Justice League: War (2014 Video) User Reviews

I'm no expert, but I really liked it. Darkseid is awesome.

[Finfrosk86 · 8/10 · 7 January 2016]

I'm new to animated feature length superhero movies, so I'm no expert. But I do know a little something about being entertained, and I was with this one. I like the character design, and the animation is good.

What really stood out to me in this one, is Darkseid. Because man he is scary as hell. Just floating along there with his hands behind his back, impossible to beat. He actually kind of scared me. And I'm a huge horror movie buff! I guess the fact that he seems so unbeatable is what makes him scary. Good stuff.

I'm no reader of comic books, and I haven't watched that many of these animated superhero movies yes, but so far this is one of my favorites.

Grade: C+ - a weak effort by DC Animation

[josephkalaivanar · 6/10 · 4 February 2014]

Grade: C+

This was a weak effort by DC Animation (DCA), especially following The Flashpoint Paradox, Doom and Crisis on Two Earths. It was let down critically in several areas, namely in Voice acting, Characterization and Plot.

Voice acting & Characterization:

Superman - Alan Tudyk is miscast in this. He is unable to effectively personify the hero that Superman is and comes off a bit of douchebag in certain moments. The costume he wears in this is not classic...and IMHO it does not look great. They could have updated it without losing the iconic look too much (e.g. Man of Steel).

Supes himself comes off as having a God-complex in this film. He does not seem the noble, self-sacrificing, protect the innocent type of hero we've all come to know and love. He also seems mildly de-powered, though he is easily the most physically supreme of the lot. As usual he disappears half-way through the film and needing Bats to save his ass.

Batman - Jason O'Mara did an OK job with gravitas. Strangely he sounded a bit of a mix between Kevin Conroy and David Hayter (Metal Gear series) - which is a good thing. Bats is well characterized in this film and comes across as the investigative lone-wolf type hero.

WW - Michelle Monaghan admirably captured WW quite well. The character was also kick-ass (with a nice ass!) and very warrior-like. Well done!

Flash - Chris Gorham did Flash well. He was also portrayed well being slightly more mature in attitude without lacking the wisecracks.

Green Lantern - poor characterization. While Justin Kirk did the voice OK, the character lacks maturity and is not a leader-type. This is more the Ryan Reynolds version of Hal at work.

Cyborg - well done Shemar! Super character to introduce in greater detail.

Captain Marvel - welcome back Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee)! Great job and good character as a boy with Superpowers.

Darkseid - poorly executed. They reduced him to a brawler instead of a master schemer. Insanely powerful though, able to resist the entire Justice League all at once.

Animation style: This is more Korean anime style (as opposed to Japanese anime) which I find more appealing. It tends to moderate between Japanese and Western animation styles. Those who dislike Japanese anime style may find this more tolerable.

Plot: Weak JL genesis plot. Darkseid's invasion play has no clear motive other than to obtain Kal-El. The rest of the heroes are just there because...well...they need to be there to.become.the.Justice.League. Right? ;)

Overall: Poor effort by DCA. I feel they let themselves down by approving an underpar script and miscasting Superman. It doesn't compare favorably to past efforts though still watchable for fans.

Not DC's best, but still a fun movie.

[dbroughton1994 · 8/10 · 5 February 2014]

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.

What happened to DC?

[spider_pig113 · 21 February 2014]

I wasn't very pleased after watching this. It seems like the superheroes were all being degraded. Look at Wonder Woman in the movie, they showed her as some spoiled girl who only wanted to fight and flash her sword around. That's not how I recall her. She was someone who was powerful but not in the "flash my weapons to get my way" type. It was just sad to see some of my favourite DC heroes be reduced to calling each other poor names and taking things as a joke...except for Batman, who was the only one they really kept close to what his character is typically like. It bothered me that they made almost all of them cocky. I don't think DC has as much pride in their characters anymore after watching this. I wished they hadn't changed the attitudes of some of them because it didn't help at all. J/L:Crisis on Two Earths and J/L:Doom were both better because they had more care for the heroes and the people and they hardly made fun of the Justice League.

Justice League War... What is it good for?

[juliankennedy23 · 6/10 · 9 May 2019]

Justice League: War: 6 out of 10: DC Comics rebooted their entire universe (Yes again. Why do you ask?) in what is called The New 52. So you know what that means, more origin stories. Yup, if there is one thing a comic book fan can't get enough of it is more origin stories. I know I know shoot me now.

So this is the origin story of The Justice League which consists off Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, a black guy who shoots lighting, an Indian who can grow large, a couple of alien twins and their pet monkey... hold on I am getting a notification here. Apparently, we have some roster changes.

