Justice League: Warworld review: A captivating film that spirals into mediocrity in its final act

3/5

Story: Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman are placed in different realities and situations, with no recollection of their past. Driven by instinct, they each play their parts in these new realities, but with the inkling feeling that something inexplicable is happening to them.

Review: The film opens with Wonder Woman in the Wild West as she runs into Jonah Hex and his gang of outlaws, who have an entire town living in perpetual fear. It is easily one of the best segments of the film thanks to its excellent animation and sound design. It also gives Wonder Woman her first major appearance in the Tommorverse since the alternate reality film Justice Society: World War II.

The next segment has Batman in a prehistoric setting as a mercenary who is forced to aid a warlord to take down an evil sorcerer named Deimos. It is akin to an Elseworld story and has drawn inspiration from films such as Conan: The Barbarian.

The third and final setting takes place in a diner where Superman and Batman are a government agent and a sheriff respectively, who arrive to investigate reports of an alien invasion. It is a homage to the classic horror tropes from yesteryear where one of the people in the diner is a monstrous alien in disguise as a normal citizen.

All three segments are perfectly executed, as it heightens the intrigue and suspense surrounding the story. It compels one to pay close attention to the narrative in the hopes of solving the mystery of how three of DC’s biggest heroes end up in three different timelines. The film continues at the same pace until it reaches its climatic sequences.

Justice League: Warworld quickly spirals into a substandard production as it unravels its biggest mystery. As the end credits roll it becomes evident that the film was nothing more than filler to set up next year’s Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths. It is an underwhelming conclusion to what could have been one of the best DC animated films since Batman: The Long Halloween.

While the climatic twist will not be a major revelation for anyone familiar with DC’s Warworld and Mongul. The only mystery that could have baffled those familiar with Warworld would be what or who was helping Mongul put DC’s fabled Trinity under an illusion. As soon as this particular mystery is resolved, the film quickly buckles under the weight of expectations and ends abruptly.

Another aspect that needs to be pointed out is that the Tomorrowverse features the worst costumes for its main characters. Wonder Woman’s costume, in particular, has suffered a major disservice with the creative team putting the iconic character back in her regressive tankini costume from yesteryear. It is a far cry from the Greek Goddess/warrior outfit that has become popular in recent years through Gal Gadot’s live-action Wonder Woman and the iconic look from DC’s Rebirth series. Wonder Woman voice actress Stana Katic speaks with a thick accent to indicate that Wonder Woman is connected to Greek mythology. This minor adjustment becomes redundant considering that her costume looks inspired by America’s ‘Star Spangled Stripes’.

Verdict: The latest entry to DC’s Tomorrowverse is arguably its best film since Batman: The Long Halloween. However, Justice League: Warworld quickly loses its gleam towards the third act.