Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two

I'm not the biggest fan of the Tomorrowverse saga, but each film that's come out thus far has been relatively decent. Until Warworld. Just like that film, is this a long episode or an actual movie? Personally, I like long story arcs that continues across separate entries, but this continuation can't be so much of the focus that it hurts the individual film itself. While parts one, two and eventually three are in the actual title, each release needs to be able to stand on its own. They failed at that here.

The entire thing kind of drags. While the parts containing Kara, Psycho Pirate and the Monitor are interesting, the way these events are put together hinders momentum. That, along with the monotonous color palette combines to create a sense of meandering and stagnation. At one point I actually paused the film just to see how much of it was left, something I never do for any film worth watching and the first time I've done so for a DC animated one. By the time the lukewarm cliffhanger hits, you simply feel nothing about it.

There have been a lot of criticism about the art style for Tomorrowverse, and while I can confidently say style is subjective and not indicative of true quality, some of the scenes in this film and the ones prior appear to have been rather hastily or even lazily done. A fight happening in the background put there with the absolute minimum effort because, who's going to stare at that? Or someone wiping their face simply with a hand motion sans any of the facial mannerisms to match. Things like this scream budget, effort, or time issues and it absolutely hurts the final product.

I love DC Comics and the animated films/series that have come from them, but this film and a few before it have been disappointing. Even if part three turns out to be amazing, it won't save this one nor justify the time spent to get there.

I gave "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two" a go after not really enjoying the first. To be honest, I was hoping for a rebound because I want to like the concept. About ten minutes in, I started wishing that I hadn't turned it on. Stubbornly, I persisted but I'm done now. Won't bother with the third one. A great cast of voices (including Jensen Ackles and Darren Criss) are not given all that much to work with, unfortunately. Like with the first instalment, the plot is disjointed and convoluted, and although it features a lot of great DC characters, they really don't have all that much to do. A huge missed opportunity.

Now the first part of the movie is great. Kara, Psycho Pirate, Harbinger, Monitor were essential to the Crisis Saga. It is great to see them fleshed out in this reimagination. The new harbinger twist is great and connects the story better than the original version.

Then as the movie progresses it gets mired in the shadow demon arc in a bad way. Instead of focusing on telling a good story and trusting in it, you notice how DC falls back to it's safe space, pandering to its base by fanservicing popular characters like the Batfamily and Wonder Woman despite their irrelevance at the point in the story. An endless boring fightscene is only rarely interrupted for plot progression. Now strategically, DC probably know what they are doing. They know their fanbase well and if Batman is here they will come. But from a storytelling perspective and for the quality of the movie, it is a terrible decision.

Also, the animation quality needs to step into this millenia.

What a disaster.... DC animation used to be the gold standard for superhero content but now it's a mere shadow of its former self. The storytelling is a convoluted mess that fails to respect its characters or the audience's time; it's unbelievable this concept got a 3 movie deal. Most of the Bat Family gets key jangled in front of you but they all come across as emotionally inept, constantly bickering during the most crucial moments of a multiversal crisis. Jensen Ackles himself delivers yet another lackluster performance. I honestly have no idea how he could sound so bored voicing Batman. Doesn't matter if it's a voice actor like Keven Conroy or a film actor like Christian Bale, they had different tones for different scenes. Ackles never diverts his pitch from sounding mildly annoyed. Unfortunately the animation itself also took a significant downgrade since their previous iteration with Jason O'Mara. It's difficult to see the characters and world you grew up loving look so bland and uninspired. Moreover when theoretically they could do absolutely anything with these characters within the multiverse concept. With everyone upping their animation game (Into the Spiderverse, TMNT, Arcane, X-Men97, Cyberpunk, etc), it's very concerning to see DC diving head first in the wrong direction.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Two" falls short of expectations, straying far from its source material and struggling with pacing and coherence. While the animation quality is adequate, the film fails to capture the essence of the beloved comic storyline.

One of the few bright spots is the innovative reimagining of Supergirl as Harbinger, which adds an interesting twist to the narrative. However, this creative decision isn't enough to salvage the overall experience.

The movie's biggest flaw lies in its confusing narrative structure. Viewers are left disoriented, unable to discern which Earth the characters are on at any given moment. This lack of clarity is exacerbated by the apparent emptiness of these worlds, failing to convey any real sense of danger or urgency to the multiverse-spanning crisis.

Pacing issues plague the film, with an excessive focus on Psycho Pirate's backstory that feels unnecessary and detracts from the main plot. The editing does the story no favors, further muddling an already convoluted narrative.

For fans of the original comic, this adaptation may prove disappointing. The film's departure from the source material is so significant that it's difficult to recognize the beloved story within this interpretation.

Ultimately, "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Two" feels like a missed opportunity. Perhaps a future edit combining all three parts of this series, significantly trimmed down, could result in a more cohesive and engaging experience. As it stands, however, this installment fails to do justice to its epic source material.

Rating: 3/10 stars.