Well, we at least have Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman still on board. The addition of Green Lantern and Flash are also welcome and make perfect sense.

I do see the pushing of Cyborg continues, however. Yup, Cyborg is in the roster. Heck, he even gets an origin story. (Shock; Surprise; Fainting Couches). Is it the same origin story as before or since? No of course not. Does it make any sense? Not a lick.

Robin, of course, is sent to the curb. Has Robin even been seen since 1997's Batman and Robin? Man, that movie destroyed both real and fictional careers. It's like Showgirls for the comic book crowd. Aquaman is also a no show as well this time around. Instead, we get Shazam of all people. Our bad guy is Darkseid of whom I am not a fan. Oh, and he brought his mother boxes and his faceless mooks... yay.

The Good: It is better than Justice League (2017). Sure they both have mother boxes and CGI mooks but at least Justice League: War has the excuse that everyone else is CGI as well. Plus Darkseid shows up himself. As I have said above and in other reviews, I am not a Darkseid fan, but he is leagues better than Foghat or The Iron Butterfly or whatever the name of that lame villain in Justice League was.

Speaking of Darkseid, without giving to much away, he is in for a rough time of it in this film. These superheroes did not come to play. He won't be watching Un Chien Andalou for a while without wincing. Come to think of it I don't see much cinema in his future at all.

Batman is good in this film. They do his origin in a sentence or two instead of a flashback to Crime Alley, so let us all be thankful for small favors.

There is a decent amount of action in this film. Wonder Woman, in particular, is good in her fight scenes though she does fly without her invisible jet at least once which I don't remember as one of her powers.

The Bad: Let me quote the fantastic Tv Tropes for a moment as they say it better than I can. "the film isn't just dark, it's incredibly mean-spirited to the point of being petty, and the majority of its heroes are completely unsympathetic egotistical jerks."

Let us go down the roster. Batman and The Flash are entirely off the hook. Green Lantern is a bit cocky but honestly, that can work for the character, and it isn't Cyborgs fault his origin and powers wouldn't work in a story told by a five-year-old with an overactive imagination. (He is crushed inside a glorified soda machine, but three minutes after coming back to life he has these little mini-rockets and a targeting system?)

Then we have Wonder Woman and Shazam. Wonder Woman is all over the map. One minute she is using her rope of truth to expose a crossdresser (this is in no way an exaggeration nor a misprint) and not a second later she is marveling at ice cream and threatening people with her sword for more...well ice cream. Is she a five-thousand-year-old diplomat or is she a boy crazy idiot with no ability to talk to other people. Pick a bloody lane movie.

Shazam's problem is two-fold. For those unfamiliar Shazam is a kid who can become a superhero by saying the word Shazam. In this iteration, the kid is an ungrateful thief with a personality that makes one wish an unfortunate accident. As an adult-sized hero, Shazam is fine but having him on the same team as Superman tends to water down his effect as they share many of the same powers, but Superman is... well Superman.

The Ugly: Superman. Man, this is rough. A combination of Alan Tudyk's voice work and a script that doesn't seem to go where it may have wanted to go. Was the script going for Superman as a powerful, angry alien that hates humanity? Because they nailed that. I have a feeling they were trying to go for an edgier Superman, but they missed it by a country mile. If you want to have Superian from The Tick or Ozymandias from the Watchman then put them in the show, don't turn Superman into that because that is not Superman. Also, yes I know there are entire websites, nay careers, dedicated to Superman being a jerk in the comics, but often it was inadvertent. Here they purposely went for darker and edgier in for the one character in the pantheon who doesn't wear it that well.

In Conclusion: I would say a missed opportunity, but the deck was stacked against them from the get-go. The action scenes are well done, and there are some nice bits here and there. Justice League: War may not have been the Justice League movie you wanted, but it could have been a lot worse. I mean watch Justice League again if you don't believe me.

Best New52 movie

[WeAreLive · 10/10 · 13 December 2017]

I serious don't get the massive hate for this movie it was pretty awesome if ask me. In fact this was the only good New52 movie after that the movies went down hill but when Justice League dark came out I thought that was good but the movie after it not so much. The personality changes don't bother me at all a part from Green Lanterns and Shazam's.

Warning there is swearing in the film. Ignore the haters this is a great film. The animation is perfect the voice actors are incredible we even got to see people who rarely voice act like Ioan Grufford, Roger Rose, George Newbern, Richard McGonogle and John. The main voice cast how ever could improve I am looking at Cyborg's, Captain Marvels, Ocean Masters and Green Lantern. But i am really annoyed on how cocky Green Lantern was in the movie that he was over confident when he suggested to fight Superman alone and when went straight for Darksied but a swarm of Parademons battered him up. The best scene was the last battle. My only confusion is how is Darksied meant to see when wonder woman stabbed his eye out. I found it weird that Desaad was creating Parademons through human hosts, Wonder Women having a crush on Superman but Green Lantern having a crush on her. Overall it was an awesome action packed adventure with amazing fighting sequences and awesome animation. If you are a true fan of the Justice League watch this movie.

