The time has come, another DC movie is turning heads but not for the right reasons as Justice League hits theaters this Friday. Many have pointed out how DC is now at its wits end with production rumors, reshoot nightmares down to the exact meaning of a review embargo, the wait for this movie has nothing but been intense and also grueling for any comic book fan to know if this movie holds its own or falls flat on its face. One can’t help but wonder though from an actual comic book fan or a critic on whether or not the movie is good. Coming from someone who isn’t bias, or has any ill will towards DC, I can say I’m the best there is at telling you whether or not you should waste time with Justice League. The best way to review this is to point out THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY & The Final Verdict. Any questions regarding heavy spoilers would be greatly answered down below or in through DM if you'd like to be more respectful of others. Either way, I hope you’re ALL IN.
THE GOOD
THE CAST
From the beginning something about this cast just feels wrong but also feels so right, they all are different and unique from themselves however when together they seem like a perfect match. Ben Affleck does a fine job as Batman as always, where this Batman does seem lighter than he was in BvS. Gal Gadot does a good job as Wonder Woman, however not as good as she was in her own solo film, and as for the other three leaguers (excluding Superman) they all did a fine job.
Ezra Miller while does sounds like a…..pansy…if you will, he does an excellent job as Flash, his conversations with the team and his overall atheistic to the character really shines, however not enough to make me want to see him more. Momoa as Aquaman is a huge highlight for me, he just exhumes the bad ass look the moment he enters the screen. I feared he would be a Thor rip-off, instead he is his own bad ass in every right.
As for Ray Fisher as Cyborg….well he does interact with the team really well, however I’d save what I have to save for him later. However everyone does a very fine job working together, fighting together, they all seem very natural how The Avengers first started, gave me a smile to ear to ear. Most of the moments do not come in till 45 minutes into the movie, and when they do, you don’t want them to stop. You want the ride to just keep going, however like every wooden rollercoaster, there are bumps we have to face along the way, but what I admire for the cast is still there.
SUPERMAN RETURNS!
Possibly the biggest secret (or not) of the entire film was the idea of bringing back Clark Kent, AKA Superman back into the world. I know some people were really worried on how it would be handled, however the entire sequence is nothing short of exciting, thrilling and also dare I say, FULL OF HUMOR?!?! While I won’t give too much away, the plan does come into fruition when they realize they can’t defeat Steppenwolf even with their powers and gadgets. With Bruce concocting the idea to bring back Superman using the alien ship, by also using the MOTHERBOX as well. When this does work, get ready for some Pet Cemetery references and for some good action.
The best part of this sequence I will not spoil, however the interaction with Batman is possibly one of the most golden FU moments Superman could do to Batman, and probably shut a lot of these BATMAN CAN BEAT ANYBODY fans up.
Overall his return is quite nice, and when he is part of the final battle, you don’t see Henry Cavil. You don’t see Clark from BvS or MOS. No. You see SUPERMAN. Ripped from Reeves, borrowed from the comic and sprung out into the silver screen, SUPERMAN….IS SUPERMAN! He smiles, he laughs, HE SAVES PEOPLE OVER FIGHTING! This is the Superman we have all longed for, and he finally arrives in Justice League.
THE ACTION
Major improvement over BvS in terms of action, it’s faster, lighter, but still has the same intensity that you would expect from a Snyder film. I will go over the best action scenes to the worst, one of my favorite is Superman vs the Justice League, very damn good scene where they are just trying to snap Clark to his senses, however what makes the scene so good is that they aren’t trying to pummel him or beat him down, they want him to be the hero they want.
Instead it’s refreshing to see a DCEU movie not always trying to kick the crap out of someone without reasoning (BVS). Another great action scene was the team (Batman, WW, Flash, Cyborg) fighting in the tunnels underneath Gotham Harbor, it’s a giant popcorn action scene that at times does remind me something the DCAU would shove out into DVD or into their TV shows. Overall it was damn near enjoyable but it’s pretty much expected that his action scenes are really good.
