Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015 Video) User Reviews

Give It A Chance :)

[crimson_knight_7 · 7/10 · 22 July 2015]

In an alternate universe, the Justice League is a brutal force that maintains order on Earth. 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. Directed by, Sam Liu, the dark and violent atmosphere suited the overall theme of the movie. 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.

7 Stars.

Good start, great potential.

[grintemcstinger · 8/10 · 1 August 2015]

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. What makes it even more special is that it isn't based on any material but is a new, original take on the Justice League.

If you haven't seen the free-to-watch shorts, know that the almost all characters have little to none in common with their original, classic counterparts and only share the same handles and loosely the same function within the league. 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. New faces, new abilities, new origins and relations etc. 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. While it's not quite on par with the best episodes of the Diniverse/Timmverse, it's definitely up there with the good ones.

A good portion of the fun is discovering familiar characters and see what has changed about them. You'll see familiar faces or just familiar outfits, notice what changed on the first sight and wonder what what else is new about that character and where they'll go with him. The good thing about it that they don't feel neither better nor worse, gimmicky or unnecessary, just different and effective in waking my curiosity and it makes the impression the makers had fun with it for the most part. 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. A change here is now that the JL member are much more ruthless and have less remorse, which results in some bloody kills. It's a good thing that the writers have more freedom in that regard, however in this case it feels a bit forced and clumsy. It feels weird seeing them crush some goons with a huge and heavy door and seeing blood coming out underneath it. Perhaps I'm just too used to the DC Animated series, but it felt more out of place rather than adding anything to it. They got it right in a few scenes, but for the most part it felt just like a gimmick - violence just to show they can do it, without any meaningful impact or purpose.

Overall it is good, solid and refreshing fun. It's a good mix of old and new with very similar art-style to the series and is a great way to start things off. It has it's faults like a few characters being degraded to throwaways (Darkseid, Harley Quinn in the shorts...) or not being more subtle on certain things, but the rest makes easily up for it. There is much potential and hopefully we'll see more of it, maybe even in a form of a series just like in the old days. It's deserves a shot.

You can tell you are in an alternate universe

[JoeB131 · 7/10 · 2 August 2015]

When characters are actually mortal.

So we have a very different take on the Big Three of DC. 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. These heroes have no compunctions about killing the bad guys.

So someone is using killer robots to murder scientists who would normally be enjoying careers as super heroes or villains in the regular DC Universe. The use of Powers and their arrogant nature makes the Alt-Justice League the obvious suspects.

Nice flashbacks of how the characters came to be, very well told.

The twist ending mostly works, and it is nice to see alternate takes on the characters.

Much different from the usual Justice League.

[kay900 · 7/10 · 30 August 2015]

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.

It starts a bit... strange, but it catches up at some point in the middle

[carlos37andre · 6/10 · 7 April 2020]

I won't lie, the movie sort of lost me a bit in the beginning, I mean, it starts with the animation of an "artificial insemination"? What? Lol, that was at least a... different way to start a superhero movie. All that been said, I would say the movie only gets better after it.

It took me a while to get the right feel of it, I think at first is truly difficult to root for our "main characters", and to understand their motives (I mean, they start the movie been some cold as# killers). But right around 2/3 of the movie, I understood what was about and what they were going for. The movie is about anti-heroes, you aren't supposed to 100% agree with that they do, even though they are called "Superman", "Wonder Woman" and "Batman". I won't say I think they movie reaches they potential it had. However, I like some of the ideas behind it, and I like that they tried to change things a bit.

The twist of Batman's friend been the real villain at the end was ok, I truly didn't see it coming, and that's a plus (I guess).

Overall, I think the movie definitely makes some bad choices, like starting the movie with a sperm, or introducing hard core killer versions of our most beloved heroes and expecting us to side with them. But I have to give them credit to trying change things a bit and telling a different story, I like the take of "Superman raised by immigrants", and I don't mind the Batman been a vampire, even though it's far from been that smart of a decision. Some of the flashbacks doesn't actually connects with the main story (like WW's one, besides the last scene of her going somewhere with Luthor), others are cool (like Batman's).

