So, as a pre-curser to this review, I have played the InJustice: God's Among Us video games. It might be my favorite fighting game. I'm not a big fan of fighting games, but due to its great story, I accept it. Granted its been a few years since I played the game, I know the story. I had certain expectations.
The start of the film honestly exceeded the expectations. The more they dug into the Tyrannical world that Superman was creating, the more I began to wonder if they were going to make it a two-parter. Because they really spent a lot of time in the Earth-22 universe.
The opening was tragic, it gave very good reason for why Superman did what he did. It plays into the Joker's philosophy that everyone is just one really bad day away from becoming him (if we go with the Killing Joke story). Superman, the ultimate boy scout, has that really bad day. And this opening was dark, it was tragic. I almost gasped at a few points. There are quite a few deaths, a couple of them totally shocked me.
However, here is where it falls short. The story at times feels disjointed. A few characters like the Lanterns and Shazam just disappear. You only get one person come from Earth-1 and that is Superman. It felt so shortened, it felt like way too little.
I wasn't a fan of the animation, or some of the voice-acting. The story with Nightwing, felt like it went nowhere. It felt like someone somewhere was keeping this from being the story it could be. So, it isn't bad. But it is really just okay.
And as a note, this in no way is a deconstruction of Superman as other reviews have noted. Remember that this is a Superman of a different timeline. The movie actually gives you a hint half-way through. Jonathan Kent (his earth Father) is alive, but not Martha. In most stories, either both are alive, or just Martha. This is the first story, I've seen where Jonathan remains instead of Martha. Which may have been the nod to it being an alternate timeline. It also makes one wonder, if that effected how Earth-22 Superman reacted to the tragedy at the beginning.
The start of the film honestly exceeded the expectations. The more they dug into the Tyrannical world that Superman was creating, the more I began to wonder if they were going to make it a two-parter. Because they really spent a lot of time in the Earth-22 universe.
The opening was tragic, it gave very good reason for why Superman did what he did. It plays into the Joker's philosophy that everyone is just one really bad day away from becoming him (if we go with the Killing Joke story). Superman, the ultimate boy scout, has that really bad day. And this opening was dark, it was tragic. I almost gasped at a few points. There are quite a few deaths, a couple of them totally shocked me.
However, here is where it falls short. The story at times feels disjointed. A few characters like the Lanterns and Shazam just disappear. You only get one person come from Earth-1 and that is Superman. It felt so shortened, it felt like way too little.
I wasn't a fan of the animation, or some of the voice-acting. The story with Nightwing, felt like it went nowhere. It felt like someone somewhere was keeping this from being the story it could be. So, it isn't bad. But it is really just okay.
And as a note, this in no way is a deconstruction of Superman as other reviews have noted. Remember that this is a Superman of a different timeline. The movie actually gives you a hint half-way through. Jonathan Kent (his earth Father) is alive, but not Martha. In most stories, either both are alive, or just Martha. This is the first story, I've seen where Jonathan remains instead of Martha. Which may have been the nod to it being an alternate timeline. It also makes one wonder, if that effected how Earth-22 Superman reacted to the tragedy at the beginning.