Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition Review

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition gives fans a deep “dive” into Aquaman’s mythos.

We’re getting close to the release of the DCEU’s Aquaman, so it’s only fitting for DC Entertainment to give us a quick appetizer with a re-release of their animated King of the Seven Seas movie—Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition. This new edition contains a giant tome of special features that go into the character’s history and the production intricacies of the film, as well as a few other extras from DC’s past and future.

Though the original movie was released in early 2015, this commemorative edition—with its special features—gives fans a fresh perspective on the film. It’s a definite treat for viewers of all ages.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis: Aquaman: The New King

This segment explores the history of Aquaman and his evolution—from clean-cut superhero to a character who’s more akin to a rough-and-tumble warrior. It’s interesting to also see how the Super Friends animated series was the one to solidify the King of the Seven Seas as more of a joke character. With his various retcons in the 1980s and 1990s, Arthur Curry has been reestablished to the level of the DC Trinity and given a much better, formidable image.

Audio Commentary

For those who are interested in seeing … or, better yet, hearing the thoughts of the creative minds behind the film, you can turn on the audio commentary. DC Editor and Creative Director of Animation Mike Carlin and screenwriter Heath Corson give their just-in-time musings as the film plays. It’s like watching the movie with them in the room.

Villains of the Deep

All great heroes need great villains, and Aquaman is no different. The in-depth looks at Ocean Master and Black Manta also have a psychologist deconstructing the two characters—providing insight into what drives them. Aside from this psychoanalysis, this segment also covers the more artistic side of things—showing how each characters’ design expresses their respective personalities.

Scoring Atlantis: The Sound of the Deep

No film is complete without a score. If many thought this was just another cartoon, they couldn’t be more wrong. The music created and compiled for this endeavor is on par with live-action feature-length films. From the composer to the conductor, every detail of this film’s audio landscape has been planned, scrutinized, and perfected.

Robin and Nightwing Bonus Sequence

The film contains a small subplot that is never visited again. However, this segment explores that side-story. Though not integral to the main plot, this outtake—that never made it to the main film—shows how we’re dealing with an expansive universe. It also acts as a teaser (akin to today’s popular post-credits sequences) for another upcoming film.

Throne of Atlantis: 2014 NY Comic-Con Panel

The creators and voice talent of Justice League: Throne of Atlantis give their thoughts on this DC animated venture. The group discusses the various intricacies in casting for each role and how they brought the characters to life. As with all con panels, the segment ended with questions from the audience.

Fron the DC Comics Vault

Fans are given full episodes from the classic Aquaman animated series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the DC Animated Universe’s Justice League: Unlimited.

Throne of Atlantis Soundtrack

With this feature switched on, fans can watch the film without any dialogue and immerse themselves in the very emotional and dramatic score.

Trailers

Fans can watch trailers for the upcoming The Death of Superman and Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

More Movies: DC Super Hero Girls: Legends of Atlantis Review

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition has a lot to offer fans. With a slew of extra features diving (pun intended) into Aquaman’s mythos, this release can be seen as a primer for the highly anticipated DCEU’s live-action Aquaman. This Blu-ray is definitely worth checking out!

Available on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and, Digital November 23, 2018.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of the Blu-ray we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.