While the Justice League is no stranger to otherworldly crossovers, they find their latest off-world adventure to be a literally transformative experience in the new feature length film, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One. Directed by longtime RWBY filmmaker Kerry Shawcross and written by Meghan Fitzmartin, the movie brings together an ensemble of fan-favorite characters for an action-packed adventure. Accessible to newcomers of RWBY while being rewarding for dedicated fans of the popular anime-influenced web series, Justice League x RWBY is full of ambitious set pieces and earnest character moments to thrill audiences.
The Justice League finds themselves separated and transported to Remnant, a fantasy realm populated by myths and monsters and the colorful quartet RWBY. As the DC heroes discover their powers and abilities have changed, and that they've been transformed significantly younger than they had been in the DC Universe, they must learn to work with RWBY to save Remnant and return home. However, this cross-dimensional team-up proves to be more complicated than either set of heroes anticipated, forcing them to ask deeper questions about themselves as they join forces to save the day.
Justice League x RWBY hits the ground running, opening up with a major action set piece while juxtaposing the classic DC characters with those created by Rooster Teeth. The movie splits the admittedly large cast into smaller groups for the first half of the story, allowing the different character dynamics to become more fleshed out. Complementing the familiar RWBY cast, the Justice League roles are taken on by similarly impressive cast additions, including Chandler Riggs as Superman and Nat Wolff as Batman.
The action itself is tightly coordinated with the same level of soaring choreography and payoff moments one might expect from RWBY. Shawcross has been directing RWBY since Volume 3, and he maintains a steady hand in giving each of the characters time to shine in each set piece and show what makes each special on the battlefield. For a 90-minute movie, there is plenty of action throughout, from its electrifying opening as Superman learns what he’s capable of in Remnant to its sweeping finale as the ensemble come together for the climactic final battle.
Largely thanks to the revisions they undergo upon arriving in Remnant, the Justice League characters fit relatively seamlessly within the fantasy world and their pairings with RWBY are well-matched. Lindsay Jones and Jeannie Tirado are among the standout performances from the extensive ensemble and there are fortunately no glaring weak points within the cast. For all the magical mischief and bombastic battles, there are a surprising number of heartfelt character moments sprinkled throughout, giving the story a solid emotional core.
A breezily paced adventure, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One feels more like an extension of the RWBY series by design as opposed to the usual DC Universe Original Animated Movies. There is a lot to enjoy within the film's tight runtime, and it's an impressive feat considering how the story is able to be effectively paced without being rushed. Perfectly welcoming to uninitiated viewers, yet with plenty of character depth for longtime fans, Justice League x RWBY is a genuine delight; bring on Part Two.
Directed by Kerry Shawcross, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, Part One is on sale now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and digital HD.