"Justice League" came out. And I don't think it's as bad as most people are making it out to be. Mostly.
The current state of superhero movies made by DC Comics (Warner Bros., really) is an interesting one. Not too long ago, they were king of the castle - the "Batman" movies made by Christopher Nolan were and are beloved by audiences and critics alike, and are movies that are seen as works of art by some. The success of those movies, very dark realistic movies that are ultra-serious in tone, as well as that of Marvel's Cinematic Universe of interconnected superhero movies, lead to the creation of Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" - the start of a universe of interconnected movies using the DC superheroes, a movie that took Superman as a character and painted him into a very realistic (and grey) world, where the benefits of Superman to the public are debated on CNN, all mixed together with Zack Snyder's usual striking, cinematic and computer graphic-heavy visual style.
Though the movie was a financial success, fans and critics alike were just not into it. That was only doubled with the release of Zack Snyder's followup to "Man of Steel", "Batman v. Superman", which doubled down on the dark realism, and was even less well received by the public. While I have no problem defending "Man of Steel" as a good movie, over time I've grown to see "Batman v. Superman" as most people do- as just not very fun. And that seemed to be the sentiment all around. Maybe because of the popularity of Marvel's movies, movies which emphasized the fun, the adventure, and the humor in their stories about men and women in tights fighting space-men, or maybe because the real world already seemed depressing enough as 2016 crept closer and closer, but it was this lack of 'fun' that most people desired out of the DC superhero movies. It was certainly how I felt. It's rare when they do work, but I don't find superheroes to be the best place to explore lofty or depressing ideas. Sometimes they can pull it off (this year's "Logan" I think worked super well with its deadly serious tone), but lately, I think superhero movies should stick to their guns. Their fun guns.
Zack Snyder's "Justice League" was the answer to this cry for fun. Starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman (whose own solo movie also was a step in the right direction for DC) and Henry Cavill as Superman, "Justice League" presents itself as a startling course correction from the dismal movies which proceeded it. The change in direction probably also comes from Joss Whedon's involvement in the film, since Zack Snyder stepped away from its production halfway through the project due to a personal tragedy in his family. The movie is filled with jokes, quips and fun character interactions, and actually has colors in it. Crazy, right?
THE GOOD
- FUN: CHARACTERS, TONE
"Justice League" is not a bummer. Instead of the clenched-buttocks seriousness of "Batman v. Superman", where Superman threatens to break Batman into a million pieces and Batman murders indiscriminately, "Justice League" is an adventure movie about weird characters coming together. Certain scenes feel a lot like "The Avengers", the sparks that fly from these characters clashing, but it all works. It feels satisfying because the movie makes us care about its characters. Wonder Woman is fierce, protective, and trying her best to atone from a past of running from her problems; Flash is joke filled, a little neurotic and nervous (his role much like Spider-Man's in Marvel's "Civil War" movie); Cyborg as a character trapped in an ever-changing, monstrous body, who actually draws a lot of feeling and pathos out of the audience. Solid, interesting characters was something the DC cinematic universe was sorely missing, and this movie brings that to the table. It makes it all feel more human, warmer and natural, instead of cold and operatic, like the movies that proceeded this one.
- ACTION
Say what you will about Zack Snyder's storytelling, but the man sets up some awesome action scenes. Aquaman falling out of the sky, surfing on his opponents to the ground; Wonder Woman saving a crowd from the onslaught of a machine gun, deflecting each and every bullet. One such scene involving Flash and Superman stands out as really solid, really interesting and unique, one of the highlights of the movie for me.
THE BAD
- THE VILLAIN, HIS PLOT
"Justice League" has a stupid villain. He's bland, one dimensional, and boring. He reminds me of something out of "Power Rangers"- cheesy and corny and not very interesting and something made for children. Which, ya know, superheroes were made for, but when everything else around it feels like it's geared towards adults, it stands out as a very sore thumb. Superhero movies have always struggled with interesting, compelling villains, but this doesn't excuse what comes off as very lazy writing.
Also, "Justice League" being another story about a guy seeking revenge and using a planetary destruction weapon is pretty lame. This same old plot set up is so been there, done that (it was even kind of the main motivation of "Thor: Ragnarok"), and I'm sick of it. If these superhero movies are gonna keep being churned out until our future Grandchildren retire, I hope they start getting creative, start doing things that are different.
- EXCESS HUMOR
"Thor: Ragnarok" suffered from this very same problem here. Some of the comedy in this movie works really well. Ezra Miller as Flash is a good fit- he's funny and speedy and desperate to prove himself. He sort of pokes fun at the movie's logic. One of the characters flies away, sensing danger elsewhere, and Flash asks aloud "Did he just bail?" Some of it works, but some of it doesn't. There's just so much of it. It comes off, like Flash, that the movie is desperate for your approval, to be liked. It works maybe 70%, maybe 80% of the time. Every other time it takes you out of the movie, makes you groan.
- WONDER WOMAN'S SKIRT
A minor point, but this movie had a lot of lingering shots centered around Gal Gadot's butt. And her skirt here is even tinier than it was in her solo flick. There's a scene of her climbing out of a helicopter where the audience gets one of her entire butt cheeks. It was something that just felt cheap to me, something out of a Michael Bay movie, like I could hear the big-wig executives at Warner Bros. telling each other "Well, sex sells". It feels manipulative and gross.
THE PROGNOSIS
"Justice League" is getting lots of hate. Unjust hate, I think, considering "Thor: Ragnarok" is being held up as a crowning achievement, and that movie is at least on par with this one. I might have liked "Justice League" a little better than "Thor", but that's beside the point.
At the end of the day, "Justice League" is fun. It's not the best movie ever made, certainly not the best superhero movie ever made, but hey, while it's around in theaters, I'd say give it a watch. It's not bad.
Honest score:
7.5/10
