La Ligue des justiciers: Dieux et Monstres

To say that I've become disenfranchised by the DC Animated films would be a bit of an understatement. Ever since Justice League: War, they've just been a mess. There was the one bright spot of Assault on Arkham but otherwise they've just been dull action movies that don't do the characters justice. Thank goodness WB brought back Bruce Timm, who was one of the primary creative forces behind the Batman and Justice League animated series that kicked off DC animated projects being good in the first place. The result is the best DC animated film since New Frontier.

Gods and Monsters can be said to be the first true Elseworlds story that's been done in animation. Sure there's been some parallel world stuff (Crisis on Two Earths) and plenty of out of continuity stand alones (like the aforementioned New Frontier) but they've still kept the characters pretty close to the standard versions we all know. None have really tried to craft a completely new vision of what these characters are, and that's what this story does. It makes the wise choice of having different characters taking on the mantles of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman rather than actually trying to muck about with Clark, Bruce or Diana. Instead Superman is the son of Zod, Batman is Kirk Langstrom (better known as the Man-Bat in the main DC universe) and Wonder Woman is one of the New Gods (such as High Father and Darkseid.) Their backstories are explored just enough to give a good picture of these versions without ever bogging down the narrative itself.

Like any good Elseworlds story, this is an "all bets are off" take where any prior knowledge of the main DC universe can add some weight when characters like Victor Fries or Dr. Sivanna get name dropped, but nobody is exactly the same as their standard representation. All of the voice work is solid, and each of the primary characters (and even some of the secondary ones) are given the chance to stretch a little and show some dimension.

The action is also a huge step up from what we've gotten lately. Most of the DCAU films based on the New 52 continuity have had well done yet rather mundane action sequences. The problem is that those films are trying for a more realistic version of fights, which isn't what animation is good for. Animation is good for over the top stuff that couldn't be replicated by just two actors and a fight choreographer, and that over the top stuff is what we get here.

I don't think I can recommend this highly enough for anybody who has found the recent output of DC animated films to be sorely lacking. This is a return to form, it's a top notch story, it's a fun and engrossing new take on characters and it's the kind of thing I hope we see more of in the future.

This movie is simply bait and switch. It claims to be a Justice League movie but its not. You will see the names Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, but none of those names attach to anyone you recognize. Instead this is some wannabe auteur's desire to inflict on this fan base their "creativity". That would be fine if this franchise were a TV show still, but its not, it's a movie from a franchise I look forward to and get very little of.

Recently, this franchise has had 2 movies ("War" and "Throne of Atlantis") that brought back the feel of continuity. The feeling that these movies were continuing a story instead of being single one-off experiences and I was extremely happy to see that.

Following that up with this self-indulgent garbage and I can't help but feel cheated. I only hope this is a singular mistake and not a trend.

The characters portrayed in the Justice League are very different from the ones we are usually used to see. The back-story of the characters has been changed and even the real life names of the characters have been changed. This makes for an interesting and gripping plot. Its refreshing to see the characters out of their clichéd stories.

If you are willing to try something out of the comfort zone this is it. The supporting characters have a much different role to play. This storyline is well worth further exploitation. The ending is a platitude that you can expect from Justice League. But the movie is well written and made.

For the past two years, DC's Original Animated Movie lineup was a bit shaky in terms of quality, unlike the 6 years preceding it. Going in, even with Bruce Timm (a legend in American animation) returning, my hopes were not high. I had read the prequel comic series, and I found it entertaining but unnecessarily dark and feared that the movie would suffer from the same flaw. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. It exceeded all my expectations and then some.

The movie showcases an alternate DC universe, which has a darker Justice League who investigate the mystery of some missing scientists. The fallacy of many parallel earth stories are that they do a tacked-on comparison with the originals. Gods and Monsters does it in such a way that is to be applauded with neat hints to Ray Palmer's shrinking technology, the treaty between Apokolips and New Genesis which really gives us a feel to the new universe that is being created here. The story is really great, with focus being on this world's Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and a last minute twist that no one could have predicted, yet is very faithful to the source material, a silent nod to some relatively recent comic series, such as "52" and "Prelude to Trinity War". The morals of these characters are not black-and-white, which makes it harder to root for them.

The characterization is top-notch, especially with Lex Luthor, Will Magnus and Batman (voiced by the amazing Michael C. Hall, famous for Dexter, who really steals the show). On that note, the voice acting in this one is brilliant, with the exception of Lex Luthor, who seemed a little off to me. The fight scenes are brutal and epic on a grand scale, however, the little moments, such as the revelation of Bekka's tragic past and Kirk's college flashbacks' are the real highlights of the movie. Even in the short span of 60 minutes, it makes you care deeply for these characters, despite their fallacies.

Overall, Gods and Monsters is a great alternate take on the DC Universe, which can be enjoyed by fans, especially since it is laden with easter eggs, and newcomers alike, because of it's accessibility. With great voice acting, excellent animation and a compelling story, it is a must watch for any Justice League fan.

Love animation and have really enjoyed to loved many superhero films, animated and live-action. Of the DC animated films, there are some good ones out there as well as some disappointments and ones that fall in between.

Although the very different portrayal of the Justice League characters will take a lot of getting used to, their personalities and back-stories changed beyond recognition for die-hard fans struggling with the concept, the alternate universe concept was a very interesting one and mostly the execution was very good, its best elements great. 'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' is one of those divisive films, purists are likely to not care for it but those who have been disappointed by general DC animated standards (which to me has been variable) they will be rewarded.

'Justice League: Gods and Monsters', like a good deal of DC animated films, could have been better with a longer length by about 10-15 minutes or so and the pace slowed down. The ending in particular felt rushed and didn't seem developed enough.

Having said that, 'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' has better story and characterisation execution than most DC animated films that needed to be longer and not as hasty. The story is one of the darkest and grittiest of any DC animated film and all the better for it because to me that's the right approach to take.

It's also very gripping, makes the most of its concept without being too simple or confusing and gives the characters interesting stories, especially Wonder Woman. The characters are intriguingly handled and with intense and potent character interaction, though there could have been more of a few of them (i.e. Lex Luthor). The action is violent and exciting, though perhaps there could have been more of it.

'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' is very good, often great. There are some very nice detailed backgrounds, the characters are designed well and the colours are dynamic and atmospheric. The music is both haunting and rousing, a good fit for the film's mood.

Writing is far from simplistic or childish and the voice acting is impressive, Michael C. Hall being brilliant while Benjamin Bratt is one of the better voices for Superman of the DC animated films and others show that with good material they can act (C. Thomas Howell).

Concluding, 'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' may not be quite godly but it is far from monstrous, closer to the former than the latter. 8/10 Bethany Cox