Justice League Gods and Monsters

• Title:  Justice League Gods and Monsters
• Director: Sam Liu
• Date:  2015
• Studio:  Warner Brothers Animation
• Genre: Fantasy, Action, Animation
• Cast:  Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs, Richard Chamberlain, Penny Johnson Jerald, Carl Lumbly
• Format:  Widscreen, Color, Animation
• DVD Format:  Blu-Ray

"At least fifty dead in the embassy massacre, and not just dead - dismembered, burnt alive, sucked of their blood, a virtual house of horrors. Granted the victims were part of a terrorist organization... but what about our terrorist organization? What about the Justice League? It's not like we haven't been warned." - Female Newscaster

"What the government has sanctioned is more than a Super-SWAT Team, it's a weapon of absolute power. We all know where that leads." - Lex Luthor

"We're being framed! Someone's actively trying to frame the Justice League? Who would have the balls?" - Superman

Gods and Monsters is an alternative universe story, DC calls these types of stories - "Elseworlds", and before that "Imaginary Stories" (to distinguish them from the main continuity) as pointed out on one of the special features that accompany the film. This tale gives us three very different versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The film starts with Superman's new origin story. In Gods and Monsters Superman's father isn't Jor-El but Zod. This is shown in the opening scene where Zod pokes his finger into a genetic device that will develop into a baby in the spaceship that's sent to Earth. Once the ship lands, he's rescued by a migrant laborer couple rather than the Kents. This Superman is very different - he's brash, arrogant, and even rude. He also knows very little about his genetic parents or Krypton, because Luther stole his baby spaceship and everything inside.

In the film's present, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are on a US-sanctioned mission to destroy a terrorist cell. Steve Trevor is marginally in charge of the mission, but they neither listen to him nor do they wait for Trevor and his troops to arrive before totally trashing the cell and everyone in it. This shows the violence of this alternative Justice League, and their willingness to let the end justify the means.

However, before long, a series of scientists - many who were known as "Luther's Whiz Kids" are getting killed in horrible ways - and the crime scenes are designed to look like the Justice League is guilty. But since we see the robots committing the crimes from the beginning the audience knows that this Justice League, as twisted as the are, aren't responsible. Though, like all mysteries - who is responsible isn't revealed until the end.

While telling the mystery story we also see flashbacks explaining the origins of Batman and Wonder Woman. Batman is Kirk Langstrom, who attended university with Will Magnus, and Tina. Kirk was suffering from some form of cancer or blood disease (it isn't spelled out exactly what) and is experimenting with bats. He ends up becoming Batman, a vampire.

Wonder Woman isn't from Paradise Island, but New Genesis. Bekka was to marry the son of Darkseid, Orion, whom she had actually fallen for - despite the fact that the marriage was arranged and she was actually a bride-price to stop an eons-long war between New Genesis and Apokolips. Just after the wedding, however, her Grandfather, known as High Father (Richard Chamberlain), and his troops break up the wedding by killing everyone they can, including Bekka's very new husband. Angered at both the carnage and the death of her consort, Bekka turns her back on High Father, and New Genesis, and makes her way to Earth via Motherbox (boom tube - basically a type of very long distance teleport).

The rest of the story involves the attacks on the scientists, the Justice League finding out about the attacks - and various people calling for sanctions against the League, including Amanda Waller, who had been their government liaison and handler.

Superman decides to challenge Luther as well (Luther is still his arch enemy) - from Luther he finds out the truth of his origins. However, this Luther, though initially overly cautious (thus his refusal to share the information from Krypton with Superman), is won over by his use of Kryptonian technology to study the universe.

Gods and Monsters is a surprisingly violent story - fifty people are killed in close to the opening scene (after the background scenes on Krypton), the scientists - Victor Fries (now a climatologist), Silas Stone, Ray Palmer, etc. are first killed one by one, but then there's a bloodbath to kill any scientist who had opposed the Justice League. At times, it seems both Batman and Superman have real blind spots when it comes to protecting themselves when solidly framed. Batman, though a vampire and having a completely different back story, does have good investigation skills - but not good enough to see what's going on until it's almost too late. Superman, upon realizing they are being framed is incredulous, as in, "Who dare be dumb enough to frame us?" Still, as in all good mysteries - the League does figure it out and with some surprising help, is exonerated.

The Blu-Ray includes a documentary on DC's history of Alternative Universe, "imaginary stories, and "Elseworlds" stories, starting with the example of, Gotham by Gaslight. The Blu-Ray also includes a documentary on Jack Kirby, New Genesis and Apokolips. And finally there's a making-of documentary that's excellent. Just the comics history and information in the documentaries make the Blu-Ray worth having.

Overall, I enjoyed this film, though it was very dark. Still, it was a good, alternative take on the big three DC Heroes.

Recommendation: See it
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Next Film: When Harry Met Sally