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totaldramafanatic
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DC Showcase: Constantine - The House of Mystery (2022)
An Insult to fans of the DCAMU
Not only was JLD: Apokolips Dump a HORRIBLE 1 star movie, but this film is literally no better. It continues the studio's efforts to pretentiously insult anyone who liked the DCAMU universe by further trying to not only justify the events of that film, stomp it's feet down and refuse to restore the universe to a state before that sadistically evil film, and furthermore insult you. It teases you, reminding you not of the universe's happy times from before the final film but instead of the horrible post-prologue scene after it had already started. The entire plot is a nothingburger, preaching to the audience about how there is no saving the DCAMU's universe or reversing what has happened to it. There is no hope. This movie is just a bitter reminder that there is no point to ever revisit the DCAMU or any of it's films, nor be invested in any of it's ideas or characters. That is all this movie sets out to do. We are never seeing the best animated Superboy ever again, let alone any of the other DCAMU characters - and that's that. Anyone who actually liked the DCAMU should honestly be insulted with this hateful short film.
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020)
Unironically the WORST Superhero Movie I've ever seen
I really don't understand what the deal is with all of these 10/10, 9/10 and 7/10 reviews. This movie is absolutely god awful and honestly disrespectful to the universe that it brings an end to. One of the writers even admitted to me on Twitter (now X) that most of the characters in this movie who don't speak are only there because the animators thought including them just to die was better than them not appearing in the movie at all. That's not even getting into the misuse of characters who honestly would have made a better fit to have a prominent role in the film.
1) Superboy. He has all of the Kryptonian powers that Superman lacks, why is he not included in Lois' final plan to push against Apokolips. Instead she callously sacrifices him to the Paradooms as though she views him as little more than garbage. Which seems to be what the writers and animators thought of him as well. He was the best animated version of Superman that we've ever gotten and likely ever will get, and this version of him is literally never coming back. This character really could have been an entertaining foil to Damian and added some much needed relief amidst all of the doom and gloom; him having a final confrontation with Lex Luthor also would have tied things nicelessy to Reign of the Supermen as well.
2) Shazam, Orchid, John Constantine and Zatanna. The fact that the Paradooms are made using kryptonian DNA is really just an excuse to have them kill people and have said killing be excused. They could be made with any powerful being's DNA and it would change nothing about them because kryptonian weaknesses don't seem to apply to them. You can argue there was a reason Shazam wasn't in 2018's Death of Superman - well I guess not because he's useless in this movie. Magic has been a weakness of kryptonians for DECADES and that is entirely ignored in this film just to justify more character deaths.
3) The Green Lantern scene was entirely unnecessary. Darkseid had two entire years of occupying Earth. We could have easily just assumed he had conquered Oa within that time if at all. The work that went into that scene, existing for no reason other than for even more character deaths, could have easily gone elsewhere. You could edit that scene out of the movie and it would change nothing at all about the plot.
4) The fact there is no mention of New Genesis at all is also honestly insulting. Could have at the very least MENTIONED their existence. If you're saying Darkseid killed them all off-screen, then why do people praise his blatant villain plot armor so much because that would be some bull.
5) The entire plan in the opening is flawed from the start. Why are Mera, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter even being taken to Apokolips in the first place? There is no reason for three who are more useful in water or who have weaknesses to fire to be brought to a place like Apokolips. They should have been left behind to protect the Teen Titans.
6) The universe did not need a reset ending until the events of this movie. All of this film's poeting bookend B. S. falls on deaf ears when I realize that no, the continuity was fine. It was this movie, and this movie alone, that messed everything up beyond repair. Claiming that "clearing the board" is necessary sometimes is literally pointless when it's only necessary in this one specific installment.
7) Darkseid vs Trigon is a really underwhelming fight. That showdown should be a full on anime style duel with the two absolutely destroying everything around them. Instead, we get them just kicking, punching and tossing each other around into random buildings. BORING.
8) King Shark and John Constantine is an overrated moment. If you blink, you will miss it. It has no impact on the plot or on later interactions, which John and Shark have none. Would've been more impactful if Superboy had been there and remarked about King Shark being a former villain of his. But again, the writers and animators all collectively hate Superboy.
All in all, this movie was a TERRIBLE ending to a previously great and sometimes decent universe, a truly undeserved punishment to a continuity that didn't need to end in this way. Every single day I wish that the events of this film would be undone and the universe restored to it's former glory but it's very clear DC will never do that. They won't even dare return the Superboy design from this universe to make up for what they did to him, so I won't waste my breathe.
This film made me unable to ever enjoy the prior films in the DCAMU, because it retroactively makes revisiting this universe completely and entirely pointless. Nothing that happened in this continuity matters anymore, none of these people/characters matter, none of these ideas matter, everything gets "changed" at the end so who should honestly care about them? We're never seeing these characters or their designs ever again no matter what - there is no reason to have any hope for any of them. At all.
What's worse, is this movie furthermore made me uninterested in watching ANY further DC animated or live action content, or even read the comics. How am I supposed to trust a company that could at any moment bring a violent end to their universes like this? Reign of the Supermen made me love DC again, but this film took that love and crushed it under Darkseid's heel.
I will likely never be able to enjoy DC media again, and I will never forgive this film for taking that away from me.