Alan Burnett Movies

Frank Miller's seminal graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns is adapted for the small screen with a sprawling Warner Premiere animated film series that finds an old and weary Bruce Wayne (voiced by Robocop himself, Peter Weller) donning the cape and cowl once again after a long retirement. Covering the final two issues of the series, Part 2 pits the outlawed crusader against his nemesis, The Joker (voiced by LOST's Michael Emerson), as well as a militarized Superman, who carries out justice in the name of the United States of America. Ariel Winter (Modern Family) plays a female version of Robin, with Dark Shadows' David Selby rounding out the voice cast. Jay Oliva (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights directs from a script by Bob Goodman. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

The Scooby gang investigate a circus that's being terrorized by a werewolf. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

This quirky animated take on the classic tale of Robin Hood finds Tom spying for the Sherriff of Nottingham and Prince John. When he realizes his employers have foul plans for Maid Marion, he enlists Jerry to help him save Maid Marion and bring the true king back safely. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

The villainous Vandal Savage steal's Batman's top secret file containing the known weaknesses of The Justice League members, pitting the noble superheroes in a fight against the Legion of Doom to save the world from certain destruction. Concerned of the consequences should his fellow crime fighters ever turn their backs on humanity, Batman compiles a list detailing the methods he will need to defeat Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Cyborg in the event of an emergency. But when Vandal Savage breaches the Batcave's security and gets his hands on the list, the Justice League must overcome deep feelings of betrayal to defeat the diabolical Legion of Doom. Meanwhile, The Dark Knight struggles to make a decision that could have devastating consequences. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Scooby-Doo and Mystery, Inc. encounter a wild motorcycle gang, mad scientists, and white collar criminals in their quest to uncover the secret of the Phantosaur, a mythical beast said to stand guard over secret treasures stashed deep in the desert. All the gang wanted was a relaxing trip to the spa, but when the creature comes out to play and Shaggy (voice of Matthew Lillard) uses hypnosis to unleash his inner hero, the race to solve yet another supernatural mystery begins. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal comic book series, Batman: Year One, makes its way to the animated small screen with this Warner Premiere production. The story follows James Gordon (voiced by Bryan Cranston) during his early years on the force just as the vigilante Batman (Ben McKenzie) targets both the corrupt police officials and the crime-ridden streets for a clean-up. Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff lead the supporting voice cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

The Mystery Inc. team investigates the strange case of a magician's school that's been beset by supernatural forces in this frightfully fun feature-length adventure. Scooby and the gang are visiting Velma's sister Madelyn at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy when they learn that a money-grubbing ice cream magnate has been sniffing around the school in an attempt to get it shut down. When a visiting banshee lets out a bloodcurdling scream and an enormous gryphon appears in the sky over Whirlen Merlin, it's up to Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby to brave the unknown get to the bottom of this fantastical mystery. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A diabolical villain who seems to know Batman's every move sets out to clean up the streets of Gotham for good and destroy the caped crime-fighter in the process. Every night, Batman protects the citizens of Gotham from the shadows. But lately another vigilante has been prowling the streets, and his merciless methods are more frightening than reassuring. Now, as the Red Hood commences to exterminating the scum of the city with extreme prejudice, the Joker resurfaces to taunt his old nemesis by digging up some skeletons that were best left buried. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This animated release from Scooby-Doo follows the gang from Mystery Inc. on a summer camp adventure, as they find themselves solving a caper at Camp Little Moose, where there are too many ghost stories to keep track of. Together, Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy, and of course, Scooby separate fact from fiction and figure out whether the camper's spooky tales are real.

~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

The creators of Superman: Doomsday, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Wonder Woman re-team to tell the origins of the Green Lantern in this animated DC Comics feature. When Hal Jordan (voice of Christopher Meloni) is recruited to join the Green Lantern corps, he is placed under the direct supervision of senior Lantern Sinestro. But the Green Lantern corps has come under attack by a powerful foe. When Hal discovers that Sinestro is actually part of a vast conspiracy that aims to dismantle the entire organization, he must use his newfound powers to restore order and combat the treason that threatens to tarnish the Green Lantern legacy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The producers of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight team with some of the most respected anime artists in Japan to explore Bruce Wayne's transition from tormented crime fighter to heroic icon of a crumbling metropolis. Separated into six distinct chapters but intended to be viewed as a whole, this stylized look at immortal DC Comics superhero is the result of a collaboration between Shojiro Nishimi (Tekkonkinkreet), Yasuhiro Aoki (Steamboy), Futoshi Higashide (Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack), Toshiyuki Kubooka (The Secret of Blue Water), and Hiroshi Morioka (Chronicle of the Wings). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Another of the many cartoon permutations of the Batman franchise, the half-hour The Batman more or less returned to the basics of the Bob Kane original by depicting its title character as a wet-behind-the-ears rookie in the crimefighting business. Thus, millionaire Bruce Wayne was herein only in his early 20s, and had only recently adopted the cape and cowl of "The Batman" to do battle against the various villains infesting Gotham City. Acting as mentor, trainer and father confessor to the orphaned Bruce was faithful family butler Alfred Pennyworth, while The Batman's ever-growing array of weaponry and state-of-art paraphernalia was activated by Bruce's "Bat-Wave" remote control. Debuting September 1, 2004 on the WB network, The Batman spent its first season having Bruce Wayne/Batman confront several of his traditional antagonists--The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Catwoman et. al.--for the very time. During season two, our hero underwent his first awkward meetings with his female opposite number Batgirl, aka Barbara Gordon. The series marked the first time since 1992 that someone other than Kevin Conroy supplied the voice of Batman; conversely, the show featured Adam West,who of course had played Batman in the 1966 live-action series of the same name, as the voice of Gotham City's mayor! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The young protégé of one of the world's greatest superheroes has his first encounter with an old nemesis in this direct-to-video feature adapted from the popular animated series Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) has taken over the crime-fighting responsibilities of Batman from aging Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), but while Terry has learned a great deal from Wayne, he's never heard the startling truth about Batman's final encounter with his arch-enemy, The Joker (Mark Hamill). However, when The Joker returns to Gotham City as vicious as ever, Wayne decides that it's time that the new Batman learned all there is to know about the green-faced terror before he can bring the city to its knees -- especially after Bruce is attacked by his one-time rival. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker also features the voice talents of Melissa Joan Hart and Angie Harmon. Upon its initial release, the movie sparked some controversy among Batman Beyond fans because of last-minute edits that toned down the violence level. However, it was eventually released on DVD in an uncut format. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi