The Movie:

Lego DC Comics Superheroes: Justice League Cosmic Clash (To be referred to as "Cosmic Clash" from now on in order to save space) is a breezy, colorful, and fun bit of distraction for kids, but the timing of its' release reveals an unintended alternate purpose: It works perfectly as an antidote for teens and adults who are looking for something lighter after the gloom and doom tone of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the tradition of Lego movies and video games based on popular franchises, Cosmic Clash is basically a lighthearted parody of DC's most popular characters.

Is it an accurate representation of DC Comics' version of Justice League? Of course not. The film opens with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg playing hide-and-seek at the Hall of Justice, and contains a version of Brainiac who's more of a nerdy OCD collector than the intimidating powerful genius we know. That's why it's a good antidote to the fairly colorless and humorless Batman v Superman, not because it takes a balanced look at the DC heroes in a way that mixes levity with relatable heavy conflict (For that, check out Warner Bros' and DC's many excellent 2-D animated Justice League Movies), but because it takes the complete opposite approach as it presents a bright and playful parody of a pretty standard Justice League adventure.

While Batman tries to keep the rest of The Justice League under more strict discipline, Brainiac, who shrinks planets and adds them to his pristine collection, wants to add Earth to said collection. After finding out that The Justice League is a credible threat to his plan, he sends Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Superman across different points in time. So now it's up to Batman to find them and bring them back while Cyborg and Supergirl fight Brainiac's drones. The plot is obviously an excuse to place DC superheroes into various Lego sets, so the kids who watch this movie can bug their parents into buying them.

Batman travels to the prehistoric era, a pirate ship, and a futuristic dystopia, all while The Flash has to stay behind as he powers the time machine with his super speed, which creates some of the funniest bits in the film. There's enough of a mix of exciting action and parody jokes to keep the plot afloat, and it never really overstays its welcome thanks to the short runtime (Another reason why it's an antidote to Batman v Superman).

The Blu-Ray:

Video:

Don't expect Cosmic Clash to sport the impressively detailed animation of The Lego Movie, where every single element, including water, was made out of virtual Lego pieces. That being said, the lower budget animation of Cosmic Clash is remarkable in its creativity, and actually offers some interesting action set pieces. The 1080p transfer is clean and crisp, as it represents the evenly bright look of the film.

Audio:

The DTS-HD 5.1 mix is actually pretty dynamic for a straight-to-video animated title primarily made for kids. Especially during the action scene where The Justice League initially fight against Brainiac in space, you can close your eyes and easily imagine that you're listening to the mix of a $200 million superhero franchise flick.

Extras:

Gag Reel: I was expecting an early Pixar-style blooper reel, but this is basically a three-minute glorified trailer where the filmmakers used rough animation footage to make it look like Batman was directing the movie. Pretty useless.

We also get Trailers for other Lego releases.

Final Thoughts:

Cosmic Clash is perfect for young children who love DC superheroes and already have a playful sense of humor. It's also suitable for adults who feel depressed after walking out of Batman v Superman (Whether or not they liked it, that's beside the point. I'm referring to the film's undeniably dark tone) and want a quick pick me up with something silly that also contains the same heroes.

Oktay Ege Kozak is a film critic and screenwriter based in Portland, Oregon. He also writes for The Playlist, The Oregon Herald, and Beyazperde.com