Film

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One

Name: Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One
Genre: Animation, Science Fiction, Action
Released: 2024
Cast: Matt Bomer, Jensen Ackles, Darren Criss, Meg Donnelly, Stana Katic

A DC animated feature that adapts the legendary comic-book crossover, colliding heroes from infinite universes against an annihilating force. Gorgeous animation, operatic scale, thrilling voice work. For longtime DC fans and anyone who loves spectacle with genuine stakes—the kind of thing that justifies the superhero format.

TMDb rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love big multiverse crossovers where dozens of familiar DC heroes share the screen, and you don't mind animation doing the heavy lifting on spectacle.

Skip it if you want a complete story with its own shape, since this is only the first half and it ends before anything is settled.

What it asks of you: It is a 93-minute sprint of crowded frames and quick cuts, asking you to track many heroes at once and to accept a lot of stakes stacked on stakes.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Superman: Doomsday2007

Bruce Timm's first animated film, it nails the balance of intimate character drama and world-ending threat. Sets the gold standard for how DC adapts its biggest stories without losing what makes them matter.

But Older animation—gorgeous but not cutting-edge. If you need fluid motion and modern polish, it might feel dated.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 12012

Brings a famous comic to life with serious stakes and Frank Miller's darker vision intact. Peter Wein's direction creates genuine dread. The voice cast is phenomenal, and Batman feels genuinely dangerous.

But Grim and bleak throughout—there's little lightness or humor. Not for watching when you want to feel uplifted.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 poster

Wonder Woman2009

A perfect superhero origin: intimate, mythic, gorgeously animated. You care about Diana as a person before the action explodes. Keri Russell's voice work is stellar. It earns every moment of spectacle.

But Slower pacing than the typical action film. If you're here for constant movement and quips, you'll feel the character work dragging.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Invincible2021

Both use the multiverse/infinite worlds conceit to ask whether heroes can survive contact with consequence. Both assume you care enough about these characters to break your heart.

An animated superhero story that deconstructs everything you think you know in the first episode, then spends the season showing what comes after. Brutal, genuinely surprising, with animation that gets better as it goes. This is what happens when superheroes matter enough to hurt.

But Aggressively violent and sometimes graphically sexual. Also not finished—season two is coming, so you're committing to an unresolved story. Heavy trigger warnings apply.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox2013

Time travel, alternate worlds, brutal consequences. The Flash trying to fix the past only breaks everything further. Stunning animation, genuinely upsetting turns, and a ending that sticks with you.

But Incredibly dark for a superhero story. The emotional gut-punches arrive without warning. Heavy viewing.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox poster

Superman vs. The Elite2012

Not a battle you see coming: Superman's idealism against modern cynicism. George Newbern is perfect, and the film trusts you to wrestle with difficult moral questions. The animation is crisp and vibrant.

But Philosophical and talky at times. If you need constant action to stay engaged, the dialogue-heavy stretches might test you.

Batman: Under the Red Hood2010

Jensen Ackles (who voices Batman in this film) is phenomenal as Red Hood. A revenge story with real moral complexity, gorgeously drawn, paced like a thriller. One of the best Batman stories period, animated or otherwise.

But Violent and disturbing. Not for anyone squeamish about serious injury or death. Also tragic—don't watch looking for triumph.

Justice League vs. the Fatal Five2019

A tight, smart ensemble piece that balances multiple heroes without losing focus. Great animation, genuinely funny moments, and a story about redemption that actually earns itself. Under 90 minutes and perfectly paced.

But The villains, while fun, feel slightly less heavyweight than you'd want. Doesn't quite have the mythic heft of the best DC films.

Justice League vs. the Fatal Five poster

All Star Superman2011

Superman confronts his own mortality and asks what his life means. Visually stunning, emotionally direct, with Grant Morrison's best comic writing brought to gorgeous life. A film about a god learning to be human.

But Very Superman-focused; if you want an ensemble, this narrows its scope sharply. Some find it slow and contemplative rather than thrilling.

Green Lantern: First Flight2009

A space-opera origin story with slick animation and surprisingly clever action design. It respects the weirdness of the concept and has real fun with alien worlds and cosmic stakes.

But The character voice work is decent but not exceptional. It's solid where some of these films are transcendent.

The Owl House2020

Both bring together characters from different worlds to fight something bigger than themselves. But Owl House's magic is in asking why they stay together after the threat is gone. It's Crisis on Infinite Earths for people who've learned that victory isn't the point—love is.

A Disney show that nobody expected to be this good. A story about found family, systemic evil, grief, and growing up—with queer love at its heart—told with both humor and devastating seriousness. The animation is expressive and alive. Season three wraps it all up perfectly in three specials.

But It's a children's show, so don't expect the violence or language of adult animation. Some find the early episodes slow. Also, you need to watch all of it—the first season builds to payoffs in the third.