I don’t get excited when new superhero movies come out as much as I used to — it took me a few years to make time to watch this movie, and I actually ended up liking it better than I expected. Look, at the end of the day, I’m still a huge fanboy when it comes to all comic book movies, but I don’t take them that seriously anymore; I just sit back and enjoy the ride.
This is the closest a DC Extended Universe movie (DCEU) has come to a MARVEL movie. I think critics were way too harsh on this movie when it first came out, and it did not deserve all the abuse it received. I think I’m comfortable enough to say that I actually enjoy DCEU movies more than most Marvel movies (in terms of tone and execution).
The vibe and tone of Justice League are slightly lighter than previous DCEU movies…. And even though I prefer and appreciate the darker tone films from all the DCEU movies, I find myself welcoming the lighter vibe Justice League brings.
This version of BATMAN (Ben Affleck) is pretty damn good; Affleck’s performance has grown on me, especially as Bruce Wayne. WONDER WOMAN (Gal Gadot) continues to be the best-written character here, explaining why she wasn’t around for a hundred years since the events of the 2017 Wonder Woman movie made sense. Disappointingly, Wonder Woman 1984 pissed away all the solid groundwork done developing this character. SUPERMAN (Henry Cavill) was excellent; most of his scenes worked well for me, especially as he battled Steppenwolf. Jason Momoa was born to play AQUAMAN. (read my Aquaman recap on this blog).
FLASH (Ezra Miller) is funny, engaging, and very relatable. CYBORG (Ray Fisher) is a compelling character that needs his own movie at some point. Lois Lane (Amy Adams) was okay; her character didn’t do much, and I wanted to see more from her. STEPPENWOLF (Ciaran Hinds), as a villain, was an underdeveloped character, and I felt like there was no fundamental necessity to go full CGI here. Some people hated the PARADEMONS, but I didn’t mind them; I thought they were cool. There are some emotional moments, mainly from Martha Kent (Diane Lane). The post-credit scene with LEX LUTHOR (Jesse Eisenberg) was necessary for purposes of continuity.
Although there are some obvious flaws with this movie, JUSTICE LEAGUE is a highly entertaining addition to the DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE. There is a ton of potential here to build up future films around. I’m incredibly excited and curious to see how the Snyder cut will differ from this version.
Two out of Five Popcorn Bags 🍿🍿
Justice League (2017)
Rod Rioja 