JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time
| JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Giancarlo Volpe |
| Produced by | Giancarlo Volpe |
| Screenplay by | Michael Ryan |
| Starring |
Diedrich Bader Laura Bailey Dante Basco Corey Burton Grey DeLisle-Griffin Peter Jessop Fred Tatasciore |
| Music by | Frederik Wiedmann |
| Editing by | Bruce A. King |
| Studio |
Warner Bros. Animation DC Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Warner Home Video |
| Release dates | January 21, 2014 |
| Running time | 52 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time is a direct-to-video animated film featuring the Justice League of America, announced as an exclusive Target release. It was released on January 21, 2014. Diedrich Bader, Travis Willingham and Kevin Michael Richardson reprise their roles as Batman, Gorilla Grodd & Black Manta.[1]
Plot
In the present day, Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom are commencing with their latest plan, using satellites with freeze weaponry to expand the Earth's polar ice caps causing massive sea level recession creating new lands they will rule. When confronted by Superman and the Justice League. The team splits in half, one to handle the Legion, the other half to destroy the satellites but their efforts are curtailed in space by Bizarro, Toyman and Captain Cold. Superman and Cyborg continue to attack the array. In the ensuing space battle, Robin purposely crashes his spacecraft into the satellite array. Refusing to accept defeat Captain Cold overloads the remaining satellite, which reverberates back down on Earth entombing Luthor in an enormous ice sheet before the satellite explodes. With the remaining satellites destroyed, the plan fails. The League is triumphant and believing Luthor to be dead.
Nearly a thousand years in the future in the 31st Century, heroes Dawnstar and Val Armorr aka Karate Kid view the Superman exhibit at a Museum chronicling the actions of Superman and the League. Eager to join the Legion of Superheroes yet so far having been rejected, as their heroics have been less than exceptional. They visit the museum for inspiration. Not only dedicated to Superman, the museum contains artifacts of the Legion of Doom and an ancient item called the Eternity Glass rumored to be able to manipulate the fabric of time and space. Exploring the museum exhibit featuring Superman's villains, it is revealed Luthor has actually been frozen for nearly a millennium having been discovered and excavated in the 29th century and placed on display. Val is not impressed with Luthor's reputation as a supervillain and boasts he could easily defeat Luthor if thawed out. Despite Dawnstar's objections, Karate Kid approaches the ice, air punching the ice in a display of strength then leaving. Unbeknownst to him he accidentally breaks the ice releasing Luthor. Awakened in his current surroundings he exploits the museum's future knowledge to discover Superman's secret identity and origins in Smallville (apparently public knowledge). Taking Captain Cold's freeze gun he freezes Dawnstar and Karate Kid and uses the Eternity Glass unleashing Time Trapper as his servant to travel to the past or Luthor's present. Vengeful, Luthor plans not only to return, but also to destroy Superman. The young heroes break free and follow. Resuming control of the Legion, Luthor instructs Time Trapper to send his forces back in time to prevent the Kent family from adopting Kal-El in Smallville. The young heroes decide to enlist the Justice League's aid to stop them. Traveling Washington D.C. on foot and by taxi, they are bewildered by the strange habits of 21st century humanity, namely their obsession with purposely exposing themselves to radiation and their own failure to comprehend currency and the lack of teleportation technology. Breaking into the League Headquarters, they are attacked by Robin believing them to be members of the Legion of Doom; they fight only to be halted by the League. Explaining their story and verifying its validity through Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth. The League gathers its members to stop Luthor's next plot. Sending Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg into the past to ensure Kal-El is delivered to the Kents.
Despite their efforts, the Legion succeeds in sending Kal-El's ship away from Earth. Time Trapper defeats the League's forces per Luthor's request in the present and with that Superman no longer exists and neither does the Justice League all of whom fade from reality. Not risking being erased from existence, Dawnstar and Karate Kid retreat. In the absence of the Justice League, the Legion pillages the world robbing banks and depositories, destroying the Washington Monument & Lincoln Memorial, leaving Washington in ruins. Lamenting their failure in a DC sewer tunnel. Overcoming their failure, they forge a new plan to remove Luthor from the ice now before reaching the 31st century thus never having the opportunity to release him. Using Dawnstar's tracking skills, they seek out Luthor's frozen body fighting the Legion of Doom in the process and discovering Luthor. Using his ability to discern the weakest point in any object he breaks the ice, freeing Luthor and resuscitate him. With Luthor freed, they create a paradox giving Time Trapper the freedom to do as he pleases, as Luthor is no longer his master. Being immune to temporal paradox, he would not return despite Luthor having not released him. He banishes the future Luthor from existence and attempts to destroy the current world only to be confronted by Superman and the Justice League who now have returned, as they exist again. Time Trapper is far too powerful and the League's attempts to battle him fail. Karate Kid uses his ability to see the weakness in Time Trapper but find he is not corporeal matter and is composed entirely of dark matter realizing only Dawnstar's light powers can defeat him. She charges him and the League proceeds to finish him, reverting the Eternity Glass drawing him back with Time Trapper imprisoned. The Justice League extends their thanks to the young heroes offering them the opportunity to stay. Karate Kid and Dawnstar however decline stating they must return to their time realizing the importance of facing the future. They use the Eternity Glass to return to the 31st century. Superman recovers Luthor and sends him to Blackgate; meanwhile Gorilla Grodd assumes control of the Legion of Doom. Karate Kid and Dawnstar return to the 31st century only to discover much to their horror a statue commemorating Luthor instead of Superman in its place. Believing they have altered history in some unforeseen fashion, they immediately return to the 21st century to aid the Justice League once more.
Cast
- Peter Jessop as Superman
- Diedrich Bader as Batman
- Laura Bailey as Dawnstar
- Dante Basco as Karate Kid
- Corey Burton as Time Trapper, Captain Cold
- Grey DeLisle-Griffin as Wonder Woman, Superbaby
- Jack DeSena as Robin
- Michael David Donovan as Bizarro
- Tom Gibis as Toyman, Jonathan Kent
- Erica Luttrell as Cheetah, Martha Kent
- Liam O'Brien as Aquaman, Batwing Computer
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Black Manta, Solomon Grundy
- Jason Spisak as The Flash, Taxi Driver
- Fred Tatasciore as Lex Luthor
- Avery Kidd Waddell as Cyborg
- Travis Willingham as Gorilla Grodd
Reception
According to reviewer, Chris Sims, "Trapped In Time might not have the pedigree of being inspired by a best-selling comic, but it’s exactly the kind of project DC’s animated movies should be focusing on."[2]
Trivia
- When Dawnstar and Karate Kid arrive on the neighborhood streets of Washington DC, they observe a young couple walking their dog. The couple resemble Wendy and Marvin and their gray bulldog resembles Wonder Dog from the Super Friends television cartoon.
References
External links
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