Justice League Dark (film)

Justice League Dark (film)
Justice League Dark is a 2017 American adult animated science fantasy superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Home Video. Featuring the DC Comics team of the same name created by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janín, the film is the 28th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the eighth of the DC Animated Movie Universe. Unlike most installments in the DC Animated Universe Movies series, Justice League Dark features an original premise. The film stars Matt Ryan as John Constantine and Jason O'Mara as Batman, reprising their respective roles from previous media. It was released on Digital HD on January 24, 2017, and on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7.
A sequel, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, was released in May 2020.
Plot
Law-abiding citizens begin to murder people, believing their victims to be demonic creatures. The Justice League gather to conclude that magic is the source of the crimes, but Batman is skeptical. Later that night at Wayne Manor, he finds a written message on his walls telling him to find Constantine.
In a flashback to five days ago, John Constantine and Jason Blood engage the Demons Three in a high-stakes poker game. Constantine offers his home, the House of Mystery, in exchange for a box of artifacts, including a chipped Dreamstone. When both parties are caught cheating, Constantine magically forces Blood to summon Etrigan to dispatch the demons. Afterward, Blood reprimands Constantine and the two part ways.
In the present, Batman seeks out a reluctant Zatanna to find Constantine. Zatanna is eventually convinced by Boston Brand / Deadman, and the two lead Bruce to the House of Mystery, where they meet Constantine, who is reluctantly working with a team. The group is also joined by Black Orchid, the spiritual embodiment of the House of Mystery, and decide to investigate the cause behind the supernatural occurrences. The team then visits Ritchie Simpson, an old friend of Constantine and Zatanna, where they find shroud spirits of Death waiting to collect his soul. Ritchie has cancer and is resentful towards Constantine for abandoning him to his current predicament, but loans them the Keshanti Key. Constantine and Zatanna use the key to view one of the victim's memories. However, a mysterious figure summons a creature to consume the victim and cover up the crime. Meanwhile, Constantine and Zatanna manage to find how the victim was possessed and narrowly escape before they are consumed, with Constantine retrieving the image of the ring the spirit was wearing.
They go back to Ritchie's house so he can decipher the ring, but find him close to death. Constantine chases after Blood while Batman gives an adrenaline shot to revitalize Ritchie. They take Ritchie and Blood back to the House of Mystery, with Black Orchid tending to Ritchie while the rest interrogate Blood. Blood explains that he sought to access the House of Mystery, and found Ritchie dying at the scene. He further explains that, centuries ago, the sorcerer Destiny possessed the Dreamstone in an attempt to overthrow Camelot, forcing people see their worst nightmares and feeding off their torment. Blood was mortally injured in the battle, leaving Merlin to summon Etrigan to defeat Destiny. After the battle, Merlin bound Blood and Etrigan together, knowing that they would be needed in the future.
Ritchie briefly wakes to claim Felix Faust as his assailant. With Swamp Thing's help, the group locates Faust's observatory, defeating him in battle and concluding that he is innocent. Ritchie awakens and is revealed to have the other piece of the Dreamstone, which has been keeping his cancer in remission; he apparently destroys Black Orchid. Constantine tries to reason with Ritchie, that the Dreamstone (with Destiny's soul trapped inside) is using him, but the Dreamstone takes over Ritchie and transforms him into Destiny.
Destiny destroys the House and departs; Zatanna saves the group, but passes out from exertion. The Justice League tries to fight Destiny, but he causes them to perceive each other as demonic threats and attack each other. Etrigan attacks Destiny, but is separated back into Jason Blood and Etrigan. Constantine summons Swamp Thing, who attacks Destiny, while Batman and Zatanna disable the League. Destiny rips Alec Holland's corpse from Swamp Thing, weakening him and breaking his will, after which he withdraws. Constantine tricks Destiny into bringing him and Deadman within his shield, allowing Deadman to distract Destiny. Blood fatally wounds Destiny with a sword, while Constantine and Batman destroy the Dreamstone, bringing back Ritchie, who is dragged to Hell for his sins, ensuring that Destiny cannot come back. Blood succumbs to his original mortal wounds, and is buried near his old village. Zatanna agrees to join the League and offers Constantine a position as well. He declines, claiming that Batman would not approve, but Zatanna states it was Batman's idea. The two return to the now-rebuilt House of Mystery to discuss their League applications, and Deadman joins the restored Black Orchid as her soulmate.
Voice cast
Production
The film is directed by Jay Oliva, and stars the voices of Matt Ryan, Jason O'Mara, Camilla Luddington, Nicholas Turturro, and Ray Chase. It is the first Justice League film and the second DC Universe animated film and the second film by Warner Bros. Animation to be rated R by the MPAA for some disturbing violence.
Reception
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of , with an average score of , based on reviews.
Dave Trumbore from Collider wrote: "Justice League Dark is a briskly paced, darkly magic adventure that gives some of DC's most shadowy heroes a chance to shine in a story that folds in mythology and mystery, while never losing sight of what it means to be a hero". Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Craze also praised the film, calling it a "fun celebration of supernatural elements in DC comics".
It earned $3,325,752 from domestic home video sales.
Spin-off and sequels
Spin-off
The film spawned a spin-off animated web series titled Constantine: City of Demons that was released on The CW's online streaming platform CW Seed on March 24, 2018, with Ryan reprising his role. It was originally made to be a sequel to the live-action series Constantine and a part of the Arrowverse franchise, but writer J. M. DeMatteis stated that the direction of this series was changed and that it was set in the DC Animated Movie Universe.
Sequels
A sequel titled Justice League Dark: Apokolips War was released on May 5, 2020, on digital download, followed by a May 19 release on Blu-ray. It concludes a five-film story arc, based on DC Comics "The Darkseid War" storyline by Geoff Johns, in the DCAMU that started from Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and its sequel Justice League: War then later revisited in The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen. The DC Showcase short Constantine: The House of Mystery was released in May 2022 and is a narrative sequel to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
References
External links
DC page
Justice League Dark at worldsfinestonline.com
2017 animated films
2017 films
2010s English-language films
2010s American animated films
2010s direct-to-video animated superhero films
2010s animated superhero films
2017 direct-to-video films
Animated Justice League films
DC Animated Movie Universe
Films about personifications of death
Films set in Washington, D.C.
Films about nightmares
Science fantasy web series
Films set in 2017
American direct-to-video films
Films directed by Jay Oliva
American adult animated films