Hello Enthusiasts,
Today I will be reviewing the DC animated film, Justice League Dark. Now DC does have a good number of animated movies, and a lot of them are very good, so you may see some comparisons to other films in here as well. Also, as always, there will be some Spoilers Below.
So the story starts off by showing several people who are convinced that everyone around them is a demon who is out to kill them. This leads to a number of casualties until the civilians are brought to their senses by members of the Justice League. A few members suggest that there is likely magic in play, and Batman is prompted (not by the league) to seek out John Constantine for assistance. On his way to finding Constantine he adds Zatana and Deadman to his group, and the four of them move on to investigate what has happened. There are others who help the group out, but most of the film revolves around those four.
So first we can look at some positives with this film. The story itself is intriguing, and it's nice to see some less-prominent characters like Deadman and Swamp Thing get time on screen. The film doesn't hold the viewer's hand the entire time, instead allowing explanations of certain things happen organically. For example, there's a part of the movie where Zatana says that she doesn't practice dark magic because of how she could lose control, but goes no further. Later we see her lose control, and it is surprising/exciting to see that level of power, since we hadn't been told exactly what she meant earlier. Batman being on the team works better than I would have originally thought for a few reasons. He proves useful in a world he isn't too familiar with, but not to the point where it seems like he's the key component to the team. Even more importantly, he serves as a natural way to explain various objects of magic and spells, since everyone else would have a handle on that information.
There are certainly some areas that could use improvement here though. The animation, while not bad, doesn't live up to the standard set by some of the other animated DC films, such as Batman:Under the Red Hood or the second act of The Killing Joke. A lot of the animation feels delayed, and there are a few moments of uncomfortable pauses throughout. I also found it strange the Batman is so quick to dismiss magic when he has worked with several magic users before (Captain Marvel, Doctor Fate, etc). With that previous experience, it's strange that he starts the movie so skeptical. We also get a "surprise" villain near the end, though it was a pretty predictable turn of events.
So is this a bad movie? No, but it certainly isn't the best we've seen from DC animation. There are areas that needed some work before release, but it is overall a pretty good animated film, especially if you want to see some lesser-know characters.
I give Justice League Dark a 6.5 out of 10
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
No comments:
Post a Comment