Legion of Super-Heroes – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Legion of Super-Heroes

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2023

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Supergirl goes to superhero boarding school in the future—sounds cool, but this DC animated film is aggressively mediocre.

50%

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Legion of Super-Heroes

movie

PG-13, 2023

48%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Supergirl goes to superhero boarding school in the future—sounds cool, but this DC animated film is aggressively mediocre.

50%

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the thing: Legion of Super-Heroes isn't offensively bad. It's just... there. A 50% on Rotten Tomatoes is the critical equivalent of a shrug, and that 5.8 IMDb rating tells you everything—this is background noise at best.

The premise has potential: grieving Supergirl, time travel, future superhero academy. But the execution is so paint-by-numbers that even DC animation fans (who are usually pretty forgiving) gave it a collective 'meh.' That 2.7/5 on Letterboxd is particularly damning—film nerds really didn't vibe with this one.

If your kid is desperate for superhero content and has exhausted everything else, sure, throw it on. But there are dozens of better DC animated movies (Under the Red Hood, Flashpoint Paradox, even the recent Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy) that are more worth your time. This one's destined for the 'I guess that existed' pile of streaming content.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media pegs this at 13+, which feels right for the action intensity and themes of loss. Younger superhero fans (10-11) could handle it, but they're not missing much if they skip it. Teens might watch if they're DC completists, but most will find better animated superhero content elsewhere.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Standard superhero fare with themes of mentorship, finding your place, and making friends. Kara's grief over losing Krypton and adjustment struggles provide some emotional depth. However, the 'new enemy' dynamic and conflict-driven plot keeps it from being particularly warm or cooperation-focused. It's not problematic, just fairly typical action-hero emotional beats.

Imaginative

31st century setting and Legion Academy premise offer some creative world-building potential, and the time-travel element adds novelty. However, this is a DC animated movie following well-worn superhero formulas—mysterious villain group, powerful weapon MacGuffin, training academy tropes. It's not breaking new ground or inviting much creative thinking from viewers.

Safe

Typical DC animated superhero action—expect punching, energy blasts, and property destruction, but nothing graphic or disturbing. Common Sense Media rates it 13+, suggesting some intensity but nothing shocking for the genre. No sexual content, minimal language concerns. The Brainiac villain and 'Dark Circle' group provide standard comic book threats without crossing into truly scary territory.

Enriching

Touches on grief processing, adaptation to new environments, and teamwork, but the middling critical reception (50% RT critics, 5.8 IMDb, 2.7/5 Letterboxd) suggests it doesn't execute these themes particularly well. It's entertainment first, with any life lessons feeling incidental rather than meaningful. The low audience scores indicate even DC fans found it forgettable.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Focuses on a female lead dealing with grief and finding her identity, which could resonate with teens navigating their own transitions
31st century setting offers a visual change from typical Metropolis/Gotham backdrops
Introduces the Legion of Super-Heroes to kids who might not know this corner of DC lore
Safe superhero action for families wanting something in the genre without MCU intensity

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What to Watch For

Action violence typical of superhero cartoons—energy blasts, fights, property destruction
The universally lukewarm reception means even DC-loving kids might find it boring
At 5.8/10 on IMDb and 2.7/5 on Letterboxd, this is the definition of 'throw it on in the background' quality

Conversation Starters

"Kara lost her entire planet—how do you think that would feel compared to moving to a new school or city?"
"She goes to the future to train. If you could time travel to learn something, where would you go?"
"Why do you think Superman sent her away instead of keeping her close on Earth?"

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