DC Showcase - Green Arrow
Background -
With Andy Diggle and Jock's 'Green Arrow: Year One' proving to be the most recently updated origins story of this hero, a thrill-seeker Oliver Queen, whose attack and subsequent victory over drug smugglers off the American coast, led to him donning the hood of the Green Archer, the build on the foundation of the likes of Judd Winick, Neal Adams, Dennis O'Neil, Kevin Smith, Parks, Mester, Brad Meltzer, as well as Mort Weisinger and George Papp, has seen this emerald archer rise to a prominent role in DCU's comic lore. He has been key in 'Cry for Justice', 'Blackest Night', 'Brightest Day' etc and has recently been in the spotlight for his vigilante actions in murdering the villain Prometheus.
His elevated popularity since DC revamped him, has seen him as a major player in the JLA, alongside his significant other, Dinah Lance aka 'Black Canary'.
His rogues include longtime archer and fiend, and a fierce rival in Merlyn, whose battles with Ollie are the stuff of archer legend in DCU. Not withstanding his prominence in DC's Justice League Unlimited and Batman cartoons, another rogue 'Count Vertigo' has been a hugely bitter rival of Queen. These 2 enemies are focused upon in this short which simply consists of a rendezvous with some blood-seeking thugs, and a fight which Ollie will struggle to overcome...as Vertigo and Merlyn both come a-knocking!
Neal McDonough nails his role as Ollie with Malcolm McDowell proving to be a hit as usual as Merlyn. Steve Blum does well as Vertigo, with Grey DeLisle as Canary, and Ariel Winter as Princess Perdita, holding their own also. John DiMaggio gets a nod as a thug and that was pleasing as well.
As DC continues with their great voice castings, what wins here is the ever-evolving action sequences that DC showcases. Green Arrow's struggle to overcome thugs wielding guns and fists of fury, as well as his battles with his main villains, do well to depict that he is simply human...running around with a bow and arrow. His struggle to overcome the human thugs make this special. The fight scenes and chases make up for the prevalently cheesy dialogue...Ollie's quips do remind us of the modern wise-cracking Arrow, but stray along the lines of an annoying Spider-Man at times. This battle was too fierce and could have done with less quippy moments.
That said, the villains do well to hold Arrow out, and with an exciting array of fists and arrows, the Vertigo appearance and ensuing Deus ex Machina from a certain DC beauty, plays off well...despite being boldly predictable. This short, runs for 12 mins, and is ideally something that I swore came out a single issue of a Green Arrow comic...and as a Marvel comics freak, as well as DC lover...I don't find that a bad thing...not at all...
Overall, it could be longer and DCU could have done a full-hour length feature and give us more into Green Arrow. I don't know if they plan on a movie with him in the near future, but Green Arrow, as well as Flash and Aquaman deserve full lengths! Till then I'll be getting my fill of them in 'Brightest Day'...
and as a personal note, 'SUPERMAX' by David Goyer is something better left for comics and not for cinemas (much like his Blade 3 work!)...
That said and done...
El rating de Rickly = 7.5/10
Too short, much cheesiness...but cool as hell with the action!