User Reviews

.. there must be a movie out there that's even worse. Lame characters even lamer acting. Lots of voice actors even the great David Ogden "Cogsworth" Stiers himself couldn't turn this movie into something decent. I haven't seen any acting of the man but he is by far a wonderful voice actor. Then there's John Kassir who did Meeko in Pocahontas. Not much of a speaking role. Anyway back to Justice League... really bad costumes, like the 60's Batman series which was good for it's time. And weak SFX this movie isn't worth my time. Maybe just maybe with a different cast, a different director and a much bigger bag of money this could've become something. Maybe an idea for the crew behind Spiderman or X-men when they run out of sequel ideas.

Forget the fact that this was a pilot. It was awful. The costumes were ridiculous. Most of the acting was poop. The plot was...more poop. Miguel Ferrer was his typical self, which is good and Fire was a babe, but none of that was enough to salvage a very bad story and the bad idea of a friends/thirtysomething twist to crimefighting.

Bad.

Well. I thought Kim Oja was good. The rest of the movie was barely watchable.

I am a comics collector. This movie did not have much to do with the comics that inspired it. If it had been based on Keith Giffen's run, where was the Blue Beetle? Where was the wacky humor? Why did they use a personality-amputated Guy Gardner as Green Lantern (whose costume, idiotically, was blue)? Why was the Flash (who wasn't in Giffen's run) such a bonehead?

The characters in this pilot acted like they virtually didn't like each other. Their costumes were pretty damn silly, esp. Atom's. The villain didn't seem to have any motivation. The story was semi-coherent, unengaging and holey (what was Arliss' project, that he kept trying to draw attention to?). Maybe I missed some details, I dunno. But that's because they were eminently missable.

Still, since there is such a lack of superhero movies around, I'll be generous and award this a 5 out of 10 rating.

Not only was this filmed on a shoe-string budget with cheap costumes and special effects, it betrays both comic book fans and movie buffs equally.

The JLA characterizations are horrible. To catalog all of the mistakes would take more time than this awful show is worth. Just to name one good example: a couple of characters (Fire and Guy Gardner) who actually hate each other in the comics were said to have dated previously.

It appears that somebody tried to fool the audience into thinking they had seen a more exciting show than they really had: major action sequences were never shown but instead reported (sans footage) by the evening news.

Hell, it ain't even your father's. Or your older brother's. Or even yours! The team chosen was a composite of second-string characters (minus the Flash) and missing the big 3; Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Of course, anyone who reads the comics will also notice that the League's origin is completely different.

Of course, changes had to be made to adapt it to TV, the budget and make it accessible to new viewers. But, this wasn't anything special. Basically, the movie is your typical 90s superhero TV fare with a predictable plot, cheesy costumes and only halfway decent acting. Basically, it was a buddy movie with powers.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF America (1+ outta 5 stars) Really dreadful live-action version of the DC comic... the popular humorous 90s version written by J. M. DeMatties and Keith Giffen. The movie might be entertaining for 9-year-olds but fans of the comics are going to be awfully disappointed in this misbegotten abortion. Almsot everything that could be done wrong, is! The actors are all terrible with the exception of Kimberly Oja as a newbie who gets initiated into the team after a freak accident gives her the power of... making things cold... oooooh! She kind of reminds me of Stephnie Weir from Mad TV. Miguel Ferrer and David Ogden Stiers (as J'Onn J'Onzz Martian Manhunter of all people!) are pretty much the only "names" in the cast and they are totally wasted. The characterizations of the familiar DC heroes (Flash, Green Lantern and The Atom) are embarrassing... but not nearly as much so as the dreadful costumes! Green Lantern's suit isn't even green, for crying out loud... it's some kinda pale blue! The dialogue is written in the same humorous style as the 90s incarnation of The Justice League... but the actual lines used are so incredibly LAME! (To tell the truth, the script is probably no worse than that of the recent "Fantastic Four" movie... which is the most backhanded of compliments, believe me.) And what is up with the female heroes chosen for this team? Fire? Ice? If they are DC Comics characters at all, they are very minor ones. (I sure don't remember ever seeing them in the comics.) I understand that rights issues probably kept them from using Wonder Woman... but surely they could have used some *actual* female JLA members? Black Canary? Zatanna? Well, the movie is bad enough to be amusing to those who like bad movies... but that's about it.

I'm a comic book fan, mainly DC, so I'm no stranger to the league. I was also a fan of the original Flash TV series, so them using Barry under a completely different interpretation is a bit of an adjustment. However, this wasn't bad, this wasn't bad at all.

