Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Tales From the Darkseid.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 21, 2020

Although it sounds like a direct sequel to 2017's outstanding Justice League Dark, Matt Peters and Christina Sotta's Justice League Dark: Apokolips War wraps up an interlinked series of some fifteen direct-to-video animated productions beginning with 2013's The Flashpoint Paradox and last explored during 2019's Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. Needless to say, this is not something you can just casually plop down and watch -- in fact, you might need a spreadsheet handy just to keep track of everything that happens during this densely packed but ultimately rewarding film.

And while keeping track of extended continuity isn't exactly my strong suit, Apokolips War's strong narrative flow and all-star lineup make it a challenge worth taking on. This is a thrilling conclusion to the saga that offers no shortage of long-awaited fights, brutally unexpected plot twists, and a metric ton of major character deaths that, in any other context, would cause rioting in the streets. In fact, I barely know how to describe Apokolips War's basic plot without inadvertently spoiling a few things (and probably have already, to be honest), so let's keep this short.

Supreme baddie Darkseid has conquered just about every notable planet and Earth is next, with only the Justice League standing in his way. He's got the technological advantage through access to League member Cyborg's optics, but they travel to his home world of Apokolips while the Teen Titans stay back on Earth. Unfortunately, it doesn't go well and, within two years, Earth is a wasteland and any surviving superheros are either cast to the wind or in pretty bad shape -- even Superman has lost his powers after a liquid Kryponite injection, and Batman's nowhere to be found. A regroup is in order, but the staggered JL members aren't entirely hopeful or even willing at first: John Constantine drinks his life away in a pub with Etrigan the Demon, a gaunt Raven roams around with Clark Kent, the Suicide Squad (led by Harley Quinn) and Lois Lane literally fight for entertainment, and Damian Wayne isn't exactly itching to look for his father. After they gradually join forces, a second attack on Apokolips is planned...but in such an already-weakened state, the piecemeal Justice League's chances aren't promising. They try anyway, of course.

This is an extremely violent, high-stakes adventure and all your other favorites are here too -- for a little while, at least. Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, Zatanna, Flash, Captain Boomerang, King Shark (is a shark), Swamp Thing, Green Lantern, Shazam, Bane, Cheetah, the Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Batwoman, Nightwing, Blue Beetle, Kilowog, the Guardians of the Universe, and at least a few dozen others. Sure, they don't all get speaking parts and are somewhat wasted in their limited roles, but Apokolips War packs an awful lot into its 91-minute lifespan so it's understandable. For the most part, the story is well-paced with basically the entire second half focusing on our heroes' final push through Apokolips and, as the body count rises considerably, the almost numbing effect of non-stop chaos is eventually resolved with a reasonably peaceful and sanguine epilogue. That's pretty much exactly what I was hoping to get out of all this, so anyone who's followed the story thus far should enjoy what Apokolips War brings to the table.

Warner Bros. once again offers Apokolips War as a full-fledged 4K edition; it almost seems like overall considering the 2K source material, but there's a noticeable uptick in visual quality and I appreciate having the option. Also like other DCAU releases, we get a great audio presentation as well as a decent assortment of good-to-great bonus features, even if only about half of them are directly related to the main feature. All told, it's a very satisfying package and, whether you opt for this version or the Blu-ray combo pack, chances are good that you'll enjoy yourself.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

From a visual standpoint, Apokolips War fits in snugly with other chapters in the expanded DCAU, featuring familiar character designs and somewhat limited but very serviceable animation. Likewise, its source material is native 2K which technically makes this 2160p transfer an upscale, but the format's increased storage capacity and much more efficient compression yield improvements in all expected areas. It's a tighter and more consistently pleasing visual presentation, one almost entirely free of banding and artifacts, with smoother lines and a punchier color palette thanks to the obvious benefits of HDR enhancement. Black levels also appear slightly more robust without exhibiting signs of crush or obvious loss of shadow detail, and neither is the image as a whole significantly darker. On the other hand, fine detail is not tremendously improved due to the simple character designs and smooth backgrounds, yet this disc will undoubtedly hold up to more intense scrutiny on larger displays. Overall, this 2160p transfer marks a solid step up from the included Blu-ray...so if you've collected all of the DCAU 4K releases already, there's no reason to stop now.

