Justice League: Gods and Monsters
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
In an unspecified alternate universe, the Justice League is a brutal force that maintains order on Earth. This universe has its own versions of the League, Batman is Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Wonder Woman is Bekka, and Superman is Hernan Guerra. The Justice League's lack of accountability is ultimately challenged by the world's governments following the suspicious deaths of three renowned scientists: Victor Fries, who was drained of blood in the Arctic, Ray Palmer, who was sliced into two with a sharp weapon, with his car having traces of a high heel shoe, and Silas Stone, who was burned alive by an explosion of heat vision energy along with his young son Victor Stone. The innocence or guilt of the three is the central plot element of the film.
As all suspicion falls on the Justice League, President Amanda Waller asks that they cooperate with the government's investigation. Wonder Woman speaks to Steve Trevor to learn what the government knows while Superman invites Lois Lane to the Justice League's HQ, where he tells her of his goals to help humanity, and reveals how little he knows about Krypton or his heritage.
Batman investigates Silas Stone's office and discovers an email that was sent to a number of scientists including Dr. Will Magnus, Kirk's best friend and college roommate who helped his transformation. Having remained close friends with Magnus and his wife, Tina, Batman asks the doctor about "Project Fair Play," which involved all the scientists under Lex Luthor's employ, but Magnus tells him nothing. Later, Batman locates all the remaining scientists discussing the possible threat over their heads, when they are attacked by three robotic assassins, who travel via Boom Tube. Despite Batman and later, the other League Members intervening, the assassins slaughter the remaining scientists and Tina before 'Booming' out, leaving Magnus, severely burned by one of the creature's heat vision, the sole survivor of the attack.
The Justice League take Magnus to their HQ, the Tower of Justice, to recover, while Superman flies into the moon's orbit to a satellite, where Luthor now resides. Luthor reveals that Project Fair Play is a weapons program to destroy the League if necessary, while also revealing that he retained all the remaining information on Krypton from Superman's shuttle, and tells him the truth about Zod, who Superman had envisioned as a hero trying to save his world. Luthor tells Superman that Waller has the original files, and as Superman leaves, a robotic assassin booms in and the satellite explodes, seemingly killing Luthor. As Superman looks on in shock, Trevor shows satellite footage of the explosion and Superman's presence to Waller, and she retaliates with Project Fair Play, which consists of troops and vehicles armed with energy weapons powered by red solar radiation like Krypton's sun.
Superman and Wonder Woman face the army at their door as Batman stays inside the Tower, where he activates the Tower's forcefield, with the idea being that once Magnus recovers, he can clear the League. Suddenly, Tina arrives and before Batman can react, she subdues him and shape-shifts into a liquid metal robot. With Batman restrained by Tin, Magnus' house robot, Tina revives Magnus with an organic nanite serum similar to Batman's, which physically enhances him and gives him regenerative healing powers. Magnus is revealed to have orchestrated the framing of the League, with his robotic assassins actually being the Metal Men, armed with 'Boom Tube' technology and red sun energy. Magnus tells Batman that he intends to detonate a Nanite Bomb, with microscopic Boom Tubes teleporting nanites into every person on the planet, to forcefully link humanity together into a hive mind. He confesses that he accidentally killed the real Tina in a fit of rage one night early into their marriage. Overwhelmed with irrational jealousy, he believed that she secretly loved Kirk, and was tired of her constantly begging him to find a cure for Kirk's vampiric condition. After covering up her death, Magnus replaced her with a robotic duplicate named Platinum, capable of mimicking human flesh, and joined Fair Play, intending to use its resources to fund his secret Nanite Bomb project. He feels that his actions prove that there is no hope for humanity if even a brilliant, rational man like himself could do that to his own wife.
