Rent Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen: Part 2 (2023)

Justice League X RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen: Part 2 (aka Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part Two) review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

The second half of the Justice League x RWBY crossover is a refreshing change of pace from the first chapter. The first film forced the familiar DC Comics characters through the RWBY animation machine, churning out literal teenage versions of the superheroes in a reduced capacity to fit the RWBY fantasy world and mold. In this sequel, the RWBY teenagers who wield magic and weapons are now forced out of reality and into the more adult realm of DC Comics superheroes. The results are…the same as the last film.

Perhaps it’s because the RWBY crew is in full control of the narrative and animation, but, much like the last film, this second entry still has a disinterest in the DC Comics brand. To the film’s credit, the character designs feel closer to the comics despite still being bound by the studio’s toon shader 3D animation of anime-esque design. More DC Comics characters occupy their world, but they still seem like simplistic representations that could be placed into any toy ad or soda commercial.

The plot is the same deal as last time. The villain Kilg%re is still mucking with the realities of the RWBY and the superheroes, who are revealed to be working in tandem with the mysterious Doctor Arthur Watts. The heroes of both franchises must once again fight alongside each other and handle their interpersonal issues. This includes Ruby becoming nearly suicidal in her unchecked bravery and The Flash being terrified of being manipulated by the villains once more. In terms of character dynamics, there are much better interactions than in the previous film, where the cast of RWBY did a lot of hand-holding with the DC Comics characters. I dug into how Superman took on a more good-natured leadership role, stressing the need for cooperation and rest to avoid overexercision. Cyborg gets a great moment to form a plan that might involve a great sacrifice for himself. Yang Xiao Long also provides great drama with her concerns about her friends and past. In bits and pieces, there’s some solid dialogue between these characters.

I only say bits and pieces because the rest of the film still resorts to mocking the world of DC and none of RWBY. It might speak to the level of maturity that none of the Justice League make cracks about the RWBY names and monsters, but the RWBY teens will still try and fail to mock the villains of The Flash. These are not even good jokes; it’s mostly just the young heroes learning of the names like Weather Wizard and Mirror Master and then giving a raised brow while remarking, “Seriously?” It’s not that DC Comics animated movies and TV shows are above those “really” jokes, but there’s more to the comedy than just the obvious “look how silly these names are” style bits.

The action is about as decent as one might expect, but it speaks to the limitations of this whole project. It was rather disheartening that the RWBY heroes found themselves older and different-looking in the world of DC heroes. They don’t have the same powers or trademark looks. Getting them used to this new world could lead to some fun stuff. Unfortunately, there’s no time to appreciate this clashing of worlds because the heroes dash off too quickly to the next stage of stopping the villains, be it swiping away Kryptonite to help Superman or trapping Killg%re in a simulation.

The result of this second Justice League X RWBY movie is slightly better than the last, but that’s only because it shaves off a tiny layer of its full potential that is sadly squandered. It’s aggravating how much more a film like this could have been for merging worlds and watching the culture clash take flight. The sad fact is that all the chemistry is grounded in what feels like a series of video game cutscenes.