Justice League follows the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as Steppenwolf comes down to Earth to bring together three mysterious boxes which, when combined, can destroy our world and create a planet ripe for the coming of Darkseid. Now Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince must bring together a team to stop the coming invasion. In a way, Justice League is the conclusion to the Man of Steel trilogy, which continued in Batman v Superman, and it handles it's baggage much better than before. This movie not only has to set up three new characters, it also has to follow up to the three established heroes and it juggles it all very well. Although they don't all have long introductions, the casts chemistry really helps sell the League as a whole.
Interestingly enough, Justice League looks like a Zack Snyder film, with some spectacular looking shots, and plays like a Joss Whedon film, which breaks the action with some jokes and character moments. However, with that said, the movie feels cohesive and doesn't show any signs of conflicting ideas. The movie finds a nice middle ground. It's not super dark, but you certainly do see people die in the movie. And it's writing isn't fully comedic, but scenes do harken back to the "goody two shoes" Justice League. What the heroes say and do in this movie feels ripped straight out of the best source material. The quips and one liners of Wonder Woman and Superman followed by the brooding dialogue of Batman feels like fan service in the best sense of the term.
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| Flash, Superman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman in Justice League |
As someone who loves the Justice League and it's characters, this movie was a blast. Seeing all the heroes on the big screen for the first time is nothing short of an experience. And this movie is definitely enhanced when watched with a theater full of people who share that same point of view. After the movie was finished, everyone in my theater started clapping and the people around me started to breath out in amazement of seeing the Justice League unite for the first time. The movie is riddled with nods that not everyone will pick up on, but for those who have read the comics and watched the animated shows, there is a lot of fun to be had. With that said, I do have to step back and look at the movie from the point of view of someone who may not know as much about these heroes as I do, and might be going to the movie just to see what all the buzz is about. After all, you shouldn't have to do homework in order to go enjoy a movie, and even with this lens the movie is still offering a good time if you manage your expectations. This is NOT a Marvel movie. That's one thing you need to avoid immediately. Secondly, go in for a comic book movie that is unlike most we see nowadays. After the negativity surrounding the more politically charged plot of Batman v Superman, this film takes the heroes back to their aforementioned "goody two shoes" roots where the members of the League say some pretty cheesy lines. This is definitely the biggest change from BvS to JL because the film doesn't tackle questions about heroes in modern society and just gives you a world where they simply exist. (What this simplification of plot says about moviegoers is a topic for another article.) Lastly, watch it in IMAX because the film is shot on IMAX and that's how it's meant to be experienced.
It should be no surprise that the casting in Justice League is nothing short of perfect. Ben Affleck is a great Batman, Gal Gadot is a fantastic Wonder Woman and I honestly couldn't pick a person with a better jawline than Henry Cavill to play Superman. With this movie we also have the introduction of Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Ray Fisher as Cyborg who all do their roles complete justice (no pun intended). As for Steppenwolf, he looks and sounds good, but he feels more like a comic villain brought to life, much like Ultron from Avengers: Age of Ultron, than a real menacing foe. For that I will say Steppenwolf feels more like a lead-up to something bigger, Darkseid, than a clear and present threat. Although some people seem to have a problem with the villain, I personally believe that it fits the "episode of the Justice League" feel that the movie is going for. Amy Adams reprises her role of Lois Lane, a part she fits very well, and my only gripe with her is that she says something in public about halfway through the movie that doesn't really make sense. The comic book fan inside of me does have an excuse, which I won't say in fear of spoilers. Plus, J.K. Simmons, for the brief period that he's on screen, looks exactly like Commissioner Gordon.
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| Ben Affleck as the Batman in Justice League |
Then there's the soundtrack. One thing everyone can universally say is great about Man of Steel and Batman v Superman is that Hans Zimmer's goose-bump inducing soundtrack is phenomenal. You can list any number of tracks from those films and be taken back to their corresponding scenes. In Justice League Danny Elfman is making his return to superhero scores and it works most of the time. Undoubtably, hearing the classic Batman theme and seeing Gotham at night just feels right. However, other than a few hints of Hans Zimmer's tracks of the past, there is really no sign of the pre-established DCEU themes in the movie. This removes what was, for many, such a great part of the movies in the universe so far. That's not to say the soundtrack is bad, just forgettable and there are no scenes that pop to mind when going through the track list like "Is She With You?" did in Batman v Superman.
There is one problem that the film has which is noticeable for all audiences and that is Superman's upper lip. For those who don't know, Justice League had to go through extensive reshoots which were helmed by Joss Whedon, but Henry Cavill, Superman, had already started work on the next Mission Impossible movie which requires him to have a mustache. Because he couldn't contractually shave it off, the reshoots had him tape his mustache up and removed digitally in post. This is really noticeable in some scenes and just passable in others. In both cases, there's an uncanny valley look to it that removes you out of the movie briefly. As a final aside, this movie was originally supposed to be 2 hours and 45 minutes long, but a Warner Bros. mandate said the movie has to be less than 2 hours long. And although I love what was in the theatrical cut of Justice League, I would love to see an extended cut, especially if it has scenes from the first and second acts of the movie in which the characters are introduced. I honestly believe if any movie deserved to be longer it would have been this one because more of what we got is what I craved when I left the theater. Without spoiling much, the fact that some of the scenes in the trailers aren't in the film make me confident that an "Ultimate Edition" is to follow.
In the end, Justice League is a really fun movie and I left the theater with a smile on my face and surrounded by fans who were buzzing with excitement at what they just watched. It has it's problems, mostly in the ways of occasionally noticeable CGI, but none of that detracts from the experience of seeing the whole team fighting together against a common enemy. Justice League isn't going to win any Oscars (like Suicide Squad), but if you're a fan of the DC comics, you can be happy that the DCEU is going in the right direction. Also, stay till the very end of the credits. It'll be worth it.
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