Review: Justice Society: World War II

 

Overview:

Pushing himself like never before, Barry Allen, the Flash, finds himself transported in time to the second World War. To his surprise, he discovers the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, fighting the Nazis. But some things are not quite how he remembers them from the textbooks.

Before Flash can make his way back to his own time, he is going to have to learn where exactly he is. All the while, the war is about to hit much closer to home than anyone expects. Thankfully, he is accompanied by times most extraordinary collection of heroes as they battle the world’s biggest threat.

 

Our Take:

DC Animated features are the hidden gem of the superhero genre. Warner Bros. and DC have been knocking out some fantastic films long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a possibility. And the growing list of movies is arguably the most significant collection of action-centered animated features that North America has to offer.

Even with that, I don’t think anyone was expecting what Justice Society: World War II has delivered.

The Justice Society is one of comic book’s oldest team-ups. There have been many iterations over the years and decades, but the roots are founded in the Golden Age of comics. Before massive crossovers, universe reboots, or even before superheroes died, the funny books were minimalist stories meant to deliver escapism and hope at a time when the world was in the midst of a global struggle for equality and freedom.

Although it was a bold time for comic books, the content rarely holds up in today’s market. Justice Society, though one of the greatest super-teams in history, their stories are dull by today’s standards. Comparably to the last few years of DC Animated films, bringing these Golden Age heroes back from the past is a risky maneuver. Thankfully, this updated story delivers an unexpectedly modern and exciting journey.

Honestly, this film has no business being this entertaining.

Much of this can be attributed to not being a complete period piece as you would expect. Instead, the plot begins in the modern day with Barry Allen – The Flash – leading our path to the past. In fact, it is a shock that the first action sequence in the film is between Superman and his nemesis, Brainiac.  

Though there are many more twists and surprises that bloat the film. There are some shocking spins on origin stories, including a twice-orphaned Superman and the development of the present-day Justice League. Even then, some cameos come out of nowhere to turn the tide of this plot in unexpected ways.

The biggest twist of them all is the reimagining of our own history textbooks. This movie may be situated around World War II, but the connection gets looser and looser as the plot progresses. Though it does so in a fun and entertaining way – by injecting your favourite DC superheroes into the mix. And it gets messy for both sides of the war.

While Justice Society: World War II makes adjustments to real-world history and DC canon, it also makes its own moves in context to the DC Animated Universe. Until now, most of the DCAU films have had an identifiable style defined by the 90s Justice League cartoons – aside from some Elseworlds stories. But this movie refines the style for a sleeker look. Specifically when dealing with Flash’s abilities and how they translate on screen. But also with an introductory credit sequence that is more fitting with the WWII period piece.

There were some expectations when this movie was announced. Additionally, it looked like we had the film figured out when the first stills and trailers were released. But Justice Society: World War II is anything but what you would expect it to be.

The story is bold, modern, and way more entertaining than the original source material. The plot goes in directions that even the most literate of comic nerds would never see coming. And the romantic cues and underlying messages carry much more weight than is even necessary for an animated action feature.  

Certainly, many of you are reading this review to see if it is even worth watching this film about an outdated superhero team. I know, because I too felt like this was probably a DCAU feature that could easily be skipped. But I am so glad that I didn’t, as this is one of the strongest movies to come out of DC that didn’t involve the Dark Knight. As shocking as that may sound, watch and find out for yourself. This film will pleasantly surprise you.