Still better than the live action versions

[errant-52785 · 6/10 · 14 March 2021]

I've been watching all of these DC animated films in order of release on HBO Max.

I realize this and Flashpoint Paradox are part of the New 52 universe rebranding, but there's been a noticeable turn toward the grim and gritty. Which I feel just does not work for this collection of characters. It hasn't worked in the DCEU live action iterations and it doesn't work here, although these at least demonstrate a level of competence in storytelling logic. Mostly.

The characterization is garbage though. Why does DC/Warner think we want all of their heroes to be a-holes?

Different

[blockstein · 8/10 · 7 February 2014]

This animated movie is different from the majority of previous. The heroes do not play around as nice as they usually do. There is plenty of animated violence, blood, bruises, broken bones, sliced limbs and more. The PG-13 rating is there for a reason.

The relationship between the heroes is forced and easily changed by the creators, the heroes fight when it fits the script and than co-operate, when again, it fits the script. For those purposes their behavior has also been changed. Generally the movie describes, more realistic super heroes than the comic books. The heroes in this movie, have ego issues, lower moral standards, shorter fuse for violence and really poor taste of humor.

Besides that the animation is different, I think that was done to set the tone and show that these are different super heroes, not the ones we know. Less square jaws (in that matter less square anything), more details, some 3D computer rendering has been added, generally the animation is rather detailed and smooth, really easy on the eyes.

I will not talk about the voices, some guidelines do apply and in my opinion they did fine, there is no reason to obsess about it.

After taking some points off for the forced behavior and forced story line it is 8/10.

DC's New 52: An Animation blockbuster in every sense of the word

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 22 February 2014]

DC's "New 52". Love it or hate it, it is here to stay. So strong is this line wide continuity reboot that it has now entered the realm of animation in the form of JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR. Adapting the first volume of Geoff John's and Jim Lee's graphic novel "Justice League: Origins", WAR is a brisk animated superhero blockbuster, heavy on action and snappy dialogue. Compared to the bleak and morally ambiguous FLASHPOINT PARADOX, WAR returns an element of fun to DC's superheroes by crafting a tradition, clear cut "Good versus evil" tale.

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and more. Superpowered beings have only recently made their presence known to a suspicious world. Admired by some, but feared by most, they struggle for acceptance while fighting the good fight. A typical night on the job turns into a conflict of epic proportions when Batman and Green Lantern uncover evidence of a clandestine operation carried out by techno organic aliens. Superman gets roped in due to his alien origins and an experiment gone wrong leads to the metamorphosis of Vic Stone into a techno organic "Cyborg". All this culminates in a full scale invasion, pulling in the likes of Wonder Woman, The Flash and Shazam, who just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Facing down the invasion forces the squabbling heroes to set aside their differences and work together.

Perhaps the best part of such superhero team ups is to see how the heroes play off each other. Thanks to an expertly written script and fine acting, our characters share memorable moments of dialogue punctuated with wit and a bit of humour. It feels like Marvel's AVENGERS only that the humour is more controlled, more witty, and less outright comedy.

Miraculously, with so many heroes, our script gives ample development to the characters and fleshes most of them out perfectly. Cyborg's tension with his father, Green Lantern's over confidence in his power and Wonder Woman as the stranger in a strange land are a treat to watch. All the characters are played by an excellent bunch of actors who ease right into their roles. Special mention goes to young Zach Callison who nails Billy Batson as a streetwise but insecure kid, hiding his insecurities behind a showboating little tough guy act. Little sub-plots lend meat to the story such as Cyborg and Shazam's issue with trust, Green Lantern learning some humility, and a budding romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. Superman himself however is a big letdown. His simplistic dialogue, and muscle bound design makes him seem like a clueless one dimensional bruiser.

Of course, what would a good superhero movie be without action? In JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR, the action is intense and wild. Featuring a soundtrack that combines orchestral fanfare with some sinister sounding synths, essentially makes JUSTICE LEAGUE WAR sound more like the sci/fi invasion flick that it is than a traditional superhero movie. Legions of parademons storm the major cities of the world while their leader Darkseid personally confronts the heroes. Moi Animation studio brings their best to the fight scenes. The animation is smooth and dynamic, yet the level of detail remains constant. Director Jay Olivia, who also directed the superman slugfest SUPERMAN DOOMSDAY shows off some beautiful combat scenes, including a cool first-person sequence from the point of view of Wonder Woman slicing her way through a horde.

