You can tell where the edits and executive interference occur in the story of Warner Bros. latest super-show Justice League occur, and as a whole, the film feels rather rushed at points. But going in I was hoping for a DC superhero story that didn’t feel the need to constantly question itself the way Batman vs. Superman did, and this film easily cleared that bar.
Damn near everything about this movie was obviously purposely made lighthearted as a response to how dour and pretentious Dawn of Justice came off. Personally, I’m fine with DC films having a more serious tone generally than most Marvel films, but the more (relatively) jovial tone is, IMO, a step in the right direction.
Directed by Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon stepped in to handle post-production, and his trademark droll humor is definitely apparent. Arthur Curry’s Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is a prime example- in spite of being next in line to rule Atlantis, he comes off more like a charmingly cocky brat with muscles and tattoos than a stern would-be ruler.
He’s none too impressed with Ben Affleck’s Batman, dismissing him as a stuffy rich guy with a bunch of toys. But as seen when Bruce Wayne tries to recruit Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), a young boy who can access a hidden force that grants him unimaginable speed, he’s at least honest about that fact.
This plot, sadly, is a bit too paint-by-numbers for what I imagine a lot of DC fans- me included- were hoping for. After the death of the Last Son of Krypton, Batman is tracking strange flying alien creatures around Gotham. They’re a prelude to the arrival of Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), a gravelly voiced alien conqueror from Apokolips who’s hunting for three hidden super-computers on Earth known as the Mother Boxes. They’re basically powerful MacGuffins in the mold of Marvel’s “Cosmic Cube”.
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is as badass and appealing as she was in her first two DC films, kicking the crap out of terrorists and displaying heart in equal amount. She’s more on board with recruiting Ray Fisher’s Victor Stone (a college athlete with cyber-transforming abilities who hides from the world because of his deformities) than she is with Bruce’s plan to perhaps use the power of the boxes to resurrect Superman (Henry Cavill). Is it guilt on Bruce’s part, as she suspects, or is Clark really the missing puzzle piece?
Whedon’s Avengers films had the advantage of its characters’ previous solo films being released before the big 2012 meeting, so it’s another example of how Justice League is trying to play catch-up. Still, that doesn’t mean the film lacks entertaining character interaction, and the cast is generally quite likable.
Cyborg, who’s way more measured and serious here than his wacky Teen Titans Go incarnation, is the only member who does any significant brooding (regarding his appearance after the accident), but he still gets some fun banter with Aquaman and Flash.
Miller’s Barry Allen is awkward, boyish, and scared out of his mind in his first battle, and Batman- in a reversal from how trigger-happy and angry he was in BvS- is grounded enough to lend him words of encouragement.
I also kept detecting a bit of shipping in the narrative between Bruce and Gadot’s Diana, but it wasn’t overwhelming or to where I felt it was being shoved in my face thankfully. Mostly it’s apparent in some brief arguments, but nothing to the extent that Clark gets with Amy Adams’s Lois.
If you’re looking for a classic piece of cinema starring the DC heroes, you’re probably not going to find that here- it isn’t focused enough to really gel or expand the scope of comic book films to the extent I felt The Dark Knight or Wonder Woman did. The constant fluctuation in tone is an issue, and the story is pretty bare bones- it doesn’t do much beyond building up to the expected super-fight finale. And it’s a real pity Steppenwolf was so under-written as a villain, because I felt Hinds’ performance was quite strong.
But I won’t lie to you and claim I wasn’t enjoying it more as it progressed, because things really (like the trailer song says) come together towards the climax. I feel this film could have been a lot stronger if all six members were unified and developing their chemistry by around the first 1/3 of the run time.
I don’t want to see DC’s movie division try to slavishly copy Marvel in terms of atmosphere, but it’s certainly a pleasure watching Superman, Batman, Flash and the others in brightly-shot costumes, laughing together and conversing like ordinary people after multiple films filled with dark palettes and existential pondering. In spite of how disjointed Justice League is, there’s enough excitement to just take it in as a decent popcorn movie, and I think parts of it are good signs of progress for Warner Bros’ film universe going forward. Mildly recommended.