Review: Injustice

 

 

Overview:

The Joker has pulled off his ultimate prank on the surprising victim, the world’s most powerful hero, Superman. Tricking the Man of Steel into murdering his own pregnant wife and destroying all of Metropolis, the joke has gone too far. And as Superman takes his revenge on Batman’s notorious villain, it sets off a chain of events that will destroy everything the Justice League has worked towards.

A mourning Superman becomes ever more vigilant in his quest for a peaceful world. Imposing a worldwide ceasefire and police state come at invaluable costs. The world powers have no way of standing in their hero’s way, and the Justice League has become divided.

The only thing left standing between Superman, and ultimate control is his oldest friend, Batman. But with the sides so clearly drawn between them, there is no chance at a peaceful resolution. Either Batman can stop the ever-powerful Kryptonian, or Superman will be free to dominate the world to his will.

 

Our Take:

Fans of video games and comic books will recognize the title Injustice as it has made waves throughout both industries. The 2013 fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us was inarguably the most successful superhero adaptation up until that point. Popular enough to spawn sequels and its own profitable comic book adaptation. The driving factor of Injustice’s lucrative ascent was an original story that divided the DC Universe and incorporated a significant amount of its characters.

Well, it was only a matter of time before WB brought the famous Injustice plot into the DC animated universe. The never-ending stream of animated comic book adaptations have explored, interpreted, and expanded the DC lore unapologetically. There is a DC animated feature for everyone, from massive stories told over multiple movies to strange one-off Elseworld variations. So, bringing the fan-favourite video game into the DCAU was somewhat of a no-brainer.

The only questions left standing are how well can they bring this story to life once again, and how will it differentiate from the versions that we already know?

Injustice starts out as it should, precisely the same way things go down in the game and comic. The Joker’s masterpiece of getting Superman to kill his own impregnated wife through a drug-induced rage is the defining point of the story’s proceedings. Aside from a couple of minor alterations, the animated feature follows these events closely.

After Superman initiates his worldwide ceasefire, the film manages to hit many of the most poignant events. This includes Green Arrow putting Harley Quinn in protective custody, Mirror Master attempting to kidnap Jonathan Kent, and the gut-wrenching fallout between Batman’s disciples, Robin and Nightwing. All of these were stand-out moments to the story that could have been lost in a new adaptation. Thankfully, they had the foresight to incorporate them.

However, based on the movies short 78-minute runtime, clearly, not every plot point could be brought along. Green Lantern, Shazam, and even the Flash are disappointingly limited in their appearances, leaving significant portions of Injustice as it is known on the cutting room floor. 

Without these three essential characters, the conclusion of the movie is vastly different from previous iterations.

An alternate conclusion is kind of fair game. The original video game itself offered two different endings depending on which side the player chose. Additionally, the comic book adaptation ended with a cliff-hanger, opening the doors for the sequel. The new animated movie manages to find a way to wrap this massive story up effectively and uniquely. Comfortingly, there is a finite conclusion, and this film works as a stand-alone piece.

Fans will most likely approve of this variation of the Injustice story. While some of the extensive set pieces may be absent, the themes and energy are still there. The film still treats these god-like characters as disposable, and the surprising deaths of major heroes and villains will still drop jaws.

Alternatively, the compacted story could use some expansion. The sheer density of this alternate universe means they could have explored this story much farther. A trilogy could have effectively given the space for some of the missing elements. More so, a 10-episode series would have given justice to Injustice.

Regardless, this animated feature is a well-done exploration of a defining DC story. Fans who have yet to explore what Injustice has to offer will be blown away with this Coles-notes version. And for the existing fans, this will forever be a great way to explore one of their favourite stories without needing to invest a dozen or so hours. No matter who’s watching, this is a winning piece.