Unfortunately, the slower scenes in the movie show off some areas where the animation is lacking. With TV shows like Young Justice and Legend of Korra, the art detail in this movie is barely any better than that in the aforementioned TV series. Then there is the ubiquitous CGI used to render vehicles and parademon hordes in the background. They clash rather obviously with the 2D art, a true crime when others shows can successfully integrate cel shaded CGI into the traditional 2D animation. Some character designs are also just as iffy. While most of the characters look fantastic, with a slight Japanese anime touch, Superman looks like a dumb beefcake. Not that his simplistic dialogue helps this impression. His face is too wide, his shoulders are huge, nothing at all like the sleek and handsome Jim Lee art in the original graphic novel

And that is perhaps the greatest sin this movie commits. In touting itself as an adaptation, it makes many unnecessary changes from the original comic. Polarising your audience is never a good thing. Fans of the comic would be turned off by the changes. Not that JUSTICE LEAGUE WAR is not a good movie, it is. It succeeds in re-introducing these well known characters in a new light, and in setting up a whole new universe for subsequent animated movies to be set in. As a pilot film, not bad. But perhaps with the critical acclaim that the graphic novel got, it should not have been too much to expect more advanced animation techniques and better character designs that were closer to the comic art.

DC now has it's New animated movie universe up and running. With a slew of great stories to tap on like THRONE OF ATLANTIS, COURT OF OWLS, ROTWORLD, DEATH OF THE FAMILY etc, here's hoping DC puts a bit more love into the next one.

An Animated Extravaganza For DC Comic Fans

[rannynm · 8/10 · 28 March 2014]

This adventure has much to love! It has action, adventure, comedy, romance (with Wonder Woman), suspense, and so much more including, of course, the heroes!

Now, everything is fine on Earth. Heroes are chilling, doing their thing. But, it's all interrupted when each of them is stopped and has to find the others to destroy a horrible alien race that will harvest humans to destroy the planet! Will the group of super heroes be enough force to stop the 'the Dark Side'? You have to watch the film to find out the ending!

The movie is surprising in a couple of ways. For one, I did not expect the adult language! And second, there are a couple of new heroes such as Shazam who replaces Aqua Man. The film is extremely intense for a DC Comic animation. I think that this film has wonderful voices though. The only small flaw is the voice of Wonder woman – for such a wonderful character, her voice sounds a bit fake. The script and animation are also done nicely.

My favorite scene is when they introduce this kid that gets into a football game for free, gets front row seats and also steals one of the player's jerseys. It takes you time to realize it but, that scene shows two people that look ordinary, but are not.

I recommend this film to ages 12-18. The movie does have a lot of adult language and intense scenes. I give this film 4 out of 5 stars.

Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews, go to kidsfirst dot org.

Empty action, poor characterisation, wasted goodwill

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 17 January 2016]

Waves of parademons attack and Earth's main super-heroes band together in defence somewhat reluctantly (because they don't like each other).

This animated movie tells a very simple story of a huge but unfocused invasion, fought off by well-known superheroes and Cyborg. There is some origin stuff (including Cyborg), but not enough given that these are the New 52 versions of the characters. And that means that Superman is not a character of humility and nobility, he's a brash young man driven by impulse. Wonder Woman is not a character of gravitas and depth, she is shallow and temperamental. Cosmic policeman Green Lantern, responsible for a huge sector of the galaxy, is a trivial smartar$e. And so on. These are not the characters many viewers will be expecting to see, and they needed more explanation.

The film, which has virtually no substance behind the almost non-stop action, is a wonderful example of just how misconceived DC's New 52 reboot was: just about everything which made its characters so iconic has been abandoned and replaced with something not as good. At a stroke, overall quality has been diminished by a material amount.

Lamentable.

The best entertaining animated superhero flick in the Justice League!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 21 August 2016]

Justice League: War (2014) is my number one favorite DC animated film in the Justice League franchise. I absolutely love this flick, I think it is the real superhero team with DC superheroes who join forces together, to stop an invasion of Earth by the alien Darkseid. This was the third DC animated film of Justice League that I watched two days ago and I absolutely loved it. This film really has a lot of action. If you really want to see Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg and Captain Marvel - Shazam fighting Darkseid, fighting these robotic types called Parademons and you want to see them fight, you will see it in here, we have a lot's of action, it is not boring, it is Pg-13, you still do see blood, Darkside is stabbed in the eye by Wonder Woman sword and he pulls it out and blood is coming down the eye, it is spectacular!

