We wish we could unsee these movies... or shall we say De-See them? Ha! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most disappointing animated DC films. Watch out for minor spoilers ahead!
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00:00 A good crossover has to have some epic threat that brings the heroes from two worlds together.
00:04 And epic threats just aren't our thing.
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most disappointing animated DC films.
00:13 Watch out for minor spoilers ahead.
00:15 But you should call me Vanessa. I mean, Diana. You're Vanessa, obviously. Right?
00:21 Number 10. Justice League, Throne of Atlantis.
00:26 Arthur, I know you miss your dad, but...
00:29 (thud)
00:29 I was gonna eat that.
00:32 Then you're gonna have to go through me first.
00:36 While Throne of Atlantis is far from an atrocity, it definitely fails its main character.
00:42 The film is supposed to be about Aquaman's rise from aimless adult to king of the seas.
00:46 However, he's routinely sidelined in favor of the other members of the Justice League.
00:51 The other heroes constantly outshine him within scenes.
00:55 I'll tell you, Flashman, I've seen my share of weirdo crapola in this job.
00:59 But Atlantis? Come on.
01:01 What, you're good with the intergalactic cops, aliens, and the cybernetic human?
01:04 Outside of the hero problem, the villain was also another major issue.
01:08 Ocean Master is a ridiculously over-the-top antagonist who comes off as too cartoony to take seriously.
01:15 Additionally, his generic takeover-the-world plan led to a cliched final battle between the heroes and a faceless army.
01:23 And you are in no position to issue orders.
01:26 Kill the humans for Atlantis!
01:31 Thanks to a stereotypical plot and lack of focus on Aquaman, Throne of Atlantis failed to make waves.
01:37 This film definitely had an out-there premise.
01:43 When the Bat Family is transported to feudal-era Japan via Gorilla Grodd's time machine,
01:49 they must stop villains and figure out how to get back.
01:52 We were sent to find a man dressed as a bat.
01:55 Our master has ordered us to kill him on sight.
01:57 He cannot be allowed to live.
02:01 Who's your master?
02:02 Its unique art style and let's say, inspired character designs were off-putting for many fans.
02:09 To make matters worse, the pacing's all over the place.
02:13 Big characters like Bane just come and go, with little explanation as the story goes on.
02:18 And at times, the voices for characters like the Joker can feel completely off.
02:22 I am not here for your entertainment.
02:25 Ah, wrong again!
02:28 Now that all your toys are busted, you better start thinking what you're going to do for a second act!
02:33 There are times where Batman Ninja feels fun and delivers cool action sequences,
02:38 but its lack of a coherent plot and jarring visuals
02:41 ultimately prevented it from being enjoyable for everyone.
02:44 Thank you, Monkey G.
02:45 You were a great help.
02:47 (Squeaking)
02:50 It's time for me to go.
02:51 I'll never forget you.
02:52 Number 8.
02:54 Green Lantern - Emerald Knights
02:56 This anthology movie lets multiple heroes tell their own stories.
03:00 While this could have made for a great Green Lantern highlight reel,
03:04 the overall product was a mixed bag.
03:06 Most of you know Cronus' story.
03:08 How he defied authority and created the anti-matter universe billions of years ago.
03:15 The stories themselves range from being decent to utterly boring.
03:19 And despite taking place over different periods and on various planets,
03:23 the segments are somehow part of one plot.
03:26 The Guardians say they'll protect us.
03:28 But they're just rings.
03:30 And before getting yours, you were just a scribe.
03:33 Use your imagination.
03:35 The final battle between the Green Lanterns and a villain named Crona
03:38 doesn't get enough setup for us to get truly invested.
03:42 And while the animation is pretty solid,
03:44 sometimes you feel like the constructs look more lively than the actual characters.
03:49 Jade, you just earned your stripes.
03:50 Everyone back to Oa now.
03:56 We've got one chance and one chance only.
03:58 Whether you know a lot or a little about the Green Lantern Corps,
04:02 this movie will take a lot of extra willpower to sit through.
04:05 Number 7.
04:07 Superman - Unbound
04:09 We were excited about a tale that would pit the Man of Steel and his cousin Kara
04:13 against the super intelligent Brainiac.
