Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (Movie Review)

The last several DC animated movies(Green Lantern, Batman/Superman, Wonder Woman) have been solid and enjoyable. This latest offering from DC is no exception.

From its opening scene that smoothly launches into some great looking opening credits, the moment when the final credits roll, this movie was engaging throughout.

On an alternate reality earth, Lex Luthor is the only remaining superhero, while a group of Justice League look-alikes are the world’s most dangerous criminals. Luthor travels to the world of the Justice League and requests their help. Their response to the situation leads o some great action and nice characterization.

Although none of the original cast from the JLU animated series return for this film, the assembled thespians do a great job of voicing their characters, with the possible exception of Superman. I could be wrong, but I think he has a slight lisp. Not good for the man of steel.

The movie sounds great in a 5.1 home theater but the visuals are the stronger point. Although the character design is not much more complex and detailed than in the animated series, the backgrounds and effects surrounding the characters blend cell animation and CGI wonderfully and create moments I wanted to reach out and touch.

Although the character designs are similar, this story is not an adaptation of the Grant Morrison “JLA: Earth Two” graphic novel. This story is actually better and easier to follow with more focused themes.

James Woods is the stand out performer in his portrayal of the sociopath “Owlman”. Geeky, creepy and extremely “badboy”. He’s the opposite of Batman and every bit his equal in skill and intellect. And we get to see him bring his talents to bear. The stakes don’t get any bigger than they do in this movie, and it’s a great ride!

It should also be noted that this script is adapted by Dwayne McDuffie from material he intended to use in a story arc for the animated series that never came to be because of that series’ cancellation. And although there are some minor continuity differences, most can be attributed to the passing of time if the viewer prefers, and any JLU fans can enjoy this movie as another installment of their favorite show.

Owlman’s worldview is clearly atheistic and his outlook actually represents the natural outflow of a purely materialistic worldview. He believes that there is no purpose or meaning to anything, and it drives his decisions from beginning to catastrophic end.

It’s not a major theme and may have even been unintended by McDuffie, but the fact remains that Owlman, in his villainous plot, is merely acting out what is only logical if an atheistic worldview is followed to the bitter end. Food for thought.

The 2- Disc DVD and Blu-ray editions come with some great bonus features, including an animated short featuring The Spectre and the live action pilots for Wonder Woman and Aquaman (unaired!). But the latter two are on the blu-ray version only. The Aquaman pilot is interesting for those who are curious, but it’s painfully clear why it was never picked up. Bland, obvious writing that leaves no room for subtext and weal performances to match all around.

The Spectre short, on the other hand, is fantastic! Based on the Jim Aparo run from the 70’s, the spirit of vengeance deals out wrath without mercy in a world where evil is evil and must be punished. As a fan of the Ostrander/Mandrake run (which bears similarities to Aparo’s work) I thought it was great, although I didn’t care for the 1970’s film grain effect they added for atmosphere, or the fact that the story took place in the 70’s, rather than the 30’s or 40’s where the character originates. But these are small complaints and this short adds tremendous value to the DVD.

If you’re a DC comics fan or a fan of the Justice League animated series, this movie is a must have. And if you have the option, grab the Blu-ray version!

Rated PG-13 for action violenceQuality: 8.5/10

Relevance: 7.0/10