Injustice (2021)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 4/4

 

 

PROS –
1) Superman decides to take the matter of world peace into his own hands after Joker killed the pregnant Lios Lane along with millions of others in a nuclear blast. Soon things go out of hand as anticipated by Batman when the entire mission of world peace turns into world policing.
2) One of the best Justice League movies I’ve ever seen. Fast-paced screenplay and great animation quality.
3) The staggering body count of super-heroes and super-villains viz Flash, Cyborg, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Jonathan Kent, Nightwing, Captain Atom, Joker, Hawk-Man, etc.
4) The story is very realistic because a superhero like Superman cannot be a boy-scout forever. He is a God among super-heroes.
5) Finally a movie with a substantial Plastic Man plot.

 

 

CONS –
1) The Implausible sub-plot of Rama Kushna giving powers to a dead Nightwing and transforming him into Deadwing.

 

 

QUOTE –
Batman: The justice league cannot be the world’s police force.
Super-Man: The week’s events have proven otherwise, Batman.

Justice Society: World War II (2021)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 3/4

 

 

PROS –
1) While trying to protect Superman from Brainiac’s Kryptonian bullet, Flash gets transported to the past where the “Justice Society” (consisting of Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Jay Garrick / Flash, Hourman) is fighting the Nazis. He later realizes that he is not in the past, but another Earth.
2) The multiverse stories are always good. The “Shakespeare” twist was unexpected.
3) The presence of Doctor Fate & Psycho-Pirate gives more depth to the story.
4) The animation quality is better than many previous DC Animated features.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Flash: Wait, this…I’m not…This isn’t…
Wonder Woman: Are you all right?
Flash: I’m not in the past. This isn’t a different time.
Wonder Woman: What are you talking about?
Flash: This is…this is a different Earth.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 4/5

 

 

PROS –
1) Batman & Wonder Woman jointly start recruiting superheroes for the Justice League while Darkseid’s henchman Steppenwolf is collecting all 3 “Mother Boxes”. After knowing the origin story of Cyborg they decided to bring Superman back to life with the help of a “Mother Box”.
2) Flash & Cyborg take center stage in this movie while Aquaman & Wonder Woman are in the backseat.
3) The extended Knightmare Sequence from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) gives us more information about the abandoned Snyderverse. There are hints of Infinite Earths with characters like Robin, Joker, Harley Quinn, and a villainous Superman.
4) A superior version of the theatrical release. Snyder’s vision was clearly butchered by Joss Whedon on the editing table. Steppenwolf got a kickass armor and his character is well developed in this version.
5) The quintessential 7th member of the Justice League, Martian Manhunter, finally made his appearance.

 

 

CONS –
1) The 4:3 aspect ratio is not serving any purpose.

 

 

QUOTE –
Steppenwolf: For Darkseid.
Superman: Not impressed.

Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 2/4

 

 

PROS –
1) Brainiac brought back to life by Lex Luthor causes severe harm to Superman and Lois Lane with its kryptonite power rays. Now Superman needs to battle Brainiac as well as go the mysterious Phantom Zone to obtain Argonium 44 in order to save Lois.
2) A comedic Lex Luthor.
3) Superman realizing he’s still trapped in the Phantom Zone.
4) Art-Deco style Metropolis.

 

 

CONS –
1) Mediocre and lengthy action scenes destroying half of the Metropolis.

 

 

QUOTE –
Brainiac: No, you would not. All the knowledge of your civilization, lost?
Superman: Better lost than abused.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

STORY – 0
DIRECTOR – 0
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 1/5

 

 

PROS –
1) The plot surrounds a mysterious Dreamstone that grants a user their wish but at an unknown cost from the user. A struggling oil businessman somehow knew of its power and takes its possession resulting chaos.
2) Kickass Asteria’s armor.
3) The movie is a solo WonderWoman adventure movie without any Justice League connection.

 

 

CONS –
1) The movie is criminally long for an average superhero movie. For the first 90 minutes, the movie is without any major action or any villain.
2) The screenplay is slow and full of plotholes. How Maxlord knew about the Dreamstone? What was his grand plan?
3) The movie delivers an equally confusing message of “denounce your wish”.

 

 

QUOTE –
Nothing good is born from lies. And greatness is not what you think.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 0

 

 

VERDICT – 2/4

 

 

PROS –
1) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman quest to planet Apokolips to bring back Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl abducted and brainwashed by Darkseid.
2) Andre Braugher’s voice as Darkseid is quite effortless.

CONS –
1) Mediocre animation quality.
2) Forgettable Supergirl origin movie.

 

 

QUOTE –
Superman: Her name is Kara Zor-El, from Krypton. She’s my cousin.
Batman: You’re cousin just torched $50,000 worth of custom hardware.
Superman: Send me the bill.
Batman: On a reporter’s salary, right.

Batman: Year One (2011)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 4/4

 

 

PROS –
1) A flawless and faithful adaptation of Frank Miller’s story which recounts Jim Gordon‘s first year in Gotham City, and Batman’s first year as a crime-fighter.
2) The animation quality did justice to the story. Bryan Cranston’s voice acting as Jim Gordon is cherry on top.
3) The screenplay is almost scene to scene from it’s original comic-book source.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Batman: Twelve years. And the ache is still fresh. Like a raw angry nerve. But this isn’t about healing. I’m not looking for closure.

Batman: Hush (2019)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 3/4

 

 

PROS –
1) Riddler uses the Lazarus Pit to cure his inoperable brain tumor and learn Batman’s secret identity. He assumes the secret identity of Hush to take revenge from fellow villains for disrespecting him and obliged all major Batman villain to destroy him.
2) Superman’s extended cameo.
3) The Bruce Wayne- Selina Kyle romantic angle was fully explored as per the comic-book.

CONS –
1) Although it’s a well-made feature-length Batman movie, it’s an underwhelming adaptation of the original source.
2) The strongest aspect of Batman : Hush comic book is it’s art by Jim Lee. Unfortunately, the art quality in this animated version is substandard.

 

 

QUOTE –
Catwoman: You and your goddamn code. And you’ll die because of it, you know this, right? Will that make it all better?
Batman: Without a code, I’m no better than them.

DC Showcase: Adam Strange (2020)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 3/4

 

 

PROS –
1) A fresh origin story of a lesser known superhero after a long time. After creating origin story of Superman/Batman for zillionth time on alternate universes, this is a welcome movie by DC.
2) “Zeta-beam” stranded Adam Strange on Earth where he’s calculating his return back to his planet so he can reunite with his daughter.
3) The animation-quality is top notch.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Miner: You think the zeta beam can magically carry you back to your planet
Adam: Not magic, science.

DC Showcase: Catwoman (2011)

STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1

 

 

VERDICT – 4/4

 

 

PROS –
1) Catwoman fights a Gotham City crime boss called Rough Cut to crack-down a human-trafficking ring.
2) Quality animation and Rated-R story in 15-minutes run time. Catwoman’s performance at the strip-club was a bonus.
3) The final truck chase scene was equally thrilling.

 

 

CONS –
N/A

 

 

QUOTE –
Rough Cut: Okay, keep your mouth shut and I’ll cut you in for 10 percent.
Catwoman: I’ll do the cutting here.