Gods Monsters Justice League

Earlier today, DC All Access revealed their top ten moments from DC’s lengthy slate of animated movies. It’s a great list (though it does include some pretty big spoilers, so consider yourself alerted!). We wouldn’t be surprised if it prompts many of you to spend the weekend rewatching some of our animated adventures. However, we’d suggest starting with our most recent—

Of course, this assumes you’ve already seen it. If you haven’t, go watch it now. It’s available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD, so it’s not hard to find. Heck, you can even win a copy if you act quickly enough. What’s important is that you get your hands on Justice League: Gods and Monsters and watch it. Then watch it again.

No, we’re not joking. While it may not be apparent at first, Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a movie that needs to be seen more than once to be fully appreciated. It’s nuanced, packed with ideas and based on the work of Bruce Timm! But that’s really just the start. Here are five deeper reasons you need to watch Justice League: Gods and Monsters…Again!

Cameos A-Plenty

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. In creating an original take on the DC Universe where anything (and anyone) is fair game, Timm has built a world that is just familiar enough to be easily accessible to hardcore fans and newcomers alike. However, longtime fans will have fun looking for and identifying the many other familiar characters to be found in Justice League: Gods and Monsters. There are plenty of them, and while some are prominent and impossible to miss, others come at you fairly fast and furious. You’ll want to rewatch and slow some of the group scenes down to make sure you catch everyone.

The Screenplay is Sublime

It’s not laugh-out-loud funny or crammed with silly catchphrases, in fact, it does very little to call attention to itself. But Alan Burnett’s screenplay, based on a story conceived with Timm, is one of the strongest we’ve seen put to film this year. Only, you’ll probably need to watch the movie a few times to really appreciate it.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters’ screenplay is subtle in places, powerful in others, and always very smart. Timm and Burnett have a lot to say about the role of super heroes in a modern society (which they expound on in the movie’s extras), but they also realize the importance of good banter in establishing relationships. Take Superman and Lois Lane for example. Their relationship in the film is far from the tight, often flirty relationship they have in the traditional DC Universe. However, it’s clear they still have a connection of some sort, and Burnett gives them just enough back-and-forth to suggest that down the line, well after the movie ends, something just might develop between them. Or it might not. This is a much different take on these characters after all.