The Good: Detailed artwork, smooth animation, mostly great voice acting, decent music, likeable characters, well written dialogue and humour
The Bad: Rushed story, lack of character development, more concerned with being a finale than an actual movie, lacks exploration of deeper themes, Darkseid's voice
***********Review***********
The often bumpy “DC Animated Movie universe” which began with JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX and JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR now comes to an end in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR. In a highly out of character moment, Superman leads the DC universe’s greatest heroes on what is tantamount to an assassination Mission against Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips.
But the intergalactic warlord laid a trap using new elite creatures cloned from Doomsday, the creation that once killed Superman. Heroes are gruesomely slain, others were captured and brainwashed to serve Darkseid, some even willingly collaborated with the enemy. Superman himself was infused with pure kryptonite and made to watch powerless as Earth was laid to ruin.
Now two years later, dead heroes have returned as robotic monstrosities, vicious parademons roam, picking off the remaining population, and the magic wielding John Constantine, is drowning his survivor’s guilt over the death of his friends. But with the arrival of two unexpected visitors, John is about to be roped into a do or die counteroffensive to save what is left of this ruined world.
On the surface, APOKALIPS WAR is easily the most brutal of the dc animated movies. Character deaths are shocking and gory with dismemberments, disembowelments, and decapitations. Truly this movie earns its R Rating. The animation is provided by “Tiger Animation Studio”, a South Korean company who had done mostly support work for past Dc animated movies like JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS. This is their first project as main animation studio and they have exceeded all expectations.
The level of details in the artwork with actual shadows and Dynamic shading that shift as a character moves, it is beautiful! The amazing art thankfully does not come at the expense of the animation quality which maintains its smooth frame rate throughout.
Action scenes are fast paced and intense with a lot of things happening at the same time in frame. The only nitpick that stands out are a few scenes where hordes of enemies like the cloned “paradooms” are done in a cel shaded CGI form and this clashes badly with the other traditionally animated characters.
Dig below the surface however and this movie comes across as a bit shallow and rushed. With A story about survivors’ guilt, the horrors of war and defeat, one would expect this movie to be among the darkest and deepest of superhero movie offerings showing how failed individuals can still rise to the occasion and overcome their past failings and emotional shortcomings. Unfortunately, it revels more in its shock factor than anything deep.
The main story follows the group of Constantine, Etrigan the demon, Raven and Robin of the teen titans, along with a depowered Superman. None of them go through much development over the course of the movie.
Raven and Robin’s arc merely brings closure to their romantic tension in past TEEN TITANS movies, Etrigan is just bored and looking for a new challenge, and Superman of all people seems comparatively upbeat for a guy who led half of earth’s greatest champions to their deaths and then further doomed his home world.
Constantine himself could have had a character arc of grieving and eventual acceptance and self forgiveness, especially after the revelation that he only survived by running from the pivotal battle. Alas, he gets no such emotional arc whatsoever and the whole thing about abandoning his friends turns out to be a literal “Batman gambit” involving a compulsion spell.
There is no emotional journey for anyone. Who they are at the start of the movie ends up being who they are at the end of the movie; there is no development. Whatever conflicts the characters face come from external factors, threats that can be punched, blasted or magicked away.
The plot with its often contrived twists drives our main cast from one such conflict to another whether it be a prison run by supervillains or the fiery pits of Apokalips. Where the script excels is in its brisk introductions of all its characters, giving them easily recognisable qualities, and making them immediately likeable especially the villains comprising the Suicide Squad.
Interestingly, most of the moments of levity come from the "bad guys". Their crazed personalities and interactions with the main cast are snappy, well written, and thankfully do not clash with the overall tone.
One gets the sense that this movie is less concerned with telling a story and more concerned with being “the conclusion to a franchise”. In that regard it succeeds in bringing the closure needed for plot threads set up in the ongoing JL movies, the BATMAN solo movies and the Teen Titans movies. Just that whatever emotional connection viewers may have with the characters comes from past movies rather then what they go through in this film.
On its own, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKALIPS WAR fumbles its execution. What could have been a deeper character deconstruction of various heroes in their darkest hour is instead turned into a fairly typical “A-team lost, so B-team steps up to play”type of plot that we’ve seen countless times.
The more interesting side of actually showing the war and its effects is merely glossed over or glimpsed or happens off screen or in brief flashbacks. As a mere “finale” to a 15 episode series of movies, it does it’s job. Whatever narrative shortcomings are buried nicely under its superficial visual splendour, shock value and just the novelty of seeing so many characters interacting on screen. Nothing more, nothing less.
