Director – Kerry Shawcross (RWBY Volume 1, RWBY Chibi)
Starring – Ozioma Akagha (Runaways, Rugrats), Jen Brown (Scare Package, Death Battle), and Tiana Camacho (My Inner Demons, Beefcake Boys)
Release Date – 2023
Rating – 2/5
I’ve been digging these animated DC films for several years now. I know Horror Society and my readers are not the target audience for these films but I absolutely love them. I do often catch hell from readers for writing reviews for these films but I genuinely enjoy them and know that there is several of our followers out there that dig them as well.
I’m always open to these releases and when I get a new one in I tend to try to make time for them as soon as possible. A few weeks back I received Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One. This was a strange one to me as I have no idea what RWBY is but the artwork really peaked my interest. I want to thank WB for sending this one over.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Cyborg, and Vixen who find themselves transported to the planet Remnant. They partner with heroes of this planet to stop evil creatures called Grimms from taking over while investigating the cause as to why they were transported to this planet. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about RWBY. I was recently introduced to anime after watching My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan but that is about the extent of my knowledge. I had hoped that my lack of knowledge of RWBY wouldn’t prevent me from enjoying the film but I found myself questioning everything and a lot of the stuff, especially pertaining to RWBY, was never fully explained or explored. I wanted to like it but I couldn’t find anything to grab onto as a fan of DC.
The voice acting in this probably the best part of the film. I loved the energy and range of emotions that we get in this animated film which is seriously impressive when you consider that this is all done with just their voice. The story for this one needed a lot of work. The film just tossed in two franchises in hopes that it would stick but it relies heavily on the viewer knowing both properties. I get that most viewers will not be tossing this in like I did only knowing the DC side of the film but a little bit of backstory and development would have made this one so much better.
Finally, the artwork and style really worked for the film especially considering it was the JL in an anime setting. I really liked the look of the film but wish I was more invested in the story. Overall, Justice League x RWBY Part One just wasn’t for me. I really wanted to like it but seeing I was blind to most of the source material meant I didn’t appreciate it like a fan would. If you are a fan of RWBY and JL then you may like it but if you are going into it clueless like I did then you will not enjoy yourself.
