I was particularly excited for this film for two reasons. First, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Justice League Origin, the comic off which the movie is based. Second, I am a huge fan of DC's animated universe since Batman: TAS. While "War" is not as good as "Doom" or "Under the Red Hood", it is a solid addition to a long line of great movies. Pros:
The entire movie was a visual treat. The style of animation is clearly different from other DC movies, but it's not bad, in fact I thought it was more visually appealing. From start to end, the animation delivers a clear and rich experience that definitely makes it more enjoyable.
Some have criticized War for weak plot and underdeveloped characters. They are right to some extent, for the plot is very basic with little information given on motive for Darksied's invasion. However the story is impressively accurate to its source material. So if you don't like the plot, take it up with Geoff Johns. Furthermore, we all know who each of the characters are, so an in-depth biopic of each Leaguer would be a waste of time. The comic is called Origin, and that's what this is, an origin of the Justice League so don't expect a ton of individual character development. My biggest complaint regarding accuracy would be the fact that Aquaman was replaced with Shazam. I'm as big a Captan Marvel fan as the next guy, but it was still disappointing that the king of Atlantis still doesn't get any love even after Geoff Johns did such a great job of finally making him cool. Furthermore, the personalities and even a good bit of dialogue of the characters could have been pulled directly from the pages of the comic. The dynamic between the heroes, especially Batman and Green Lantern, provided many of the best scenes, not to mention the funniest. I laughed out loud several times throughout and did not feel like the comedy, which was definitely more present here than in other films, took away from the experience of a film that is very centered on action.
Cons: Like most other reviewers, my only truly valid complaint involves voice casting. Most of the voices are adequate, and none of them are great. The best represented voices were definitely The Flash by Christopher Gorham, and Cyborg by Shemar Moore. Batman, performed by Jason O'Mara did sufficiently, but after growing up on Kevin Conroy, it was difficult to hear such a different voice coming from the cape and cowl. Steve Blum as Darksied brings a new kind of voice to the uber-powerful new god, but makes him seem more like a monster than a super intelligent being. The worst voice was by far Superman. Firefly star Alan Tudyk voices Superman, but fails to convey any gravitas or personality consistent with Superman.
Overall Justice League War received an 8 from me. While not DC's best contribution to the world of animation, but a fun, comical, and action-packed ride nonetheless. If you are a fan of DC and comics in general than it is definitely worth buying, if not it's still worth at least one viewing.
The entire movie was a visual treat. The style of animation is clearly different from other DC movies, but it's not bad, in fact I thought it was more visually appealing. From start to end, the animation delivers a clear and rich experience that definitely makes it more enjoyable.
Some have criticized War for weak plot and underdeveloped characters. They are right to some extent, for the plot is very basic with little information given on motive for Darksied's invasion. However the story is impressively accurate to its source material. So if you don't like the plot, take it up with Geoff Johns. Furthermore, we all know who each of the characters are, so an in-depth biopic of each Leaguer would be a waste of time. The comic is called Origin, and that's what this is, an origin of the Justice League so don't expect a ton of individual character development. My biggest complaint regarding accuracy would be the fact that Aquaman was replaced with Shazam. I'm as big a Captan Marvel fan as the next guy, but it was still disappointing that the king of Atlantis still doesn't get any love even after Geoff Johns did such a great job of finally making him cool. Furthermore, the personalities and even a good bit of dialogue of the characters could have been pulled directly from the pages of the comic. The dynamic between the heroes, especially Batman and Green Lantern, provided many of the best scenes, not to mention the funniest. I laughed out loud several times throughout and did not feel like the comedy, which was definitely more present here than in other films, took away from the experience of a film that is very centered on action.
Cons: Like most other reviewers, my only truly valid complaint involves voice casting. Most of the voices are adequate, and none of them are great. The best represented voices were definitely The Flash by Christopher Gorham, and Cyborg by Shemar Moore. Batman, performed by Jason O'Mara did sufficiently, but after growing up on Kevin Conroy, it was difficult to hear such a different voice coming from the cape and cowl. Steve Blum as Darksied brings a new kind of voice to the uber-powerful new god, but makes him seem more like a monster than a super intelligent being. The worst voice was by far Superman. Firefly star Alan Tudyk voices Superman, but fails to convey any gravitas or personality consistent with Superman.
Overall Justice League War received an 8 from me. While not DC's best contribution to the world of animation, but a fun, comical, and action-packed ride nonetheless. If you are a fan of DC and comics in general than it is definitely worth buying, if not it's still worth at least one viewing.
Tell Your Friends