04:16 However, the execution left a lot to be desired.
04:19 Don't lecture me, Cal.
04:20 I'm still older than you.
04:21 No, you may have left Krypton that way, but you're not anymore.
04:25 The wormhole got me here faster.
04:27 That's not fair.
04:28 At times, Superman's characterization can come across as a bit frustrating.
04:33 He seems more annoyed than usual and doesn't seem to gel with his cousin all that much.
04:37 It doesn't help that Supergirl is not written that well either.
04:41 We were all so powerless.
04:43 I know.
04:44 I never want to feel that way again.
04:46 No one should.
04:47 But if that thing's here, it's all going to happen again.
04:51 Speaking of writing, the movie's plot is so overstuffed that entire storylines are
04:56 abandoned at the finish line.
04:57 And the way Brainiac is actually defeated is incredibly unsatisfying.
05:02 Superman - Unbound had the opportunity to be utterly brilliant.
05:05 Instead, a few baffling story choices held the epic tale back.
05:10 I thought I wanted a world where I could always keep you safe.
05:13 And you don't want that anymore?
05:16 That's not what I meant.
05:20 Number six, Injustice.
05:22 Oh no, this time the jokes on you and the world will burn.
05:29 The story of a Superman who turns evil after losing Lois has been adapted to several mediums.
05:36 While the video game and comic versions of the narrative took their time to show the
05:40 hero's fall, the Injustice movie tried to cram about five years worth of lore into less
05:45 than 80 minutes.
05:47 As you could imagine, that didn't go so well.
05:50 How are you?
05:50 Angry.
05:51 That is your right.
05:53 No, you're better than that.
05:56 You have to be or the consequences could be fatal.
05:59 Pivotal moments from the source material were completely ignored.
06:03 At the same time, bizarre changes like the death of the Flash got added in for no clear
06:08 reason.
06:09 The rush story builds up to an epic battle that ends abruptly when an alternate universe
06:14 Lois shows up.
06:15 I'm trying to give the world peace.
06:17 By murdering others that disagree with you.
06:20 If we're being honest, the way this movie turned out was an injustice on its own.
06:25 Number five, Wonder Woman Bloodlines.
06:29 Everyone's favorite Amazon started a movie where she attempts to battle the evil villainy
06:34 Inc and help a troubled girl named Vanessa along the way.
06:37 There's talk of her meeting the president.
06:39 The press has already given her a code name.
06:40 Julia, I'm sure I could help many by joining you, but this is the right way to help for
06:46 me.
06:47 What should have been a straightforward and action-packed story got very confusing fast.
06:52 While parts of the plot serve as a prequel to Justice League War, the rest of the narrative
06:57 takes place later in the timeline.
06:59 This strange storytelling method is further held back by hollow dialogue and a fairly
07:04 forgettable plot.
07:05 I should have been able to save her.
07:07 A true Amazon would have.
07:10 I, I've failed two mothers now.
07:15 Iconic Wonder Woman characters like Cheetah, Ferdinand the Minotaur and Medusa should have
07:20 been great, but they all felt like obstacles for the heroine to overcome instead of fully
07:25 formed characters.
07:27 Wonder Woman deserved a much better story than the one Bloodlines provided.
07:31 The champion of Themyscira.
07:33 Known to all as Wonder Woman.
07:40 Number four, Teen Titans Go and DC Superhero Girls Mayhem in the Multiverse.
07:46 Although this was supposed to be a crossover movie between two kid oriented properties,
07:50 it failed to satisfy fans of either.
07:53 You know, to remind the audience how awesome the heroes are even before they meet their
07:56 counterparts.
07:57 Quick, everybody do something action before they cut away to the other.
08:00 After Lex Luthor sends Earth superheroes into the Phantom Zone, the remaining members of
08:08 the Teen Titans and the Superhero Girls must team up, or at least that's what they were
08:13 supposed to do.
08:14 While the Teen Titans do show up, their appearances are sparse.
08:18 Must find the compare and contrast to our counterparts.
08:22 Yeah.
08:23 Don't forget the obligatory romance between two crossed hearts.
08:26 Don't push it, bro.
08:28 The DC Superhero Girls are clearly the stars of the show and have the lion's share of
08:32 the film.
