Justice League of America (1997 film)


 * This article is not to be confused with the upcoming Justice League film.

Justice League of America is an unsuccessful 1997 television pilot produced by CBS and directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá, based on a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes from the comic of the same name. The film centers on a female meteorologist who gains superpowers and is later inducted into the "Justice League," while the city of New Metro is held for ransom by a terrorist armed with a weather control device.

The film is interjected with mock-interviews of members of the Justice League, speaking about life as a superhero in a past tense, preceding the events of the film.

Plot
The protagonist, Tori Olafsdotter (Kimberly Oja), is a meteorologist working at the Eno Meteorological Institute who will later become Ice. The city of New Metro is faced with a tornado controlled by a terrorist calling himself the Weatherman (Miguel Ferrer). The Flash (Ken Johnston) dissipates the tornado using his super speed while the other members of the JLA use their powers to save civilians.

Tori stumbles upon a hidden device in the lab where she works. While investigating its use, she spills water on it and it strikes her with strange blue electricity. She is unharmed and leaves the lab for home freezing everything she touches. En route she sees a man drowning; when she attempts to rescue him, the water freezes around her. The JLA, believing her to be the Weatherman, abduct and interrogate her. They release her and Tori believes it was all simply a bad dream.

The JLA suspect that Tori's timid work colleague Arliss Hopke is The Weatherman. New Metro is attacked again, this time by golf ball-sized hailstones, but Fire melts them all. The JLA infiltrate a party at the Eno Meteorological Institute looking for evidence that Arliss Hopke is The Weatherman. Tori however discovers that it is her boss, Dr. Eno, who is The Weatherman.

Tori takes this knowledge to the JLA and they in turn take her to their secret command center, an alien spacecraft hidden underwater. The JLA's leader J'onn J'onzz (David Ogden Stiers) introduces himself to Tori and the other members of the League reveal their secret identities. Tori discovers that The Atom (John Kassir) is a man with whom she has been flirting. The JLA attempt to train Tori to hone her freezing powers without much success.

Martin Walters, a young man who has been pursuing B.B. DaCosta romantically, watches a news broadcast about the JLA and sees that Fire is wearing earrings that he gave B.B. as a gift. Martin tells B.B. that he knows her secret identity. B.B. secretly alerts the JLA, and J'onn takes the shape of Fire and appears before Martin and B.B. "Fire" claims that B.B. is a close friend who lent "her" the earrings. Martin is embarrassed by his "mistake", and B.B. gently terminates his romantic interest in her, although she assures him that he's a nice guy and that he will find true love someday.

The Weatherman demands $20 million or he will engulf New Metro in a tidal wave. He attacks the Watchtower using a heat ray. The JLA escape and devise a plan to stop the Weatherman, leaving Tori behind. They are unsuccessful, but Tori stops it by freezing the tidal wave solid.

The other heroes apologize for leaving Tori behind, and offer her membership again, including a costume and the codename "Ice". Tori forgives them and agrees to their offer.

Meanwhile, the Weatherman plans his escape from prison.

Cast

 * Matthew Settle as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern, a software salesman.
 * Kimberly Oja as Tori Olafsdotter / Ice, a meteorologist working at Dr Eno's Meteorological Institute.
 * John Kassir as Ray Palmer / The Atom, a science teacher.
 * Michelle Hurd as B.B. DaCosta / Fire, a struggling actress.
 * Kenny Johnston as Barry Allen / The Flash, unemployed.
 * David Krumholtz as Martin Walters, an actor who has a crush on B.B.
 * Elisa Donovan as Cheryl, Guy's girlfriend.
 * Ron Pearson as Dr. Arliss Hopke, one of Tori's work colleagues.
 * David Ogden Stiers as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter, the leader of the JLA.
 * Miguel Ferrer as The Weather Man (Dr. Eno), a rival meteorologist.
 * Robert Gallo as Landlord
 * Nick DeMauro as TV Repairman
 * Jason Weissbrod as Drazen
 * Brian Sampson as ENO Security Officer (uncredited)
 * Mary Ann Schmidt as Blonde Biker (uncredited)

Production
The film's plot is based on the Justice League comic era of Keith Giffen & J. M. DeMatteis (writers). It was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Reception
Reviews of the film have been negative. Common complaints are of the plot holes, poor special effects, bad costumes and that the League members deviated heavily from their source characters. Critics have also said the movie tried to be like "Friends with superpowers". Established JLA writer Mark Waid said the film was "80 minutes of my life I'll never get back." Critics felt Stiers' weight affected his portrayal of the character.

Distribution
Justice League of America has never been aired in the U.S. However, it has been shown on television in the U.K. (Channel 5), Puerto Rico's WAPA-TV (Channel 4), Thailand (Cinemax), Brazil (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão), Uruguay, Poland (TVN, TVN 7, TV4), Mexico (TV Azteca), South Africa (e.tv), Germany, India and Israel. Bootleg copies have been distributed through conventions, websites and file sharing networks.