For those who don't know, this is JLA based on a very popular run of JLA and JLI that was known for it's humor and interpersonal dynamics. It was a good run, the kind you enjoy because it has you laughing and caring about the characters. This pilot is very much inspired by it. It is dialog and interaction heavy, which helps compensate for a low budget, and a lack of direction. As far as failed pilots go, Global Frequency this is not.

The story has the main characters go up against "The Weatherman," who is actually a very interesting villain in the context of the show. He's not easily defeated, but he's not one of these world crushing supervillians that Superman or Batman could take down in an instant, but provides enough challenge for the heroes to take him down. It's a story just big enough to open with, and for a pilot film, that's what it should be.

THe acting is solid, realistically you can't expect too much, it's just a pilot that is done in what seems to be, and unorganized manner, so that effects the actors. The actors are solid, most you've probably seen somewhere, a few even have had their own shows and been successful, so the acting isn't bad. At worst it lacks energy, at best I'm smiling and laughing.

Script could've been better, it does it's job, but could have been better.

The single worst part of the whole movie, sadly, is the costumes. The costumes, while decent, look cheap and impractical, Fire not wearing a mask, Atom wearing what looks like body armor, and Green Lanterns costume looking somewhat...blue. The costumes are distracting, but most likely would have been improved in time.

You know, this is really good, there's a lot of potential for drama and humor, the characters are solid, and interact well, Atom and Ice especially, and really, the idea of having a superhero show that is more about the heroes than the heroics is a good idea. It is a shame that it didn't get a chance to grow into something special.

...because it's got irony an lots of it.

A woman discovers she can do things out of this world. At first she's bit confused and chooses to live in denial of her powers. After a series of incidents she gets emotionally out of of balance and starts having suicidal tendencies. And how it goes from there I'm not telling. See for yourself.

One stroke of genius this film has is it's use of irony. Often the actors are pulled a side and "interviewed" like we see on behind-the-camera documentaries - only here the actors stay in character. This nifty idea lifts the movie above the run-of-the-mill super hero stories and gives it a unique touch which I liked.

See it and be surprised. I give it 7 out of 10.

A friend of mine told me he had a bootleg copy of this low budget movie that never made it to the theaters or on home release. I said okay; it couldn't be any worse than the bootleg copy of the budget Fantastic Four that never made it to theaters or home release. I was wrong! This is far worse! This movie made the low budget Fantastic Four movie look a whole lot better. So many inaccurate superhero depiction horrors in this movie; I thought I would need therapy. If you took out all the inane parts; there would be less than 40 minutes left to watch. It was interesting to see a The Martian Manhunter in the flesh. It must have broke the budget to make up an actor to look like the comic book character because we really didn't get to see him until near the end of the movie. This movie would've bombed faster than Solar Babies at the box office.

I just have to say that this is a truly awful film. I thought that I'd seen the worst adaptation of a comic book character (Captain America) and then this came along. Can anyone please explain why film makers find it impossible to keep to original origins/stories etc and keep trying to reinvent the wheel? Also, the constant interruptions to the story to go to interviews with the heroes do nothing for the film. This is a film with no redeeming features and should be avoided like the plague. If it were possible, I would give this a minus rating.

This spectacle has a runtime of 80 minutes, I couldn't stomach 40. I'm in genuine awe at the travesty that is Justice League of America 1997. I have often cited that the worst superhero film is Batman Forever, and I stand by that because this doesn't deserve to be called a film. This is a mockery of the hollywood industry. This is a mockery of DC comics. This is a mockery.

I never thought I'd live to see the day where I would actively turn off a piece of media regarding superheroes, but here we are.

Nothing here is of note. No praise is deserved.

The acting or lack thereof is either not present or too over the top.

I have seen Halloween costumes for 7 year olds that have better designs than any of the costumes combined.

Now we get to the plot. What a joke, someone in a mask makes tornadoes and it's up to the "justice league" to stop him. OOH!!! This is a mess. From the first minute it's clear who the villain is but it's played as a big reveal.

Also while I'm here, our heroes literally chloroform and kidnap an innocent member of the general public. Quite frankly, I feel I've just come out of a fever dream and I was constantly rooting for the antagonist.

I genuinely wonder whether the writers of this product were shocked when it didn't get picked up For a series.

If I never lay eyes on this again it will still be too soon.

0/10 but I'm obliged to put 1.