The screenshots in this review are directly sourced from the included Blu-ray. For more 1080p stills and my thoughts on that disc's transfer, please see my separate review of that release.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Apokolips War is sonically similar to past DCAU releases as well, sporting a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that packs a wallop during its most aggressively over-the-top moments. These are obviously not few and far between, which means that the wide majority of this 90-minute production features a solid amount of surround activity, channel panning, deep LFE hits, and an overall presence that feels weighty and dynamic. Scaled-back moments sound great as well including dialogue, quiet echoes, and more subtle sections of the original score by Robert J. Kral (Justice League Dark). Specific highlights include the invading Paradooms, liquid Kryptonite injection, Earth-conquering flashbacks, stray explosions, and basically the last 40 minutes, which is basically a wall of hard-hitting battles and revelations.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offering during the main feature and several key extras. These are formatted nicely and, like the audio track, do not contain any obvious defects or sync issues.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with terrific cover artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption slip. The on-disc extras (all included on the Blu-ray) are on par with other DCAU titles.

• DC Showcase: Adam Strange (16:05) - This animated short follows the titular space adventurer -- now a drunken bum -- during his extended stay on an asteroid mining colony, while his much more heroic earlier life is revealed during a few flashbacks. It's a pretty compelling little sci-fi adventure with solid visual design and features the voices of Charlie Weber, Kimberly Brooks, Fred Tatasciore, and more, with a story by J.M. DeMatteis (Constantine: City of Dreams) and direction by Butch Lukie (Batman: Unlimited franchise).

• Darkseid: New God / Evil Classic (14:57) - This enjoyable featurette explores the infamous supervillain, the New Gods, Jack Kirby, and a general overview of godlike beings and ruthless conquerors present in classic and modern fiction. Featured participants include directors Matt Peters and Christine Sotta, writer/comic historian Mark Evanier, DC Daily host Hector Navarro, executive producer James Tucker, and others.

• Audio Commentary - Directors Matt Peters and Christine Sotta, executive producer James Tucker, and screenwriter Ernie Altbacker sit down for a full-length track full of candid insight and trivia. Featured topics include maintaining continuity in the "Tuckerverse", Constantine and Zatanna, visual design, development vs. the finished product, the use of color, storyboards and composition, green-eyed Superman, favorite character moments and plot twists, killing off major characters, "left turns every scene", and much more.

• Sneak Peek: Superman, Man of Tomorrow (8:35) - A quick preview of this upcoming direct-to-video feature, based on an original story and due out later in 2020 (hopefully). Key members of the voice cast and crew also offer a few brief thoughts on characters, new components, and...hey, there's Lobo. Sweet!

• Previews: Justice League Dark and Batman & Harley Quinn (17:21) - Short featurettes hyping both direct-to-video features...or hey, just read the linked reviews if you're interested in either one.

• From the DC Vault (44:21 total) - Three related adventures are included here: "Zombie King" and "Abate and Switch" from the first volume of Justice League Action (only available on DVD), as well as "Nevermore" from the first season of Teen Titans (recently released as a complete series Blu-ray set from Warner Archive).

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Expansive and interlinked multi-part epics are admittedly not by favorite thing in the world, but DC's fifteen-film saga (beginning with 2013's The Flashpoint Paradox) had plenty of highlights and this final chapter wraps things up nicely. Featuring an all-star cast of characters, high stakes, lots of action, and an almost unreasonable amount of major character deaths, this over-the-top conclusion offers enough chaos and closure to satisfy DC's most demanding fans. Warner Bros.' terrific 4K brings the pain with a rock-solid A/V presentation and a typically nice assortment of good-to-great bonus features, making Apokolips War an easy recommendation for anyone who's already come this far.