Real quick run through the cast: we have Alan Tudyk as Superman which was interesting choice, he's Superman was okay and it was alright. Jason O'Mara as Batman / Bruce Wayne is okay. Jason O'Mara is cast in a lot's of DC animated films as Batman but he is not my favorite voice of Batman, I liked Peter Weller and Kevin Conroy much more as voice of Batman and Kevin McKidd as the voice of Thomas Wayne, that I think he did a decent job playing Bruce Wayne's father. Michelle Monaghan is in here as the voice of Wonder Woman, I know her from Mission: Impossible III and Eagle Eye and she also played in a lot's of movies. Here you have a lots of actors and actresses that I don't know. I think the rest of the cast could have been with some famous actors in it.

I still love this film, I love how Batman and Green Lantern with a box are fighting off Superman, Green Lantern protects Batman and him self. Here we have an origin story of Cyborg / Victor Stone how is he transported in to Cyborg. I was one of the people that I really didn't know much about DC Cyborg, I meet the character in Flashpoint Paradox and I thought he is okay here. Shemar Moore the voice of Cyborg is okay and I really like him. I was surprised that Captain Marvel - Shazam who is just a little kid is a big fan of Victor Stone I was really surprised. A lot of people in here are kidnapped, Superman and Flash have to run for their life's when Darkside fires a lighting voltage with his eyes on them, he misses Flash but he hits Superman and he is kidnapped by Parademons, Batman turns him self to Parademons as part of an assignment undercover in a rescue mission to save Superman and he is taken to Parademons fortress.

I know I am probably delirious but did anyone notice the voice from Flash is similar to Chris Evans who plays Steve Rogers / Captain America in MARVEL's Avengers? Seriously the voice from Christopher Gorham is so similar to Chris Evans, but maybe is just me.

I absolutely love this film, this film kicks a lot of ass and gosh this movie is so awesome, that it is the best one ever made but that is my opinion! Our heroes defeat Darkside and they don't kill anyone, they open the other portal dimension and they sent Darkside and his army in other dimension. Cyborg opens the door where all people are captured and Green lantern catch them and they save them and Green lantern puts people safely on the shore. This is the first time people were not afraid of Justice League ever.

Justice League: War is more of a prequel nobody of our heroes known each other before, we get to see each and every single one of them with their stories, and some people, who are already superheroes like Batman, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman. The best part of the movie is the final battle when all hell breaks loose when Darkseid comes to earth and you know he tries to destroy it and rule the world but a bunch of cool superheroes are in there and they kick his butt.

10 out of 10 is my favorite DC animated flick alongside with The New Frontier and Flashpoint Paradox I love it to death!

Justice League: War is a direct-to-video animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero team the Justice League, and an adaptation of the story Justice League: Origin by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, the first story in DC's 2011 DC Universe relaunch. It was directed by Jay Oliva, scripted by Heath Corson. It is the first movie from the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series that is part of a new shared continuity, the DC Animated Movie Universe.

10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Warner Bros. Animation Warner Premiere DC Comics Starring: Alan Tudyk, Christopher Gorham, Justin Kirk, Shemar Moore, Jason O'Mara, Michelle Monaghan, Sean Astin, Steven Blum Director: Jay Oliva Producer: James Tucker Screenplay: Heath Corson Based on "Justice League: Origin" by Geoff Johns, Jim Lee Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 1 Hr. 19 Mins. Budget: $3.500.000

Not the best. Not the worst.

[mhorg2018 · 6/10 · 15 July 2018]

I was not a fan of the New 52. Other than Wonder Woman, I didn't care for the way they did it. This, the origin of the New Justice League, is based on the opening arc where they battle Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips. Just OK.

a very disappointing 'effort'

[jokredge · 5/10 · 5 February 2014]

I didn't really have high hopes for JL:War to begin with. I have read the comic book Origin, and although i enjoyed it, i didn't really think it could be translated well into a full-length movie. The biggest problem is DC's decision to move away from making fun, intelligent, thrilling JL movies, and just making 1 and a half hour blockbuster animations, filled with gritty "bad ass" dialogue and stupid pop-culture references.

The movie's biggest problem however, is the total mis-characterisation of it's iconic characters, heroes who have been done so much justice in DC's previous efforts (JL cartoons, previous DC Animated features) that it is heartbreaking to watch them here.

