The birth of the "DC Universe Animated Original Movies" collection dates back all the way to 2007 with Superman: Doomsday. Since then, DC has steadily been releasing multiple animated films a year with consistent and dependable quality that makes every one of them worth at least one viewing, if not multiple.
For the sake of clarity, the DC Universe Animated Original Movies are comprised of (at the time of this writing) thirty-nine movies and include the "DC Animated Movie Universe" or DCAMU, which is a collection of sixteen interconnected movies starting with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, and ending with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
10 Justice League: War (2017) - 7.3
Light on story and heavy on action, Justice League: War is an entertaining but surface-level movie. The characters you know and love all have their moments to shine, but don't expect much development or growth for them.
This movie is simply about the formation of the Justice League in response to Darkseid's arrival on Earth. There isn't a whole lot of story beyond that, and much of it is a bit too familiar or by-the-numbers to earn it a higher score.
9 Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (2010) - 7.3
Taking a dive into the DC multiverse, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths earns the love it receives from the fanbase for pushing the boundaries of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies at this point in time and exploring alternate dimensions and evil versions of the Justice League.
The movie is bold and wastes no time covering information and backstory its audience already knows, quickly setting the plot in motion and letting fans enjoy seeing their favorite heroes fight their evil counterparts.
8 Wonder Woman (2009) - 7.3
Serving as a clear inspiration for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman (2017), that film and this animated movie are nearly identical to each other. Changing the WWI setting for present times, and making Ares a prisoner of the Amazonians for a large portion of the story, there isn't much else that separates these two.
Many fans have been calling for the live-action DC films to borrow more from the well-received animated movies, and Patty Jenkins took that advice to heart.
7 Batman: Year One (2011) - 7.4
The animated movie version of Batman: Year One is a pretty faithful adaptation of the comic. The story details Batman's first year as the Dark Knight and dramatizes the struggles he faces during that time as he figures out the hero he wants to be.
Where Batman: Year One shines, in particular, is the dual protagonist roles between Batman and Commissioner Gordon, giving Gordon just as much screentime and showing a much rougher side of the Commissioner in his quest to clean up Gotham.
6 The Death Of Superman (2018) - 7.4
The Death of Superman is an interesting movie in the collection because DC had already made Superman: Doomsday, which is an adaptation of The Death of Superman comic arc. DC essentially remade their own movie so that they could follow it up with the conclusion to the story, The Reign of the Supermen.
All in all, The Death of Superman is a superior and more faithful adaptation of the comic arc of the same name, outperforming DC's first attempt at adapting the story with Superman: Doomsday.
5 Justice League: Doom (2012) - 7.5
In this movie, Batman's secret plans for killing members of the Justice League, if they ever turned evil, are stolen by powerful villains and used against them. If that sounds like an awesome concept for a movie, that's because it is.
It's an intense and exciting plotline that sees Batman having to outsmart himself and save his companions from attacks of his own design. Justice League: Doom deserves credit for its superb usage of Martian Manhunter, a criminally underused character in this collection of movies.
4 Batman: Assault On Arkham (2014) - 7.5
Batman: Assault on Arkham is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Don't let the title fool you. Although Batman plays a prominent role, this is much more a Suicide Squad movie than a Batman movie. Fun fact, this movie is set within the Batman: Arkham videogame universe.
Following Deadshot as he leads a siege into Arkham Asylum under orders from Amanda Waller, this movie has it all: great characters, awesome action, and an exciting story with a few twists and turns. If you haven't seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it.
3 Batman: Under The Red Hood (2010) - 8.1
One of the most well-received Batman animated movies, Batman: Under The Red Hood earns its high marks for its compelling and heartbreaking story about the long lost Robin, Jason Todd, returning from the dead to haunt Batman.
One of the more well-written films in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies collection, this film boasts superb storytelling and excellent characterizations. While not as action-heavy as some other entries on this list, it's still a must-watch movie for any fan of Batman or DC in general.
2 Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) - 8.1
One of the most famous Flash stories out there, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a thrill ride from start to finish. Similar to Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, this movie makes excellent use of alternate versions of heroes and villains.
Following Flash as he causes a butterfly effect that warps reality after saving his mother's life, this movie most famously includes a storyline where Bruce dies in Crime Alley instead of his parents and his father takes up the mantle of Batman.
1 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Part 1 & Part 2 ( 2013) - 8.2
Although Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is technically made up of two parts, it's generally seen as one movie and for this list, it will be considered as such.
This film is the crown jewel of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Expertly written, animated, and acted, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns rightfully sits at the top of IMDbs rankings. If the live-action Batman V Superman was a disappointment for you, then let this animated masterpiece take the pain away.
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January 14, 2021 at 08:30AM