As Magnus prepares his weapon, Lex Luthor, who escaped the explosion, suddenly teleports into the middle of the battle outside and tells everyone that he has discovered Magnus' plan. Inside, Batman destroys Tin and frees himself, then seizes an opportunity to drop the forcefield. With Batman fighting Magnus, Wonder Woman faces Platinum, and Superman takes on the Metal Men, who quickly merge into a single, more powerful entity. Wonder Woman uses her sword's boom tubes to 'Boom' Platinum to the sun, Superman destroys the mother boxes inside the Metal Men to keep them from 'Booming' before taking them underground and melting them inside molten rock. They manage to destroy the bomb (at the cost of Superman's Kryptonian escape craft) and, after being defeated by Batman, a regretful Magnus commits suicide by disintegrating himself with nanites.
A week later, the Justice League has been cleared of all wrongdoing, and the world, along with Lois Lane, views them differently. Bekka decides to leave the Justice League to face her past along with Lex Luthor, who wants to explore other universes after growing bored with this one. Before leaving, Lex Luthor gives Superman all the data on Krypton and tells him to be a "real hero". The film ends with Superman and Batman deciding to sort through the data immediately to help humanity, but in a less brutal way.

Review: As a result of the Justice League's savage tactics, their unaccountability is ultimately challenged by the world's governments following the suspicious deaths of renowned scientists.Admittedly, I was initially influenced by some of the negative reviews that lashed out at the concept of Justice League: Gods and Monsters; however, this DC Animated Film was surprisingly entertaining.
Although this is an alternate Justice League from the one I grew to love over the years, this is definitely an exciting addition to the Justice League Animated Movie Series.
Gods and Monsters is another great entry in DC's animated film catalog that can stand alongside some of the greats like Under the Red Hood or Flashpoint Paradox.The story has an interesting premise.
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are center stage and each have a newer origin story which help flesh out the characters more.
As much as I love them, it was great to hear some new voices.Overall, this Elseworld story is a fantastic addition to the DC Animated Universe and is a clever spin on what could be a normal Justice League movie.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a much welcomed return to the quality standard DC Animated established that was a bit lacking in the last few entries since Justice League War, Son of Batman and others.
Superman is now the son of Zodd, Batman has no problems killing villains by sucking their blood Dracula-style and Wonder Woman has a completely different background.
Considering how much was already done in Batman TAS, Superman TAS, Batman Beyond and Justice League, it's really refreshing to see Bruce Timm back doing new things while still maintaining the similar feel and quality the classic Justice League series are known for.
It succeeds where Justice League War, another alternate universe JLA movie, failed.The story tells the origin of each of the three Justice League members with a plot-line in the current time and is pretty much straight forward, but interesting enough and well paced.
The downside of is that you have to be familiar with the DC universe to a degree, otherwise you'll be wondering about the function of a couple of characters with small screen time and won't care for their destinies as much.The action is a bit lacking, but the focus is more on storytelling and characters anyways, so its a good trade off.
"Gods and Monsters" follows in its footsteps as an example of a well executed parallel universe movie.The characters are fleshed out enough for us to become attached without going into so much "origin" as to affect the pacing of the episode or to ruin the opportunity for future exploration of the characters.
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.
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.
The problem is that those films are trying for a more realistic version of fights, which isn't what animation is good for.
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 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".
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..
Flashpoint paradox was the only DC animated l enjoyed in recent years, and especially JL War and Throne of Atlantis were particularly bland and boring.l suggest anyone to watch the mini introduction chronicles first to get a sense of the new versions of the league members in this alternate universe (especially Superman - Bomb!!).
I was planning on seeing this anyway, as I've seen all DC Universe Animated Original Movies films up to now.I learned about this new take on Batman, WonderWoman and Superman and thought, okay, alright, let's see where this goes to.Then learned Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett where behind it, and it only increased my interest in it.Saw the trailer, and thought, this actually looks good.But I've been fooled before with DC Animated films.
DC's animated movies in the recent years has been pretty bad starting from Justice League: War and onward.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a return to form for the DC animated movies with it's interesting story, great action sequences, and interesting alternate take on the DC Universe.A lot of the negative reviews for this movie was written due to this alternate universe not feeling like the original DC Universe.
