Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons is a throwback to older style of animated comic stories, filled with enough blood and action to please any fan of the character.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.
“Mercenary and master assassin Slade Wilson leads two lives: one as the relentless killer known as Deathstroke and the other as a dedicated family man. When these worlds collide, forced together by the vicious terror group known as H.I.V.E., it is the killer in Slade who must fight to save his loved ones, as well as what remains of himself. With his soul torn apart and his young son held captive, Deathstroke will have to atone for the sins of his past to fuel the battles of his future!”
Deathstroke is one of those DC characters I don’t know all that much about, besides the blatant rip-off that became Marvel’s Deadpool. While Wade Wilson is sarcastic and humorous, Slade Wilson is very much the opposite. A cold and merciless assassin who lends his talents to the highest bidder.
Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons introduces us to the character of Deathstroke, much different than any anti-hero I’ve seen before. Slade Wilson seems to be a very caring father and husband, but lies to them about what he really does for a living, as well as his ability to heal which resulted from a military experiment thought to be a failure. The story doesn’t necessarily set up the history of the character for newcomers, but gives those of us who are unfamiliar with the story just enough to keep up with everything going on, which is a pretty entertaining story-arc.
The film itself plays out like it was taken straight from the page, animation, dialogue, everything. The animation is very reminiscent of 90’s cartoons, and should have a very nostalgic feel for those who grew up watching shows like X-Men, but add to the fact that it’s insanely violent, filled with blood, gore and nudity. Given the advancements in technology and animation over the past 30 years, I found it very interesting they went this route with the film. Some scenes are very limited in what they animate, with expressionless faces spouting dialogue, and characters who move very mechanically. Although it can be distracting at times, I do appreciate the adherence and respect to the source material, keeping the comic-book feel.
This also applies to the story and dialogue. Sometimes it can be very disjointed, melodramatic, and over-the-top, but that’s the essence of comics that the film attempts to convey. The voice acting as well reminds me very much of a Saturday morning cartoon. Not necessarily bad, but just enough disconnect with the voice actor and drawn character to really remind you of how animated comics used to be. Michael Chiklis sounds unrecognizable as Slade Wilson, and his somber tone makes the character that much more mysterious and ominous. Villains are poorly written, interested in only the basic bad-guy desires like ruling the world, spouting familiar speeches right up until the end. Still, it’s a lot of fun revisiting this type of story and see it come to life.
Video
The film is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. The transfer here looks exceptional, with interesting animation as I’ve mentioned, a throwback to decades old animated comic book stories. This includes colors, which tend to be rather muted, all except the red of the blood and gore, and Deathstroke’s outfit.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds great, with nice use of surrounds for the action sequences, including gunfire, explosions, and Deathstroke’s slashing swords. The soundtrack is perhaps one of the best things about the film. It sounds great, a perfect accompaniment to the action and emotion of the story.
Special Features
Only one feature on the disc, but is worth watching if you want to learn more about the character.
- Deathstroke: One Night Death Machine Featurette
I really respect DC/Warner for focusing on other types of mediums instead of focusing everything into live action films. Marvel may rule the big screen, but DC is becoming much more diverse in the type of content it is providing to its fans. Deathstroke is a very interesting and troubled character, darker than most, and I for one am looking forward to seeing more of what DC and Warner Bros. have to offer.
