7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and other superheroes join forces to save Earth from Darkseid.
Starring: Jason O'Mara, Alan Tudyk, Michelle Monaghan, Steve Blum, Justin KirkComic book | 100% |
Action | 83% |
Fantasy | 66% |
Sci-Fi | 66% |
Animation | 59% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Whoa. Change is in the air. Based on the opening volley of DC Comics' "New 52" reboot, Justice League: War tosses
out the old (and not so old) and ushers in the brand spanking new with almost aggressive indifference. Creatively, it's an
exciting prospect; a bold, publisher-wide effort to cast eighty years of familiar heroes and villains in a fresh light. Logistically,
it's struck many a longtime fan as alienating; dividing an already splintered DC fanbase into those hungry for radical change
and those tearing out their hair, shaking their fists at the comicbook heavens and cursing the DC Entertainment gods.
War presents a very, very different JLA (more so perhaps than even its New 52 counterpart), with Batman
being the only hero who seems to have escaped DC's scorched earth revamp relatively unscathed. Superman is now an
impulsive, arrogant titan with little concern for property damage. You're not meant to like him, and you won't like him. At
all. Green Lantern is a quippy, joke-slinging crack-up with a raging ego. You'll laugh, but visions of Ryan Reynolds' Hal
Jordan might start to dance in your head. Wonder Woman is an exotic, overbearingly enthusiastic and, above all, irritating off-
lander (with a taste for ice cream) who takes her cues from Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Flash is a restrained, nose-to-the-
grindstone crime fighter; a speedster with a slug's charisma. On and on and on.
Judged on its own merits, War is a blast. I'll give it that. It's fun, surprisingly funny and packed with wall to wall,
punchety-punch-punch action. But beneath all the bluster and bombast is a JLA that's difficult to warm to, an animated original
movie that lacks subtlety and depth, and a launching point for a shared
continuity that, at least at the moment, doesn't seem all that appealing.
Like The Flashpoint Paradox and others before it, banding is the biggest flaw to be found in Justice League: War, followed by almost negligible aliasing and intermittent softness. The good news is the culprit is, more often than not, the animation itself rather than Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Gradient lighting overlays lead to numerous instances of banding in the skies, the finest line art (CG or otherwise) is problematic, and artificial enlargements and zooms occasionally make the image appear soft. That's not to say War is a bad looking film, or that it's animation necessarily disappoints or that its encode is anything short of faithful. However, distractions are rather prevalent, which will irritate those often irritated by such things and sneak by those who never seem to notice. Thankfully, the rest is roses. Colors are subdued but satisfying, primaries pop, black levels are inky, contrast is vivid, and detail is solid on the whole (all things considered). Moreover, there aren't any major issues that trace back to Warner's video presentation, although pay enough attention and you'll spot some fleeting macroblocking here and there). Subjectively, there's a case to be made that my video score should actually be lower. Objectively, there's an argument to be made that it should be higher. I'll split the difference.
Like the movie, War's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is heavy on action and light on subtlety. Be that as it may, the ensuing lossless experience matches the movie beat for beatdown, without any real mishaps to point to. When fistfights and battles with alien invaders aren't being waged, the front speakers do the majority of the lifting, but only insofar as the sound design dictates. Dialogue is clear and intelligible at all times, and prioritization is spot on. The LFE channel doesn't falter either, latching onto every heat-vision-induced explosion, earth-shattering Darkseid punch, collapsing building, smashed car and ripped metal beam that enters the fray. The rear speakers are just as aggressive, even if directionality is somewhat imprecise. Dynamics deliver, pans are slick and the soundfield is reasonably immersive. It doesn't offer the sort of top tier experience you'd expect from a theatrical superhero outing like Man of Steel, but for a DCU animated movie, it bears its teeth, charges headlong into the chaos and accomplishes everything it's meant to. No complaints.
Where does Justice League: War fall on the spectrum of DCU animated original movies? Every comic and DCU animation fan will walk away with a different answer. And debate will continue to rage as long as DC Entertainment sticks with The New 52. Being introduced to new incarnations of familiar characters can be exhilarating, particularly when creators are given the freedom to play. It can also be a frustrating experience, fraught with pitfalls and wrong turns. As a launch pad for the DCU's newly announced plans to develop a shared continuity among its animated movies, War plants plenty of intriguing seed and serves as a decent origin tale. It's flaws are pretty glaring, though, and it's more divisive than most. Warner's Blu-ray release isn't exactly reliable either. Its DTS-HD Master Audio track is excellent, but its video presentation is a bit too problematic and its supplemental package can be exhausted too quickly. Still, it's an entertaining flick and a solid disc. Rent it if you need to be sure. Otherwise take advantage of the low pricepoint and enjoy the take in the latest DCU animated original movie, flaws and all.
2014
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