Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Review

"Someone once asked if I wanted to save the world or to rule it. Today... it's going to be hard to tell the difference."

Those words should already tell you what kind of characters you're going to be dealing with.

The Plot

In an alternate universe created by DC Animation's Mastermind, Bruce Timm, comes a gripping story focused on an entirely new Justice League. In this grounded world, there is no Kal El/Clark Kent, Diana Prince, or Bruce Wayne. But there is still Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. But they are completely different. Superman (Benjamin Bratt) is the son of General Zod raised by Mexican immigrants. Wonder Woman (Tamara Taylor) is the New God, Bekka, who chose Earth to be the home of her self imposed exile from Apokalips. And Batman (Michael C. Hall) is Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who accidentally turned himself into a vampire trying to cure his lymphoma. These incarnations of the Justice League are not like their original counterparts, and are willing to cross the line when the situation calls for it. So much so that when several scientists are brutally murdered, leaving evidence that points to the Justice League as the culprits, the world does not believe they are innocent. As the body count continues to rise, the brutal superheroes must find a way to clear their names before the world finally decides that it doesn't need them anymore.

Review

For a detailed backstory of the creation of this film, check out my review of the prequel web series right here: Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Season 1

This film is pretty much a return to form of the beloved 90s and early 2000s DC animation created by Bruce Timm. The film brings back a huge level of complexity that not many people would be expecting from a film like this. Especially when the selling point of the film is that this is a darker and grittier take on the DC Universe. And given the state of DC Fans hating the constant need of having their beloved properties injected with dark and gritty, it is no surprise that their initial reaction will be negative without even seeing the final product. Well I'm glad to report that this film is not dark and gritty. It is actually a mature take on the DC Universe with a slight edge. Yes there are dark themes in the film, and yes the violence is not toned down, but it is no different than the beloved animated series Timm has created in the past. If there is a difference, it is in the characters themselves.

Benjamin Bratt plays this incarnation of Superman named Hernan Guerra. This Superman is more akin to a soldier and has a rougher upbringing given that he was raised by Mexican immigrants. This adds a completely different layer to him as a Superman who grew up poor and in the lower class who literally rises up to become the success story of the American Dream. This upbringing makes his sense of justice far more complicated as he knows that justice sometimes needs a heavy hand but also must have limits. Bratt does an excellent job of balancing a man who clearly has a lot of anger, but tries to manage it in more positive ways. If there is one negative that I have to give about this movie involving his character, it is the outright acknowledgement that he is the son of General Zod. It is not a spoiler, as it is used in the promotions and first 5 minutes of the film, but this Superman had no idea General Zod was his father and when he learns this information for the first time it would've been a more powerful moment if the audience didn't know already.

Tamara Taylor plays this incarnation of Wonder Woman named Bekka. Her Wonder Woman is clearly a lot more aggressive and sexually active. The best way to describe it is think of her as a less overly flirty version of Catwoman but with multiple super powers. However the reason for her aggressive and overt sexual nature stems mainly from her origin, which is pretty much a Disney Princess story that horrifically turns into a Game of Thrones wedding. This automatically makes you understand why she's the way she is, and why she still wants to be a good person. Her backstory doesn't add much to the overall plot of the film as say Superman's or Batman's, but it is arguably the most hard hitting of the three. Tamara had a fine line to walk of having this cocky and sexually active Wonder Woman who hides her vulnerable side, and luckily she does an excellent job showing the complexity of Bekka.

Michael C. Hall plays this incarnation of Batman named Kirk Langstrom. It should come no surprise why the actor who played Dexter was hired to play this incarnation, primarily because he's a vampire who feeds off of criminals. Parallels aside, strangely enough, despite the very un-original take on the caped crusader, this iteration of Batman is probably the most relatable of the new heroes. Granted, Batman has always been touted as the most relatable of the DC heroes, but here we actually feel that he is someone we can be. Given that he is now Kirk Langstrom and not billionaire Bruce Wayne, we actually see him more as a normal person who is gifted that winds up gaining a horrible vocation. Hall's portrayal of Batman is mostly monotone, but when he does show emotion, the tone of his voice changes just enough for it to register that he does still have feelings despite being a monster.