08:33 Outside of the disappointing lack of crossover scenes, the by the numbers plot offers little
08:38 to keep the audience's attention.
08:40 This film ultimately fails to give fans anything it promised on the tin.
08:45 You know, you might want to bring the big guns with you on this mission.
08:48 Are they fighting over a remote?
08:52 Come on, baby.
08:53 I've seen this episode.
08:54 Number three, Batman Unlimited Monster Mayhem.
08:57 We're gonna need tech to take that thing down.
08:59 What do you suggest?
09:01 Everything's busted.
09:02 Cyborg, keep him busy.
09:04 The rest of you follow me.
09:05 I know where we can get some reliable equipment.
09:07 This movie is basically one giant toy commercial.
09:11 Actually, scratch that.
09:12 This entire franchise of Unlimited films feels like feature length ads.
09:16 In Batman Unlimited Monster Mayhem, the Dark Knight and a large supporting cast of heroes
09:22 team up to stop Joker and his many allies.
09:24 I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for the history museum.
09:28 The movie's bloated cast makes it hard to get invested in any of the characters.
09:33 Additionally, the designs for both the heroes and villains feel off.
09:37 But the most egregious problem with the movie is the constant advertising.
09:42 Every time Batman or Joker's forces pull out a new vehicle, you get the feeling that
09:46 they're just trying to market yet another toy.
09:49 Object in mirror may be closer than they appear.
09:52 Batman!
09:54 Positive ID.
09:57 It's Solomon Grundy and Silver Banshee.
09:59 The film's lack of depth and shallow structure made it the worst of the already rough Unlimited
10:04 franchise.
10:05 Number two, Justice League War World.
10:09 After members of the Justice League are mysteriously taken to a harsh gladiatorial realm, they
10:13 have to team up to liberate it.
10:15 War World, an immensely ancient planet sized weapon that's powered by the hate and fear
10:22 of its prisoners.
10:23 While the main plot is supposed to be focused on War World, the movie spends an excessive
10:28 amount of time in different settings.
10:31 Wonder Woman in the Wild West, Batman and Skataris, and Superman in 1950s America are
10:36 all interesting stories.
10:38 However, this anthology approach ultimately makes it easy to lose track of the overarching
10:44 plot.
10:44 There's too much I don't know, like how I even know how to work this database or my
10:50 real name or who's watching us.
10:53 War World was supposed to be a big event film that highlighted the best parts of the new
10:58 DC animated reality known as the Tomorrowverse.
11:02 However, it ended up being a disjointed mess that let down all of its heroes.
11:07 It's you.
11:09 I don't know why I didn't see it before.
11:11 I...
11:13 I'm sorry.
11:14 I still don't remember.
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11:32 Number 1.
11:33 Batman The Killing Joke
11:35 On paper, it seemed like adapting one of the most acclaimed Batman stories ever made would
11:41 lead to nothing but success.
11:43 But the film went down as a massive failure.
11:45 Your father gave me his file.
11:47 He's a nasty combination of narcissist and sociopath.
11:51 He'll have you smiling right after the moment he cuts your throat.
11:53 For starters, the movie doesn't begin by adapting anything from the graphic novel.
11:58 Instead, the writers added a plot line where Batgirl takes center stage and gets romantically
12:04 involved with Batman.
12:05 Fans found the relationship between student and mentor to be extremely uncomfortable.
12:10 Doesn't have to mean anything.
12:11 It's not like we have to care.
12:13 I don't care.
12:13 You don't care.
12:14 We just go back like it was.
12:15 That's all.
12:16 Please.
12:17 Later.
12:20 This added storyline also comes off as exploitative.
12:24 Since the original graphic novel sees Batgirl suffer cruel torment at the Joker's hand,
12:29 viewers felt the writers built her up just to see her fall.
12:33 By the time the movie actually started adapting the events of the killing joke,
12:37 many had already lost interest.
12:39 I'm sorry, but no.
12:41 No.
12:44 It's far too late for that.
12:46 Is there an animated DC movie so bad that you can't believe we missed it?
12:52 Tell us about it in the comments.
12:54 Well, bless your heart.
12:56 You figured it out.
12:57 Did you enjoy this video?
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13:06 [Music]