Review of Justice League (2017) by Jorge G — 16 May 2018

Justice League has a lot riding on it. After the critical battering of previous instalments in the DCEU such as Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad, DC has made more enemies than friends. In particular Justice League needed to brighten up the tone and create a more fun, light hearted, hopeful movie. It also needed to bring together DC Comics greatest heroes in a way that would do them justice as individuals but bring chemistry to them as a team. As my most anticipated film of the year, I am very pleased to say that they have achieved both goals but unfortunately this film is far from perfect.

The biggest flaw in this movie is the editing. Like BVS before it, the film feels at times like it is withholding key details. The narrative isn't broken, but something is definitely missing. At first glance it would seem this is due to the departure of Zack Snyder as director and Joss Whedon stepping in to finish the film. However, it feels like parts are missing because they are. 50 minutes was cut from the theatrical release at the insistence of Warner Bros. Pictures as they wanted the film to be below 2 hours. You can't help but wonder if the 50 additional minutes would have cleared up the more major inconsistencies and if Zack Snyder's original image would have been better. This was certainly the case for Batman v. Superman's Ultimate Edition which provided a more coherent story with many of the theatrical versions' plot holes largely fixed. For this reason, I don't feel it would be fair to lay too much of the blame at Zack Snyder or Joss Whedon's feet as it is studio meddling which has been the films worst enemy.

Once you look beyond the editing however, you are left with a largely entertaining film. Apart from some questionable CGI there is relatively little to complain about. Many of the criticisms of Justice League's predecessors have largely been fixed. The tone of the movie is lighter. The gloomy aesthetic of the pre-Wonder Woman DCEU seems to be over with many scenes in Justice league being brighter and more colourful. Aside from the visuals, it is lighter also because of the introduction of more comedic moments. The Flash in particular forms the comic heart of the cast but all characters have their moments. It's also refreshing to see that the funny moments don't feel too forced as many comic book movies do today.

Another criticism of previous DC movies which has been fixed is the characterisation of the main characters. In particular, Batman and Superman have been hugely improved upon from their previous outings. Batman has mellowed from his angry, over the top portrayal in BVS. He feels a guilt for how he acted in BVS and strives to be a better person. This gives us a Batman much closer to his comic book counterpart. Similarly, Superman returns but with a new appreciation for life and is a lot closer to the optimistic boy scout most comic book readers know and love. This makes Superman a far more fun character. Wonder Woman is great as always and I want to share my appreciation for Jeremy Irons' who again (at least in my opinion) plays a spectacular Alfred. The film also introduces us (properly) to Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg. Each of them have room to shine and bring their own unique characteristics to the film. They work excellently as individuals and left me wanting to see more of them in their own solo films. Yet more astonishingly they have solid moments when they come together as a team and watching this happen easily rivals seeing the Avengers unite for the first time. Pick any two members of the Justice league and they will have at least one moment where they just feel so natural working together and there is very clear chemistry between them. The main villain Steppenwolf is perhaps the only character who feels out of place and is ultimately a very disappointing antagonist. However, with so much time dedicated to making our team of heroes work so well on the screen, it feels like a fair compromise to sacrifice the villain to allow the heroes to spread their wings.

Whilst not the best of the DCEU films so far and certainly not my favourite, Justice League is still a thoroughly enjoyable film and a step in the right direction for the future of the franchise. With the characters fleshed out and working so well as a team, I am willing to forgive the messy narrative and editing. The characters work so well that I am ultimately excited to see what future holds and equally excited to watch this film again.