But at the core of the movie is the murder mystery that is the central plot of the film. It is a highly commendable achievement for Bruce Timm and his writing partner Alan Burnett (also a DC animation alumni) to weave these entirely new backstories seamlessly into the central plot. However, that means that there wasn't enough room to truly delve deep into the mystery of who is killing the world's greatest scientists and are the Justice League innocent? I blame the 75 minute runtime for this problem, as the film only need 15 more extra minutes to develop the mystery further as well as the antagonist driving the mystery. It is still a compelling story, despite being a plot that has been used in Superhero stories over and over again. This is again thanks to Timm and Burnett's great execution with the writing, but hardcore DC fans will be able to solve the mystery in an instant. That still doesn't take away from this dark, edgy and FUN alternate universe.

If there is one thing that I have to really complain about, it is the fact that the animation is not really up to par for movie standards. As much as I love that they returned to Timm's classic animation style, I find it hard to believe that they didn't have enough time to make the animation smoother. It is a nice callback to the old 90s and early 2000s, but it is hard to deny that the animation could use a few more extra frames to really sell the action or even dramatic moments.

Final Thoughts

While it may not be the best thing Bruce Timm has ever done, it is definitely the best animated film Warner Bros. animation has produced in almost a decade. The animation and voice acting is a loving call back to a time when DC animation was considered king, and also shows that it is okay to think outside of the box when it comes to the DC Trinity. Small problems and pretty predictable story aside, this is probably the most relatable and fascinating iteration of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in a long time. If you have a love for alternate stories or have an open mind for change, this movie will definitely entertain and enlighten you. If you are incapable of accepting other interpretations of the characters you hold so close to your fanboy/girl heart...then don't bother because you are absolutely going to hate this no matter how good it is. I have an open mind, and this is the Justice League I want in my life. I now have Season 2 and hopefully a sequel to this film to look forward to in the future.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - Despite being predictable, it is a great and welcoming return for Bruce Timm

Justice League: Gods And Monsters Chronicles - Season 1 Review

A New World Order in an Alternate DC Universe

This year (2015) marks the return of an animation titan, Bruce Timm. A man responsible for creating the best animated DC Superhero Cartoons as well as being one of the creators behind the now iconic supervillainess, Harley Quinn. He has stepped away from DC animation for a while as a creative force, instead opting to be just a producer. But now, the time has come for his return. And it is a a return not many people were excepting.

Timm has decided to create an entirely original Justice League universe that is more edgy and gritty. Which translates to most people as, "Dark and Gritty." This bemoans DC fans as they are apparently tired of this trend, especially with how much the internet fan community already hates the darker DC Cinematic films, when as of right now there is only one to really complain about.

But Timm is no fool. He refuses to use the term Dark for this new universe he's creating. But he definitely wants it to be edgy, yet still exciting to watch. The result is JUSTICE LEAGUE: Gods and Monsters which debuts direct to DVD later in the year. But luckily he has partnered with Machinima to showcase three short 5-6 minute episodes that give audiences a taste of how different this world will be. And thus JUSTICE LEAGUE: Gods and Monsters CHRONICLES was born. You can watch these three short episodes for free on youtube through Machinima's channel. And these three episodes are meant to introduce us to the Trinity of this Universe: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Episode 1 - Twisted

The first episode of this web series introduces this universe's Batman. Here he is Kirk Langstrom, a character that most DC Comics fans know as Man-Bat in the main universe. This version of him is a Vampire, which automatically gives you an idea of how different he is from Bruce Wayne's Batman. But he is not the only one who shows up in this episode. Fan favorite villainess, Harley Quinn, is the primary antagonist of this short. But given that this episode's mission is to let you know that this is a much edgier world, Harley's actions definitely conveys it the most. Because here she is amplified to pure psychopathic serial killer. As the episode demonstrates, the gloves are off and this is definitely not a children's show. The tone is definitely fit for a Batman episode, but it is the horrific things that Harley does that truly gives new meaning to the term, gritty. It does however come off as a little bit trying too hard to outdo the notion of "dark and gritty" by going to the extreme. But that is only a minor problem, as the episode is a nice exercise of how effective short narrative is, as well as having little dialogue. The actions and atmosphere tell the story in a hugely effective way, and lets people know this is going to be their violent new Batman.

