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Injustice 4K UHD Review

The “Injustice” franchise expands into animated feature form.

Considering DC Fandome is today, it feels appropriate to review director Matt Peters’ “Injustice” today. As many of you know, “Injustice” is based on video games and comic books titled “Injustice: Gods Among Us.” The story begins with the reveal that Clark and Lois are going to have a child. That joy is short-lived, however, when The Joker sets up a fiendish plot that would make Superman kill Lois all while a bomb goes off in Metropolis killing 11 million. After these events, Superman snaps. Not only does he kill, but he plans to start a new world order basically by policing the world, stopping wars, getting rid of guns, locking away criminals forever, and even partnering with villains. Of course, this doesn’t go over well with Batman and his allies who try to stop Superman from creating irreparable damage and saving Superman from himself.

As a fan of both the video games and the comics, I was intrigued by an “Injustice” animated film. The concept of Superman turning dark and numerous DC heroes taking sides is something different. Moreover, “Injustice” is certainly not afraid to take risks or kill off characters (sometimes quite violently). You never know what’s going to happen which is what makes it stand out from the usual DC fare. Thematically, there’s also a lot going on here as the story explores laws, morals, ideologies, totalitarianism, and division. 

As entertaining and fast paced as “Injustice” is, writer Ernie Altbacker’s script is a bit too rushed. It condenses a lot of material into a 78 minute movie. Why this wasn’t set up as an adult animated series or a series of animated films instead, I don’t know. It would have been better suited to those formats given the epic, expansive nature of the multi-media story.

The voice actors are largely well cast. Anson Mount has really made Batman his own and I hope he continues in the role in future projects. Reid Scott ‘s take on Green Arrow was on point (pun intended). The unlikely Arrow-Harley Quinn (Gillian Jacobs) dynamic was one of the best parts of the comics and I was glad it popped up here (albeit in a smaller capacity). Derek Phillips shines as Nightwing who has a very unexpected character arc here. Janet Varney did a fine job with Wonder Woman (who also has a bit of a dark side here). The only cast member that didn’t work for me was Justin Hartley as Superman/Clark Kent. I’m generally a fan of the actor and loved his portrayal of Green Arrow in “Smallville,” but he just lacked the gravitas as both Clark and Superman.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? The animation looks fine. 

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a lively 5.1 track.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Blu-ray copy
* Previews for “Reign Of The Supermen” and “The Death Of Superman.”
* 2 “Justice League” episodes titled “Injustice For All” Parts 1 and 2.
* “Adventures In Storytelling- Injustice: Crisis And Conflict”- A 31 minute roundtable discussion with Jim Krieg, Matt Peters, Rick Morales, and Ernie Altbacker.

October 16, 2021 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Anson Mount, Batman, DC Comics, Injustice 4K UHD Review, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman