Vixen: The Movie (Blu-Ray + Digital HD)
Blu-Ray Reviews | May 22nd, 2017
Starring: Megalyn Echikunwoke, Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, Emily Bett Rickards, Carlos Valdes, Katie Cassidy, Victor Garber, Franz Drahmeh and Brandon Routh
Written By: Lauren Certo, Nolan Dunbar, Brian Ford Sullivan, Wendy Mericle, Keto Shimizu, Sarah Tarkoff
Directed By: James Tucker and Curt Ceda
Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Buy On Amazon
Mari, McCabe grew up in America after her family was killed in Africa but inherited a family heirloom that, little to her knowledge contained magical powers that allowed Mari to summon the spirits of any animal that ever roamed the earth. With those magical abilities, Mari took on a life of fashion design and crime fighting as the costumed heroine Vixen.
“Vixen: The Movie” takes place in the CW’s Arrowverse which is the collection of the live-action DC television shows on the channel…”Arrow”, “Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow”. Having been introduced in the fourth season of “Arrow”, Vixen’s adventures continue on in what was originally an animated web series on the CW Seed. “Vixen: The Movie” collects all of the episodes of the web series into one full –length movie as well as some new content to assist with the pacing.
While the animation isn’t quite on par with the recent slate of DC animated movies and it still has some pacing issues and a plot that repeats itself redundantly at times due to the nature of the web releases, “Vixen: The Movie” is still a fun and enjoyable watch. Fans of the DC shows on CW will also enjoy the fact that almost a dozen of the actors from the Arrowverse shows voice their respective characters for the movie including Megalyn Echikunwoke who portrayed modern day Vixen on “Arrow”. Quite a few of them may have a future in voice acting if their acting careers slow down.
I may not be quite as familiar with Vixen as I am with many of the other DC characters that appear on the CW shows, but I do know that she has always been a strong and fiercely independent woman and the animated series does a great job of portraying her as such. Her powers are also extremely interesting and, as on the fourth season of Arrow, the introduction of the mystical and magical side of the CW DC Universe added a completely new dimension to the universe. I did feel that the animals that Vixen would select on the show were basic and repetitive. For someone that can summon the spirit of any animal that ever walked the earth, she found herself becoming things like an elephant and cheetah a lot. And somehow, when she turned into a cheetah she was able to outrun the Flash who can reach speeds of nearly 1500 mph. I suppose that was to keep things interesting but it does keep up with the weird inconsistencies of Flash’s speed in the Arrowverse.
Whether you’re a fan of the DC television universe on CW, a fan of Vixen from the comics or just a collector of the animated DC releases, “Vixen: The Movie” is a wonderful addition to your collection and to the Arrowverse in general. It’s most definitely a handy collection of both season of the web series with bonus content and features.
Own it on Blu-Ray and DVD May 23!
Special Features:
Vixen: Spirit Animal Documentary
Bruce Timm’s Top Picks: Episodes from Justice League Unlimited Featuring Vixen
Video:
1080p High Definition 16×9 1.78:1
Audio:
DTS-HD MA English 5.1
English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles
Bottom Line: While there were some pacing issues while trying to convert 5 minute episodes into a full-length movie, “Vixen: The Movie” is still a great introduction to the Arrowverse as well as an introduction to a strong female lead character.
Running Time: 75 Mins.
Rating: Not Rated
Extras Rating:
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