The Golden Blaze

The Golden Blaze is an animated movie about an African-American boy whose inventor father accidentally gains the powers of his comic book hero. The voices include that of Blair Underwood, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sanaa Lathun. The Golden Blaze himself is a kind of mixture between Superman and Static, looking more like a cape wearing version of the latter. This is an animated movie for kids and based on the animation I'd say little kids. The artwork/animation is pretty terrible when compaired to what is available on television these days. The action and dialog are pretty good though. The whole movie is interesting and fun but the poor quality of the animation distracts from it considerably.

Let me repeat that this is a children's movie but maybe a family movie too. It's wholesome and light and safe for younger viewers. While it may have some interest for older viewers, they'd have to be able to look past the rudimentary animation. The main characters happen to be African-American but could have been any nationality. There may be super powers in this movie but a lot of it is just about a boy and his dad. Even though the animation bothered me, I actually enjoyed this movie. I guess I'm just spoiled by all the higher quality animation I've been consuming.

The DVD has no extras, not even a trailer, but it's inexpensive, easy to find and you can always get it on Netflix. Find out more about The Golden Blaze.

Firestorm & Black Lightning in Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

In the movie, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, Batman needs a hand and calls for backup. Included in the group was Aquaman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Black Lightning, and much to my surprise, the African-American Firestorm. There was something to like about each of these backup Justice Leaguers. The art and animation was great here as were the fight scenes that nicely showcased their powers. Just another good reason to get the video.

Black Lightning in Superman Batman: Public Enemies

Finally saw Superman Batman: Public Enemies. Just in case you haven't, Black Lightning does indeed create force fields and is able to fly in the movie. Too bad he can't fly in the comics. He also has only one line in the whole movie, a waste of Levar Burton's voice talents. His mask is hideous too. The only character I feel more sorry for in this movie, which I liked by the way, was Power Girl. While she had a lot more lines and screen time, she was like a weak whiny baby throughout. At least Black Lightning got an action figure out of the deal.