 SCORE: 8/10 - A great introduction to the new Batman, that does go overboard a bit

Episode 2 - Bomb

The second episode of this web series introduces this universe's Superman. This one is the son of General Zod, whom DC Comics fans will know as one of the archenemies of Superman in the main universe. Unlike his main universe counterpart, this Superman is raised by Mexican Immigrants and had a rougher upbringing. But none of that is explored here, as the episode deals with a city being completely torn apart by Brainiac. This isn't the alien computer from the main universe, but rather an entity created by the government to keep Superman in check. Unfortunately this entity has lost control of his powers and incapable of stopping the destruction he causes. And the confrontation between this world's Superman and Brainiac is what makes it the best episode of three. Here, in this not so subtle reference to Akira, we see how much this Superman is similar to the primary one. He definitely believes in doing the morally right thing first, as it is Superman's nature to always find another way. But then that's where the similarities end due to him being far more pragmatic with his actions. It is definitely a commentary about the controversial ending in Man of Steel, but this takes it to a whole lot darker territory. Tone wise it isn't as dark as the Batman episode, but the situation that it builds up to is both dark and truly... heart wrenching. This is a Superman who feels like a soldier who has to live with the decisions he makes while at the same time continue to perform what he believes is right. This adds a complexity to the Superman character that hasn't really been explored in the main universe, and it probably never will.

SCORE: 9.5/10 - A perfect introduction to the new Superman that is both dark and poignant

Episode 3 - Big

The third episode of this web series introduces this universe's Wonder Woman. Here, she is Bekka, who some DC comics fans will know as the wife of Orion and a New God. Unlike this universe's Batman and Superman who have direct ties to villains of their main universe counterparts, Bekka is not connected to the main universe's Wonder Woman in any shape or form. This makes her completely special and unique among the trinity, as she feels like a completely new character rather than a twist on an existing one. Granted her character in the main universe is pretty obscure, but here is her chance to shine as the most powerful woman in this universe. And she is powerful. However, as the two previous episodes demonstrate how dark this world can be, this episode was actually... fun. It is a complete homage to classic James Bond films, with this world's Steve Trevor as Bond but with a twist. It is a complete gender reversal by having the Bond Girl of this scenario, Wonder Woman, outclassing the James Bond of this scenario, Steve Trevor. It was completely meant to showcase that this Wonder Woman is boisterously cocky as well as sexually aggressive. She says what she wants and gets what she wants, whether you like it or not. And has the power to back it up. This comes off as a little jarring seeing as the previous two episodes dealt with dark themes, whereas this one really deals with sexuality. She is definitely proud of her barely covered assets and is hungry to have sex surrounded by a sea of corpses she was responsible for. That's pretty much where we really see what Timm meant by wanting to be edgy and not dark. Because this is edgy, having a cocky and extremely horny Wonder Woman, which may rub some fans the wrong way, but it does make her a hell of a lot more interesting. But in the end, the episode feels like a letdown because of how the previous two were handled.

SCORE: 7.5/10 - An entertaining introduction to a sexually charged Wonder Woman

Overall Impressions

This has been a great introduction to Bruce Timm's new edgy and gritty DC Universe. It offers us glimpses into not only the powers of the new characters but also their personalities. There really isn't much to nitpick about theses shorts as they are timed perfectly to deliver the goods. Although I would like to argue that the Wonder Woman episode probably should've been the second episode as chronologically her story takes place before Superman's. I am very much looking forward to the feature length film, as well as Season 2 next year. I'm loving these characters so far, and I can only hope that they mesh well together as the Justice League.