SPOILERS: JUSTICE LEAGUE - 8 Things That Worked And 7 That Definitely Didn't
It's obvious that Justice League is going to be a very divisive movie but what did - and didn't - work in the DC Comics adaptation? Here, we take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly (Superman's jaw).
Justice League is now playing in theaters and, well, the verdict on the movie is decidedly mixed. Critics have torn into the film and opening weekend projections have fallen over the past twenty-four hours or so to a point where it's becoming hard to imagine Warner Bros. ever giving a sequel the green light.
That's upsetting for a lot of reasons, especially as the movie really isn't that bad. Sure, it's not perfect, but which superhero movie is? However, there's no denying that while Justice League does a lot of things right, it makes its fair share of mistakes and we've highlighted both the good and bad things.
From exciting cameos to the best scenes and moments which exceeded expectations to the things Justice League didn't do well like the the lack of certain characters and a lot of dodgy CGI, this is your in-depth guide to the movie but be warned that major spoilers for a lot of key scenes are addressed!
To view the list of details in its entirety, simply click on the VIEW LIST (ONE PAGE) button below!
Didn't Work: Joss Whedon's Influence
Joss Whedon's influence over Justice League is ultimately both a good and bad thing; there are moments where his dialogue and jokes help the movie in a lot of ways but others where it feels out of place and arguably hinders what we're seeing on screen.
Ultimately, I can't help but feel that Zack Snyder's version of Justice League would have been a lot better that this mishmash even if it was less straightforward and probably a fair bit darker. As it is, we get a Whedonized version of another director's work.
That's not a good thing in my opinion and this movie didn't leave me desperate for Whedon's Batgirl.
Did Work: Superman Vs. The League
When a shirtless Superman arrives at his shattered monument, it's clear the Man of Steel isn't in his right mind and Cyborg's cybernetic side losing control results in the hero battling his future teammates. What follows is a fantastic sequence as the team goes to war in a scene torn straight from the pages of the comic books.
Seeing Superman fight Wonder Woman is great, as is him spotting Barry Allen as he races by (something which takes the Fastest Man Alive by surprise). However, the highlight probably comes when Superman is choking Batman and says, "Tell me, do you bleed?" That's a great throwback to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and this stylish sequence has Snyder's name written all over it.
Did Work: The World Mourns For Superman
Justice League kicks off with a very awkward scene of Superman talking to some kids as they record it on a cell phone but shortly after that and a scene with Batman (which sees him let an oddly knowledgeable burglar escape for some reason), we're treated to an awesome montage which is clearly all Zack Snyder as the world mourns Superman's demise in a stylish credits scene similar to the one the filmmaker used in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice while portraying the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne.
Didn't Work: Superman's CGI Mouth
I know Warner Bros. had to get these reshoots done quickly but there's really no excuse for how bad Superman's mouth looks in Justice League. The only sequence where it clearly hasn't been altered to remove his Mission: Impossible 6 moustache is the one where he returns but it sticks out like a sore thumb for the rest of this movie and is a distraction every time he appears on screen.
There must have been a better solution to fix this problem but it's worth noting that the fact his dodgy looking mouth can be seen in so many scenes clearly points to Joss Whedon having reshot almost all of the Man of Steel's scenes. Does that mean he had a much different role in the final act? Probably but we'll now never know what that was just like how Lois Lane wearing that engagement ring is never acknowledged.
Did Work: Superman Races The Flash
Despite the dodgy looking CGI on Superman's mouth (another indication that this was a scene added by Joss Whedon), this after-credits scene is a lot of fun. The Man of Steel racing the Flash won't be a foreign concept to comic book fans and with loads of callbacks to earlier jokes in the movie, this proves to be a nice little addition which will bring a smile to the most cynical of faces!
Did Work: Hope For The Future
As of right now, we have no idea whether or not a Justice League sequel will ever happen but this movie does a great job of laying the groundwork for that assuming it does. Bruce Wayne decides to convert Wayne Manor into the team's headquarters, while we get to see Wonder Woman engaging with the public, Cyborg taking on a form closer to his comic book counterpart, Barry Allen confidently racing through Central City, and Arthur Curry returning to Atlantis.
However, perhaps most interesting is the fact Clark Kent has seemingly returned to his old persona as a Daily Planet journalist as the final shot sees him remove his glasses, tear open his shirt, and blast off into the sky. Talking of hope, here's hoping he returns sooner rather than later.
