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Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K UHD Review

“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” goes for broke for better or worse.

“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” is what one might call an event movie. Not only does it serve as a sequel to of sorts to past DC animated films such as the recent Superman trilogy, “Justice League Dark,” and “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox,” but it has all of the major hero (or anti-hero) groups- Justice League, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans and the Suicide Squad. What brings everyone together you ask? War. You see, in an event to stop Darkseid once and for all, Superman suggests waging war against the villain, but the plan backfires badly leaving countless heroes dead, captured, or beaten. 2 years later, a plan is made for the survivors to regroup and stop Darkseid and liberate Earth which is the point when all the teams band together in a last ditch effort. There’s also a key subplot involving Trigon that you know will come into play down the line. 

Directed by Matt Peters and Christina Sotta and written by Mairghread Scott (based on a Christina Sotta and Ernie Altbacker story), “Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” is an ambitious, violent, and action-packed story that attempts to wrap up dangling plotlines from previous films. Unfortunately, it’s also a baffling movie that features forced edgy scenes and nonsensical character actions. Whether Superman is recklessly waging war or Constantine is running away from battle, it’s hard to swallow what happens on screen much of the time. In many ways, ‘Apokolips’ reminds me of “X-Men: The Last Stand” in that it goes all out and includes tons of characters but ultimately feels more like fanfiction than anything else (see the parademon-doomsday hybrids).

JL isn’t without merit. As questionable as the plotting is, there’s never a dull moment here due to the epic battle sequences which claim the lives of many fan favorite characters. The stakes are high which does give the story some dramatic weight. In terms of the characters, John Constantine carries it. Once again, Matt Ryan returns to voice the character he has made his own. I hope he continues to play and voice him for the foreseeable future. Other highlights include the Taissa Farmiga voiced Raven (who has a major story arc) and Darkseid (Tony Todd) who is as formidable as ever. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? The animation quality is better than the last few DC animated features and, as such, the 4K transfer is better.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Given that this is a very loud and busy film, it’s no surprise that this track is nothing short of dynamic.  

Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* WB and DC animated film trailers
* “Justice League Action” episodes “Zombie King” and “Abate and Switch.”
* “Teen Titans” episode “Nevermore.”
* A sneak peek at the next DC animated film “Superman: Man Of Tomorrow.”
* “Darkseid: New God, Classic Evil”- A featurette on the history of the DC villain and his place in this animated film.
* “DC Showcase: Adam Strange”- A new animated short that focuses on an older Strange who protects a mining colony.

* Commentary by James Tucker, Ernie Altbacker, Matt Peters, and Christina Sotta which will surely please fans wanting to know more about the project.

May 28, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Batman, Darkseid, Flash, John Constantine, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War 4K UHD Review, Superman, Teen Titans