To sum up tho, it's truly a mix bag, it has some ups and downs, but I feel the need to give them the extra credit for telling a different story, and trying something new.

6,5/10

Decent Enough Alternate Universe

[BecauseIAmBATMAN · 7/10 · 16 July 2015]

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. Together this trinity forms a violent Justice League who kill with ease.

The plot moves forward as there seems to be a trail of dead scientists as the Justice League are framed. We see the back-stories of the three as we learn how and why they are as they are. Other than our different lead superheroes, the main plot is fairly nothing new and is something which we would see in a regular Justice League episode.

Its violent fun with like most of the recent DC animated films with a lot of bloody deaths. The action scenes, voice acting and animation are pretty good.

7/10

Can Stand Alongside Some of the Other Best DC Animated FIlms

[DoubleOscar · 8/10 · 27 July 2015]

I was hesitant about what Gods and Monsters would bring to the table. I was hoping it put DC animated movies back on track after some mediocre entries like Throne of Atlantis. And I'm delighted to announce that DC is back. 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. We see three of the founding members of the Justice League in this Elseworld story where the Justice League is more brutal and morally gray which makes the government feel threatened. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are center stage and each have a newer origin story which help flesh out the characters more. The origin stories blend nicely with the rest of the story and add certain emotion when necessary. Lastly, as usual, there is a threat that affects the entire world except this time the threat is framing the Justice League and causing it to be feared even more by the government than they already are. Along the way, there are some nice twists and turns which help the viewer stay engaged.

The voice acting is top notch and was a nice and refreshing change from the usual Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly. 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. The darker and grittier tone allowed the film to fully develop this newer Justice League to their full potential and just made the film more intriguing in general. Definitely check this one out.

"Someone once asked if I wanted to save the world or rule it. Today it's going to be hard to tell the difference"

What is better - to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 15 July 2015]

Justice League: Gods and Monsters is an alternate universe where Superman is the son of Zod and Batman is straight up vampire. Our less friendly protagonists have no qualm about killing the oppositions, in fact they are surprisingly creative in the dismemberment. With looser code of conduct, they soon find themselves more of liabilities than heroes.

The concept is intriguing, each of the superheroes has different backstory and artistic design. It's a bit darker in the approach, yet eerily more realistic than their usual good guy stint. 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. Dubbing plays a significant part in this. Michael C. Hall's enigmatic persona is very thick for Barman. He's almost an even more reclusive vigilante with a thirst for literal blood.

Animation is presentable, although it doesn't possess the same polished details or smooth motion like other recent works such as Batman: Assault on Arkham. Its basic style would be familiar to that of average TV animation, and while it does suffice, it could've been much more refined on many aspects.

There's unexpected amount of gore here, some are much harsher than standard animation. It is rated PG-13, mostly because it is an animation and it still employs a level of subtlety, although audience might find it a bit jarring for the established heroes to engage in such savory act. It also brings hefty amount of references that which will delight fans.

The change is more than costume deep, the behaviors of these superheroes are erratically alien. This modification actually succeeds in making them into interesting new kind of characters as their struggles are pleasingly fascinating.

An excellent addition to the DC lineup

[fireb · 9/10 · 31 July 2015]

Writers seem to love alternate universe type shows which allow them the creative flexibility to play with the mindsets and motivations of our beloved character as well as kill characters off with impunity knowing that they will rise again once everything is "reset". These type shows have been executed with varying degrees of success. "The Flashpoint Paradox" is an example of doing this well. "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. The show is violent but the violence is not gratuitous as there is purpose to it in the movie. That being said I would not show this to very young children. The ultimate gauge of how well this type of shows succeeds is whether or not we want to return to this reality to see what happens next after the final credits roll. It can also be judged by how well it stacks up against the "normal" reality as in the TV show "Fringe" which created an alternate setup which became at times more engaging than the "normal" reality.

"Gods and Monsters" does this successfully and I hope we can revisit this alternate universe sometime in the future with subsequent installments. A few caveats: If you don't like liberties taken with your characters or your idea of an "alternate" universe is that Flash's lightning bolt is green instead of yellow, but that he is fundamentally the same character and/or will come around to being the same character you are used to then this is not the show for you. If you can let go of some of your preconceptions about the characters then you will find this an enjoyable excursion.