THE BAD (+/-)
THE PLOT
The plot is mainly a mixed bag, it isn’t a bad plot however it could have been a little more. That little more is sacrificed by a gutted production from a studio mandated 119 minute film. The good thing is, the movie doesn’t seem rush, or short, the bad thing is some of it COULD HAVE BEEN MORE. However I do expect a movie that has so many characters, with so much to have to get right, HOWEVER, this is no excuse for a character like Steppenwolf where more from his side could have been better. Speaking of him….
STEPPENWOLF
Wow. What a bad villain. What I mean by that is, he is the definition of a throwaway villain and when you think Justice League, you need someone who can really put the team through hell. However the moment Superman shows up, Steppenwolf is at the mercy of Superman and pretty much defeated thanks to Superman. I do like his look, however the CGI is a major issue with this character and honestly questionable on why they decided to go this route. It would make a lot more sense if they introduced him as human. Instead it feels like half-finished CGI character from a God of War video game. As if he could pass for a boss battle within a video game. He was underwhelming beyond words. However not terrible, just a punching bag for audiences to witness.
CYBORG
Cyborg….sigh…I really wanted to like him. At moments and times, I do really like him. At those moments that I do, is when he is wearing his hoodie, his disguise. Why? Because he doesn’t look so damn ridiculous without it. I tried to accept his look, however his look just sucks. I do give credit to the actor though, when there is a good moment, there is a good moment. However, very few. Even the fight scenes, it seems like they cut and paste the little bit of skin from his face onto a CGI character. I don’t see tragedy when I really don’t know what that tragedy is because it is barely explored, most likely cut. I do see a hidden good character, it is too bad the studio didn’t see it and what we ended up getting is a clunky Terminator Cyborg.
THE UGLY
A LOT OF THE CGI!
Wow! Could this look anymore uglier at times, the CGI most of the time just looks like a video game, however at this point all CGI now doesn’t look realistic or amaze me. They are just there to do more than they couldn’t do 20-30 years ago. That being said, a movie like Justice League should have top notch CGI and at some points we do but towards the final battle is where the CGI gets really wonky. One notable scene is Barry running through the streets where it looks like he is roller skating rather than actually running. Even then, it just looks incredibly fake. Another notable moment is Batman tossing the Parademons towards a building, looked completely fake. The mother of all fake goes to CGI MOUSTACHE. Literally…the first SCENE! You see it. It just looks very embarrassing and often comical.
A CLUNKY EDITED MESS
Most of the film tries to go at a brisk pace, but I can’t help but realize how gutted the film is. However this is a perfect example of how to salvage a shit film into a decent film. When I mean this as ugly, I mean it is quite noticeable in a lot points in the movie. Particular the scene of Bruce speaking with Arthur outside the water, the background one minute behind Bruce looks empty, the next moment people are now appearing. Some scenes featured in the trailers, most notable the scene where Alfred looks almost afraid is missing from the movie. Either way at times it does seem very messy and obviously rushed because of the editing and you don’t want that in Justice League. It just feels like a LETS GET THIS OVER WITH ALREADY DAMN! Type of movie.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What can I say….I enjoyed it; wasn’t amazing like how so many wrongly expected to be, but it did do a good job at trying to finish an already messy film, good thing is, anybody who complained about useless plot threads can thank the movie gods because there is no sub-plot; the movie is very stream-lined through its core. I can’t shake this feeling though that people will still try to expect so much more from this movie when yes. It could be a whole lot more, but it also could be a whole lot much worse. This film at times most often just feels like the focus is only on the heroes, and that is a good thing. This isn’t a very metaphorical movie like BvS was trying to be, nor does it have subtle complex messages on war, hope or alien invasions. It is to the point, and honestly we need something like that with Justice League.
It is already too late to expect so much from WB. WB has failed, tried, failed, tried, SUCCEDED….and tried again. I would count this as a success, but in some ways it isn’t. I did enjoy the movie, I did walk out smiling, one can’t help but put into context if this film was actually cared for more. The devil is in the details with this movie that at times, it does feel like just your regular run of the mill superhero movie rather something GRAND like Avengers felt when watching it.
Overall: For those willing to give the DCEU a chance after the surprisingly good Wonder Woman, this movie is a good but not a better follow up to the previous DCEU films. The movie works with its cast, its wide variety of characters and its open book look of the DCEU if treated with respect. A good film that deserves a lot better