Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)

I finally just got done watching Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the Warner Premier straight-to-DVD animated movie. Like all Warner Premier animated films based on DC comics characters and stories, this one was top-notch. Revolving around an alternate universe where all of the superheroes we know are bad (like Superman, who is renamed Ultraman, and Batman who is renamed Owlman) and all the villains we know are good (like Joker who is renamed Jester, and Lex Luther who is ... well, Lex Luther). Good Lex travels to the Earth of Superman and the Justice League in order to recruit them to fight the evil versions of themselves from good Lex’s home planet, where the evil Justice League (known as the Crime Syndicate) rules the planet by fear and random acts of violence. The only thing holding the evil Crime Syndicate at bay is the threat of a nuclear response, but Owlman comes up with a world-destroying bomb that would equalize the playing field and have the Syndicate taking the planet without the threat of nuclear reprisal – till Owlman hits upon an idea that would destroy all reality…

The Justice League, from left: Martian Manhunter, the President's daughter Rose Wilson, Superman, good Lex Luthor, Flash, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Wonder Woman.

The movie is chock-full of action, but paced in the usual DC animation style where it doesn’t seem rushed and forced. The same thing can be said for the movie’s running time, which is around 80 minutes, but doesn’t feel like they forcefully crammed info, including solo fights, team fights, a romance between Martian Manhunter and the President’s daughter, Batman’s eventual involvement after sitting out the first act, Owlman’s romance with Superwoman (the evil Wonder Woman), Owlman’s double cross, Batman’s idea of forming a larger Justice League and Wonder Woman’s discovery of the invisible plane. It is all presented breezily and never feels crammed, too busy or hard to follow. One complaint I would have is that the Justice League doesn’t seem all that phased by meeting their evil selves, or alternate versions of their friends (like when Superman meets the overly muscular and super powerful version of Jimmy Olsen). Still, this is a pretty good piece of entertainment, with well drawn characters and a great storyline that ends with a terrific Owlman vs. Batman confrontation where Batman makes a very astute observation of his evil self that reveals a lot about his own self (it’s a great line, I won’t spoil it here). Oh yeah, did I mention that Batman is in a Power Loader suit at one point fighting alternate universe versions of Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., and Uncle Marvel? Yeah, this movie rocks.

The Crime Syndicate, from left: Johnny Quick, Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman. 

If you were to place this in the continuity of the Justice League cartoon series, it looks like it should be placed just before the first season of Justice League Unlimited as the Justice League satellite space station is being built in the movie and the Justice League decides to recruit new members by the end of the film. Still, it’s a loose fitting as Green Lantern in this movie is Hal Jordan, while the show featured the character of John Stewart in the show. Still it’s a pretty cool movie and a great addition to the DC comics animated library.

5/5

-Deceptisean