The often bumpy “DC Animated Movie universe” which began with JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX and JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR now comes to an end in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR. In a highly out of character moment, Superman leads the DC universe’s greatest heroes on what is tantamount to an assassination Mission against Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips.
Now two years later, dead heroes have returned as robotic monstrosities, vicious parademons roam, picking off the remaining population, and the magic wielding John Constantine, is drowning his survivor’s guilt over the death of his friends. But with the arrival of two unexpected visitors, John is about to be roped into a do or die counteroffensive to save what is left of this ruined world.
On the surface, APOKALIPS WAR is easily the most brutal of the dc animated movies. Character deaths are shocking and gory with dismemberments, disembowelments, and decapitations. Truly this movie earns its R Rating. The animation is provided by “Tiger Animation Studio”, a South Korean company who had done mostly support work for past Dc animated movies like JUSTICE LEAGUE VS TEEN TITANS. This is their first project as main animation studio and they have exceeded all expectations. 
The level of details in the artwork with actual shadows and Dynamic shading that shift as a character moves, it is beautiful! The amazing art thankfully does not come at the expense of the animation quality which maintains its smooth frame rate throughout. 
Action scenes are fast paced and intense with a lot of things happening at the same time in frame. The only nitpick that stands out are a few scenes where hordes of enemies like the cloned “paradooms” are done in a cel shaded CGI form and this clashes badly with the other traditionally animated characters.
Dig below the surface however and this movie comes across as a bit shallow and rushed. With A story about survivors’ guilt, the horrors of war and defeat, one would expect this movie to be among the darkest and deepest of superhero movie offerings showing how failed individuals can still rise to the occasion and overcome their past failings and emotional shortcomings. Unfortunately, it revels more in its shock factor than anything deep.
The main story follows the group of Constantine, Etrigan the demon, Raven and Robin of the teen titans, along with a depowered Superman. None of them go through much development over the course of the movie.
Raven and Robin’s arc merely brings closure to their romantic tension in past TEEN TITANS movies, Etrigan is just bored and looking for a new challenge, and Superman of all people seems comparatively upbeat for a guy who led half of earth’s greatest champions to their deaths and then further doomed his home world.
Constantine himself could have had a character arc of grieving and eventual acceptance and self forgiveness, especially after the revelation that he only survived by running from the pivotal battle. Alas, he gets no such emotional arc whatsoever and the whole thing about abandoning his friends turns out to be a literal “Batman gambit” involving a compulsion spell. 
There is no emotional journey for anyone. Who they are at the start of the movie ends up being who they are at the end of the movie; there is no development. Whatever conflicts the characters face come from external factors, threats that can be punched, blasted or magicked away. 
The plot with its often contrived twists drives our main cast from one such conflict to another whether it be a prison run by supervillains or the fiery pits of Apokalips. Where the script excels is in its brisk introductions of all its characters, giving them easily recognisable qualities, and making them immediately likeable especially the villains comprising the Suicide Squad.
Interestingly, most of the moments of levity come from the "bad guys". Their crazed personalities and interactions with the main cast are snappy, well written, and thankfully do not clash with the overall tone.
One gets the sense that this movie is less concerned with telling a story and more concerned with being “the conclusion to a franchise”. In that regard it succeeds in bringing the closure needed for plot threads set up in the ongoing JL movies, the BATMAN solo movies and the Teen Titans movies. Just that whatever emotional connection viewers may have with the characters comes from past movies rather then what they go through in this film.
On its own, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKALIPS WAR fumbles its execution. What could have been a deeper character deconstruction of various heroes in their darkest hour is instead turned into a fairly typical “A-team lost, so B-team steps up to play”type of plot that we’ve seen countless times. 
The more interesting side of actually showing the war and its effects is merely glossed over or glimpsed or happens off screen or in brief flashbacks. As a mere “finale” to a 15 episode series of movies, it does it’s job. Whatever narrative shortcomings are buried nicely under its superficial visual splendour, shock value and just the novelty of seeing so many characters interacting on screen. Nothing more, nothing less. 
***********Review***********
Entertainment: A-
Art: A
Animation: A-
Art: A
Animation: A-
Story: B
Voice Acting (English): A-
Voice Acting (English): A-
Characters: B
Music: B-
Replay value: B+
"Brains": D+
"Brains": D+
