Justice League: War (2014)

Justice League: War (2014)

Dir. Jay Oliva

The first Justice League animated movie to be based on the New 52 reboot in the comics is itself a reboot of the DC animated world, picking up the continuity reset of The Flashpoint Paradox (2013). It doesn't waste time giving backstory for most of the heroes. It starts instead in the middle of a chase and goes steadily downhill from there.

It earned my respect for addressing certain criticisms of failings that are almost inherent in superhero stories and for turning them into strengths, but the characters are mostly awful.

None of the protagonists have met one another at the movie's beginning, so it's essentially a League origin story that strives to establish rebooted attitudes and relationships, and lay the groundwork for bonds of friendship that are not yet forged.

The two most successful reboots in that respect are Batman (Jason O'Mara) and Green Lantern (Justin Kirk), who both go after the same target and get off on the wrong foot. The Flash (Christopher Gorham) is okay, too, but the other heroes get the shit end of the stick when it comes to written characterisation.

Cyborg (Shemar Moore) is defined mostly by his desire to have his work-obsessed father acknowledge him as a son and as an individual, which gets tiresome fast.

Superman (Alan Tudyk) is a two-dimensional prick with a powerful ego but very little sympathy and understanding; Jonathan and Martha Kent would not be proud of their son.

Captain Marvel (Sean Astin) is known simply as Shazam, and seems able to say his name without the transformation happening, if the notion takes him; but at least he has some personality.

Wonder Woman (Michelle Monaghan) is even more poorly presented than Clark. She's a moron, peddling hypocrisy one minute and then hungry for carnage the next.

With it being called WAR, it probably won't be a surprise to learn that there's a lot of combat; so very, very much combat. My brain almost atrophied having to endure it all.

If you care to make it to the end, there's a mid-credits scene that leads into the next JL movie in the rebooted continuity, JL: Throne of Atlantis (2015), but be advised, it's utter crap, too.

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