Bait and switch, not a Justice League movie.

[silkshadow · 19 July 2015]

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.

Interesting Premise, Less Than Worthy Execution

[timdalton007 · 6/10 · 22 March 2016]

They are icons of the comic book world. They are the DC Trinity: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. They are also the heart of the Justice League which helps to fight crime and defend against threats in the DC universe. But imagine they weren't the characters that we've come to know and love so well over the last few decades and instead were, say, the son of a corrupt and power hungry Kryptonian General Zod or a scientist turned into a vampire like creature or was Bekka instead of the Amazon Princess Diana. 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. Does it live up to its premise?

The premise is certainly an interesting one that readers of DC 's Elseworld range of stories will recognize as a classic "what if?" straight out of that line. Turning Superman into the son of General Zod who instead crashes in Mexico to be raised by Mexican migrants is an inspired move and which gives this incarnation of the character quite a different feel from the Clark Kent character. Batman and Wonder Woman's characters here are inversions of existing DC characters such as Man-Bat and Bekka. 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. With Timm returning, one had hoped that the emphasis might shift back. Sadly it doesn't quite make it with the result being that the intriguing premise is largely boiled down into a series of fairly stale action sequences that seem to have been recycled from a number of previous DC animated projects. Which is a shame really.

Even more so due to a good voice cast. DC's animated efforts from Batman: The Animated Series onwards have always featured strong voice acting and this film is no exception. The three leads are all well cast for their particular takes on the role from Michael C. Hall as Batman, Benjamin Bratt as Superman, Tamara Taylor as Wonder Woman with Hall and Taylor in particular being inspired choices. The supporting cast is strong as well including an underused Jason Isaacs as Lex Luthor, Paget Brewster as Lois Lane, and C. Thomas Howell as Will Magnus. 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. Despite an interesting premise that hearkens back to some of DC's best Elseworlds tales and inspired casting, the film comes across as little more than yet another excuse for a DC animated film with more action sequences than plot. It's a trend that, with the exception of the announced adaptation of The Killing Joke, looks firmly set to continue.

Thank You, Bruce Timm

[dramafreak42 · 9/10 · 14 September 2015]

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.

Slightly better than average DC Animated Movie

[idontdodrugs · 6/10 · 22 July 2015]

So this plays in an alternate version of the well known DC universe. Superman is the son of General Zod, Batman is actually some version of Man-Bat, and Wonder Woman is Bekka from the New Gods. They form the three person Justice League, but a more cruel and consequent version of it - including killing and a egotistical attitude.

After swallowing this premise, the movie unfolds pretty much like most of the other DC Animated movies - which I still won't spoil. It pretty much means that the story is on par with earlier endeavours, however it seems like it has less scale or importance.

I'm a conventional guy when it comes to comics, so I was not really happy at the beginning with this set up. However, the character versions actually grew on me. For such a short movie, they actually developed a backstory for each main character quite well, making their actions somewhat motivated and relatable. 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.

The animation is good quality - nothing breathtaking, but quite enjoyable. 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.

The mystery on who the main villain is was in my opinion well constructed, even if it was quite foreseeable. However, the wrap-up at the end seemed quite rushed and the scale was just not there - it did not seem that menacing and grand scale.

In general, I was not as impressed with it than with other examples of the DC Animated Movies, but it was a better than average one. It had more heart than the recent Justice League: War and the characters resonated more with me, even if they are not the real Justice League versions.

I'd give it a 6 on my scale.

Interesting, but Hollow

[irishboy141 · 3/10 · 3 January 2019]

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.

.......!!! What was that?!!

