Justice League: War

Justice League: War is a direct-to-video animated superhero film adaptation of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's 2011 story Justice League: Origin. It was directed by Jay Oliva, scripted by Heath Corson. It is the 18th film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series and the first in a new series of shared DC Animated Universe Movies. The film was released for downloading on January 21 and was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on February 4, 2014. It had its world premiere at the Paley Center for Media on the same day.

Plot
A series of strange abductions have occurred in Gotham City. Video footage suggests that Batman, a wanted, costumed vigilante, is behind the incidents. When a mysterious cloaked kidnapper abducts a woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) arrives to confront the kidnapper and saves the woman when she is dropped from above. Green Lantern then attacks the kidnapper, revealing it to be a monstrous Parademon. As Green Lantern is about to be killed, Batman appears and saves him from the rooftop. The Parademon resumes its position and attacks both heroes. They escape from the city's police and chase the creature into the sewers, where it charges a Mother Box and explodes. Batman and Green Lantern check the box, deduce that it is of extraterrestrial origin, and decide to ask Superman for an answer. Another Mother Box, supplied by The Flash (Barry Allen) is being studied at S.T.A.R. Labs. Doctor Silas Stone, father of Vic Stone, deliberately misses his son’s football game so he can study the box. Arriving in Metropolis, Batman and Green Lantern fight Superman—who has fought a Parademon previously and believes the heroes are for working with it. The battle spreads over a portion of the city; it finally stops when Batman calls Superman "Clark". Superman uses his x-ray vision and recognizes Batman as Bruce Wayne. The three heroes then begin to collaborate. On planet Apokolips, Darkseid orders Desaad to begin an invasion of Earth in response to the superheroes discovery of his plans.

Vic arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs and argues with his father, who believes that football has no importance in a world that is changing with the appearance of metahumans. At the Daily Planet, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern realize the invasion has begun when the box activates and several Boom Tubes appear throughout the world, including S.T.A.R. Labs. An explosion fatally wounds and embeds the Box’s technology into Vic, forcing S.T.A.R. Lab to take Vic to an emergency room to save him. Silas loads Vic into a hi-tech medical bed, connecting his son with various technologies. Countless Parademons appear around the world, attacking everyone on sight. The box’s technology is connected to Vic and the labs' equipment, transforming Vic into Cyborg. Just as the Flash arrives to save the scientists, Cyborg’s systems reveal details of Apokolips, Darkseid, and the invasion plan. At his foster home, teenager Billy Batson sees a Parademon outside and mystically turns into the superhero Shazam. Air Force One is attacked in the air, but is saved by the Amazon princess Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) and Superman. After the heroes gather, Cyborg reveals that the invasion is a prelude to the terraforming of Earth. Darkseid arrives and proves to be a powerful opponent who defeats each hero effortlessly.

Superman is captured. Batman stops Green Lantern and persuades him to help the heroes work together after he unmasks himself. Wayne deliberately gets himself captured to save Superman. Green Lantern, acting as a leader, assembles everyone and decides that to defeat Darkseid they must disable his eyes first, preventing him from using his Omega Beams. Batman arrives on Apokolips and stops Desaad from turning Superman into a Parademon, but because of his brainwashing, Superman goes on a rampage, resulting Desaad's death. Batman reasons with Superman, helping him regain control. On Earth, after disabling Darkseid, Cyborg connects with the Mother Box to reopen the Boom Tubes and send the tyrant and his army back to their home world. Though the Parademons are gone, Darkseid remains. Superman and Batman arrive and together they force the tyrant into the portal. With the world saved, the once-discriminated superheroes gain the public's trust and are honored at the White House. Grateful to have met others like themselves but debating whether they should be a team if a similar threat happens, the President of the United States asks whether they have a name. The newly formed group is annoyed when Shazam abruptly announces the "Super Seven" without the others' consent.

In a post-credits scene, an Atlantean ship emerges from the ocean and Ocean Master appears carrying a dead body that is said to be his king. Seeing the corpses of various sea life affected by Darkseid’s attacks, the Atlantean considers it as an act of war from the surface and swears to exact vengeance.

Cast

 * Sean Astin as Shazam
 * Zach Callison as Billy Batson
 * Christopher Gorham as The Flash / Barry Allen
 * Justin Kirk as Green Lantern / Hal Jordan
 * Andrea Romano as Green Lantern's ring
 * Michelle Monaghan as Wonder Woman / Diana Prince
 * Shemar Moore as Cyborg / Victor Stone
 * Jason O'Mara as Batman / Bruce Wayne
 * Alan Tudyk as Superman / Kal-El / Clark Kent
 * Steven Blum as Darkseid, Cyborg's Armor (uncredited), Ocean Master (uncredited)
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Parademons, Secret Service Guard (uncredited)
 * Melique Berger as Sarah Charles
 * Kimberly Brooks as Darla
 * Rocky Carroll as Silas Stone
 * Ioan Gruffudd as Thomas Morrow
 * Georgie Kidder as Freddy Freeman
 * John Mariano as Ice Cream Vendor
 * Richard McGonagle as President Julian
 * Matthew Mercer as Guard
 * George Newbern as Steve Trevor
 * Roger Rose as Pinstriped Loudmouth
 * Gary Sturgis as Teammate #2
 * Bruce Thomas as Desaad
 * Hynden Walch as Hannah Grace

Crew

 * Andrea Romano - Voice Director

Differences between the comics and film
There are some differences between this film and the comics:


 * Shazam/Captain Marvel appears in the place of Aquaman.
 * In the comics after Victor Stone won the football game, they were going to State Finals. In the film, they were going to nationals.
 * Scientists found the Parademon in Metropolis after it fought Superman in the comics. In the film, Flash brought it to them.
 * In the original novel, it was Aquaman who blinded Darkseid's second eye after Wonder Woman took out the first. In the movie, Flash takes out the second eye with a crowbar.
 * In the movie, Superman breaks Desaad's neck (While under control).
 * Ocean Master does not make an appearance in the comic, but he does in the film.
 * Flash had the idea of the "Super Seven". In the movie, Shazam/Captain Marvel had the idea of it.
 * Steppenwolf makes an appearance in the comic, but he does not in the film.
 * Flash met Batman, Lantern and Superman in the comic, but he later met them after he helped Batman and Lantern take out Parademons.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Justice League: War was released on February 4, 2014. The music was composed by Kevin Kliesch. The soundtrack listing:

Reception
Justice League: War received an overall positive response. IGN gave a total score of 8.8/10, calling it a "great modern origin story that will win you over with its action and humour". CraveOnline gave it a rating of 9/10. On IMDb it currently has a 7.2 out of 10 rating. Brian Lowry of Variety believes it did not reach the high standards of other DC Animated Movies; he wrote, "the interplay yields its share of moments but ultimately proves too frenzied and chaotic to deliver more than a few revisionist thrills". Eric Diaz of nerdist.com gave the film a C- and wrote, "If these are the only versions of the DC heroes we are going to see in animation for the foreseeable future, then they are going to have to improve from what we’ve seen in Justice League: War".