I don’t make a habit of reviewing fan films. (I barely have time to watch the official productions of DC Studios and Marvel Studios as it stands.) However, when a friend informed me that someone just released a short movie featuring Green Arrow and Black Canary, I had to give it a look-see. I’m glad I did.

Three years after they first met, Green Arrow and Black Canary are a committed couple. Unfortunately, it is rare for them to get any time alone with their respective lives as crime-fighters, alone or together. However, despite having to spend the day chasing The Royal Flush Gang and a biological weapon, they hope to steal away the night to celebrate their anniversary.

Unfortunately, the plans are changed after Oliver Queen is abducted off the street in the middle of their date. It turns out the Royal Flush Gang were outsourced by Deathstroke, who has been hired to procure the bio-weapon for a mystery buyer. This leaves Dinah rushing to save Ollie, before Slade Wilson can make his escape.

From the very first scene, it is clear that Green Arrow: Anniversary is a labor of love. Of course with it being written, directed and starring the same creator, that would be a safe guess. Thankfully, Braden Becker has enough talent that this seems far less self-indulgent than similar fan films. Indeed, his performance as Oliver Queen is solid, as is Delaney White as Black Canary. The two leads have tremendous chemistry together and you really believe they are a couple.

The writing is easily the strongest aspect of the film. Becker perfectly captures the voice of each character. Oliver Queen snarks at his kidnappers about how lame their insults are and the banter between Ollie and Dinah is pitch-perfect. Granted, some of it is adapted from their most famous animated interactions (i.e. the famous “I am talking about sparring” scene from Justice League Unlimited) but it comes off as more of a tribute than outright theft. Another important touch is that Ollie and Dinah are treated as equal partners and equal threats by the villains. This is shockingly rare in the comics, and I’m half-surprised that Black Canary wasn’t given equal billing in the title.

The general aesthetics of the film are another high-point. The costumes look like high-quality cosplays and that is not an insult. The general designs are taken from the Rebirth era and there’s a lot of little details I loved. For one thing, Oliver’s bow actually looks solid enough to function as a club in melee – something most artists don’t consider when drawing Green Arrow with a thin, fragile bow. And while Black Canary is in fishnets, she’s wearing sensible boots without raised heels.

I also must give the special effects a shout out. The CGI for the arrows is obvious, but staged in such a way as to make it seem like a stylized choice. The high point, however, is the distortion VFX used for the Canary Cry, Simply stated, these moments look just like something out of the comics, in a way that neither Arrow nor the Birds of Prey movie even came close to capturing.

With all that being said, Green Arrow: Anniversary is not flawless. The fight choreography is decent, but not as good as everything else. Also, with all the effort that went into the Green Arrow, Deathstroke, and Black Canary costumes, it is odd that the Royal Flush Gang’s costumes consist of masks with playing card symbols on them. The sound mix is also off in a few scenes, and it is hard to understand some of the dialogue. On a related note, it really would have benefited the movie to have an official subtitle script on YouTube rather than trusting the auto-generated ones.

Despite those minor issues, I was satisfied with Green Arrow: Anniversary overall. It does far more right than wrong and I say that as someone with very strict standards where Green Arrow and Black Canary are concerned. If you’re a fan of Ollie and Dinah anxiously waiting to see their DCU debut, Green Arrow: Anniversary will offer many happy returns on the time spent watching it.