This laughable TV pilot features the awesomest of the awesome from the DC comic universe, or it was supposed to anyway. With the rights to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all tied up in Hollywood and no one really giving a damn about Aquaman (possibly the lamest of all of DC's characters) the creators of this show had to fall back on the made-up-for-Super Friends heroes that no one really liked and the underused characters that no one really cares about anyway. Fire and Ice were only around in the Super Friends cartoons as far as I know, and it probably should have stayed that way. The Atom was a horrible choice for a Justice league member, and his costume was stupid. Guy Gardener as the Green Lantern? Why not Hal Jordan? J'onn J'onzz as the leader of JLA? And why was The Flash (Barry Allen at least) a complete putz? This piece of tripe was a huge disappointment from beginning to end, only enjoyable to those of us who love to make fun of bad TV and cinema.

Still, if you're a collector, you should try to pick this up at a flea market or comic con. It'll sate the hunger of the inner-fanboy.

I've been a fan of the Justice League, and seeing that comment before this one has just made me angry. First off, this movie was based on the actual comic more than a decade ago, and these characters seem pretty good. The comment before this one said that Fire and Ice were made up characters for the superfriends. They were not and were in fact in the Justice League comics along with the Blue Beetle, Batman, Martian Manhunter and so on and so on. Guy Gardener was an awesome choice for the Green Lantern, even though he seemed out of character, and Barry Allen was not a putz. Get your facts straight before you analyze things. This may not have been the best, but it certainly wasn't the worst.

In the late 90s, DC Comics' greatest superheroes assembled in live-action, and yet no one has ever heard about it. Produced as a pilot film for a potential television series, Justice League of America mixes the sitcom antics of Friends with the world of DC. While an ambitious idea, the series never came to fruition and the pilot remained a legend, whispered about in various corners of the internet. Only available through improper methods, the Justice League of America's only adventure lurks in the darkest depths of the internet.

Already assembled in a tight-knit friend group, the Justice League of America protects the city of New Metro. Unexpectedly, a new foe emerges and threatens the entire city unless he receives his requested ransom. Through the imminent threat, bumbling scientist Tori Olafsdotter (Kim Oja) finds herself acquiring mysterious ice powers. As they come together to foil the villain, the JLA calls upon all the help they can get.

While it would have been interesting to see where this series went, it is completely understandable why it was never ordered. Mixing the superhero and sitcom genres fails, offering little besides being a cheap Friends rip-off. Attempting to set itself apart, the addition of uninteresting mock interviews breaks up an already monotonous story. As with most sitcoms, the plot revolves around people living their lives, but the addition of their secret identities adds very little to the movie.

Comprised of some of DC's greatest heroes, Justice League of America fails to translate any of their personalities or qualities from the comics to the screen. The film is DC related in names and appearance only as each character is pretty much a completely new creation for the series. Out of the entire main cast, they only encounter 2 unique struggles, difficulty keeping a job or difficulty keeping a relationship. The repetitive storyline is boring even within the 1 1/2hr runtime and fully made up of actors that you would expect to never hear from again.

Justice League of America is a time capsule of a bygone era of television. Unfortunately, this film is a half-baked attempt at cashing in on the popularity of sitcoms, while shoehorning in the comic book community. Adapting a source material with decades of incredible stories, it fails to bring any imagination, humor, or quality. Justice League of America didn't attempt to create a great movie and it is immediately evident why this fell into obscurity.

I've finally been able to see this TV pilot, and I have mixed feelings about it. Sure, if you're a diehard JLA fan, you'll hate this film. It completely throws the comic continuity down the gurgler, and replaces it with... well, with inferior material. It's poorly written. And yet, I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed it. I expected it to be bad, and therefore wasn't as disappointed as others may have been.

It isn't badly directed (by Lewis Teague), though I wouldn't say it's well directed either. Considering its shoestring budget, the FX and costumes aren't so bad (excluding the Atom's, which is God-awful). The cast is quite good. Michelle Hurd, Mathew Settle and Kimberley Oja acquit themselves quite well, considering the material. Ken Johnston is a so-so Flash (an awful Barry Allen though), but Jon Kassir is the film's real weak point. Miguel Ferrer does his best in an ill-conceived and underwritten part. And what of David Ogden-Stiers as Martian Manhunter? Acting wise, he's OK. But he does next to nothing (he does shape-shift a few times though), and his substantial girth is visible in several scenes, causing me to break out in laughter. Or was I crying?

