Based on the Justice League Origin comic, this film introduces us to The Justice League in quite a spectacular way. This is 79 mins of non stop action as we see some of our favourite DC heroes meet each other for the very first time, take on a huge villain and eventually come together as a team.
As the film starts we discover that this is set in a period of time where heroes are just surfacing and the general public are not keen on them at all. After a few sightings in public they think Batman is an evil vampire and as Wonder Woman takes a more public stance, she’s labelled a whore and bimbo. What I enjoyed most about this was the interactions between all of these great characters. Most of them do not like each other to start with and they don’t realise that they shouldn’t be fighting each other as they actually have a common goal. Each character’s skill set is really shown off which serves as a great introduction to viewers who aren’t so familiar with them.
I really felt like I was watching a comic brought to life as the animation style is visually pleasing. Add this to some really great talent from actors like Sean Astin, Jason O’Mara, Michelle Monoghan and Shemar Moore, it s a winning combination. Shemar does a great job in portraying Cyborg’s origin story and the complexity of Victor’s relationship with his Dad gives the film some heart. Darkseid acts as the big bad in this and whilst he looks completely grimacing and indestructible, Steve Blum’s vocals make him appear even more threatening.
You instantly feel the connection between Superman and Batman and tracks are laid for a more interesting relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman (much to the upset of Steve Trevor). Whilst Cyborg is quite intense, The Flash, Shazam and Green Lantern provide some humour and light relief. Justin Kirk gives us a Green Lantern comparable with what we saw from Ryan Reynolds. It was also interesting to have some pop culture thrown in for laughs with references to things like True Blood and World of Warcraft.
Overall, Justice League: War is a really enjoyable animated movie which made me want to watch the next one straight away. It uses a fantastic villain to bring together a group of superheroes who figure out a way to use their awesome powers together and save the world. I loved it.