But I decided to keep an open mind and go with what they are doing and I have to say, after seeing the movie, it has left me wanting more of this universe, especially Wonder Woman's side of history as I found it to be very interesting being a huge fan of the Fourth World and New Gods story line.The story itself is very dark, much darker than most of the movies that DC has done.
The movie isn't pointlessly violent but uses it's violence to really help the viewer immerse into it's worldI really liked the look of the old Animated DC TV series but done with modern technology so everything looks sharper and smoother.
Even if you aren't a DC fan, this will be worth your time as animated movies like this do not happen often.
Wonder Woman - Bekka, exile from the New GodsThese are the heroes who are the government sponsored Justice League.
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.
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.
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 action is violent and exciting, though perhaps there could have been more of it.'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' is very good, often great.
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.
8/10 Bethany Cox. just doesn't feel like a Justice League movie...
Maybe i have missed something from another Justice League film but why does 'Gods and Monsters' take place in an alternative universe for a start?
Like i said, Flashpoint takes place in most of the alternate universe with different versions of the characters, Superman was skinny etc.
(also made by Bruce Timm) If you are looking for something with that sort of feel, LOOK ELSEWHERE!While some of the ideas in this movie were pretty good, (I liked the new Wonder Woman background in particular), they fail to make up for the atrocious voice acting, dialog, writing and pacing.After thinking about it, I can honestly say that not a single character was the least bit likable.
It takes the classic DC alternate universe plot line which, as shown in films like The Flashpoint Paradox and Crisis on two earths, can be done right and come out very entertaining but this film does it wrong, very wrong.
Now in films like Flashpoint and Crisis on two earths you get an introduction which explains what is going on but in this you get General Zod push a button and suddenly batman is a vampire, superman has a goatee and honestly I have no clue whats up with wonder woman.
They take some of the most beloved characters in comic book history and say "f*** you, in our new DC film your getting a Vampire, Goatee-man and wonder woman dressed like a stripper cause you all asked for this!".
If you love the DCU give it a look as it is a bit refreshing to see some killing, but don't expect it to be a Justice League movie.
I don't know what DC/WB is thinking making this and Batman v Robin when they had these other great animated movies.
In an alternative history Zod is Superman's father, Batman is not Bruce Wayne but instead a vampiric Man-Bat, and Wonder Woman is the child of Ares, God of War. They cuss and drink and sleep around.
The animation, characterization, and voice acting are all at the pre-Flashpoint movie quality, which makes it worth the watch for any DC animation fan.Now in order to fully enjoy this movie, you have to really buy into the concept that this is an alternate universe.
I found the backstories to be a refreshing (especially Wonder Woman's)and was interested to see these characters in a new light.
While the plot wasn't anything special, it did serve to highlight the personalities of the characters and allow for an introduction into this new world.The movie is violent, with people being incinerated, stabbed, sucked of blood, etc.
I Love this concept on paper, and I really enjoy most "alternate universe" takes on characters/stories (Superman: Red Son, Gotham By Gaslight, Spiderman Noir, Old Man Logan).
But this concept, while an interesting idea, was executed in one of the most boring and unenergetic ways imaginable.The voice cast is terrible (with the exception of Benjamin Bratt as Superman, who is actually interesting and cool) everyone else, especially Michael C Hall who sounds like he's bored, or on a sleep drug.The animation is pretty basic, most of the cast rings flat, and the plot is predictable and unimportant.it won't add anything of value to your brain, I'd skip it..
Superman is the son of General Zod raised by migrant farmers, Batman is a vampiric form of Dr. Kirk Langstrom (AKA the Man Bat) and Wonder Woman is resident of New Genesis who fled to Earth after her family wiped out Apokolips.
But as far as the justice league war and the son of batman series goes.
They took the well know characters of Batman, Wonder Woman and superman, and they changed it just a bit, which resulted in a lo more dark and gritty justice league.
We get to see this universe of The Justice League who still fight crime but in a very different (Killing) way.
I wasn't a fan of Batmans costume, but enjoyed his character.The voice acting was strong, it pulled me more into the story.
DC have planed an animated series based on this Universe coming out soon, and season 2 has already been green lit, with a possible sequel film down the line.This film gets a 8/10 Anynegative comments are by people who don't like change, they want the same characters over and over.