[masoudimehran · 11 April 2016]

I'm so confused i don't even know how to rate this movie! If it was about Suckerman, Superfly and Sharpwoman, I would certainly rate it as a stand-alone movie, though the plot suggests nothing new (which is as always the ultimate goal for the villains, Mind Control). But seriously?!! Why giving the same heroes different characteristics, different backgrounds?? It's unforgivable. Imagine a movie in which James Bond jumps around like lunatics just like what Jim Carrey did in Mask when he was dodging bullets...! They created Batman for people, so he's not theirs anymore to mess with. Why not creating new heroes?! Why changing the past? Why ruining what has been carefully built over years?! Dr. Kirk Langstrom as a purehearted scientist with Micheal C-Hall's perfect voice is completely fantastic and totally acceptable. A new hero is introduced! but he is not and can never be THE Batman. with all these positive reviews one may wonder if they are purposefully supporting the writers of new generation in their attempt to rewrite history, present new ideals and change the way great people are already known!

Not your archetypical Justice League foray...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 6 August 2023]

Now, I had never heard about this 2015 DC animated movie before now in 2023, as I happened to come across it as part of watching a heap of superhero-themed animated movies.

However, I must admit that upon reading the part with 'In an alternate universe', then my expectations to director Sam Liu's 2015 animated movie dropped a few notches. I am not super keen on the whole multiverse or alternate universe, call it what you will, that is used to such an extend in the superhero genre that it is becoming a farce. But still, on account of never having seen "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" before, I opted to watch it and giving it the benefit of the doubt.

At first glance, then it was somewhat difficult to take Batman as a vampire and Superman as an arrogant person serious, but once past the initial shock and change, it wasn't that bad. Yeah, I didn't mention Wonder Woman here, because she was unfathomably bland, one-dimensional and irrelevant in the narrative really. She could have been substituted by a cardboard cutout and you still have the same level of commitment and importance from the Wonder Woman as a character.

Once past the major changes to the characters that I would otherwise expect to see as in essentially everything, I have to say that the storyline in "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" was actually good. And the amount of action, blood, killing and general destruction, from the Justice League even, definitely helped to make this alternate universe experience all the more enjoyable. Writers Alan Burnett and Bruce Timm certainly put together an entertaining and enjoyable script and storyline for director Sam Liu to bring to the screen.

With "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" being an animated movie, then having a properly talented voice acting ensemble is a must. And I will say that they had that for this 2015 DC animated movie. With the likes of Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Jason Isaacs, Richard Chamberlain, Grey Griffin and others, you certainly are in capable hands.

Visually then I found "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" to be good. The art style certainly was interesting, and the animation was good.

If you enjoy DC animated movies, then "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" is well-worth taking 76 minutes to sit down and watch. I was genuinely entertained throughout the course of the entire movie.

My rating of "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Well made, but one-time watch

[Milk_Tray_Guy · 7/10 · 5 October 2021]

An alternate universe Justice League (Batman/Kirk Langstrom, Wonder Woman/Bekka, Superman/Hernan Guerra - son of Zod) is ruthless and brutal. Although functioning as society's protectors, they're disconnected from humankind, and disdainful of it. When someone starts killing government scientists in ways that implicate the League, and the authorities investigate, the League determines to find out who is framing them, and why.

Co-written/co-produced by Bruce Timm (who also did character designs), this is pretty dark. Voice work is great (Michael C. Hall as Batman, Benjamin Bratt as Superman, Tamara Taylor as Wonder Woman, Jason Isaacs as Luthor, Richard Chamberlain (!!!) as Highfather, to name a few). Art and animation are really nice, and the story's pretty good. The drawback for me is that this League is shown to be so unlikeable from the off that I can't root for them later on. So the stakes don't really feel very high. But it's a well made and interesting one-time watch. 7/10

*There are three web shorts prequels for this (6 min each), the Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles. Twisted (featuring Batman - 8/10), Bomb (featuring Superman - 9/10), and Big (featuring Wonder Woman - 6/10)

Justice is mandatory

[Darkside-Reviewer · 6/10 · 23 December 2019]

Gods and Monsters takes place in an alternate universe where the Justice League is made up of a trio of alternate versions of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman who maintain peace and order in Metropolis with a more forceful and direct approach where they break laws rules and even kill the worst criminals but they do so to protect the innocent and bring order and justice to a crime filled world it's really just there methods that are different from the Justice League we know but they still have principles and values that make them more a force for good than evil but because of there quick to action before thinking attitude and there disregard for the rules and laws mankind try to place upon them when the best scientific minds in the world begin to turn up dead and all evidence puts them as the only suspects the government and the public don't believe they are innocent and begin a back up plan put in place to destroy the Justice League should they go to far code named (Operation Fair Play) now the Justice League must investigate the deaths of the scientists clear there names and find the culprit behind the murders.

