Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR

A few members of the mighty Justice League
JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR (direct-to-video animated feature/2014). Director: Jay Oliva.

In 2012 DC Comics decided to reboot its entire line of comic books, including Superman, Batman, and Justice League of America, basically starting at the beginning and picking and choosing what would stay in continuity and what wouldn't. This animated feature film is based on the first few issues of the new Justice League comic book, and details the birth of the hero Cyborg (Shemar Moore), the first face-to-face meeting of Batman and Superman (not to mention Green Lantern), and the introduction of the new butch warrior Wonder Woman, who is somewhat scary. There's also Captain Marvel, who joins the others to take on the threat of Jack Kirby's creations Darkseid, his lieutenant DeSaad, and a whole slew of monstrous "parademons." The animation is fluid, the direction good, but the parademons don't make the most interesting antagonists, and there seems to be more of them than of Darkseid, although the villain does get his licks in during a big-time battle at the end. Superman and the Justice League's fight with Darkseid in the Superman cartoon program was more entertaining. You can read about the origins of many of these heroes in The Silver Age of Comics.

Verdict: Colorful and fast-paced, if strictly for Justice League fanatics. **1/2.

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