DC Cinematic Universe that was the first Shazam! continues with this sequel from returning director David F. Sandberg. And while still charming thanks to the family dynamic and its core cast, it sadly doubles down on the worst aspects of the first film… namely everything else…
Best Movies, TV and 4K Blu-rays of 2022 - Editor's Choice Awards
by Cas Harlow
The movies team takes a look back at 2022, highlighting some of the best theatrical and streaming movie release, TV shows, and 4K discs, as well as the studios behind them.
Dwayne Johnson finally brings us his long-awaited attempt at cracking the cinematic superhero and despite what the awful trailers warned us of, it’s okay, clean, epically violent fun. As long as you don’t apply any level of critical thought to any part of it whatsoever...
Green Lantern may be perpetually undermined in mainstream appearances, but his animated fare is much more worthy, including this introduction to fan-favourite successor John Stewart.
Superman's (and Arrowverse's) best and most consistent creation in years unleashes its ambitious sophomore year which gets off to a considered start and comes through across its 15-episode run.
Matt Reeves' visually arresting, indulgently epic take on The Batman wields Fincher/Seven vibes to finally put the Detective back into Detective Comics.
The TV spin-off nobody expected, from the soft reboot sequel nobody asked for, Peacemaker is one of the best new shows you may or may not get around to seeing in January - EDIT - but which has finally landed in the UK in March!
Though some eager fans will have found other avenues to watch Peacemaker in the UK, Warner’s must-see show will now be officially available to Sky and NOW viewers in just a few short weeks.
Spies and Samurai, Scorsese and the Spider-Verse, Strange and Sam Raimi - 2022 is shaping up to be stunning, but the real question is will Top Gun: Maverick finally get released?
Taking its cue from A Death in the Family, Under the Red Hood, No Man's Land, and Grant Morrison's run on Batman, could this be the best season of DC's Titans yet?
Did Arrowverse secretly spawn a big budget, character-driven TV show about Superman that nobody would have believed could have been possible, and did BBC then drop the entire first season this weekend?
James Gunn's sharply witty, deliciously stylish and - above all else - utterly fun sequel/reboot is everything we could want from a Suicide Squad movie, and looks and sounds tremendous in native 4KDV with Atmos.
DC's award-winning hit videogame - whose premise feels a lot like the direction Zack Snyder's Justice League trilogy was heading in - finally gets a film adaptation.
Not just one of the best Batman animations, but one of the best Batman movies full stop, Long Halloween is a textbook example of how to do a classic tale justice.
With a less than stellar origin movie and a plot involving Sylvester Stallone as a talking man-shark and a giant kaiju starfish, was there ever really any hope for James Gunn’s franchise stream-crossing follow up?
UPDATED 06-Aug-2021: If the summer heat/rain and ongoing sporting events are getting to you, here’s a look at what Sky has on offer for its August lineup.
Zack Snyder's Justice League lands its UK 4K UHD Blu-ray debut without any sign of a US disc, splitting its epic 4 hour runtime over two 100GB discs, affording that extra room to look stunning in native 4K and wow with Atmos.
What could have easily felt like the backdoor pilot for a WWII Wonder Woman series that it started its life out as, actually turns into a pretty heartfelt Dirty Dozen/Inglourious Basterds ensemble.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice IMAX 4K Blu-ray Review
by Cas Harlow
A new look, a new ratio, and the superior R-rated longer cut - after the success of Zack Snyder's Justice League maybe there's no better time to reassess the deeply flawed Batman v Superman.
Attempting to right a great deal of wrongs, this impossible fan dream finally materialises and is a hell of an experience - a visually striking epic of untold proportions that simply has to be seen to be believed.
Sky Cinema adds Zack Snyder's Justice League to listings for 18th March
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED: Billed as Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the director’s original vision will now air in the UK free to Sky Cinema subscribers on 18th March, the same day it comes to HBO Max customers in the US.
Earnest and fun, but also flabby and fatally over-indulgent, Patty Jenkins' sequel WW84 is a valiant throwback to superhero classics like Donner's Superman, but trades in some heavy-handed messaging.
The seminal Batman tale, Death in the Family makes for a pretty effective and innovative interactive first for Warner/DC, delivering bloody violence in this multi-faceted look at revenge.
Possibly a soft reboot of the DC Animated Movie Universe after the excellent but climactic Apokolips War, Man of Tomorrow reintroduces a young Superman, and throws the bounty hunter Lobo and the Martian Manhunter into the mix too.
So did we really need another superhero TV show? This time introducing acrobatic teen Stargirl and the Z-list Justice Society of America? Well, regardless, we've got one, but the real surprise is that it's actually pretty damn good.
After Mortal Kombat: Scorpion's Revenge, DC goes similarly ultra-violent for this superb reimagining of sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero Deathstroke.