Blu-ray Review
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Runtime: 98 minutes, 6 seconds
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Digital – July 16, 2024, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray – July 23, 2024, Max - October 21, 2024
Synopsis: Now fully revealed as the ultimate threat to existence, the Anti-Monitor wages an unrelenting attack on the remaining Earths struggling for survival in a pocket universe. One by one, these worlds and all their inhabitants are vaporized! On the planets that remain, even time itself is shattered, and heroes from the past join the Justice League and their ragtag allies against the epitome of evil. But as heroes and villains make their last stand together, will their sacrifice be enough to save us all?
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the all-new, action-packed DC animated film features some of DC’s most famous Super Heroes from multiple universes including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, who come together to stop an impending threat of doom and destruction. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part Three is available to purchase on digital and on 4K UHD in limited edition Steelbook packaging and Blu-ray.
Overall, I liked some of the movie and I didn't like the rest. Part Three was good but it wasn't mind blowing or excellent. Better than Part Two but Part One is still the best of three. The crew did what they could in the time they had to conclude this movie continuity. I think I knew this going into the movie after Part Two and knowing how the original comic book ended. In a way, Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three treads the same path Justice League Dark: Apokolips War went with a dour ending to the current direct-to-video continuity but at least Crisis tried to end it on a message of hope with a peak at a young Wonder Woman prime. However strong that message was, it is mired by what it repeats from Apokolips War and effectively doing the "rock star trashing the hotel room" with a ending where the heroes cannot win and have to compromise as well as "destroying" three beloved franchises in Super Friends, the DCAU, and the Teen Titans animated series instead of utilizing them in the finale like what was done in Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans. But in the end, it doesn't matter and it probably won't be the last time we see any of them in animation whether it be a nod on Teen Titans Go! or cameo somewhere else. Not to say the animation style of the DCAU looked flat and off to me and the kerfuffle with Mark Hamill's lines being mistakenly swapped with a scratch track. I dare to say we didn't need these scenes with the classic shows. Overall, the animation was inconsistent and no doubt a consequence of production timelines and multiple studios working on the animation overseas. Although on rewatch, the opening scene with the dinosaurs and Pteranadons felt superfluous. It was meant to illustrate how the timeline is being affected and different eras are simultaneously existing on each Earth but it felt it ran too long and the movie doesn't really get going until Constantine is found in the saloon. The cameos started to pile on after awhile. Adam Strange's daughter. I mean I'm assuming that's Aleea Strange who we saw briefly in the Adam Strange short, now all grown up. Or even Razer and Aya needed some more time since it's supposed to be a big deal those two are reunited but it's overshadowed by the main story and the pacing, and it was weird Grey Griffin didn't reprise the latter. It was mind-boggling that Anti-Monitor seemed to be a coherent character like in the comics in Part Two of this movie trilogy but here in Part Three it goes back to being just a thing, more so when it's revealed to be the Multiverse's infinite anti-body army. It felt underwhelming as well as watering down Supergirl's sacrifice.
Contrast that with really great moments like Batman Beyond knocking out Nazis on Earth-2, Wonder Woman Earth-2 riding a Tyrannosaurus Rex from The Losers DC Showcase short, Lois reminding Superman about the choice his father had to make, Blue Lantern Razer and Aya showing up, and The Question from the Blue Beetle DC Showcase short telling off the Spectre (The least powerful character chewing out the most powerful character. It's why Question is and always will be one of my favorite DC characters). The Batman and Constantine investigation into the previous version of Earth-1 was a welcome surprise and handled very well in fleshing out what Flash did at the end of Apokolips War to reset the universe and how it all led to the current predicament. It was an interesting divergence from the source material that the solve was the Miracle Machine from the Legion of Super-Heroes movie rather than repeating the finale in the comic verbatim yet we still got a take on it from the first Anti-Monitor being defeated. Or even the philosophy behind the paradox of going back in time to kill baby Hitler leading to something far worse - e.g. the Consequentialist argument – for this movie line was the creation of a multiverse which brilliantly ties into the overall theme of how loss leads to impulsive choices that lead to bigger consequences and ramifications that create even more sacrifice and loss. Overall, I did enjoy the connections made within the Tomorrowverse, the DC Showcase shorts, and the previous canon that ended with Apokolips War and they were well done in this movie with some reservations. A lot can fly over your head if you don't remember all the movies and shorts too well. For me, I had no recollection of what the Green Lanterns told Stewart what he did in Beware My Power yet I remembered the Miracle Machine or the ending of Losers and got it instantly when both appeared.
The bonus features are two featurettes. "A Multiverse of Inspiration" comes in at 9:24 minutes and features commentators from DC Comics and from the crew of this movie such as Geoff Johns, DC Comics editor Katie Kubert, DC Comics archivist Benjamin LeClear, executive producer Butch Lukic, director Jeff Wamester, and producer/writer Jim Krieg. It is essentially a mini-behind-the-scenes making-of. It does briefly explain the homages and decisions made for Super Friends and the DCAU. "John and John: Stewart and Constantine" has a run time of 8:21 minutes and is self-explanatory. It's a primer about Green Lantern John Stewart and Constantinue and the roles they played in this continuity of movies and Part Three. The big head scratcher is if you bought Part Three digitally, in addition to the other two Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths entries or purchased the digital-only Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Trilogy collection, you get an exclusive featurette "An Epic Challenge: Crisis in Comics and Animation". At 20 minutes, this is a much better and informative behind-the-scenes featurette about the legacy of Crisis on Infinite Earths that should have been on the physical release, too. If there is a combined edition of all three Crisis on Infinite Earths that ever gets released on 4K/Blu-ray, this should be included. Long time readers of my reviews know what I'm saying next, demerits for no commentary track. Ultimately, the special features continue to leave a lot to be desired.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three excels in wrapping up this movie continuity with organic revelations and paying off several characters like Superman, Lois, Supergirl, Batman, and Wonder Woman Earth-2 then offering a positive message of hope for the future but I don't recommend this movie for someone looking for a love letter to animated DC characters throughout history or a Spider-Verse version of DC.
Rating
Main Feature: 3 out of 5
Special Features: 3 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5