Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie transforms the CW Seed series into a feature length Slade Wilson adventure, and regardless of whether you watched that or it passed you by, there's a lot of fun to be had here. Delivering another new take on the iconic comic book anti-hero, the movie picks up with a version of Deathstroke who is attempting to balance his family life with that of an assassin. When H.I.V.E. gets involved, things quickly start falling apart, and what follows is a bloody, R-Rated story of revenge which fans of this character will love.
For those of you who aren't hardcore Deathstroke fans, your mileage may vary, though it definitely serves as a solid introduction to the character even if it does play fast and loose with the source material. Amazing Spider-Man writer J. M. DeMatteis does a great job reinventing the character, though, and the story only really falters when flashbacks come into play (they feel a little shoehorned in, but that's likely a result of Knights & Dragons' episodic format). There are some great twists along the way, and a killer final act which will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Television tough man Michael Chiklis proves to be a great fit for Slade Wilson, while Chris Jai Alex (Jackal), Colin Salmon (William Wintergreen), Faye Mata (H.I.V.E. Queen), and Sasha Alexander (Adeline "Addie" Kane) all also deliver strong voice performances. It's an overall solif ensemble which, while not necessarily star-studded, does do an effective job of bringing this corner of the DC Universe to life. Ultimately, this is Chiklis' movie, and he helps create a Deathstroke that should make fans of the comic books very happy.
Where Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie ultimately falls flat is the animation; those of you who are fans of this style will have nothing to complain about, but it's not quite as polished as some of Warner Bros. Animation's other DC movies and definitely a tad too basic in places. The action scenes don't suffer too much, but they could have been even more badass with stronger visuals, and that's a shame. As it stands, they're still bloody good fun (literally), and no doubt a must-see for Deathstroke fans.
A solid entry into the DC Animated Universe library, Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie may be a little rough around the edges, but the bloody, explosive action should keep fans hooked.
Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons is out NOW on digital download and arrives August 17th on Blu-Ray™ and DVD