In this universe Batman is (Dr. Kirk Langstrom) who becomes Batman instead of Manbat after a failed lab experiment leaves him with a hunger for blood but was found by Superman in the gutter feeding on rats and gave him a purpose as Batman in the Justice League.

Wonder Woman is (Bekka) granddaughter of Highfather who after her new husband Orion son of Darkseid is killed by Highfather during there wedding as a inside attack on Darkseid and Necropolis takes up a sword against injustice but still the loss of her love and her grandfathers betrayal still weighs heavily upon her.

Superman is (Hernan Guerra) who was created when general Zod uses his fingerprint to transfer his genetic code into a spacecraft called an incubator pod that acts as an artificial womb for the child of Lara Supermans mother so he becomes Supermans father instead of Jor El making giving him many of Zods traits making him more ruthless, strong and a passion to lead or rule people but he his still Lara's child and some good remains inside him driving him to be better than his tyrant father who doomed his home planet of Krypton.

This animated movie is it's own story outside of the official cannon DCU continuity but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching as it's an interesting look at a world that could of been and is just one of the many alternate realities in the DCU where we see a different Justice League with different rules lives and powers that make for some excellent stories and some awesome fights and that's what we all came for at the end of the day.

Not quite godly, far from monstrous

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 11 January 2018]

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

An enjoyable elseworld

[Dr_Aristotle · 7/10 · 24 July 2015]

I greatly enjoyed this movie, and found it a return to form for DC's animated movies after their recent disappointments. 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. If your expecting the traditional DC trinity, or just slight changes, and can't stand to see these characters portrayed very differently, then you will hate this movie. The trinity certainly isn't afraid to kill, but the changes go much deeper than that. All of the characters have very different origins, personalities, and in some cases, powers/abilities.

The movie moves at a nice pace; each character has time focused on a part of their backstory while the plot moves along briskly. 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 never found it to be gratuitous, all of the violence served a purpose either for the characters or to move the plot along. There are some that found it to be distracting/disturbing though; I'd say that it's no more severe than any of the recent animated movies that DC has put out. You may not want young children watching though if you're the type of parent concerned with that type of thing.

The film is a treasure trove of easter eggs for the DC fan, and it's fun to imagine how certain characters ended up where they are. (ex. Amanda Waller) After the movie was done, I definitely wanted more, and was excited to learn that there are webisodes within the same universe. So if you enjoy this movie, I recommend checking those out. Overall, this movie was a good time, and certainly one worth experiencing.

A return to form for DC animation

[shaswatdgr8 · 10/10 · 24 August 2015]

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.

It's fine...

[errant-52785 · 7/10 · 31 March 2021]

It's fine, but like most alternate reality stories, I found myself asking what the point is.

Expertly handled alternate universe League.

[Animany94 · 10/10 · 21 September 2019]

This was one hell of an awesome addition to the DCAU. The story of DC's Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman whose means of operating on earth is brutal and don't shy away from killing their enemies are packed with multi-layered characters and retells their origins in an engaging and sticks with you.

The animation was amazing set in the style of the mid 2000's Justice League/Unlimited and is definitely my preferred visual style of the DC animated movies.

Don't think twice about watching, because this is as close as can get to a must-watch for fans of the League even though it's an alternate version of it.

Did we watch the same movie?

[darapjohnson · 6/10 · 7 July 2023]

Sam Liu is back after some years with "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" and what a mediocre return it was. I usually like Sam Liu's work but he missed with this one I think personally. I mean sure, the idea of an alternate Justice League is always fun but I just was not interested in any of these characters.

