Today’s quick review: Justice League Dark. After a spate of supernatural murders, Batman (Jason O’Mara) seeks the help of John Constantine (Matt Ryan), an abrasive but talented magician, to track down the culprit. Although loners by nature, the two men cannot face the mystic threat alone, so they recruit the magician Zatanna (Camilla Luddington), the ghostly acrobat Deadman (Nicholas Turturro), and the demon-possessed knight Jason Blood (Ray Chase) to help.
Justice League Dark is an animated superhero film that explores the occult side of the DC Universe. Justice League Dark introduces Batman, a skeptic, to a world of magic and mystery. In addition to sporting the trademark polish of DC’s animated productions, Justice League Dark takes the opportunity to introduce a broad cast of DC’s supernatural characters, from John Constantine to the Swamp Thing and many others in between.
As the name implies, Justice League Dark has a darker tone than DC’s usual fare. The movie indulges in more violence, bleaker situations, and horror elements without losing the superhero genre’s traditional sense of optimism. The appeal of the movie is the same as ever: good action, colorful characters, and a passable plot accompanied by solid writing, voice acting, and overall production quality.
The lineup for Justice League Dark works surprisingly well. Batman serves as perspective character, John Constantine as team leader, Zatanna as conscience, Jason Blood as muscle, and Deadman as comic relief. Justice League Dark tours the lesser-known supernatural side of the DC Universe, showing off an impressive array of characters without requiring much prior knowledge. No character gets too much development, but what they get is effective.
Watch Justice League Dark when you are in the mood for a competent superhero movie with an uncommon cast. Though it can’t match the spectacle of modern live-action superhero films, Justice League Dark captures much of the appeal of the genre in a tidy package. Those looking for a superhero movie without the added horror should check out Justice League: War or Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, both set in the same universe.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a good cast of characters, a decent plot, and solid execution.