Review: Justice League: War (2014)

Justice League: War is the first movie in the New 52 DC animated universe. They are officially working towards maintaining continuity within the cartoons, with Justice League: War introducing the New 52 versions of classic super heroes. Most of the characters are the same, for the most part, but the approach to things is very different. In the end, you can expect that DC movies from here on out won’t be made for little kids. This one brings exactly what the title suggest, along with all the death and destruction that one would expect.

The story begins with Batman doing his thing, busting criminals and protecting Gotham. He comes across a strange alien that’s running around terrorizing people. He eventually runs into Green Lantern and the two track down the creature and figure out that it’s planting some sort of device. One thing leads to another and the duo end up picking up The Flash. Later, they track down Superman to help out. And, eventually, Shazam, Wonder Woman and Cyborg enter the picture.

Together, the discover that Darkseid is about ready to launch a full-scale invasion of Earth. His minions are planting devices that will open wormholes and allow the armies to pour in. So the team must start acting like a team and stop his plan. Battles with alien minions and eventually with Darkseid himself ensue.

This flick is really an origin story for The Justice League. There’s also an actual origin story for Cyborg, but the rest of the heroes are assumed to have been around a while. Using their various skills, they save the world and set up for future adventures from the Justice League team. All-in-all, it wasn’t a bad introduction, although I’ve not read the New 52 line of comics, so I don’t really know what the back-story on the characters is supposed to be or whether it’s changed from the original origin stories.

The animation in Justice League: War is outstanding. The action is great and the final battle with Darkseid is excellent, if a bit long-winded. The story is nothing to write home about, but decent enough. It’s not my favorite, despite its high production values, mostly because it feels like it skips over the most potentially interesting parts, such as the origins of the heroes. As a casual viewing experience, I’d say it wasn’t bad. The folk at Rotten Tomatoes give it an 80%, which I would say is a little bit high. This one is worth a watch for DC fans, particularly those that wish to get in on the New 52 at the very beginning. It’s probably not the best for young kids though.

Photo Credits -           

Justice League War courtesy of comicvine.com