DC Showcase: The Spectre

I'm not particularly familiar with The Spectre and I guess that's the point of these DC Showcases, an opportunity to become acquainted with lesser known heroes.

With the neat voice talent of Gary Cole & Alyssa Milano this DC short gets to the point quick.

It tells the story of a detective searching for a killer of a Hollywood actor, meanwhile the shadowy figure that is The Spectre is handing out his own brand of justice.

Again not being familiar with The Spectre I didn't really know what to expect and have to say it has a real film noir feel about it. Combine that with his powers seeming somewhat overpowered and I'd be curious to see more.

The Good:

Good voice talent

Well animated

The Bad:

Limited due to the time constraints

Things I Learnt From This Short:

Gary Cole needs to do more voice work

I AM VENGEANCE, I AM THE SPECTRE

Spectre is one of the coolest DC characters that deserves a live-action film. But instead WB decides to give him a short film. After nine years since this short released, it's outrageous that he's still not introduced to the big screen.

#DCEUNeedsTheSpectre.

Very beautiful animation in this short film about DC's undead vigilante. It mixes genres in its 10-minute length: horror, police, superhero, vingança. I loved the colors, and the horror vendetta story works.

This short was such a cool little surprise and I ended up liking it a whole lot more than the movie it came with! It had a lot of edgy noir-esc pizazz and a very appealing retro visual look with seventies type grain and a soft glow to the picture, and I was quite hooked by that style almost right away, it gave the short a terrific tone, as well as making the superb animation stand out more. I enjoy the brief murder mystery plot of it, for such a short..short they do a good job of giving it an effective setup, middle and payoff, but I really loved it because of the title character, a dark avenger I'd never even heard of before watching this. He was so awesomely mysterious and his abilities were so otherworldly, I was surprised to find out that he's actually one of the oldest comic book characters, having decades on creations like Ghost Rider and Spawn, whom he immediately made me think of. I'm not saying that my personal knowledge goes for everyone, but compared to Superman you'd be hard pressed to find the average person in the street who knew who the Spectre was, and that's a shame because there's some pretty great potential there, I could watch a whole series or an animated movie based around this guy if it were as well made and gripping as this short. He really kicked ass, when he wasn't masquerading as the hard boiled fifties gumshoe detective that he was in life, the Spectre was like a dispassionate judge who delivered frightening ethereal doom down upon those that the harsh form of cold cosmic justice that he embodied, deemed guilty! I think his particular style of merciless punishment prevents him from being considered a true hero, definitely more of an anti-hero.. What he did to the guilty was downright brutal, and while not quite gory, it certainly didn't pull any punches with the death and violence, with a very creepy sequence of a man trapped in a movie studio full of monster props that catch and eat him, and a beautiful but heartless debutante who had her own father assassinated for his money being blendered alive by a whirlwind of the ill gotten dollar bills as sharp as razors! I love the classic horror movie references, the brilliant homage to John Carpenter's Christine is pretty unmistakable, but I also spied little nods to The Exorcist and a quick music theme near the end that sounded very similar to that Italian band that were in a lot of giallo horror movies Goblin! So while you may require a pentient for the macabre to really love this, I found it to be a great thrilling and atmospheric short that made me want to see more of this ghostly guardian of dire justice who truly brings new meaning to the word Wrath! Excellent and well worth seeing. X

One of the DC Showcases filled with mystery and intrigue, always leaving you wondering what will happen next. The Spectre presents itself and leaves you wanting to see more, with a quite interesting premise that deserves a chance. Definitely, Joaquim Dos Santos is a master of good stories and strong character performances; the director has the skill to elevate an antihero to glory in just a few minutes. All of this without adding their origin and the reason for their actions. Brilliant.

If you're a fan of this character or at least know who they are in the DC world, you'll have a great time. Jim Corrigan is quite a character. His seriousness and the way he ties up loose ends is sublime.

The animation is very good, with a contrast and color tone that speaks for itself. In addition to adding that element of mystery and suspense in many of its scenes, giving that dark tone that connects even more with the viewer. The character design is quite nice, and above all, they have a justified development. There is no doubt that they are 13 glorious minutes.

The short film has countless references to great movies, such as The Exorcist, King Kong, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Dracula, Wolfman, Dead Silence, among others. It is a stroke of genius, even if it's just for a few seconds.

The Spectre is synonymous with justice without mercy, vengeance, and divine power. An interesting character that deserves more adaptations for the big screen. Nevertheless, it is a great example of settling accounts and maintaining balance.