Following the tragic destruction of the planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El finds herself on Earth as Supergirl, where she fights crime alongside her cousin Superman. But unlike Superman, Kara feels disconnected from the world around her, and her inexperience, as well as her impetuous nature, make her an ineffective superhero.
Concerned that she's not ready to take on such an important role, Superman takes Kara to the distant future to leave her in the capable hands of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Here she can spend time with people her own age and learn what it takes to be a superpowered being, before returning to the present.
Director: Jeff Wamester
Writer: Josie Campbell
Stars: Jensen Ackles, Matt Bomer, Darin De Paul
But although Kara is happy to go along with this plan, things don't work out so well and she soon finds herself caught up in a deadly plan, orchestrated by an old enemy. Working alongside the Legion, including her new friend Brainiac 5, Kara must overcome this deadly obstacle to ensure the future remains safe.
Directed by Jeff Wamester and featuring the voices of Meg Donnelly, Harry Shum Jr., Yuri Lowenthal, Darin De Paul, Jensen Ackles and Darren Criss, Legion of Super-Heroes is a new animated offering from Warner Bros./DC Entertainment. . The film is the latest entry in DC Universe's ever-expanding collection of Animated Original Movies, and is available to buy in the UK and US starting February 7.
As with previous entries in the DCUAOM, Legion of Super-Heroes boasts decent animation, an easy-to-follow story, a great voice cast, and plenty of action. The movie tells a story that's a standalone tale, making it easily accessible for newcomers and, for the most part, a pretty enjoyable way to spend 80 (or so) minutes, if you love all things DC. .
However, while Legion of Super-Heroes is not a bad movie, I must say that it is not surprising either. For all that it does well, it never feels particularly exciting, offers nothing imaginative or dynamic, and sometimes plays out like a pilot episode for a new show, rather than a feature film.
The movie title is also a misnomer. While the Legion does appear in Legion of Super-Heroes, this is really a Supergirl movie and as such should be tagged accordingly.
I can't understand why Warner Bros./DC didn't call this movie 'Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes', because that would be much more accurate, but I don't work in the WB marketing department. So what would I know? Maybe someone, somewhere, thought that simply calling it the Legion of Super-Heroes would be fine.
But title aside, let me reiterate that Legion of Super-Heroes is perfectly watchable and offers enough entertainment to fill out its runtime. The problem is that it's nothing special, I doubt it'll become anyone's favorite DC movie, and the whole thing feels a lot like a mid-tier movie.
When Legion of Super-Heroes is at her strongest, that's when the movie leans into Kara's story, specifically the moments surrounding her sadness at the destruction of Krypton and her inability to fit into the Earth. Unlike her cousin Superman, who came to Earth when she was a baby, Kara came to the planet when she was a teenager, making it difficult for her to accept what she left behind.
This puts her emotionally and spiritually in a different place than Superman, and ensures that her character can step out of her cousin's shadow. There are ways that she can grow and develop that are different from Superman, some of which are shown on screen, and this makes her journey worth watching.
This growth is lost a bit when the main plot involving the Legion begins, but it's still there in the background. Kara is the strongest element of the film, and without a doubt she is the ace up the sleeve of this film.
Where the film is less successful, it largely lands itself in the direction of the Legion itself. This ragtag collection of heroes isn't nearly as interesting as the movie wants it to be, and no amount of Spandex or jokes about Arm-Fall-Off-Boy's detachable appendages can change that.
I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Legion in general, and I've always had trouble finding this super group appealing. The Legion of Superheroes cartoon show from the mid-2000s was fine, and a couple of brief appearances on TV's Smallville were fine, but beyond that, this super team has always left me cold.