Film Review - "Justice League"

Justice League
Directed by Zach Snyder
Starring Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and Henry Cavill

…Yeah I never did this when I saw it in theaters. Did I feel compelled to see it again before I wrote a review? Yes. Was I in a rush to see it again? No. Did the never-ending DC vs Marvel "war" get on my nerves and in some way make me shy away from this review? Little bit. Anyway here we are, and after finally watching Justice League a second time…it's fine. It's fine. I might even be more fine with it than in my initial viewing. Let's go.

Bruce Wayne (Affleck) is on the trail of a massive threat making its way to Earth. That threat being the extra-terrestrial conqueror Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) and his army of Parademons. They seek the Mother Boxes, which will give Steppenwolf the power to conquer and re-shape the planet in his image.   Bruce, alongside Diana Prince (Gadot) must form a team of heroes to take down Steppenwolf and save the world from destruction. Those heroes include Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher). Oh and yes Superman (Cavill) is still dead and both Bruce and the rest of the world are still dealing with that.

Justice League feels a lot like a response to the negative criticism surronding Batman VS Superman. It's lighter, it's more fun, and characters are making jokes more. But as a result of that, the two films do not match-up, and I'm not referring to their contrasting tones. I mean I personally probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between Snyder and Whedon's direction if I hadn't known beforehand the latter came in to take over for the former during reshoots…some reshoots are pretty clear though...

Character decisions and motivations in this film do not equal up to their actions from the previous one. Yes Wonder Woman is a thoughtful and compassionate character, but to think she is personally invested in the resurrection of Superman is a bit of a stretch. To think that Bruce Wayne feels so much guilt over his death, and to say that he really knew who Clark Kent was, is a bit of a stretch. They spent like ten minutes actually talking to each other in the last one.

The build-up from the previous films does not equate to what Justice League is. All the plotting and planning of Batman VS Superman seems to be thrown out the window (Remember how Flash went back in time to warn Bruce about something? Or where did Lex Luthor's "notes" come from? The world is in disarray because Superman is gone? So I guess we're all just over all those protests and making him appear on Capitol Hill..). Where BVS probably had too much going on as far as plot, Justice League felt like it didn't have any plot other than "The heroes have to stop the villain from getting these magic boxes".

Out of context Justice League is fine on its own, but it's not on its own. It's supposed to be this climax of what's come before in this cinematic universe, and it just feels like the next chapter in this clunky saga. Now the big-team up film doesn't have to be "the end of the beginning" like The Avengers. It can be the next step, and an origin story. Guardians of The Galaxy showed us that you can do a team-up film that is also an origin story.

Here's what Guardians does that Justice League doesn't though. It allows time for little character moments and actual character development. Batman, Wonder Woman, we know who they are at this point. Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg though? Who didn't have previous appearances in a DC film? They're all just sad loners. The one who probably shines best among the three is Aquaman, and if this film does one thing perfectly it makes me hyped for his standalone film (Hey sort of how BVS got us pumped for Wonder Woman!) We get a nice scene with Barry Allen and his father in jail, which probably feels more compelling to some than others because they watch The Flash tv series. Cyborg is just kind of there brooding and ashamed of what he is, and only gets to do anything when the plot needs him to. Would this film have worked better if they had their own films first? Probably, but it could have worked if they didn't either. But studio executives mandated the film to be two hours, so it's all rushed and it feels hollow.

Speaking of undeveloped characters, let's talk about Steppenwolf. He is not a good villain. His motivations are thin, and his character development is limited to a five-minute flashback narrated by Diana. The "Mother Boxes" of it all is lackluster. He's just a big, grey, generic, CGI bad guy for the heroes to fight. Speaking of fighting (segway to segway) the action is pretty bland. There's an underwater fight scene in Atlantis and honestly it made me nauseous. The big orange filter on everything in the final battle makes everything blend together horribly. None of the action really stands out, and it's all very choppy. Speaking of choppy-no I'll stop I'll talk about editing later.

So what's good about Justice League? Well the cast is pretty great and they have wonderful chemistry. Gal Gadot continues to remain the highlight of this franchise, being the perfect Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck's performance isn't as strong as it was in BVS but it's fine. He just seems…tired at times. Please just give us a good Affleck-led Batman film before it's too late. Holy crap finally, FINALLY, Henry Cavill actually gets to be Superman. I mean it's limited but he actually feels like the character for the first time with the material he's given. Jason Momoa is the coolest of cool as Aquaman. Ezra Miller is fun but sometimes annoying as The Flash. Ray Fisher's performance as Cyborg is nothing special but it's good.

The cast seems to be having some fun with this film, so in turn that can be transmitted to the audience. Justice League isn't unwatchable. It's nowhere near as terrible as Suicide Squad. Parts of it are enjoyable, and you might find yourself enjoying it a little bit. Atlantis and orange filters aside, some set pieces look pretty nice. When the film actually slows down and characters are allowed to be characters it's nice. But overall it's just a so-so film, and a film starring some of the most iconic comic book characters should be more than that.

