'Justice League: Gods & Monsters'

A twist to the beloved red and blue Kryptonian of the DC universe and Metropolis. This alternate universe begins with the destruction of Krypton, much like the original beginnings of the classic. The planet is on the verge of exploding, the house of El has failed to convince the population of a possible salvation, and general Zod is staging his self-righteous coup. The timeline of the classic is then skewed when Zod interrupts Jor-El and Lara attempting to send the soon-to-be fertilized DNA of Lara off-planet along with the Kryptonian archives. Just before they are able to 'plant the seed of Jor-El', Zod intervenes and implants his own DNA. The result is that Kal-El no longer has his originally intended, biological father, but now is a child of Zod. The story then jumps the timeline to the altered present day.

Aside from Superman, there are multiple faces that are affected by the altered past event, most notably are Batman and Wonder Woman. As you can imagine, with the genes of Zod instead of Jor-El, Superman is no longer the moral compass of the heroes of Earth. The Justice League has only three members with no explanation as to the whereabouts of the others. They still protect the planet but the justice they serve feels more Batman than Superman. Without spoiling the entire film, a plan is put into motion with the intent of riding the Earth of the three headed League, and there are quite a few players involved. Throughout the film, the plot, action, and character development are all fantastically performed and written. The finale, just like the prologue, is just as surprising and does not leave you wanting more.

Why is it that the live-action adaptations of these super hero films always seem to fall so very short of their cartoon inspirations? Maybe it is the little kid in my heart that is still craving that feeling of anticipation upon waking on Saturday morning. Whenever a trailer is released for an upcoming Marvel or DC film, just like all of the other fans out there, I get stupid excited to see it. By the time the credits are rolling, however, I feel sick to my stomach with buyer's remorse from the cost of the ticket, waste of time, and the awful theater food. Don't get me wrong, there is little that compares to the cinematic experience of our favorite comic books coming to life. The movies are getting better and better with time, but there is always that sinking feeling at the end that is cleverly put into place to leave you wanting more. Gods and Monsters delivers in a way that has yes to be achieved in an live action rendition. This may be a bold statement to some, but after watching the film I was blown away at how many angles the movie was successful in covering. From altering the core morals of the heroes while simultaneously maintaining the relationship development, to allowing the timeline to prove in the end that our heroes did in fact remain heroes. In my humble opinion the fault lies with the audience. We have allowed the studios to feed us McDonald's quality nutrition when we should have been demanding a wholesome, home-cooked meal. While the fast food is nice for convenience, it simply does not satisfy; and you always find yourself hungry for more a short time later.

Rant aside, Gods and Monsters is an easy watch, and will give you 'goosebumps' on more than one occasion. It is safe to say that it will spur your curiosity to see what else is out there along these lines, as it did mine. I am anxious to seek out and watch more of these all-inclusive tales. I have always enjoyed altered timelines and variations to the classics. I hope that you enjoy this one on the same level that I have.