JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM (2012)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological, sociological*

In preparation for this review, I reread the comic on which DOOM was loosely based: a four-part storyline entitled THE TOWER OF BABEL. In it, eco-freak Ra's Al Ghul plots to destroy half the earth's population so as to correct the imbalances of human dominion. But to keep the Justice League from interfering, he springs various traps on the heroes, immobilizing or almost slaying them. Eventually the Leaguers escape and thwart the villain's plot, but the big surprise is that the traps were devised by Batman. The generally dull story hammers home its point with a decided lack of subtlety: that Batman's obsession with contingency plans causes him to betray the trust of his fellow heroes, resulting in his (temporary) expulsion from the League.

Writer Dwayne McDuffie keeps the general outlines of the comic's plot, but adds in many more elements that make the story fun in the mainstream superhero tradition, while playing down the angst-fest elements. Superman, Wonder Womam, Flash, J'onn J'onzz and Green Lantern are still assailed by special "dooms" designed for them by Batman-- who's given a separate death-trap not of his devising. But the prime mover is immortal schemer Vandal Savage, who simply wants to decimate Earth's population to make it easier to conquer. Savage forms his own "Legion of Doom" to spring the traps on the heroes. Naturally each trap is delivered by a major enemy of each respective Leaguer: Metallo, Cheetah, Mirror Master, Malefic, Star Sapphire, and Bane. The greater part of the fun is seeing each evildoer's familiar tics as they spring the death-traps on their nemeses. For instance, the film's version of Mirror Master is more threatening that the comics version usually is, and though there's no backstory for Star Sapphire, McDuffie at least alludes to the complicated relationship between the villainess and her green-clad opponent.

Cyborg is also added to the story as a "wild card" to counter Savage's master plan, and an opening sequence pitting the heroes against the Royal Flush Gang, apparently just a throwaway bout, ends up having a hidden relevance to the main plot. Despite all the improvements, DOOM is still just a good basic superhero movie. There's still a dramatic scene at the end between Batman and the heroes he's indirectly betrayed, but it's shorter and pithier than the comics-version. This was the last DC animated project McDuffie completed before his untimely passing, and the film is dedicated to him. I won't say that I thought McDuffie was one of the great writers of either comics or cartoons, but I'm glad his final DC project turned out so well.