All-in-all, I'd say this is a slight notch above THE PUNISHER, CAPTAIN AMERICA, the DR. STRANGE telemovie, those HULK telemovies from the late 80s and GENERATION X. I have seen worse. However, we'll still have to wait and see whether the JLA is brought to the screen properly. Let's hope if/when they do so, that they get it right next time.

it still wasn't as bad as all that. It had nothing to do with any of the incarnations of the Justica League, and that's okay. The costumes were hilarious, the story kind of goofy (I mean, couldn't the Weatherman just sell his weather control device to get the money he needed? Why resort to extortion? The things I'll let comics and cartoons get away with, but not live action...), but all in all it was... fun. Admittedly, fun in a sort of "big, stupid, slobbering dog" kind of way, but fun nevertheless. I would watch more, had they made them.

I saw the film in todays holiday progam. Frankly I have to say that There are few films that I spend with wincing that much.

Everthing was painful. From the trying costumes to the even more trying dialogues. The Interview bits were not even funny or interessting. I have read Justice League Comics. The characters and how they were portrayed reminded me or the same writting and acting quality as a baywatch episode. (And I don't watch those either)

BTW did I mention that the whole film was predictable as hell. Would have been nice to have a single moment that I didn't knew would happen minutes before. She freezing the wave. Tell me me this suprised you.

Miguel Ferrer turning out the way he was ~yawn~ (And I like the actor from Broken Badges)

aso...A waste of time.

or O out of 10!

I've only seen this show knowing it was a terrible failed television show that had never even seen the airing of its pilot. I came into it with a sense of humor and expecting nothing.

The Atom using his powers to limbo under doors...Barry Allen in the guise of Wally West...Guy Gardner...a RESPONSIBLE Green Lantern. Not to mention the fact that it was a bunch of twenty-somethings living in a sweet loft and sharing wacky adventures...but...oh man...they had a cornucopia of craaaaaaazy powers! It was like...Saved by the Bell: The College Years with super-powers...and they tried to air this on prime time CBS. You know...alongside...Murder She Wrote or something.

And no one could forget (provided you dug up a dub at a comic convention or caught it on youtube) the hilarious Martian Manhunter prosthetics.

The funny thing is...the Adam West Batman series originally aired as an adult comedy but gained a fan-base as a children's live-action series. If CBS decided to re-air the episodes with that kind of marketing...it could work. Had I seen this show when I was six years old I would have loved it.

Again. It goes both ways. If you go into this show expecting an ironically hilarious failed series, it is GOLDEN. If you go into it with expectations that reflect the comic book series... ... ... ... you will hate yourself for letting this show ever be a part of your life. Seriously, if you want a legitimate Justice League series...it is THAT bad.

I thought it was a charming story. It's not the most sophisticated thing I've ever watched, and indeed has little (if any) of the flavor of the Justice League of the comics. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant, light, little comedy/adventure tale. The characters are very sympathetic, and I found myself feeling for them. Kenny Johnston, a Flash who has trouble finding (and holding) a job, while not at all like the Barry Allen of the comics (a successful police scientist), is quite likable- and reminds me of Woody Harrelson in his Cheers days. Ice, as played by Kim Oja, touches me as she struggles to deal with her newfound powers. The Atom of this film is portrayed as a somewhat nerdy high-school science teacher instead of a genial researcher, but he's got a very good heart; John Kassir convinced me of that. This Green Lantern is like no other; Matthew Settle is evidently a respected actor (to judge from his extensive filmography), but I found his characterization somewhat snippy. However, he doesn't hold a candle to the Guy Gardner of the comics (an aggressive, hotheaded jerk!). This Green Lantern is somewhat impatient and judgmental, in his "real life" not terribly heroic; but you feel bad for him as he struggles to win his beloved's heart without betraying his secrets. Michelle Hurd's Fire is funny and hip; she's the sensible one, the reality check for her rather childlike male colleagues. David Ogden Stiers as the Martian Manhunter makes a nice Greek chorus and mentor to the team, although we don't get to see the character truly develop- and he isn't nearly other-worldly as an alien should be. Despite its considerable imperfections, what sold me on this show is the way it depicts the characters as imperfect, normal people on a certain level- and very likable on most levels. Perhaps it isn't fair to present this as a live-action Justice League for TV; it's not nearly sophisticated enough to be that. So give the characters new names and call it something else- "The Hero Squad" or what-have-you. However, as I said, it's a light, comic-adventure story about a group of misfit superheroes, not unlike Mystery Men. In that context, it works for me.