“Take your glow stick and go home.”

Justice League: War is based of the first story arc of the New 52 Justice League reboot, and features the first meetings and teaming of these reimagined versions of DCs biggest heroes

The New 52 was at best a mixed bag, and a lot of what I didn’t like about it was on display here. The heroes don’t have the complexity or appeal of the previous versions, and several of them have been made more bloodthirsty and violent. In some cases, like Wonder Woman, it fits and is a natural direction for the character. It most others it just makes them grating and unlikable. The dialogue and character interactions are often downright painful, particularly those featuring Shazam. Superman is a complete cipher, just there to expedite the plot and get into the expected scuffles. Speaking of which, the conflicts between heroes are extremely contrived, and could have been resolved in seconds with a little talk and a lot of Green Lantern not being an ass.

There is some fun to be had here though. As much as I dislike this take on Green Lantern and his attitude, seeing Batman interact with him and put him in his place (repeatedly) is hilarious. While I find the underlying reasons behind the fights and the strategies employed flimsy, the action is quite well done and exciting to watch. And the movie is true to the source material, adapting the comic faithfully and making it work in a different format.

Overall I don’t have a lot of fondness for Justice League: War because the New 52 approach isn’t to my tastes, but there are some highlights and for viewers who do like these versions of DC’s heroes this is a strong adaptation.