SUPERMAN in this movie, is a muscle-head, a total grunt whose only role is to punch this and that, and hit on WW. His dialogue is non-existent, and he really comes out more like a lobotomized Hulk,rather than the most iconic superhero of all time. WONDER WOMAN is a murdering psycho, dressed like an generic anime loli. CYBORG is.. a cyborg alright, but not CYBORG. His origin is different, his character is different, his powers.. You could really replace the three heroes above with original characters. It wouldn't have been agood movie, but at least it wouldn't be an insult to the fans of the JL.Now to the less butchered characters: BATMAN is classic batman.His voice could be a tad monotonous but not really bad, and not really fond of the new costume (that goes for all of them, but batman's in particular makes him look less like a 'weird figure of the night' and more like a metal gear character). SHAZAM-FLASH are the most underused and generic characters they could come up with. We get no backstory at all, no character build-up, they are just there to brawl, although the Flash gets a really badass action scene. THE GREEN LANTERN is the only heroe i really enjoyed in this movie. He's young, cocky, arrogant and borderline psychotic, but you know what?That's Hal Jordan! He is the protagonist of this movie, taking the helm in all the big fights, getting the only character progression in the movie, and his and batman's are the only interractions that come off as real-life people talking. DARKSEID is so badly butchered and underused, that i can;t talk about it without major spoilers but, it is very bad. Any fan of the real lord of Apokolips, get ready for it.

Now, the action was good(not Flashpoint good), although , with 3/4ths of the film being fighting scenes it could get boring at times.The music score was OK, a little underwhelming. All in all, it is an OK movie to watch once, but given DC's past track record, with movies that really push the borders of superhero cartoon animation, if you are a fan, watch the company's previous efforts and pass this one.

Fun to watch, but warnings ahead

[kuuk3 · 7 February 2014]

1. There is swearing in this movie.

2. It is set-up for a sequel featuring the exact same characters (there is an after-credit scene).

3. Batman appears to be invincible, with the infinite ammo cheat on and untearable suit.

4. Wonder-woman behaves like a child.

5. Darkside is just a bully, with no motivation for his actions. He also carries on fighting when he really shouldn't be able to, and his omega blasts vary in power depending on who they hit.

6. The whole film is pure action with no plot and just a bit of characterisation.

7. Cyborg is a joke. No-one can explain how he got his powers, how they work, what they are, where the ammo come from, what the AI is etc. i know it doesn't explain much in the comic either, but if you willing to scrap Aquaman, then you can make other needed changes to.

8. Superman's transformation at the end is left unexplained as to how.

9. They use the 'reset' switch ending to get rid of thousand of enemy para-demons in one quick sweep (like the end of Avengers). Again it makes no sense and feels like a cheap resolution to a big problem. Too many shows are doings this and it needs to stop.

This is highly fun to watch. The animation is great and I don't have any problems with the voices like the other reviews. There is lots of fighting between the heroes, the monsters, Darkside etc. but thats all it is. Its as though it was written for children, but then we have swearing in it and our heroes acting like bullies and stealing stuff.

As a story, its lacking in every department. There was potential for greatness but it was never utilised. Watch it, enjoy it. But there are superior DC animations and this wont make it into anyone's top 10. But its worth watching.

The Justice League, not The Avengers

[jon_garza · 7/10 · 4 May 2014]

Forget all you know about this larger than life superheroes, the New Justice League is not as organized and serious as they used to be. They suffer a big influence from their front neighbors in Marvel. An imminent alien invasion is threatening the city and a group of outcast superheroes need to learn how to work together to save the world, sounds familiar?.

DC is trying hard to keep his characters up to date and some changes are been made. The new Superman is very impulsive and has no respect for city property damage, very similar to his Man of Steel counterpart. The same goes to the new comedic styled Green Lantern based on the Ryan Reynolds version. Probably the worst part is Wonder Woman who is now basically Marvel's Thor.

On the bright side, the animation and voice acting are both great and Batman (the obvious main character) are perfectly portrayed. Justice League War is entertaining and relevant for kids, just for the old comic book geeks like me, may be a little disappointing.

A great origin story

[masonsaul · 8/10 · 24 January 2019]

Justice League: War is a great origin story for the Justice League that's funny and action packed. The Justice League have really good chemistry and all the performances are really good, especially Jason O'Mara who is an amazing Batman. The humour works really well, the action is enjoyable and the film has good pacing. The animation however, is really good most of the time but does dip in quality in places.

Fun action but characters seem off

[pcrprimer · 6/10 · 8 May 2014]

The Justice League has not been created yet, so many of the superheroes don't really know each other. I also feel that some of the characters have very different personalities from how they are traditionally portrayed. Superman isn't the boy scout, Green Lantern seems very whiny, and Wonder Woman is mainly portrayed as a fish out of water. Shazam is also included instead of Martian Manhunter, which I think is a detriment to the group since he doesn't have any redeemable qualities. Showing Cyborg's origin story was cool since I didn't know much about it. The best part was definitely the action scenes with Darkseid since there was so much destruction.

