This time around we get a look at a small cast of characters. Aside from Batman, the main group consists of Constantine, Zatanna and Deadman. There are cameo appearances from Swamp Thing and Jason Blood, but the four characters mentioned prior make up the bulk of the movie.
When people all over the world begin experiencing visions of demons and start killing people in an attempt to get rid of them, it sends the Justice League into action. But they are all woefully unprepared for magically based threats. This sends Batman of all people in a search for people who can help.
Why they chose Batman to be in the one member of the Justice League who stars in this movie mystifies me. Jason O’Mara does a serviceable performance as Batman, but he mostly walks around the movie grunting and throwing batarangs at people he has no business fighting. Batman doesn’t even believe in magic at the beginning of the movie. Wonder Woman is the one who suggests there’s a magical element. I would have much rather seen her be the Justice League ambassador.
The other characters give decent performances as well. Deadman is a fairly uninteresting character with only a few okay scenes. His accent got on my nerves more than a few times, though I realize that fits in with the style of character. Jason Blood comes and goes throughout the movie, but his actions scenes towards the end are a highlight of the film.
Zatanna is one of the better supporting characters. Her relationship with Constantine provides a good deal of tension between the two, as well as character growth down the line. It made me wonder it would have been like had she ever appeared on the live action show. Considering where her character ends up at the end the movie, I imagine we’ll be seeing more of her in future films.
The true star of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK though, is Constantine. Voiced by Matt Ryan from the canceled live action TV series, he’s basically the same character carried over. Ryan has the dry wit and sarcasm that you love to hate about the character. His performance is easily the best part of the whole movie, especially if you enjoyed the live action show. He’s someone I hope they keep around and that this isn’t his only appearance in a DC animated movie.
Though it may not seem like it, this is another one of DC’s R-rated animated films. Oddly enough, there’s very little that warrant’s that rating. There are a few choice curse words and some blood. But overall, it’s fairly tame.
If you were a fan of Constantine when it was on television, I would highly recommend this movie. Even if you weren’t into the show, there’s still plenty to see here in terms of colorful action and a fun couple of characters.
Written by Peter Freeman, TV & Animation Writer -- Click to read Peter's posts
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