Today’s quick review: Injustice. After the Joker (Kevin Pollak) kills Lois Lane (Laura Bailey) and nukes Metropolis, Superman (Justin Hartley) snaps. He breaks his oath against killing and, urged on by Wonder Woman (Janet Varney), sets out to rid the world of crime by any means necessary. Faced with the rise of an all-powerful tyrant, Batman (Anson Mount) gathers his few remaining allies and tries to turn Superman from his destructive path.
Injustice is an animated superhero movie based on the Injustice video games and the associated comics. Injustice offers a much darker take on the DC Universe, where the collapse of Superman’s ideals turns him from a heroic paragon to a violent oppressor. The movie takes advantage of its darker tone with shocking action scenes and sharp setbacks. Not everyone will like what Injustice has to offer, but it is a solid pick for the right viewer.
Injustice features violent action scenes, makes creative use of DC’s expansive cast of characters, and goes a step farther than the superhero genre’s usual musings on the nature of power. The plot works well, driving a wedge between Superman and Batman that only widens as Superman commits to his skewed vision of justice. Meanwhile, the quality of animation, voice acting, and dialogue are all on par with DC’s other animated work.
Injustice also has a few points against it. The graphic violence and bleaker tone will be a dealbreaker for sensitive viewers. While the story covers all the ground it needs to, it could have used another half-hour to explore other parts of the setting and set up a more fulfilling finale. Finally, Injustice suffers from the fact that it is not the first movie of its kind; there are several others that explore the DC Universe from a darker angle.
How much you get out of Injustice will come down to taste. The overt violence and high body count are going to be a big ask for some viewers, and there are other DC movies that explore similar themes with more tact. But for anyone willing to dive in, Injustice has an engaging story that can take bigger risks than usual, and it backs it up with a large cast of heroes and villains whose powers are important to the plot.
For a similarly violent take on the DC Universe, try Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. For a more sober examination of Superman as a dictator, try Superman: Red Son. For another alternate world where the Justice League has fallen apart, try Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. For a similar fall from grace of a powerful hero, try Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
[6.3 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5012504/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an interesting but risky story.