Since the film's release, it's been revealed a lot had been cut out of the film. The edits are clear on the screen. So like all DCEU films, Justice League appears to be the victim of studio meddling. From my perspective, it seemed to come out a lot better than Suicide Squad, and arguably BVS. Justice League is harmless and hollow…but a little fun. It leaves no real impact, but you probably won't regret seeing it. Fingers crossed for Aquaman, Shazam, Wonder Woman 2…and whatever comes next…

So I've probably irked some Marvel fans for not trashing this film enough, and annoyed some DC films for not liking it more. But you know what?? You're all going to be pissed when you find out what I thought of Deadpool 2!!! *runs*

Film Review - "Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice"

Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Directed by Zach Snyder
Starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot 

The best place to start is by saying the waves of hate drowning this film on its opening weekend are not justified. I can't believe I'm in a position where I'm defending a film directed by Zach Snyder, one of the most frustrating filmmakers of our time in my opinion. That said, while I did enjoy Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, it is not a flawless film. There are problems that have to be addressed, so on we go.

Two year have passed since the events of Man of Steel and Superman's (Cavill) destructive battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon), which laid waste to most of Metropolis. Since then Bruce Wayne (Affleck) has held a deep grudge against him, fearing Superman could one day use his god-like powers to wipe out the entire planet. Getting back into the guise of Batman, Wayne makes it his mission to take him out before he even has the chance to.

Superman/Clark Kent continues with his struggle to find a place in the world, that right now doesn't know wether to fear or admire him. Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) investigates…something, that becomes relevant later on in the film. Billionaire Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) sets out to get his hands on some Kryptonite for his own devices, while Bruce also does some investigating against him. Then we have the mysterious Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gadot) with her own agenda, and sprinkled in between all that are some teases for Justice League….so yeah, a lot going on here.

If you remember The Amazing Spider-Man 2 at all, this is the same problem that film had. The first act is incredibly choppy, and there's a lot of of jumping from plot thread to plot thread. Unlike The Amazing Spider-Man 2 though, all the threads somehow come together in a moment I'm not sure I can share because it's a little spoilerish. That said, until the film gets to that point around the one-hour mark, it's very messy. The Justice League tie-ins while cool, felt very shoehorned in. Thankfully, it all concludes in an action-packed, absolutely awesome third act.

Let's talk about the performances. Henry Cavill, I really like as Superman, but he felt like a plot device in his own movie. Honestly, he barely had any dialogue. It just doesn't seem like Cavill is being given the proper chance to develop this character. My views on Man of Steel have changed since I first saw it (Seriously I was too kind in that review) but Cavill/Superman was almost treated a similar way in that film as well. Ben Affleck is awesome as Bruce Wayne/Batman, playing him with the perfect amount of charisma and gruff. Guys, Ben Affleck might be our best Batman yet. I am absolutely in love with Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and I cannot wait for her solo film next year.

Amy Adams is perfect again as Lois Lane. Jeremy Irons is so cool as Alfred. Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor….oh my god. So many times I wanted to scream "Shut up!" at the screen. His performance is just odd, cringeworthy, and downright annoying. I think there was only one or two good scenes where I actually enjoyed him as Lex. Hopefully going forward in the DC Extended Universe, be it Justice League or a straight Man of Steel sequel, we see very little of him.

Zach Snyder….oh, Zach Snyder. You can direct some really great action pieces but you just can't stop yourself from over-stylizing shit sometimes can you? His biggest offense in this category is a flashback to the deaths of Bruce Wayne's parents. Yeah you get to see that again. Then there's a scene where Superman performs a rescue at a Day of the Dead festival, and the end of it is just so….silly. It's been shown in most of the trailers. I'm talking about this:

Doesn't look any better on screen trust me. That said, most of the action scenes are incredible. The titular showdown between Batman and Superman isn't as grand as you'd expect it to be, but it's still epic. The showdown between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman against Doomsday is pure awesome. Oh by the way, Doomsday looks like shit. Literally. Like a humanoid piece of cat poop. Last thing, the music for this film is amazing and has been on repeat in my house ever since I got home from the theater.

So to conclude, I find Batman V. Superman to be a solidly entertaining film, that manages to get where it needs to despite some pretty outstanding flaws. Who is to blame? I don't think Zach Snyder deserves all the discredit. The screenwriters? Perhaps. The studio heads who laid down the law? I mean more than likely. The blunt cynic in me wants to say that at base level this is just playing catch-up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Boooooo!!!!" Oh shut up!!!!

Anyway, was there a better course to take for the DCEU? Yeah sure. A direct sequel to Man of Steel, push the Wonder Woman film up further, maybe-but-a-not totally necessary standalone Batman film, and then this film? Who knows? I don't have the power to offer a Plan B. I'll just look at the film we got, which isn't great, but is definitely not terrible. This a case where you have to stop listening to the critics, get to the theater, and make your own opinion. I guarantee you won't be totally disappointed with what you see.