Good as always

[ericstevenson · 8/10 · 28 April 2017]

This movie seems to be another retelling of the DC characters' origin, especially Cyborg's. Maybe it's gotten to the point where I've seen so many of these movies that I'm not that impressed with them anymore. Don't get me wrong, this is still enjoyable. It's still not that unique. It makes you wonder what costume Wonder Woman will wear next. I really do like the stuff with her and the ice cream. In this movie, we get to see Desaad, Darkseid's assistant, for the first time. It's weird to see Darkseid as literally a giant. Hey, I remember whose parademons from the end of "Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox"! Dang, I'm just becoming more familiar with superheroes constantly.

The animation was very slick. I think this might be the first time any animated superhero movie included the word "shit". Well, everything is PG-13 including the cartoon movies nowadays! The fight scenes are always great and while the characterizations aren't that perfect, we still get some good study of the characters. Are these movies ever going to run out of different animation styles? Just how many different times can you reimagine Batman and Superman? ***

It isn't as bad as many people want you to believe, but...

[maurodc · 6/10 · 8 July 2017]

...it still isn't the best of DCU.

When I first saw this movie, I loved it (I was 13 or 14 at that time), but when I saw it again yesterday, I didn't knew what was going on, because I saw it completely different than how I saw it for the first time, like most of the jokes that made me laugh once, now I found them a little dumb.

I also noticed what most of the reviewers complained about this movie, which is that almost the entire movie was destruction, battles and action, lacking information about the background of the characters, and you know? You're right. There were important details about the past of the members of the Justice League that were missing, particularly of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Flash (we never get to know how Wonder Woman arrived to the place were we first see her in the movie).

The most interesting thing for me about this movie was to know the origin of Cyborg, because is very well executed and described, except for the fact that he apparently dominates his abilities even tough it's his first day as Cyborg.

The film is rated PG-13 as most of the DCU animated movies, but I think it wasn't for that much, only for the language.

I must say that I'm a huge fan of DC Comics, especially of the animated movies. And as a fan, I certainly think that this movie was enjoyable, but that, for being a flick that explains the new origin of the JL, it could have been much better than what it was.

Excellent start for the reboot

[christopher-swol · 8/10 · 7 February 2014]

This film is hands down awesome. The past DC animated films have been spectacular, but now it's time to move into the new era of the New 52! From here on out all animated DC productions shall be slanted to the new story arcs of the New 52. Watch Justice League Flash Paradox beforehand to transition from the past to this, a new rebooted era where many of the superheroes have yet to meet.

My only con that I have to mark for this film is the fact that Captain Marvel is called Shazam when if fact that is the magic word he says to transform, common mistake, but DC had yet to make this oops since they started any animation series. So to the new guy on their staff, kick yourself. Because I'm sure you're gonna hear a lot more :-P

Characters were out of character

[darapjohnson · 7/10 · 6 July 2023]

Oh God, this is pretty tricky to rate since I both liked it but there was also a lot of dislikes. "Justice League: War is based off the graphic novel "Justice League: Origins" which evolves around The Justice League teaming up to fight the big threat in Darkseid.

First I will start with the likes. I was kind of sad when I saw that the old voice actors didn't reprise their roles in this one but the ones that did voice act in this were actually pretty decent. I did not have a single problem with any of them. Another thing I liked was the chemistry between the different characters and each hero got a chance to shine in the sun. The fighting and action was well-made too.

Now for the dislikes. I don't like how they made Green Lantern a sort of arrogant jerk in this, despite him being pretty relaxed and chill in all the previous DC animated movies. Superman's 'fight first, ask questions later' was also out of character, and Darkseid seemed pretty... weak? In the comics he is considered one of the strongest characters of all DC but in this he was just a giant chump, literally. Wonder Woman was a little bit off character too. So yeah, despite not being nearly as good as Flashpoint Paradox, this had its charms.

Good

[ayuobsaleh · 8/10 · 30 December 2021]

Nice movie, It's not flashpoint level , but it's still a good movie. A beautiful story, the team building was done in a very beautiful way. Many good points except only a few notes.

Justice League: Uniting Heroes

[karandave-07682 · 6/10 · 30 May 2023]

As a devoted DC fan, I excitedly anticipated the release of Justice League: War, a movie that promised to unite the DC universe's heroes in a powerful show of teamwork to combat the powerful Darksied. However, after seeing the film, I find myself doubting the overwhelmingly positive reviews it has garnered. I couldn't help but believe that Justice League: War fell short of its high expectations, despite the fact that film definitely delivers on the action and superhero spectacle.