Its an alternate universe where the Justice League isn't what we remember them as.
Our Superman is the son of Zod and not the Clark Kent we know, our Batman is actually Man-Bat Kirk Langstrom who is a blood sucking Vampire and our Wonder Woman is the violent Bekka.
The film re-introduces Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman in stories that are indeed alien to us.
When it appears the world's top scientist are being killed off by the Justice League, they must defend themselves from the world while trying to save it by finding the real killer.I found the story interestingly different and refreshing.
The movie is also very brutal in a way because a lot of innocent scientists get murdered by Will Magnus's droids to frame the JL.What doesn't make sense is like why was Will Magnus evil and why did he make a robotic version of Tina (Kirk's love interest who he kills by smashing her head through a table).Overall it was an awesome movie and good voice cast..
But this isn't the familiar Justice League: this Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman kill without regret in order to maintain "justice." Many of the DC Comics animated features use varied character designs, often based on the comics they are adapted from.
But that is where any similarities end: this is an "Elseworlds" movie, using much of the established mythos but twisting it (Superman is found and raised by Mexican immigrants, Batman is vampire Kirk Langstrom, Wonder Woman is Highfather's daughter Bekka, and so on).This is a good movie - a story which moves along well, with good action, animation and voice work - but make no mistake, this is not one for the kids.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters is an alternate universe where Superman is the son of Zod and Batman is straight up vampire.
It's commendable for the movie to create separate origin stories that actually work in the span of the relatively short runtime.These heroes are far from the ones audience would know, even compared to other alternate versions, but in spite of the variance they are still oddly relatable.
Superman is the son of General Zod, Batman is actually some version of Man-Bat, and Wonder Woman is Bekka from the New Gods.
The character designs worked for me (especially Superman).The voice acting was very well in my opinion, up there with most of the other DC animated movies.
Choreography of fight scenes is lacking though - pretty much reminded me of the Justice League TV Animated Series and nothing compared to the likes of Wonder Woman, Crisis on Two Earths or Under the Red Hood.
This is actually one of the better Justice League movies I've seen.
But I would also like to feel comfortable taking my kid to see a movie about the heroes I grew up loving, instead of having them miss out on some wonderful fantasy story-telling..
Compared with other movies of this type, it had some pretty good jokes and lines, not to mention that having a very different view about how justice league could be it also adds a bonus.It has many things that you would not expect in a justice league movie, probably cause there are a lot of writers for this kind of movie and is not the first movie with superheroes that has a more adult-like atmosphere that i personally enjoy, one such movie was Batman: Assault on Arkham but there were more like this.At the end you have a sensation that the main three characters are really trying to be honest and just in a kind of unselfish way, also it depicts Lex Luthor like some extremely brilliant savant, almost like a deity, i don't know if that has any connection with the word "god" present in title.Anyway worth watching for sure..
That premise, and the consequences of it, is the basis for Justice League: Gods And Monsters that was released last summer as part of the ongoing range of DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
Indeed much of the film centers on the inversion of many DC characters whom fans will likely recognize such as Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Ray Palmer, Victor Stone and Will Magnus but that won't alienate newer viewers as well and makes Gods And Monsters perhaps the most original release that the range has given us in sometime.Though what it does with the premise is perhaps less original.
One of the things I have taken away from the range in the last couple of years has been the emphasis on action sequences over good storytelling, particularly in Justice League: War and the films based on The New 52 comics, something which began to happen once Bruce Timm walked away from the range.
As with many of the recent films, it's a shame that they couldn't be put to use in a better overall work.At the end of the day, Gods And Monsters can be summed up like this: an interesting premise with a less than worthy execution.
Anyone watching the Justice League animated movies in order: The New Frontier, Crisis On Two Earths, Doom, Flashpoint, and War, will notice that they have become darker and more nihilistic one after another.
The "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" is a movie where everything takes place in an alternate universe.
So Superman is now the son of General Zod and Batman is some sort of scientist with vampire like abilities.