Didn't Work: Atlantis
I hate to say this as Justice League provides our first taste of what Atlantis is going to look like in next year's Aquaman movie but aside from the impressive CGI used to show Arthur Curry visiting the underwater nation, not much impressed about this. The fact Mera has to use her powers to create a bubble for her and Aquaman to speak in also points to a lot of awkwardness beneath the sea in future.
After all, that indicates that Atlantis will be like Jar Jar Binks' home in The Phantom Menace where those who live there have special, underwater shelters where they can talk and...well, that's a little lame. The fact Mera is now an Atlantean rather than hailing from Xebel also takes something away from her character, as does the fact this appears to be her and Arthur Curry's first meeting!
Did Work: An Unexpected Cameo
Justice League has a fair few Easter Eggs but one of the coolest comes when we get a flashback to the war between Steppenwolf and men, Amazon, and Atlanteans centuries ago. Among those fighting to protect the Earth is a member of the Green Lantern Corps and while that unidentified alien falls in battle against Steppenwolf, the sight of his ring flying away to find another host is downright awesome.
Did Work: The Injustice League
It's a shame to think that there's a very good chance we'll never get a Justice League sequel, especially when this scene sets that up so perfectly. With no sign of Darkseid, the team going to war with the Injustice League sounds just as good if not better, especially when the first two members are Lex Luthor and Deathstroke!
Who knows what form a Justice League vs. Injustice League movie might have taken in Zack Snyder's mind but one thing we do know is that we're now never going to see it become a reality. That's a shame, though I can't help but feel that both Lex and Slade Wilson had a larger part to play in a much earlier version of this movie.
Did Work: Parademons
Steppenwolf may have disappointed but the Parademons definitely did their jobs here. They looked really good in terms of CGI and while they were disposable bad guys along the lines of the Chitauri or Ultron's drones, the monstrous denizens of Apokolips did their job and made for excellent cannon fodder. It's just a shame the movie didn't show more innocents being transformed into them because that could have made for a really interesting plot point.
Didn't Work: Steppenwolf
CGI characters are always a risk but in the case of Steppenwolf, there's really no excuse for how horrendous he ended up looking. While the villain is better in some scene than others, there's simply no getting around the fact that he looks like a video game extra for the majority of his scenes and that's downright unacceptable in this day and age.
In terms of his motivations, Steppenwolf isn't too awful but his visit to Themyscira, in particular, underwhelms and a big part of that is down to how awful he looks. I've seen worse bad guys on the big screen than this and had the CGI used to bring this character to life been improved, he wouldn't stick out like such a sore thumb (it also wouldn't hurt to have found a better voice actor). On the plus side, Cyborg looks good for like 80% of the movie!
Didn't Work: Superman's Return
While Superman's return is handled well in a lot of ways, the League deciding to dig up his body and use a Mother Box to (hopefully resurrect him isn't quite what I was expecting. Over the past year and a half, we've all been dreaming up awesome ways for the Man of Steel to return but this felt more than a tad underwhelming and the fact that the black suit was nowhere to be seen was a let down.
Did Work: Justice League Vs. Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf sucked to look at but I can't really fault the final battle between him and the team. It was exciting and a lot of fun watching them team up and each takes their respective shots at him. For example, Superman using his ice breath to freeze his axe before Wonder Woman destroyed it was great and exactly what you'd hope to see from these heroes in live-action together.
The final battle as a whole was great but it's interesting to note that almost all of this fight appears to have been reshot by Joss Whedon. That was evident from Superman's dodgy looking CGI jaw and I can't help but wonder what form Snyder's version might have taken and how it would have differed to what ended up being used here.
Didn't Work: No Sign Of Darkseid
Steppenwolf mentions Darkseid but that's it for the ruler of Apokolips! After all those rumours of a cameo appearance (which Joss Whedon reportedly decided to cut), the fact we get nothing is a major let down and it would have been nice to at least get some sort of glimpse of Apokolips.
After all, Steppenwolf - who was seemingly devoured by Parademons - was transported back home, so wouldn't it have been cool to reveal that his uncle/nephew was responsible for that and now determined to take over Earth?
Didn't Work: Wonder Woman Upskirt Shot
Clearly added by Joss Whedon in reshoots (the bomb previously exploded outside the building rather than above it), this unecessary piece of imagery tells you all you need to know about why the filmmaker's gross sounding Wonder Woman movie never became a reality. I'm no prude but ick.
What did you think of Justice League? Do you agree with these points or do you have some of your own? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.