The heroes of the DC Multiverse face the end of everything in Jeff Wamester’s Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three.

Adapting an event like “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is undeniably a massive undertaking. The sheer scale of it makes translating it to a different medium a challenge. The Arrowverse’s attempt produced mixed results but animation would, in theory, be the best way to tell the story as the visual splendour can be more easily replicated and filling frames with the abundance of characters involved doesn’t require actors to be present. The adaptation taking the form of a trilogy of movies allows time for the story to breathe and deliver the various elements in ways that don’t overwhelm the viewer.

One of the major challenges is how to focus the narrative and tell the story in a way that viewers will be able to follow. This is the culmination of the “Tomorrowverse”; a connected series of films beginning with Superman: Man Of Tomorrow but it can’t -and shouldn’t- be taken for granted that the audience will be familiar with the instalments that came before. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” has to work as a trilogy in its own right and each part has to function as a distinct experience.

This adaptation started off brilliantly with an intimate story about Barry Allen aka the Flash (Matt Bomer) that provided poignant emotional grounding to the apocalyptic situation. The second film tried something similar with Kara Zor’El aka Supergirl (Meg Donnelly) but was less successful in its execution.

The concluding chapter largely abandons the focus on any specific character and their emotional journey; instead opting to lean into the scale of the event and the stakes. It makes sense that the tension would be ramped to a massive degree in the closing chapter but there is far less to latch onto emotionally as the personal stories get lost in the bustle of the multiverse ending threat at play. It’s right for the narrative that the focus is on what is being faced but it’s difficult for the audience to grasp the enormity of it because the emotional core is often absent.

That isn’t to say that it’s gone completely. There are a number of strong character beats to be found throughout. Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Liam McIntyre) facing the end of his world and, with it, the loss of his wife and child is powerfully delivered, Clark Kent AKA Superman (Darren Criss) dealing with the potential loss of his cousin Kara who is bent on sacrificing herself to atone for past mistakes adds considerable heft to that moment and Black Canary (Elysia Rotaru) contextualising the Crisis through the lens of losing valuable time with her daughter who also happens to be a Black Canary.

Attempting to knit the weighty and often confused narrative together is Lois Lane’s (Alexandra Daddario) desire to tell this story and ensure that all those involved are remembered for their contributions. Framing the narrative through a journalist’s perspective is a good idea, and it works intermittently. Still, the film doesn’t build itself around this idea, so it becomes another element in the midst of many competing for attention.

Another issue is with the main antagonist; the Anti-Monitor (Ato Essandoh). It falls far short as a threat, never living up to the terror suggested by the dialogue prior to direct interactions. It’s clear the intent is to establish the Anti-Monitor as a force of nature that can’t be destroyed or reasoned with but it comes across as little more than an obstacle that periodically wipes out one of the vastly dwindling Earths so what is depicted on screen rarely lives up to the dread that precedes its appearances.

The film is at its best when it comes to the set pieces. They may not appear necessary or even coherent in association with the wider narrative but many well-animated and exciting sequences make good use of the characters involved. A dinosaur invasion of Metropolis provides a solid showcase of the abilities of involved heroes and Kevin Conroy’s unexpected final appearance as Batman is both powerful and appropriate.

Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three also boasts a strong ending that leaves the viewer with a sense of hope and anticipation for the future. It doesn’t diminish the losses and sacrifices that led to that moment so it’s a satisfying conclusion to the story that was presented. It prompts several compelling questions for the viewer to mull over before they are potentially answered in whatever the DC animated canon becomes. It’s a testament to the writing that the conclusion boils down to something simple that still feels appropriate in the context of the larger story. This was certainly an ambitious event and more than worthy of the time spent watching it.

 

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Verdict

A solid conclusion to an ambitious trilogy that excels in the set pieces, contains strong emotional character beats and a hopeful ending coming together to prove itself more than worthy of the time spent watching it.

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