Justice League: War begins in promising fashion. Those who have read the source material will recognize the first meeting between Batman and Green Lantern, which is one of the first meetings of any two superheroes in this young DC Universe. The heroes of Justice League: War are younger, less experienced, and more brash than what we’re accustomed to, and this is used to varying effect throughout the film. The “newness” of the superhero presence is established in a few quick gags before the real Batman/Green Lantern/Parademon action begins, and it does so without the burden of exposition or title cards. The tone is fairly light in these first few minutes, which is a good idea, considering how action-heavy the rest of the proceedings are. Unfortunately, Justice League: War struggles with the limitations of its source material. Justice League: Origin is simply not a very good story, and like that comic, War is an extended fight sequence full of characters spouting constant quips and one-liners in lieue of characterization. Shazam (that’s his name now, not just his magic word) stands in for Aquaman and despite being voiced by Sean Astin, this is a thoroughly unlovable take on the character, and his presence is ultimately unnecessary. There’s some appropriately nightmarish imagery during the origin sequence for Cyborg, but even this is marred by the impossibly stupid actions taken by Vic Stone and his father in the moments immediately preceeding it. What’s worse, War commits the unforgivable sin of turning a dimension-spanning conflict with DC Comics’ greatest villain into the equivalent of a video game boss fight. Again, this is the fault of the source material, but Steve Blum’s Darkseid certainly sounds cool, and it would have been great to have him actually do something other than show up, look menacing, and get defeated. This isn’t to say that Justice League: War is without its high points. If Warner Bros. is looking to sell Wonder Woman as someone who doesn’t need Batman, Superman, or anybody else as back-up, her action sequences in Justice League: War are just what the doctor ordered. There are several, but in particular, the bit where she rescues the President and First Lady from a neverending wave of Parademons on Air Force One is really special, and in a film that is practically one long fight scene, this one stands out as a masterclass in badassery. Now, if only they could have gotten away from repeated gags about Green Lantern calling “dibs” on her or Shazam making “she digs me” cracks. Did we really need Superman smiling stupidly and saying “You’re strong” (who is he, Mongo from Blazing Saddles?) in order to illustrate their mutual attraction? The voice cast are good, with Michelle Monaghan’s Wonder Woman and Christopher Gorham’s Barry Allen/Flash as the standouts, and should they return for future features, I’d like to see how they can grow into the roles. The team behind Justice League: War did their very best with what was, unfortunately, a one-note story. While Justice League: Origin was clearly designed as an easy entry point into the DC Universe for movie and video game fans, I still feel that War could have done a little more to elevate a rushed, decompressed superhero beat ’em up. What’s really exciting about Justice League: War is the fact that, for the first time, future DC Universe animated features will exist in the same universe. There’s even a post-credits sequence setting up the sequel, which is, thankfully, based on a much stronger story. For new fans looking to see what kind of raw power might be on display in a big screen Justice League movie (make no mistake, the Avengers can’t compete with these power levels), Justice League: War will get the job done. But for longtime fans who have watched DC animated productions from Batman: The Animated Series to Young Justice (and many of the feature length releases in between) bring out the very best in these characters, Justice League: War may feel a little hollow.
