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CATWOMAN: HUNTED | Blu-ray Review: A Globe-trotting Romp and Visual Treat

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Catwoman (Elizabeth Gillies) truly takes the spotlight in the latest DC Animated Movie as the film Purrrfectly encapsulates this femme-fatale. Catwoman: Hunted is a sultry globe-trotting romp that will certainly leave you purring with delight as Catwoman aka Selina Kyle doesn’t worry the slightest about risking her nine lives when a prize like the worlds most valuable emerald is the reward. But with Batwoman (Stephanie Beatriz) and Interpol manoeuvring to spoil her fun, she must tread lightly.

Warner Bros./DC Entertainment

Complicating this game of cat and mouse is the goal crime juggernaut Leviathan, deadly assassins, and a trail of twists and turns that may just trip up this nefarious feline. In the end, Catwoman is forced to work alongside Batwoman and Interpol agents Julia Pennyworth (Lauren Cohan) and King Faraday (Jonathan Frakes).

The film truly lends itself to the stylised Japanese art of anime and manga, the character and environmental designs are so vibrant and lovingly rendered. And like many of the DC animated movies Catwoman: Hunted is heavily influenced and inspired by films of other eras. Here every sequence screams 1960s spy and thriller, films like “Catch me if you can”, “The Castle of Cagliostro” and “Danger: Diabolik. I also see influences captured from Cowboy Bebop such as the stylish action, cheeky humour, and an incredible Jazz score which features throughout the film as the wild and fun opening credits set the stage with a dazzling montage as we see Catwoman in her retro disguise infiltrate a masquerade party in Spain as Black Mask’s (Jonathan Banks) date as the Gotham crime king wants to join the criminal cartel Leviathan. Its leader, Lady Barbara Minerva (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) however demands a hefty and steep entrance fee.

Warner Bros./DC Entertainment

A massive win for Catwoman: Hunted is the casting of Elizabeth Gillies as Catwoman aka Selina Kyle. Gillies is Purrfect and brings Selina to life with such confidence and swagger as she provides a sassy vocal performance that is both classic and contemporary but also iconic and fresh. I absolutely loved that throughout the film Selina flirts, manipulates, and battles anyone in her way.

Half the charm of Catwoman: Hunted also comes from the slightly off-kilter will they won’t they dynamic between Gillies’s Selina and the introduction of Beatriz’s Kate Kane aka Batwoman. Stephanie Beatrix brings Gotham City’s Batwoman to life supremely stoic and stern but she also adds hints of emotional vulnerability in between all the brawls and chases. During the course of the film, these two characters roles become chaotic and certainly intertwined as the film explores the Selina/Kate relationship to the fullest.

Warner Bros./DC Entertainment

Catwoman: Hunted also boasts an incredible voice cast, we’ve got fantastic introductions to the League of Shadows assassin Cheshire, voice by Kelly Hu, Barbara Minerva, leader of Leviathan, voiced by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lauren Cohan as Julia Pennyworth, Jacqueline Obradors as La Dama, and then Zehra Fazal returning to voice not only Talia Al Ghul but also Nosferata.

Then we have more great vocal performances from other icons such as Jonathan Banks and Keith David who voice Black Mask and Tobias Whale. Then there’s Star Trek: TNG’S Jonathan Frakes as the voice of King Faraday/Boss Moxie, whilst voice actors Steven Blum and Andrew Kishino voice Solomon Grundy and Mr Yakuza.

Screenwriter Greg Weisman keeps us Feline fresh as Catwoman ploughs through the villains with fun and sassy remarks. It’s fast-paced and full of heists as prolific anime filmmaker Shinsuke Terasawa helms the project with experience as he crafts amazing action sequences such as a car chase. Catwoman literally steams up the screen with Batwoman.

Warner Bros./DC Entertainment

Speaking of the action sequences they truly build-up to heavy-hitter showdowns which truly take advantage of the anime style. There are plenty of supernatural elements included as Catwoman: Hunted is certainly a new era and something different and unique for the DC Animated series of films. It benefits from a strong script, talented voice cast and succeeds in merging the DC Universe with a strong anime and manga aesthetic. The sheer enjoyment of this anime film truly delivers as it’s a must-see for all fans of genre and Catwoman. I’d definitely be interested and invested in seeing DC and Warner Bros Animation take Selina on another globetrotting heist as Catwoman: Hunted Purrrfectly leads to a sequel.

Special Features:

  • When The Hunter Becomes The Hunted – This featurette breaks down the backstory of each villain integral to the film: from Tobias Whale, Black Mask, Cheshire and Nosferata to Solomon Grundy, Talia al Ghul and Cheetah.
  • Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale – A documentary on Catwoman’s history.

Catwoman: Hunted is available now for 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Teaser Trailer – Paramount Pictures

The Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.

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Genre:

Animation, Action, Adventure

Release Date:

August 4, 2023

Director:

Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears

Cast:

Paul Rudd, Giancarlo Esposito, Rose Byrne

Plot Summary:

The Turtle brothers as they work to earn the love of New York City while facing down an army of mutants.

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Animation

Netflix to Team with Legendary Entertainment for Live-Action Feature of ‘My Hero Academia’

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Netflix seems to be in on almost everything anime or manga-related including live-action iterations for some of the more popular franchises. First, having made a Death Note film back in 2017, followed by a live-action Cowboy Bebop series before pivoting to focus on the One Piece and Avatar the Last Airbender series, it seems that they are taking another swing on a big anime property for their streaming service.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix will team with Legendary Entertainment, best known for their monsterverse films centering on Godzilla and King Kong on a live-action feature film based on the popular manga, My Hero Academia. Joby Harold (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Army of the Dead) will write the script as Shinsuke Sato (Alice in Borderland, I Am a Hero) will make his English-language debut as director for the film. My Hero Academia debuted in 2014 and has quickly ascended into one of the more popular manga titles before gaining attention and turning to anime where its currently in its fifth season. 

Legendary boarded the property all the way back in 2018 aiming to create a live-action movie and will aim to generate a wide-scale audience by teaming with Netflix. My Hero Academia revolves around a world in which 80 percent of people have a power called “quirks.” Lead character, Izuku Midoriya, or Deku, is a superhero fanboy who happens to be a part of that unfortunate 20 percent without powers and is discouraged. However, after meeting the legendary hero, All Might, he sets on a path to become the ultimate hero himself.

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Animation

DC and Warner Bros. Discovery on Cusp of Animation Deal with Amazon

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There has been much anticipation in waiting to see the unveiling of the structure of James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new heads of DC for Warner Bros. News came just this week from Gunn that the comic book flagship money maker for Warner Bros. that he and Safran are aiming to make everything cohesive within their vision connecting movies, television, video games and animation throughout the universe. However, a new report from Deadline sees that they may be looking at a new (or additional) streaming home for animated content surrounding their heroes and villains.

In an article originally reported from Deadline, Channing Dungey, the Chairwoman of Warner Bros. Television, has alluded to “closing a big deal” with Amazon featuring DC branded content in animation on their streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video. Though she also explained that HBO Max will be the “first stop” for all things DC, it’s interesting to note a deal such as this potentially going through with a company and competitor as big as Amazon, no less.

While it’s hard to imagine any major DC characters synonymous with the brand such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman or Green Lantern getting animated foray onto Prime Video, it begs the question, could we see Amazon as a pipeline to popularity for some lesser-known characters getting introduced to a larger audience? There is so much potential and richness of characters within the DC landscape that have yet to be introduced through live-action or animation so this seems like a risk that might be worth taking, especially considering the financial troubles that Warner Bros. Discovery has been reported to have. 

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