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You’d think that coming right off the heels of Batman & Robin, one of those films so awful that it’s almost mind-expanding, Warner Brother’s would have learned something about creating a superhero vehicle. But, you’d have guessed wrong judging by this unaired TV-movie that was a pilot for a proposed Justice League TV series.
Everything you could imagine that could go wrong with a live-action TV series based from this material, well, it went wrong. So very, very wrong.
Where to begin to describe this film’s awfulness?
I have decided to make an unnumbered list:
• I know that WB has an ‘embargo’ on various characters to stop cross-pollination, but this is the best that they could muster up for the live-action JLA? Obvious second-stringers like Flash, Green Lantern, the Atom, and Martian Manhunter make the cut, but schlock like Fire and Ice? They should have been cameos at best. No shade was meant against the likes of Flash and Green Lantern, but they're not on the same level of heavy-hitters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
• Focusing the entire film on Ice discovering her powers, joining the team, and figuring out that her boss is the Weatherman is a poor decision for a variety of reasons, but it’s mainly because the actress playing her is awful.
• They decided to make the JLA do confessionals…in their real world/everyday counterparts.
• Fire’s costume consists of her lathering on green makeup around her eyes and on her cheeks to hide her identity. That no one mentions that this is not a proper disguise next to the full face masks of the Atom and the Flash is anyone’s guess.
• The members of the JLA are now Friends-style Gen Xer’s trying to make a go of things in the mid-90s. What does that mean? The Flash is now an unemployed slacker; they all get together regularly to complain about First World problems and their romantic lives; and it just goes on from there.
• The costumes look like they were made for a low-rent high school production of some bizarre superhero-focused play. (Which, let's be honest, that would be far more entertaining to watch.)
• Why did they cast actors who look so incredibly out-of-shape as superheroes? The bulky costumes do not help the situation.
• The special effects are truly something to behold. I’ve seen other TV movies from around this time produce greater work. Hell, Xena and Hercules churned out better effects work on their low-budgets than this piece of crap.
• It occupies a space right next to Catwoman, Howard the Duck, Batman & Robin, and Tank Girl as truly awful adaptations of comic-book properties.
I think that covers just about everything wrong with this failed pilot. But, if you’re interested in watching it for yourself, I'm sure it's readily available somewhere on the vast resources of the internet.