The idea of a Spanish Superman was kind of goofy but funny and a Batman who's basically a vampire and a budget Wonder Woman who was the least interesting out of the bunch. They tried justifying them all with sad backstories which just did not peek my interest in the slightest and it bugs me that it got 7.0 rating on IMDb because it makes me think that there's something I didn't get or missed because did we all watch the same movie?? This was not it at all. Just flat out average.

(In)Justice League: Goatees and Massacres

[son_of_cheese_messiah · 1/10 · 17 September 2015]

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. Now we arrive at Gods and Monsters, the depressing continuation of this trend.

Of course, they are all "anti-heroes" now, to put it kindly, although a combination of violent vigilantes and fascist army is probably closer to the truth. Batman's a vampire (how imaginative! A vampire bat!), and embarrassingly Superman (sporting a goatee which I guess is meant to make him look badass?) is a Mexican illegal immigrant, a move obviously intended to make a politically correct point, although not really exploited here. Truth Justice and the Mexican way ! Yay! Oh and his real father is the murderous General Zod.

Even worse is the new sword-carrying Wonder Woman. Her family has been massacred by Highfather, who in the real DC universe is the embodiment of goodness, while Darkseid, who Highfather betrays here, is supposed to be the embodiment of evil. (Hence the name)

Poor old Jack Kirby must be rolling over in his grave to see his creations being so abused. He understood the difference between good and evil, light and dark, something that modern writers (themselves gone over to the dark side?) no longer see.

So by what perversion of the word 'Justice' can this trio of murderous misfits call themselves the 'Justice League'? I refuse to call these impostors by their assumed superhero names, since they are NOT the beloved characters they purport to be or anything close, so I dub them Sword Woman, Goatee Man and Vampire-Batman.

This morally inverted universe could be interesting if there was some realisation at some point by the characters that they were actually the bad guys and see them turn it around. Now That could have been thrilling. The problem is that we are supposed to be on their side from the start and see their personality flaws (ie that they are all bloodthirsty killers) as badass.

The film is basically a series of massacres, each more brutal than the last. Leaving aside the destruction of Krypton, massacre #1 is the "Justice League" wiping out a terrorist organisation. At least 50 people are horrifically killed by the JL, when they could just as easily have been captured by this super-powered trio. Some are hacked to death by Sword Woman, some crushed to death thanks to Goatee Man's heat vision (which he uses indiscriminately) and one has his blood sucked by Vampire-Batman. Nice. But that's OK its alright since they are "terrorists" and therefore deserve to be summarily executed by our heroes.

A token protest by ordinary people is then shown as well as a critical report by Lois Lane, but this legitimate concern is depicted as a bunch of small-mindedness.

Massacre #2 is of a group of scientists, some beloved characters in the comic world. Oh and a kid who just happens to be a young version of Cyborg. Again the film goes out of its way to make this as sadistic as possible.

Massacre #3 is the aforementioned backstory of Sword Woman.

Massacre #4 is a continuation of the massacre of scientists, this time inside Magnus's house. The violence is even more graphic with one poor victim being literally ripped in two. Note that our heroes were not able to save one person.

At this point I was pretty stunned but was still expecting some big turnaround to come. This, after all, has received some 5/5 reviews.

Massacre #5 is when Goatee Man and Sword Woman decide "heroically" not to give up but instead fight the army. To be fair, this sequence is less graphic than the earlier ones; we don't actually see any soldiers being killed when their tanks and helicopters are smashed by our heroes. Maybe these all were drones. But I guess showing soldiers dying would make the shallow ending less palatable.

Then comes an almost literal Deus-ex-machina. Lex Luthor (channeling his inner Stephen Hawking) appears out of thin air and explains to the JL what's happening and they go and fix the "villain".

Cue general rejoicing. Lois Lane recants her former opinions. The JL are now exonerated. So what if they have killed dozens of soldiers unnecessarily in addition to over 50 "terrorists" and failed to save a single scientist? They saved the world! Oh, from a threat powered by Goatee Man's rocket ship and protected by their "Justice" tower's force field. But nevermind, that's not anything to worry about.

Terrible. But the only question is, how on earth has this dreck gotten some many good reviews?