Justice League War thrusts viewers into the heart of the action from the get-go, with Parademons attacking and seizing the Mother Box, followed by the arrival of Darkseid. However, the lack of proper setup and character introductions left me wanting more. The movie's fast-paced narrative sacrifices depth for brevity, resulting in missed opportunities for character development. Some heroes, like Cyborg and Shazam, are underutilized, leaving their roles feeling overshadowed. While the film offers an adrenaline-fueled experience, a more measured approach could have allowed for a more satisfying exploration of the characters' backgrounds and individual journeys.

One of the film's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of the themes of teamwork, trust, and the challenges of coming together as a united front even though none of them have a shared background. The script expertly weaves these themes into the narrative, showcasing the individual struggles and growth of each hero. The idea of heroes with differing personalities and powers learning to set aside their egos and work as a cohesive unit resonates deeply, reminding us of the strength that lies in unity.

Justice League War brings the ensemble cast to life with exceptional voice acting, capturing the unique personalities of each hero. The film's stunning visuals, from meticulously crafted cinematography to dynamic camera angles, add a grand sense of scale to the battles. The tight editing maintains a gripping pace throughout. The score perfectly complements the action, intensifying key moments and enhancing the emotional impact. The production design and special effects are visually impressive, with faithful renditions of the heroes' iconic costumes. The action sequences are a visual feast, seamlessly blending CGI and hand-drawn animation. The immersive experience made me feel as though I was right alongside the heroes, fighting in the battles. The animation, CGI, and cinematography deserve special praise, even though the storyline and script fell a bit short.

In Justice League War, the first conflict between Batman and Superman is a thrilling clash of titans. The conflict establishes the tone for the movie and demonstrates the ideological contrasts and unbridled strength of these legendary characters. The man of steel and the dark knight have very different fighting styles, which are highlighted by the fierce choreography and dramatic animation that brings the battle to life. Even though Green Lantern started the battle, he ends up being the middleman in it. Green lantern was strategically included to demonstrate Clark's strength and might as well as Bruce's abilities as a strategist and team leader. The battle serves as a catalyst for the formation of the Justice League, as it becomes clear that their combined strength is needed to face the impending threat. This epic showdown captivates from the start, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and setting the stage for the epic battles yet to come.

Unfortunately, the way the Green Lantern is portrayed falls short of what his persona should have been. While the movie demonstrates his strength and prowess, it skips over his past and personal development, which leaves his character feeling underdeveloped. The plot doesn't provide Green Lantern enough chances to excel and show off the intricacy and depth of his nature. As a result, his appearance seems a little pointless and lacks the character's depth that fans would anticipate. It is regrettable to see the chance to properly explore the distinctive features and inner tensions that make Green Lantern such an engaging superhero being lost. In addition to Green Lantern, Shazam and Flash also experienced this in this film. Despite the film's action-packed nature, the underutilization of these characters ultimately leaves a void in the ensemble and leaves fans craving more from this iconic character.

Justice League War's final battle is an immense and imposing spectacle that leaves a lasting impact. The Justice League comes together to take on this powerful menace as Darkseid's armies make their way towards Earth. There are intense action scenes and mind-blowing demonstrations of power from each hero, and the battle is on an epic scale. A beautiful feast for the eyes is produced by the animation and visual effects, which reach new heights. The carefully constructed choreography highlights the Justice League members' distinctive combat philosophies and intrepid teamwork. The intensity of the conflict is palpable, and the stakes are raised to their highest point.

The last battle provides a convincing illustration of the value of cooperation and heroism due to the heroes' resolve, selflessness, and unflinching solidarity in the face of overwhelming odds . The Justice League rises victorious against the forces of evil in this satisfying climax that astounds viewers and gives them a sense of contentment and fulfilment.

While Justice League War succeeds in both action and character dynamics, because to its rapid pacing, it occasionally forgoes deeper character study. There may have been more breathing room for some instances, allowing for deeper emotional resonance. Additionally, the story, while engaging, does not provide significant surprises or twists, adhering closely to its source material. Justice League War delivers an exciting and action-packed superhero adventure, making it a success for DC fans as a whole. It is a must-watch for any superhero enthusiast, providing a thrilling and emotionally resonant experience that will leave you craving for the next chapter in this epic saga.

Not Impressed

[grast5150 · 3/10 · 17 March 2014]

I am not impressed with the latest re-envisioning of DC characters. Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman are HORRIBLE. The voice acting is OK but the dialog is horrible especially for Wonder Woman. I was disappointed to see how the story illustrated Superman. Since when is Superman a spoiled uncontrolled arrogant punk. That is Captain Marvel. I saw nothing of the reserved and respectful Superman which I grew up with. Green Lantern was a little bit too cocky. His powers were a bit too scaled down for me.

The story was OK as a whole but the new character from the NEW 52 did not resonate with me.

Thanks.